There are so many journaling accent options, but this layout by Nic Howard shows that you can use the accents as embellishments, rather than something simply to hold your journaling. Nic has created a base for her layout with Hambly Kraft papers and Basicgrey Wassail. She has then cut various elements from a Hambly 'Journaling Spots' paper and layered them on her page along with a heart cut from Teresa Collins paper. Nic has then added her journaling, on transparency, over the top of the layered accents. Glimmer Mist in Candy Apple Red has added that touch of colour to the right side.
Looking at journaling blocks, cards or accents as embellishments opens up a whole range of possibilities to your layouts, resulting in layouts similar to Nic's.
Suz has used Heidi Swapp Day journalling spots to record a week in the life of her son. Obviously not every detail, just the little things that make each day slightly different - runners on tuesdays, library bag on fridays etc. She has cut BasicGrey Offbeat patterned paper squares to the same size and rounded their corners to match the journaling spots and continue the theme. A couple of Offbeat die-cut stickers are enough to break up the very square look and accent the page.
Scenic Route die cuts are one of Mel's favourite products to use on a layout. Usually just one will be used on her pages to add journaling or a small title, but for this layout Mel has used a variety of Ashville and Providence diecut shapes combined with Basic Grey papers (Archaic Rusty & Offbeat Casual).
The circles on the page have then been used to create small journaling areas, teeny titles and to hold photos and accents. A scattering of In A Stitch green buttons and machine stitching have tied together the elements on the page and completed the page nicely.
Altering embellishments can be an fun and visually effective medium to use on your layouts. Here Steph has used the Jenni Bowlin "Victoria" Collection Journalling Cards and sewed her journalling onto them. She has adhered the Basic Grey Chipboard Ladybug to the journalling cards to layer its appearance. Tearing and curling paper gives the layout a well used look and adds to its shabby charm.
To enhance the Jenni Bowlin yellow flower patterned paper, Steph sprayed Glimmermist on them and then cut them to shape.
For some, words come easily and others...well, it can be a struggle. Donna doesn't find it difficult to record her thoughts and narrate the stories on her pages, but she does get a little scared when journalling directly onto a completed layout. Using journalling accents is Donna's favourite way to add her thoughts to a page. She knows that should things not go to plan, she can find another accent and start over. SEI accents are perfect in this respect as there are so many to choose from, yet they all coordinate beautifully with each other. Donna makes plenty of mistakes and finds that it's never difficult to find a "replacement" accent, from her stash of SEI products, to fill the space.
Journaling tags are a fun way to create your layout, Carole used the Hog Heaven Journaling chipboard and pattern papers. She made the main feature to her layout the Journaling chipboard which she layered and if you look closely you'll see she also used the journaling tags for matting her photo.
Every Cosmo Cricket paper range comes with a sheet of perfectly co-ordinating journal cards. On a 12 x 12 sheet, the cards generally trim down to 6 x 4" or half of that. This of course is the perfect mini-album size to scrap all of those standard 6 x 4 photos. Cut the journal card sheet down into cards and then using a Crop-A-Dile, punch holes to make an album spine. Use the cards like Nicole has to record your thoughts and if any aren't relevant, simply use it to back a photo.
You can also make pages for your mini album from the photos on their own by adhering them back to back. Make smaller pages with journal cards and sandwich in between covers cut from Hambly overlays.
To create this gorgeous little album, Nicole used nothing more than her photos, one sheet of Cosmo Cricket journalling cards from the Jack's World range and the co-ordinating die-cut stickers, plus some random left-over rub-ons she had in her stash. Quick simple and economical!
