Journal Pencil Case

I finished my journal pencil case last night.

pencil case

Its nothing fancy, and totally used up fabric and zipper I had at home. I also attached a metal clasp with a handle and key ring to the zipper.

inside fabric choice.

 

My cellphone holder and accessory bag.

All in turquoise.

Making Choices

I bought this Latch Journal Turquoise last week for our Missionary trip to Guyana in now November/December. It just keeps getting closer! I am allowed but one 30 lb suit case and one purse sized take on luggage, so I am going to have to be very selective about what personal items I wish to pack. That said I will need pens/pencils/markers and glue to come with me for my journal. NO option here.

So I thought to make a small pencil case  to match the journal. I went through my quilting scrap box and came up with these selections.

 This print I used to make my cable case for my cell phone, and a traveling case for my cellphone.

 Not me.

 Too blue

I have decided I do not like the second and third choice. But that perhaps I will go with the last two. The second print being the lining.
I will figure it all out today.

Planner Week #24

My Theme this week was based on my three youngest girls.

I found these doll stickers at Walmart a few weeks back and couldn't help but think that it well described my three youngest.

The six year old is blonde.

The four year old is a red head.

The baby a brunette

.The Washi tapes are a combination of what I had in the box. No colour theme, but bright.

Stickers too, just bright ones.

PS. Yes we are farmgirls!

Cleaning Days of the Week

I just updated my planner so something more pretty to the eye.
I had the cleaning days of the week in my daily section of my planner. Since Monday to Wednesday is on one side of the page and Thursday to Sunday on the right hand side, I had divided the weekly cleaning onto two pages.

This was my old system:

A Card for each day. I had them laminated in business card laminate from the Dollarama. But it was too bulky when all cards were lines up. I was completing the list from one day and then putting it into the next week.

Then I lines these cards into a photo page, but the cards always shifted.

So today while it is pouring out...... I made this.

The backgrounds are free backgrounds I found on Pinterest.

The Magnolia Girl was also off Pinterest.

The laminate was three sheets for a dollar at Dollarama.

I hole punched and now it fits nicely between my week.

I can mark it and wipe off if I so wish.

Latch Journal Turquoise

I bought this Beautiful turquoise coloured latch journal yesterday after going to five different stores trying to find a journal that would meet my needs.

It had to be a descent size because I can't write on anything small. My hand can't rest on the edge of a small book. And it had to be light.

I was really looking for something that was three ringed. I thought a few weeks ago I spied something at Walmart, but when I arrived there ( I hate that store), they were tearing that aisle apart to address the new calendar situation for the upcoming school year. Looking ward to seeing new planners there but didn't find what I really wanted.

I had half an hour to spare before collecting Mum from her Knitting Club so I slipped into Chapters and "Oh MY" now I had choices to make.

At first I had a small pocket notebook in turquoise in my hand and I was happy with it, until I found an opened packaged one ( different colour) and rested my hand on it and I knew it wouldn't do. So I looked at larger sized journals. Most were pretty heavy, then I spied this one, and there was no more looking, with the exception of deciding on turquoise or purple!

So what did I need this journal for?

Well we are Pioneer Missionaries and tenant out our farm for a month to a "farmer wantabie", and go missionary somewhere, where the need is great and we think we might want to retire in. This year in December we are going to Guyana with our younger children.

I need the journal now to get ready for the trip.

I would love to bring my normal planner, because its essential in my life, but its too big and heavy. This one I can bring and hopefully attach things I think I will need.

This journal is a 'vegan leather cover,' which is lovely and soft. The pages are an off-white, which I really like. The book opens flat. However I cannot remove the pages, as they are sewn in. I hope to design some envelope pages to hold items in.I am also going to sew in a pen loop as there is ample room to do this.

Anyway I hope you can join me in the coming months on decorating and getting this journal ready to go on our trip.

Other finds at Chapters were these.:

I don't know why I got the dolls but they are cute. Where I live there isn't much in the way of scrapbooking or cardmaking. I really have to rely on the Internet. However I was not too happy when I opened the tabs cardboard and found them to be a fraction of the size I thought.

Other items this week.
My daughter brought these home from work for me.( she bought them)

LOVE my Black Frixion Pens

A Gift.


Latch Journal- Turquoise
Sticky Tabs
Nesting Dolls
Magnetic Page Clips

New in From Japan

Mail arrived today at the farm. A small parcel from Japan.I was so excited because its been about 10 years since I ordered anything for myself. But the farmhouse was full of people and I wanted to open it alone and enjoy my purchases.

The parcel was wrapped in cute washi tape. (I covered my mailing address)

Here is the contents of the parcel.

I am a Dutch girl so some little Dutch ladies.

Animals because I farm.

The rabbit was cute, however I am sure I ordered sheep since we farm sheep??

The sticky pad I didn't order she just sent and

what I thought, an adorable card. I'll save it for a weekly project.

Planner week #23

Kind of a mixed up week as my mom landed out in the hospital, and it rained throwing me into a tissy by the weekend. However my intentions on the "to do list" were highly regarded but never completed!

I think my biggest accomplishment was completing my dress for the weekend and having oodles of fantastic remarks on it, when worn.

My second week of "Hello Kitty" and am officially tired of her now.
Next week is something totally unrelated.

The Hello Kitty stickers were from Dollarama
The washi tape from Micheals. I liked it on the spool but wasn't to overly happy with it when I used it. I liked that is was red & pink and had hearts on it.
The Little card in the middle with my grocery list is Martha Steward tags from Micheals. The booklet has a nice assortment of prints and colours.

My Budget Planner

I have always budgeted. Have used every system ever invented out there including having the whole paycheck in cash in the house, which I don't like. In actual fact the paper method works best for me.
So this is what I have put together today because I bought a new binder and am setting things up a little different then before.

This binder is a green plastic binder with the view slot on the side that also says Budget so I know what it is on the shelf. I have been buying these coloured binders from Staples ( Canada) and this is a 1" wide binder which cost me about $7.50.

I like pretty things so I bought these page dividers also from Staples for $2.50. Five dividers that are laminated.

I labeled the dividers.
Bills to be paid go in the first divider.
a Budget spread sheet in the second
and  the last three tabs are different bank accounts we have for different uses.

Paychecks are normally the same each month but they are automatically put into two different accounts.
One the spending account, where money goes in and out regularly, the second an account we don't touch ( Savings) The third is a special account which is divided on paper only into categories of savings. Renovations, Holiday, Gift giving and Our Missionary Trip ( which usually utilizes the Holiday money as well. Each paycheck I deposit a set amount and don't touch it. It is in a high end interest rate account.

This is My Monthly Budget Sheet, which is free at:Printable Paper
And these are my account column sheets:

They can be found at Printable Paper as well.I use three columns A incoming , out going and balance columns, but there are many to chose from at Printable Paper.

Its a nice system that is so each to manage. I pay bills twice a month and update the book every Wednesday.

Planner Accessory Bag

Okay I will omit this is becoming an obsession. Making things for a planner, rather then working on a dress I have to wear on Sunday to a special event.

Checking in on the Filofax world, those in the States have found make-up bags that are very useful for holding their Filofax accessories. Target seems to have a handy one. Since we have no Targets up here in my end of the world, and I have checked into every place I can think of to find make-up bags ( either expensive or ugly) I just had to become creative.

pretty roses

Through trial and error, like trying to fit all squared pieces of fabric together,( was like trying to get a square peg in a round hole) I made this prototype of my version of an accessory holder.

I used leftover fabric which is the main fabric in my studio/sewing room/ grandkid bedroom. Yeap its shared!
Since my Planner is a coral/red colour this matched nicely.

my planner

elastic holding the case closed

It has two 1/4" white elastic holding it all together closed. I only had 1/4 " white ot 3/4" black in the studio so the choice was white and two straps.

Inside

When opened you can see I have made two sides with pockets and a pencil case in the middle. The left side has a full length pocket to hold full size sticker panels. Then a two sided opened pocket to hold note pages. Two top load pockets for notes, clips and Posties.

The pencil case can hold pens, scissors, glue or washi tapes.

move the pencil case to the left

The pencil case is on its own stand and can move to the left or right. Underneath is have a pocket for a paper pad. This is a Postie lined pad. I didn't have pink or would have put it there.

To the right is three top loaded pockets, located a little lower to allow room for pens to be held. I am showing five pens but six fit. These are Steadtler coloured pens. The bottom pocket has a full tag package of Martha Steward tags.

inside the pencil case.

what is all in the right hand pockets.

As I said a prototype for me, however I will use this one.
The opened size is 13 1/2" by 8".

Next one I make will have a longer body to wrap around as this one somewhat sticks up when full. Elastics need to be tighter. I have never made anything using elastic in this form before.

Oh and you can't iron plastic!! I did burn a hole through the pencil case window.

I was excited to finish this last night and share this morning.

Now back to the studio.....that dress has to get done!

Planner Week #22

Inspired by "Hello Kitty" at Dollarama This week, when for  $1.00 I could get five sheets of Hello Kitty and a sticker book, which had heavy duty pages I could cut and use as my list or picture page.

I tacked some school stickers, and silver hearts from a different Dollarama sticker sheet. The Hello Kitty Washy tape was from Micheals discount rack for $.99.

The coral coloured fabric is a dress I am making myself for next weekend.

The opposite side of The cutout card is my grocery list. Have to find something interesting to attach to the front.

Really busy week with my mom's who is not well.

Thinking since I have so much Kitty stuff now of doing a month of it, If I don't get tired of her!