Author: Marina

Notebooks addiction

I think I can easily say that I have an addiction for notebooks, any type, any make, any size. And since I promised myself not to buy any new book until I’ve completed the ones I’ve already started (which is many), I’ve started making my own. I’ve spent the past week making these two 5″ squared notebooks, using some new fabrics I recently bought at the knitting & stitching fair in London. My inspiration was the squared journal from hand.book that Jeninne Zlatkis uses for her weekly journals. And since I’m planning to document 2014 in a similar way, I made myself a 52 weeks (26 pages) journal to fill in. 
For the inside I chose some 130gsm 100% recycled paper. I bought it from a UK based company called Ellie Poo Paper and is made with post consumer waste mixed with elephant dung. It sounds gross, but the paper is beautifully textured, does not smell if you are wondering, does not contain bleaches or detergents and the paint/pen does not bleed through. I’m so impressed with it so far.

For the notebook itself, I followed this tutorial on You Tube, almost to the letter, with some very minor changes to suit my needs.
I still haven’t decided which one of the two I’m going to be using, but once I do, I will make the other one available to buy in my etsy shop. Any preference?

A list // November


I am…

making: rubber stamps. almost everyday, and when i’m not, i’m thinking about them.
cooking: as less as possible. pre-packed and already cut vegetables are my way to go.
drinking: miso soup in the afternoon, at work. it makes me feel cosy.
reading: the power of habit. why we do what we do, and how to change.
wanting: to go Christmas shopping. but there’s too many people around.
looking: for the perfect autumn raincoat, still.
playing: with puzzles, all day long.
wasting: time at work, seriously.
sowing: hope for the future and a positive attitude.
wishing: for the perfect house to be found soon.
enjoying: my evenings, working on my own stuff or watching some tv.
waiting: for the weekend to start.
liking:  my date nights with my other half.
wondering: if I’m doing things right.
loving: the me time during my lunch breaks.
hoping: that everything will be ok.
marvelling: at how much the little miss is growing.
needing: a change. soon.
smelling: the cold air in the early morning.
wearing: hats, scarves and gloves. and more layers.
following: Jeninne Zlatkis and her art blog.
noticing: the naked trees and their silhouettes against a clear sky.
knowing: this could be a good thing.
thinking: it will be hard.
bookmarking: my favourite notebooks for 2014.
opening: tons of mails. and it’s not even christmas yet.
giggling: when we cuddle.
feeling: very emotional and a bit tired.

47/52

It’s week 47 and getting closer to the holidays! This week has been hard with me not feeling well, dad feeling tired and you catching a cold again. But we survived, and even managed a quick trip to the playground.

This week you:

  • discovered vibrations are fun, and spend lots of time banging on the tray of your highchair to make the nuts jumping and going around.
  • gave me a kiss on my belly when I told you I had a stomachache.
  • loved loved loved waiting for dad to come home in the evening. You got all excited waiting for him at the window and then rushing down the stairs to surprise him behind the front door!
  • Have been down with a cold again. But you have been very brave in taking all the medicines you were prescribed, even that cough syrup which tasted horribly.
If you are curious about this project and want to know more, you can check Jody’s blog @ Che and Fidel.
All my previous posts can be found here.

30 Days of Lists // my listing book

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December is almost here, and so is the December edition of 30 Days of Lists! I like to get things ready before hand, especially this time with the holidays approaching and things getting crazier than usual. So here we go, my listing book is ready to go and so am I!
For this edition I went a bit overboard and decided to try something new. I have previously used an A6 eco seawhite sketchbook, and embellished it with printed out daily lists, stickers, washi tape, and whatever felt appropriate for the daily challenge. This time I will be using something totally different and handmade. I have been enjoying very much making sketchbooks and notebooks lately from scratch, and this is no different. After much debating I went for an easy-to-make concertina book. 
I used two pieces of 4x5in dark grey cardstock and 8 strips of 12x5in watercolour paper, each folded in 3, and attached them together with double sided tape. If you are looking at making one for yourself, check this tutorial from design sponge.
For the front cover I used a bit of everything, from some ribbon, which will also hold the book together once I’m done, to a used first class stamp, but sticking to a black, red and white colour scheme. 
For the inside of the book, it got even more messy, but oh so fun to do! I splashed some red watercolour paint all over the pages, without giving much attention to where the colour would end up and letting it bleed in all directions.
Once dried, the real fun began!
For the daily lists, as usual, I printed out the complete list in advance. Surprises are not really my thing and although I do each list daily, I like to know in advance what’s to come.
For this December edition, I printed each title using some fillable Christmas labels from Catherine Auger (you can download them for free here). To avoid any spoilers, I deleted the titles from the pictures below, so feel free to have a look!
I drew some black stripes to divide pages and title areas, attached the daily titles and used some stamps, butterflies cut-outs and handmade rubber stamps to embellish each page. Here is a sneak peak of the inside of my #30lists // December edition book.
I’m planning to use a stamp for the date, as before, and maybe add some more embellishment as I go along. And I will be using a pilot G-1 0.7 for writing down the lists. Can’t wait to start listing! 
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There’s about a week left before the start of this year’s December edition of 30 Days of lists. If you want to know more about this monthly challenge visit 30 Days of Lists and have a look at all my previous related posts here. You can sign up here (it’s an affiliate link), there is still time to register!

Today

Today is one of those days when outside is sunny and beautiful, although probably cold, and you are stuck inside with a kid not feeling great trying to fight a nasty cold. And between comforting her and trying to get some work done, the day feels longer and never ending. But nothing a warm cup of ginger tea with lemon and honey and a nice view from my kitchen window couldn’t fix. After all tomorrow is another day.