Blank Page Muse Blog: Create a Mini DIY Journal

Hello! Welcome back to the BPM blog. Blank Page Muse just released a new printable paper digital download set, the Summer Citrus Digital Papers, Ephemera, Pockets & Tags Printables. I am featuring these printables on my projects this month. This is my second post using these printables.

There are several advantages in using a digital print download. One of the advantages is that it can be resized depending on your project. For my project, I resized the top most print out sheet on the photo above. My initial plan is to make the image with the green design a card front. I thought I resized it to 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" but after I trimmed it, it was not. I can make this into an odd shaped card but I had a light bulb moment while I was working with this digital print.

I don't know about you but I have several trimmers which includes a guillotine trimmer. I trimmed the white edges off the image.

To make sure I trimmed it flushed on the edge of the printed image, I used a Post-It Note as a guide. I lined it to the edge of the print out. I positioned the Post-It Note with the digital print on the trimmer. I made sure that the edge of the Post-It Note is aligned to the blade of the trimmer.

I scored this digital print at the center using the image's center line as a guide. This is when the idea of creating a mini journal went into play.

I looked through my stash and pulled out the excess sheets of my sons' school notebooks. I made pencil marks with the edges of the print out as guide. These marks will guide me on where to trim these sheets.

I wanted some variety on my journal so I also repeated the above steps on several sheets of typing paper. Just like the lined paper, I trimmed the sheets using the pencil marks as a guide. I used a rotary trimmer this time to cut the sheets.

I folded the sheets on the center. I reinforced the fold with a bone folder.

Even if the size of the paper inserts and the print out are all the same when laid flat, the inserts tend to be longer when folded. I trimmed a sliver off the open edge, trimming by batch, around 2 folded sheets at a time.

Once the paper inserts and the cover are equal in length, I punched the outer corners for both the printed cover and the inserts just to follow the design of the image.

I used a clip to keep the sheets together while I poke the holes on the center. I used a template as a guide to where to poke the holes. I wished I made the holes farther apart. I used a poking tool to poke the hole through all the pages. I poked the paper twice before stitching to reinforce the holes.

I used a DMC embroidery floss in stitching. I used 4 strands.

I started stitching from the center. moving towards the side, then moving back to the center ending the stitching there.

I fussy cut the collage image included in the set. I left a slim white border around the image.

I fussy cut a tag from the collection. This time, I cut it on the line.

I punched a hole on the tag & the collage print out. I placed the collage image on the back of the tag so both are aligned with each other when I punched a hole on it.

While I was creating the mini journal, I thought of adding a pocket to my art journal to put the mini journal in. I trimmed one of the pocket printouts included in the collection. I also go through different scissors when I craft. With this image, I used a long scissors so I can cut it straight. If I used a smaller scissor, I would have to move the paper towards the scissors which might not guarantee a straight cut. I used a small sharp tip scissors when I fussy cut.

I scored the tabs of the pocket following the design of the print out. I marked one of the grooves on the score board with a red marker. This line guides me in aligning the part of the paper that I want to score.

After folding the tabs on the score, I inked the edges of the pocket to give it a vintage look.

I added strong double sided adhesive tape to the tabs. I added the tape to the inside of the top tab to adhere this tab to the body of the pocket. You can trim this off but I feel this will keep the top edge of the pocket smooth and add strength to the pocket.

I removed the release paper from the double adhesive tape with a craft knife.

I adhered the pocket to the page next to the interactive art journal page.

This is how the mini journal looks with the cover open. Do you know that another advantage of digital prints is that you can print the design on both sides of the paper creating a double sided pattern paper?