Travel Journal

 I've found that while I don't write in a journal at home, I do enjoy using a travel journal.  For my trip to Hawaii, I needed a new journal, but wasn't really jazzed about making one from chipboard, as I had done with previous journals.  Then Mom gave me an old hard sided clutch from my Grandma's belongings.  When I first saw it I was underwhelmed 'cause the beading was loose or missing.  OK, I'll just cover up those areas.

 I made copies of vintage ledger paper for the paper "signatures" (pages for the journal).  I added pockets and bands to tuck souvenirs into. 

 Karla Nathan at Karla's Cottage just shared her adorable Hawaii travel journal full of her illustrations.  I don't have that talent...but I do have an old sea-theme color book with these illustrations that will give my pages some coloring fun.  Gotta add a few color markers, pencil, eraser and glue stick in my suitcase. 

Here is the back cover.  This is the second little book I've made using a vintage beaded clutch.  I thought I'd share a couple "how-to's". 

The clutch for this journal was hard sided; it has chipboard front, back and spine under satin fabric; with a fold-over snap closure.  I cut down the side seams so that the clutch laid flat.  I removed the center chipboard spine, then covered all the surfaces with paper, allowing a bit of clearance where the left and right panel meet the spine so that the sides can fold closed.  This is now the inside of the journal.  I punched 2 holes in the spine with my Japanese screw punch. 

I cut and decorated my signature pages; I laid the pages on top of each other to form a stack of pages; aligned it with the spine holes; used my screw punch to punch 2 holes through the signature.  I glued hole reinforcers on the front and back holes of all pages and the inside spine.  Then I threaded 2 strands of ribbon through the center of the signature, through the spine, and tied it on the outside of the journal.  Click on pictures for close-up views. 

Don't forget to embellish the ribbon!  If you want a better description of how I put this together, let me know.  These are really fun to make.