Cozy Cuddly! by Amber Mitchell

Cozy Cuddly! by Amber Mitchell

Hi crafty friends! Amber Mitchell here on the Simple Stories blog today to share with you this super chunky, super fun travel journal I created using the Simple Vintage: Country Harvest collection.  

                          

                       

Fall is, hands down, my favorite season. I love the all of the colors, the fallen leaves, the pumpkins and the spice! And this collection captures all of those things perfectly! 

                           

                          

For the base of this journal, I used a YouTube tutorial from Paige Evans. This journal consists of pages of all different sizes and shapes that are saddle stitched together. This adds a lot of fun character and interest to the journal and makes flipping through it more interactive.  

                        

               

When it came to embellishing this project, I used a mix of all of the embellishments from Simple Vintage: Country Harvest.  

To create large titles and sentiments throughout the journal, I used the Foam Stickers. I added these to the title page, the half circle pages, and on top of some photo spaces for added dimension.  

                           

                   

                    

To create some fun dimensional photo spots throughout this project, I used the Chipboard Frames. I added three of these randomly throughout the journal and backed them with white cardstock photo mats that I can replace with photos at a later time. To decorate these further, I added small embellishments along their edges, along with some machine stitching. 

                        

                      

Since this journal is designed for future use, I opted to only add a few designated photo mats and journaling spots. This way, I can make changes to the layout of the journal if I need to in the future. Rather than leaving these pages empty, however, I created clusters using cut-aparts from the “3x4 Elements” and “Journaling Elements” papers from the 12 x 12 Collection Kit. To these cards, I added embellishments from the Decorative Brads, Bits and Pieces Pack, Foam Stickers and Chipboard Stickers. Layering all of these pieces together created fun clusters that I can use as either decorative pieces or as journaling spots later. I used paper clips and mini clothespins to clip these into the book. 

                         

                        

               

The middle of this journal consists of a folder that has some clear SN@P! pocket pages inside. To these pocket pages I added some white cardstock photo mats along with some cut-aparts from the “4x4 Elements” paper.  

Another fun feature I added to this journal are pockets that have a magnetic closure. To create these two pockets, I added patterned paper to two empty pages in the journal. These were just plain sheets of paper that I machine stitched along the edges of. Once these were adhered down, I took two embellishments from the Chipboard Clusters pack and turned them into flip up pieces that are held closed using craft magnets. This makes for such a fun interactive addition to the journal while providing more space for photos and mementos. 

                               

             

To keep this chunky journal closed, I braided three strands of autumn green twine together and tied it around the book. I am in love with this project just as much as I am in love with Fall and can’t wait to stuff it full of fun and happy memories!

Thanks so much for stopping by my post today. I’ll see you next time with another fun project!  

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1 comment

  • Lynn Ballenger: November 07, 2022

    Could you please share the link to the Paige evans youtube that you used to create this mini album? I love it!

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