Creativity Challenge #7

Posted on February 18, 2016 by prairiemoonquilts in Creativity Challenges

Did you have fun playing with crayons? I did! And I’m gonna keep at it, too, it was so much fun.

This week’s Creativity Challenge is a bit more of a “project”. We’re going to start something, but it might take a long time for it to be considered finished; however, lots of my other challenges are still works-in-progress, so I’m OK with that on this one, too.

We’re going to:

Start a junk journal or smash book

Now, if you haven’t ever heard of a junk journal or smash book, just Google it, and read up on them. There are many different kinds, and I want you to choose the kind you want to make. So look around at what’s out there for your inspiration.

I made this easy one for myself last fall:

mysmashbook

It’s simply held together with binder rings, and I hole-punched cards and various other things that I’ve kept as mementos and put them all together into this little book.

smashbook2

I can flip through it for the memories, add to it, take things out, etc. It’s fun!

smashbook4

But I want one that’s a little more “editable”. I want to add some of my own writing, vintage odds and ends, old book pages, lots of stuff.  I want to embellish some of the pages, doodle on some, whatever strikes me. I want it to build and evolve over time. And I’ve been collecting goodies to use for awhile. Here’s a sampling of some of them:

mygoodies

I want to have more than one. I have a chipboard album I plan to start with, and I’m also starting one made from an old book. I took the insides out, trimmed off the spine, and had My Cowboy drill holes in it for binder rings. I’m gonna start filling it up with fun stuff, inspiring stuff, motivating stuff, ideas, art, and memories.

So that’s my challenge to you this week as well. Start yourself a junk journal! Just start, and then keep adding to it over time. You’ll know when to call it finished.

To help you get started, I’m having a give-away! I’m a big fan of the Etsy shop, The Paper Basket, and I sometimes order myself some goodies from her.

paperbasket

I got this pack of goodies from her recently that I’m giving away to one lucky winner, and that winner can use the fun pieces to help start their own junk journal!

ephemerapack

Honestly, you don’t know how badly I want to keep this for myself, but if you leave a comment on this post, you’ll garner yourself a chance to win this one, and I promise to send it to the winner, even if I don’t want to! I’ll announce the winner in next week’s Creativity Challenge post.

25 responses to “Creativity Challenge #7”

  1. Jean says:

    Great idea. Looks like a fun way to keep memetos together.

  2. Wendy says:

    This looks like fun! I’m heading off to Google and start planning 🙂

  3. randy says:

    you could always put your name in as well.

    I am in my sewing room looking at my crayons. Where does the week go to?

  4. Beverly says:

    You are AWESOME to share your trinkets!!! I love to keep my memories in a book too – so I am on the lookout for extra creative additions in restaurant menus, church bulletins, magazines, advertisements, etc.

  5. Karen says:

    This coloring has been so much fun. My daughter and I are doing it at bedtime each night. It’s so relaxing!
    I’d never heard of these types of journals before. Can’t wait to get started now!

  6. Shirley says:

    Can’t wait to find out more about junk journals and start my own.

  7. Sue Hook says:

    You are so awesome! Your giveaways are the coolest stuff!!

    I did not know these are the latest thing. I did something similar for a vacation. I took lunch sacks and decorated and put mementos from each day in the sacks. I kind of forgot about it.

    This is really cool – my mind is really churning now. I will keep you posted. Thanks for the great ideas!!!!

  8. Mary C says:

    Love this idea! I have been organizing/cleaning out as you have given me some inspiration! Thanks for the added push!

  9. Kathy F says:

    I’ve been doing this for a few years. I had no idea that other people did it or that it had a name. Hmm

    Mine are in a binder. I have 3 of them and maybe more. Not sure have to find them and look at them. They contain different things from all areas of my life. Some fun, some not. But I call them my memory books.

    Who knew?

  10. This is a really good idea. I am often tucking away bits and pieces that I want to remember, such as a wrapper from a tea bag I want to purchase an entire package of, or and ad I’ve seen and want to efer back to. I never know where to put them. Now I do. Thanks.

  11. Sharon says:

    Oh, this reminds me of the junk journals/scrapbooks I started about my parents years ago using old books I got at a flea market. I never got either of them finished; somehow they just got stalled. I had also collected lots of junk for two of our beloved cats, but never got started on them. Maybe it’s time to get all of them finished.

  12. Rose Marie says:

    Oh my. Do I really have a chance to win this?
    I have my own very understated way of keeping stuff like this. I don’t know about a junk journal……………

  13. Becka Meyers says:

    I’m definitely in the dark on this weeks assignment, so I’ll have to do some research!

  14. Cindy says:

    Love this idea. Would love to win this to help get me started! Thank you.
    ckrutjo@gmail.com

  15. janequiltsslowly says:

    This is a great idea for putting in ticket stubs, postcards never sent and received, etc. I even have the chip board binder to start with!

  16. Carrie says:

    This is going to be tough! I’m going to have to fight my inner “Ms. Clean”. She is always coming out and throwing things out. Maybe a binder will be a way to hang on to things, but I know that if it is on the other side of the house when I come across something, I’ll probably be too lazy to climb the stairs to put it away! But this will be good for me. It will get me to think about things as more than recyclables.

  17. Melody A. says:

    your posts are always so enlightening and funny, would love to try a different venue for memorabilia!!

  18. Meloney says:

    OK, so this is completely new to me. LOL
    But, as I’ve been cleaning out, there are some bags of things that would work well in this way of dealing with them. They would all be together and be able to find them.

  19. Carole S. says:

    Why is it I’ve never heard of this? This is precisely the kind of “journaling” I need. I’ve never been able to continue in a formal journal – I just don’t do it for long. But this is something I think I could manage to continue. Thank you for sharing the idea!!

  20. Hi,
    I’ve been wanting to start one of these for awhile. Now I have an excuse to get started. Have a great day!

  21. Ellen R says:

    I am so grateful I found your blog..all of your ideas are practical and fun. Thank you for all of the great tips and referralss..

  22. Sophie says:

    I’d never heard of a junk journal nor smash book, but live the idea or organizing all those bits and pieces … Count me in!

  23. Lori Hutyra says:

    One person’s junk is another person’s treasure!

  24. Lori says:

    Have I mentioned how much I LOOOOOOOVE these kinds of books? I have several I’ve done and am always up to start a new one! I even found a Smash book pen last week in Pasadena (they are getting harder and harder to find). Sadly, the pen did not make it home with me, though…I think someone else liked it more than they thought I needed it. Sigh. Ah well, I can find another.

  25. Hi,
    Got started on my Smash Book/Journal, it’s posted at my place. Have a great day!

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