I've jumped on the planner bandwagon!

This is my planner. 

   

It's a Color Crush Planner by Webster's Pages. You can check out some of the amazingness on the Webster's Pages web site. These planners are so pretty and come in a range of the most beautiful colors. I got the light teal one, because it's my favorite color. I love it. The dividers are beautiful and it comes with a full calendar and other fun pages as well. 

I've always really liked planners. I had one for years to write everything down and to keep track of my crazy schedule. Then I got my iPhone and started using the calendar on my phone to keep track of everything. I love my phone, I have to be honest, but there are things that I missed about having a planner.

 I like being able to write things down. I like planning out my week. I like having goals for each week, where I can easily see them and be reminded of what I'm working on that week. I also love planners for memory keeping. When I'm looking at pictures or working on Project Life, it was very helpful for me to look though my planner and to remember what was going on that week. I could easily see the appointment and day to day things that were going on. You know, all the boring stuff that makes up our life, but that we don't always photograph? Well since I've been only using my phone I've been missing some of those things. When I started seeing pretty planners pop up every where. I was so excited to find a way to use a planner that worked for me. 

One of the reasons I love my planner the most is, it's like a mini scrapbook. I like to add pictures, write my thoughts and use my scrapbook product. I also love that I can scrapbook on the go. In my planner I have a few go-to supplies, like stickers, a washi card (laminated card with washi tape around it), project life cards, alphabet stickers and instax photos. I can plan out my week any where and have fun product to decorate and make it beautiful. 

I love adding cards, art work, photos, quotes and all sorts of goodness in between these pages. I love using paper clips to clip on little goodies. I love that my planner is good and full and has so many beautiful layers and tags that stick out. 

I started off my planner by adding this 4 x 4 "hello" card and a list of some goals for the year. It's a great place to keep track of my goals and reference them when I need to refocus. Sure I could make a list of goals on my phone, but a planner is beautiful. It makes me want to look at it again and again. It's totally speaking my scrapbook love language. Looking through these pictures, quotes and goals, makes me feel happy, energized and ready to tackle the day, or week or year. 

Another thing I love about my planner is, it's a place for me. I love my scrapbooks, but often I'm making them for our family or for my kids. This planner is just for me. I can use my favorite colors, write quotes and notes to myself, and include things that make me happy. I loved adding in this little card of one of my favorite pieces of art work. This planner has a little bit of everything. And it's 100% me. 

Each month I create a title page. It will have a quote or picture to represent the month. Here I also added some fun washi tape. 

I also love these little lists that are included. I really love taking time to write down things that I am thankful for. It helps remind me of all the things that are good in my life. There is always something to be grateful for and a grateful heart is a happy heart. 

Lastly, a planner is for planning! Yes I really do use my planner to write down our schedule, daily appointments and to-do lists. Sometimes at the end of the week. I'll cover up some of the same old schedule with a fun picture or project life card. I also like using blank spaces to write journaling about some of my favorite memories from the week. Then when I look back I have this wonderful record of our lives. And it's so much more then just a list of appointments. It's my thoughts, goals, favorite memories, pictures, and so much more. 

Welcome home sweet planner. I am so happy to have found you. 

To see a video of my planner check out my Instagram feed @julianahallcreates also see #JHCreatesplanner 

Summer Fun Art Journals

When I was at Christy Tomlinson's Art Retreat, we made these amazing art journals out of scrapbook paper, and I have been itching to make more ever since. This one above is an art journal I made for myself over the summer. I can't wait to add paint and pictures to this baby and create a beautiful scrapbook/ art journal. It's a great place to paint, sketch, explore new art technics, add photos and more!

If you are a scrapbooker like me, you probably have a ton of scrapbook paper hanging around and chances are you won't ever use all of it. Some paper might not be your style any more, or you thought you'd use it and never did. Or maybe you have papers that you love, love, love and want to use in a new a fun way. Well gather some of the scrapbook paper together and we are going to make some fun art journals!

These are great for adults or kids. Today I'm going to show you some art journals I put together and they I'll show you how my kids had fun painting and being creative in their art journals. It's a great summer project! Give your kids the gift of some fun messy art time!

Here are the supplies you'll need to make your very own art journal. 

1) 12 pieces of scrapbook paper- I like to mix prints and solids. And don't worry if your paper is not double sided, it's nice to have white spaces in your art journal too. 

2) Cording & a needle

3) Awl- get one on amazon here 

4) 12 in x 18 in sheet of water color paper 

This is the watercolor paper I used. I got it at Micheals. 

Pick your favorite piece of paper, the one you want to see first when you open your art journal. Fold it like this, so you can see 2 thirds of the paper and 1 third is folded behind. 

Then get another sheet of paper that will show 1 third over the font of the paper you just picked. Fold the paper and nestle them together. 

Next you are simply going to continue folding papers over with the 1 third to 2 thirds ratio and nestling the papers together. Make sure all the papers cross the center, so when you sew it together all the papers will catch and be sewn together. 

See how I keep adding paper. This is what my art journal looks like laying flat. I keep adding papers to the middle, with one third on one side of the center line and 2 thirds on the other side of the center line. You can do this part of the process how ever it makes sense to you. You can work from the center up or start in the middle and work back. 

If you want to change it up, fold a paper in half, or add smaller papers. Just makes sure everything tucks in nicely and will be sewn together. 

For the last step. Get your watercolor paper and fold it in half to create your cover for your art journal. 

Next get your awl and poke 5 holes through all the papers down the center line. 

Then get your needle and thread the cording onto it. Then sew the art journal together. I always start in the middle and end in the middle, but you can do it whatever way works for you. 

To see a  quick prices video of how I put it all together, check out my Instagram feed @julianahallcreates

I totally love pretty patterned paper and it's so fun to layer these use! Here's a peak and some of my favorite pages from some art journals I've made. 

And here's one I did for a boy too!

Here is one my daughter has colored, painted, journaled on, and had fun with. 

With this art journal, anything goes. I don't give her any rules, or correct her if something doesn't look right. It's her place to be creative, to play and have fun. She likes to color, use stickers, paint, and even do chalk. She also will journal or write stories. I just love peaking into her art journal!  It's so cute, playful and beautiful. 

Art Journal Day

So grab some paper and make your very own wonderful art journal. I'd love to see what you make. Use the hashtag #JHCreatesartjournals and be sure to follow me on Instagram @julianahallcreates