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Jot Issue 13 2016

DOCUMENTING LIFE | TELLING STORIES | TAKING PICTURES | PAPER CRAFTING

A LOVELYPAPER CRAFTINGMAGAZINE FOR

THE MODERN DAYMEMORY KEEPER.

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JOTMAGAZINE.COMA lovely DIY

handmade gift ideas e-book.(Not just for Christmas)

THE LOVELY CHRISTMAS GIFT BOOKNew from Kim Archer and the Jot Girls, our gorgeous new e-book is filled with lovely

ideas for gift giving.

FIND OUT MORE OR GRAB YOUR COPY HERE>>

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Hello ..ARE YOU A PLANNER GIRL? SEEMS THERE’S MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE DIVED INTO THE WORLD OF DECORATIVE PLANNERS LATELY.

And it’s a beautiful world to be in with so many manufacturing companies coming to the party and creating glorious and practical planners, stickers, accessories and so much more.

While technology is great and having your smart phone at your finger tips is very convenient, nothing beats going old school when it comes to diaries/planners and being able to flip through the pages and jot down what you need to remember. And planning just got a whole lot prettier with so many products now to choose from.

In this issue some of our Jot Girls open the pages of their planners and share what’s inside. They also share their tips and ideas for choosing a planner and how it all works for them. Check out page 44 for all the details.

We also introduce a new regular feature called 5 Minutes With… where we will say hello to the people behind some of our favourite paper brands and businesses. This issue we meet Anita from Flutterby Designs, Bec from Ruby Ju and Melissa from the Paper Birdcage. Meet the girls here on page 90.

Shari is back with another instalment of Dear Diary. This time around Shari is asking for just one thing this Mother’s Day — a big box of sleep. I’m sure we can all relate to that gift idea! Check out Shari’s story on page 162.

We have loads of paper crafting galleries to inspire us and plenty to read, see and make this issue so settle in and start reading!

KIM ARCHERPublisher/Owner

© Copyright. Kim Archer | Jot Magazine 2015. All projects in this magazine are for recreational purposes only and are not to be reproduced, distributed or sold without the publisher’s permission. PUBLISHED by Jot Magazine, Newcastle Australia. ABN 88649297554

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Publisher/EditorKim Archer

Editorial AssistantAnna Allan

WritersKim ArcherAnna Allan

Meghann AndrewShari Brewer

Contact Use: hello@jotmagazine.com

Published by Kim Archer ABN: 88 649 297 554

Website: www.jotmagazine.com

Interested in submitting to Jot Magazine? We accept submissions of creative project tutorials or written articles that are in line with our paper crafting/modern memory keeping theme. We also put out certain gallery calls from time to time (check our site).

Email submissions to: hello@jotmagazine.com

SUBMISSIONS

2105 Jot Girls Team

Yvette AdamsLeanne Allinson

Meghann AndrewAnna Allan

Raquel BowmanPetra Corcoran

Loredana BucariaNatalie Elphinstone

Sheree ForcierAmanda Hall

Lauren HenderKim Jeffress

Beshka KueserSharmaine Kruijver

Jamie PateMardi WinenJodie York

Meet our Jot team here on the website>>

Connectwith us.

Grab a cuppa &head to our blog

for more Jot stories and inspiration.

or follow us on social media.

*Our cover project is by Jot Girl Lauren Hender

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IN THIS ISSUE. PLANNERSAre you a planner

girl? Make sure you check out our special article all about the latest paper crafting

sensation - decorative planners. The fun starts on Page 44

03 EDITOR’S LETTER06 QUICK LAYOUT Meghann Andrew08 CONFETTI with Anna Allan12 GALLERY Numbers 44 PLANNERS 60 PLANNERS - On Facebook62 PLANNER SHOPPING 65 GALLERY - Chipboard90 5 MINUTES WITH... Interview94 MEET BEA VALINT 100 JOT SPOTTING 108 GALLERY Mother’s Day121 GALLERY My Best Friend133 Pocket Page JOURNALING CARDS141 POCKET GALLERY162 DEAR DIARY - Shari Brewer

044

090

133

012

065

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SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: Crate Paper. Embellishments: Project Life filler card, chipboard, puffy stickers & die-cuts by Crate Paper, chipboard triangles, compass stamp & pink sticker by Studio Calico, American Crafts washi tape, Scraptastic Club stamps, Stampin’ Up! Twine. Other: Pen by Stampin’ Up!

To draw attention to the title of my layout featured in my selfie photo, I added embellishments to frame my photo, and used a triangle chipboard piece to point directly at the title.

This layout may not look simple at first glance, but by using only one sheet of patterned paper and cutting it apart, sticking to elements from the same collection to be sure that colors matched up, and using text in my photograph as my title, the page was quick to come together!

I love the clean look of a white background, and to add another element without too much clutter, I chose a white Project Life filler card to add a white-on-white effect.

QUICK & EASYBy Meghann Andrew

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No fussy cutting involved! I simply used a pair of long scissors to cut the triangles from this paper from the Maggie Holmes Shine collection to place on my white background cardstock. This is a great way to make that slightly scary, bold patterned paper more usable on your next layout.

YOUR CHALLENGE:

Your challenge is to put your alphabet stickers away! Use text in a photograph to double as the title on a layout!

Share your work here on our Facebook Page>

I also used another chipboard triangle to lead your eye from the title to my handwritten journaling below. I typically prefer to type my journaling, but handwritten is always faster!

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CONFETTILittle bits + pieces from around the web. Curated by Anna AllanOUR THEME// NUMBERS

METAL NUMBER TAGSThese solid metal number tags hold just the right amount of character and vintage appeal with their scratched and worn appearance. These would make great little charms on a wind chime or dream-catcher or cute little embellishments. Let your imagination run wild! Available at PaperAeroplanes on Etsy.

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Like that modern, industrial grungy look? Then you would love this awesome numeral print from BlackandType for your wall. Its neutral charcoal background would make it suitable for any decor and look great in any room. LOVE IT! Shop here>

NUMERAL PRINT

This is rustic charm at its best! Hand stamped numbers on coffee stained tags, tied with jute twine on a jar filled with Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath). You will find these beauties at MontanaSnow on Etsy. Shop here.

TABLE NUMBERS

As seen on the Paper-Papers blog, Lia Griffith shares these gorgeous wedding table numbers. You can view the whole tutorial on her blog, complete with printables and cut files HERE.

And these little wonders needn’t be restricted to just the wedding table -- change up the label design to suit the event, pop it in a decorative glass of sweet treats or a cute little potted plant and it could make a sweet party favor or gift!

HAND STAMPED TAGS

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If you enjoy a more organic, rustic look, Amy Moss of Eat Drink Chic shares how she made these stunning wooden table numbers, complete with her own numeric designs to download and detailed instructions as well. Gotta love a good tutorial! We sure do.

Visit the Amy Moss website here>

WOODEN TABLE NUMBERS

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Anna Allan lives with her family in small country town near the beautiful Esperance in Western Australia. She loves making pretty things, lots

of colour, yummy food, daily cups of coffee, plenty of sunshine, being happy and having fun! You can get to know Anna better on her blog

One Big Sunshine Spritzer here.

These elegantly engraved wooden table numbers would make the perfect touch to any dining setting at any event! Beautifully created by Morgann Hill Designs, their simple yet chic design make them a top choice in our books! And be sure to stop by their Etsy shop Bragging Bags and check out some of their other wedding inspired products - simply divine! SHOP HERE>

TABLE NUMBERS

CONFETTI

WOODEN

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The Jot Girls show us loads of ways to add numbers to your next papery project. Plus make sure you check out our great

Reader’s Gallery too.

N U M B E R SG A L L E R Y

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Using numbers on your layouts can be fun. Indicating your age or a specific date is one way using a number can help tell the story behind your layout. Yes, this is me at 36.. time flies when you’re having fun!

Lauren Hender - The Jot TeamLIVE YOUR BEST LIFE

SUPPLIES | All products are Teresa Collins.

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My youngest had the misfortune of losing his two front teeth over summer in two different pool accidents, one at home and one on our first day in Hawaii! A story that definitely needed to be told .

Kim Jeffress - The Jot TeamTWO

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned paper- Simple Stories , Embellishments - wood veneer, Minc foil, Minc Machine, stickers, acrylic arrow, Heidi Swapp, Flair - Greatest View, My Mind’s Eye enamel dots

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100 days is a big deal especially when you are at the beginning of your schooling career! I love documenting with numbers and I couldn’t pass this opportunity to celebrate my youngest son’s 100 days smarter achievement.

Leanne Allinson - The Jot Team100 DAYS

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Bella Blvd; Alphabet: Lily Bee Design, Chipboard: Bella Blvd; Embellishments: Dear Lizzy Watercolor word, Jillibean Soup wood veneer hearts, Bella Blvd enamel stars & label sticker, Greatest View flair; Tools: sewing machine, Dear Lizzy roller stamp, Scraptastic Club clear stamp, typewriter.

WE LOVELEANNE’S WHITE PALETTE

WITH SPLASHES OF YELLOW AND JUST A FEW TOUCHES OF BLACK. SO STYLISH AND CLASSIC!

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I have built this page as a mantra. My intention was to create a starting page for my 2016 everyday album reminding me to build stories - the stories of our baby, of me, of us as a couple. I want to remember not just how much I can be tired and full of things to do I want to remember those little meaningful stories. 2016 will be my year. It will be our family year!

Loredana Bucaria - The Jot Team2016

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned papers: Studio Calico. Stamps: Ali Edwards. Embellishments: Ali Edwards and Studio Calico. Other: glitter paper by Tyger, sewing machine, silhouette cameo.

WE LOVE: LORY’S GLITTER 2016

TITLE FOR HER LAYOUT AND THE CRISP WHITE BACKGROUND WITH

THE SPLASH OF COLOUR ALONG THE SIDE.

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I was heading in a completely different direction when I cut the numbers with my Silhouette machine. But it just didn’t go as I planned. A little chopping and layering and I couldn’t be happier.

Mardi Winen - The Jot Team1 2 3 MATHS

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Canson Watercolour paper. Patterned paper: Studio Calico, American Crafts, Crate Paper. Alphabets: Pink Fresh for Hip Kit Club. Embellishments- American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico. Other- Silhouette cut numbers, machine stitching.

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When my daughter was born prematurely, we spent 90 days in the NICU, and this layout records our daily life during that time.

Meghann Andrew - The Jot Team90 DAYS

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: American Crafts. Embellishments: Project Life card, American Crafts cardstock die-cuts, rub-ons, puffy stickers & alphabets, Mark Richards metal dots. Other: sequins.

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I just love making statement titles with my Silhouette Machine. This layout was to document my little man turning one, such a big special moment that was so much fun documenting.

Raquel Bowman - The Jot TeamYOU ARE ONE

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned paper: Crate Paper ‘Wonder’. Embellishments: Crate Paper Wonder stickers, die cuts, enamel dots, and puffy stickers. Other: Silhouette Cameo, string, staples.

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I layered up the Basic Grey patterned paper with the American Crafts acetate (I used the flip side rather than the gold triangle side) and then topped it with the American Crafts vellum. I really like how it looked after I stitched it all together.

Sharmaine Kruijver - The Jot TeamLET’S DO THIS

SUPPLIES | Basic Grey patterned paper, American Crafts acetate, vellum, stickers and enamel dots. Pink Paislee washi tape. Cocoa Daisy die cut and printable. Silhouette Cameo file cut font 5AM Gender. Other: Typewriter, paint, machine stitching.

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Numbers naturally go hand in hand with birthday layouts and this giant gold number 8 from one of my Ali Edwards December Daily kits was just perfect for my page!

Sheree Forcier - The Jot TeamEIGHT TODAY

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, American Crafts, Cocoa Vanilla. Alphas: American Crafts Thickers. Chipboard: Ali Edwards, Heidi Swapp. Embellishments: American Crafts, Studio Calico, Crate Paper. Other: date stamp, black ink, sewing machine, thread.

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This story is about 2. These two. Or as the title states: U2. I love to capture these two at every opportunity. Theirs is such a sweet story I want to remember forever.

Jamie Pate - The Jot TeamU2

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper: Pink Paislee C’est La Vie. Glitter paper: Heidi Swapp Oh What Fun. Embellishments: Pink Paislee C’est La Vie. Arrow die cut: Life Style Crafts. Rose art screen and ink: Heidi Swapp. Other: vellum, tiny attacher, gold staples

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SUPPLIES |PATTERNED PAPER - Studio Calico ‘Around The Block’, Seven Paper ‘Baxter’; ALPHABET - Studio Calico Wood Veneer Letters, Elle’s Studio white letter stickers; EMBELLISHMENTS - Dear Lizzy ephemera, Crate Paper ‘Notes & Things’ Stickers, Studio Calico Number Stickers, enamel dots, resin stars + flowers, 2014 paper clip, doily, die cuts; OTHER: sequins, white gel pen, printer.

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I’m quite taken with the big bold letters and number designs around at the moment, so when I came across this paper by Studio Calico with the huge number 3 on it during a clean up attempt in my creative studio, I knew I just HAD to use it for this gallery.

Figuring out what I was going to document on this page actually came about as I continued my sorting spree -- I found some other bits and pieces in my stash like the 2014 slide clip and the June label...when I thought about it, my youngest actually turned 3 in June of 2014! So my layout just fell together really.

I also found these cute little number stickers in my stash that were great for listing some facts about my little girl as a three year old. Gotta love how the creative process pans out sometimes - never a dull moment really!

Anna Allan - The Jot Team3 YEARS OLD

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Each year I write a letter to my daughter for her birthday and I usually get around to scrapbooking it just before her next birthday.

Yvette Adams - The Jot Team13

SUPPLIES |Numbers - American Crafts. Embellishments - Heidi Swapp. Other - paper trim.

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It was hard to narrow down my top 10 places to see from our recent holiday! So many beautiful places I’d love to visit again.

Amanda Hall - The Jot TeamTEN HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SUPPLIES | Cardstock : American Craft, Bazzill, Patterned papers : October Afternoon, Kikki K, Kaisercraft, Embellishments : Simple Stories stickers, Heidi Swapp yellow tag, October Afternoon sticker, Simple Stories heart sticker. Other: Silhouette Portrait, Heidi Swapp cut file, aeroplane cut file, Tim Holtz ink, circle punch, cotton thread.

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Turning 21 is such an important milestone that I feel like my cards for the occasion need to make a big impact and you certainly can’t miss what the celebration is with numbers this big!

Natalie Elphinstone - The Jot Team21 CONGRATS

SUPPLIES | American Crafts. Patterned Paper: Pinkfresh Studio, Studio Calico. Embellishments: Studio Calico chipboard numbers, Jenni Bowlin rhinestone stars. Other: Studio Calico congrats metal die.

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I love how this one turned out!! These are my two kiddos - Riley and Evie. This was Evie’s newborn photo shoot - she’s just 10 days new here *sigh* The understatement of the transparency lets the painted background and photo really shine - but still having a focal interest all on its own.

Anita Rodway | NSWI LOVE DAYS LIKE TODAY

SUPPLIES |Bella Blvd transparency, Flutterby Designs - Flair button, Wood veneers, enamel dots, Polaroid and cutfile, Ceramcoat acrylic paint, gesso, washi tape, joint tape, plastic lace, black thread, Collection & Co - alphabet stickers

Anita’s blog

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A light and uplifting page about my blossoming five year old daughter. Learning as she grows - it’s amazing to watch her navigate the day to day with her own special brand of sass!

Chantalle McDaniel | QLDCURRENTLY 5

SUPPLIES |Bazzil cardstock, Crate patterned paper, Heidi Swapp number die cuts, Simple Stories chipboard frame & stickers, ephemera, bradz and enamel dots. Scraptastic stamps, StazOn ink

Chantalle’s blog

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Using these little bits and pieces in pastel colors makes me long for Spring. The big number 8 will reveal my son’s age in an instant when looking in his scrapbook.

Fauve van Maanen | The Netherlands.BIG SMILE

SUPPLIES | Crate Paper: Confetti chipboard, die-cuts and paper. Chic Tags: wood veneer, sequins.

Fauve’s blog

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I designed my own cut file for this layout by welding a whole bunch of large numbers together and cut it out with my Silhouette Cameo machine.

Tarrah McLean | Central Coast, NSW#RAD

SUPPLIES | American Crafts Cardstock, Simple Stories ‘So Rad’ collection, Flutterby Designs Flair, Mister Huey’s Mist, Silhouette Cameo, Digital Cut Files

Tarrah’s Blog

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I have a funny habit. I say (strictly out loud) a wish when the hour and minute is the same on the clock. This is the magic moment. Seriously, it works for me.

Flóra Mónika Farkas | Hungary

WISH

SUPPLIES | Number chipboards - American Crafts, Chipboards - Crate Paper Hello Love, Title - Dear Lizzy, Vellum paper - Crate Paper Hello Love, Patterned Papers - Crate Paper, WRMK, gold thread, stamps.

Flora’s blog

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This layout is celebrating a day when we seized the moment and acted like tourists in our home town, to celebrate 22 years of marriage together!

Leigh Ann Odynski | Nevada, USA22 YEARS TOGETHER

SUPPLIES |American Crafts: white cardstock and number vellum, Crate Paper: Maggie Holmes Shine Collection, Clique Kits: sequins and exclusive cut files, all from February 2016 Clique Kits Kit Club

Leigh’s blog

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This is a Layout of my son Jack at his year 6 graduation. We made these giant numbers for them to stand in front of filled with pictures of them from their school year.

Megan Ward | Pottsville, NSW2015

SUPPLIES |Studio Calico, Amy Tangerine, Becky Higgins Project Life, Heidi Swapp, water paints, sequins, Color Theory Ink.

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Social media is wonderful for igniting lost friendships!

Krisy Podolak | Brisbane, QueenslandFRIENDS

SUPPLIES | American Crafts Thickers, Watercolours, American Crafts cardstock, Kaisercraft Alphas, Charms Creations, Thread, Gyprock tape, Flair.

Krisy’s blog

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I made this layout for celebrating New Year and hope this year will be so happy and fun like this page!

Bea Valint | Hungary (Europe)HAPPY 2016

SUPPLIES | Dear Lizzy patterned papers and ribbon, Scrapfellow chipboards.

Bea’s blog

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I used number themed papers and stickers to make a layout about son Rupert who is a lover of numbers (especially my number Thickers) and who is also ‘my number 1’ man.

Kat Gray | Melbourne, Australia

MY NUMBER 1

SUPPLIES | Crate Paper - patterned paper, die cut tags, acrylic tab, American Crafts - Thickers. Kaisercraft - white paint, Scrapbook Circle - acrylic stars. Other: kraft cardstock, handmade cross-stitch buttons, embroidery thread, twine.

Kat’s Instagram

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NUMBER MUST HAVES

1. Pink Paislee C’est La Vie Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper. Pink Paislee here>

2. Heidi Swapp Memory Planner clear stickers includes 900 clear date stickers. We found ours at Spotlight here>

3. DIGITAL Large Number Pocket Page Cards from Kellie Stamps. Find them here>

1.2.

3.

4.

5.

4. Exclusive to Studio Calico - Card Set: Speciality Gold Numbers. Find them here>

5. Simple Stories Pocket Pieces - Let’s Party. We found ours at Scrapbook.com here>

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PLAN PLAN PLANAre you a planner girl? Decorative planners have exploded in popularity lately and some of our Jot Girls open their planners to let us take a peek inside. They share how they use their planners and give us some helpful tips for choosing and using your own.

By The Jot Team

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TIP//First, keep it simple. Don’t try to make it somebody

else’s planner. Make it yours. Create the

pages as you want to remember those days.

WHAT PLANNER ARE YOU USING IN 2016 AND WHY?For 2016 I am using the Gold Dotted Heidi Swapp Hello Gorgeous Planner. (Wow…that’s a mouthful). This is my main planner. I say main as I am a utilizer of several planners at once. My creative planner is separate and used for only assignments and brand goals. I have a spiritual planner used for my morning prayer and mediation and journaling time. And I also have a growth planner that is home to my notes and thoughts and quotes of what I am currently reading for personal growth. But for a memory planner, I use the 6x8 format for adding photos, daily journaling and inspiring quotes. It’s a place that really holds the little things of every day.

JAMIE PATE

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME USING A PLANNERThis is not my first planner. I was a planner girl before planners were trendy. In the 80’s I was a Franklin Planner girl. In high school I even had a puffy violet with penguins 6x8 binder planner that kept all those important high school girl things. I even still have that one! For me this kind of tool has been very important in recording life and just the daily stuff.

JAMIE PATE

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WHAT DO YOU MAINLY USE YOUR PLANNER FOR?The Memory Planner is just that, for keeping memories. Last year when Heidi came out with the binder planner I sort of felt compelled to use it as the place for appointments and to-do lists and as an actual calendar. It sort of worked, but not really. This year I had to think about what I really wanted at the end of the year. Thinking that through took me back to Heidi’s first Hello Today Memory Planner. It was a place to hold the #onethingeveryday and the more special moments from the month. I loved being able to go back to a day and see where I was as a person or what was up with my family. That first planner has become a real resource to me the past two years. I wanted to recapture that again this year.

TIP//whatever works for you

to organize the blur, then

do that.

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JAMIE PATE

DO YOU FIND THE PLANNER REALLY DOES KEEP YOU ORGANIZED OR DO YOU FIND YOU USE IT MORE AS A CREATIVE OUTLET.

My phone calendar keeps me organized.

Our family wall calendar keeps the family organized.

My daily to-do list keeps me organized.

The Memory Planner is more than a creative outlet. It keeps the blur organized. As I committed to a planner again for this year, I decided to etch out time every evening to sit down and be still with my planner. To add my #onelittlething to my list. To jot down what stayed with me through the day. To add a quote or a photo of importance to me. I am very visual. This is a visual board of thoughts. Happenings. Moments. Quotes.

I keep it open all day and daily go through the months pages. Because that darn blur…it causes me to forget too quickly. This binder is a great place to store away what is important to me right now.

“Take time every day to write in it. I am talking maybe 15 minutes. It does not require a lot of commitment here. For this planner, the space is small and succinct. That’s good for me.”

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TIP//I think it helps to have a

clear idea of what you want from your planner

before you even start looking.

WHAT PLANNER ARE YOU USING IN 2016 AND WHY?I am using the Heidi Swapp white with gold dot memory planner. I like the larger size pages and that it’s a binder so you can add/subtract or move around pages as you please. And I enjoy all the beautiful decorative touches in all its Heidi-ness. And not to mention all the accessories that Heidi has designed to suit the planner. She really does think of EVERYTHING!

ANNA ALLAN

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME USING A PLANNERNope, I’ve always been a diary/planner type. I used a Heidi Swapp planner last year however I didn’t use it to its fullest potential. I’ve always had a diary which in former years, was pretty boring and plain as I only used it to put in appointments, reminders and upcoming events. I’m loving filling these pages with more than just that!

ANNA ALLAN

WHAT DO YOU MAINLY USE YOUR PLANNER FOR?The beauty of this planner is that it has a full month to view where I can put appointments, special events, and other tidbits to tizzy it up. And then there is also a week to a page where you can add more detail - photos, quotes, drawings, etc. So to answer the question, I use it for both organisational AND memory keeping purposes.

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DO YOU FIND THE PLANNER REALLY DOES KEEP YOU ORGANISED OR DO YOU FIND YOU USE IT MORE AS A CREATIVE OUTLET?Even though I do use it for organisational purposes, I tend to lean more towards the creative outlet. I love to add photos, which I mainly print off straight from my phone using the Instax Share. I write down quotes, anecdotes, song lyrics I like, and add stickers, doodling, stamping and fill those pages with colour!

I am quite a messy, random planner girl. The pages within my planner are not particularly neat or follow any strict order or design. But, to me, they are colourful and full of fun and memories, in my scattered Anna kind of way.

TIPS FOR THOSE STARTING OUR WITH THEIR FIRST PLANNER?I think the biggest challenge is actually choosing which planner to use. And with the increasing number of options out there today, the choice can be overwhelming. ...do you want it purely for planning OR a daily memory-keeping tool OR a place to just get creative? Or...a combination of all of these? I think working this out first helps in making the best choice for your needs. Then once you’ve acquired your perfect planner, it’s all systems go!

“I don’t think there is a right or wrong way when it comes to documenting and creating. Just let your own style shine. After all, your life is YOUR life; your memories are YOUR memories SO live it and document it YOUR way!”

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WHAT PLANNER ARE YOU USING IN 2016 AND WHY?I’ve chosen the Get To Work Book. I like the clean, uncolored style, as well as the goal-setting tools for the week and each month.

MEGHANN ANDREW

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME USING A PLANNERThis is my first year using a paper planner in about ten years. Before this year, I relied on my iPhone calendar and to-do lists to keep me on track.

MEGHANN ANDREW

WHAT DO YOU MAINLY USE YOUR PLANNER FOR?My planner is typically used to remind me of appointments and to house to-do lists for every day. I also use it to keep track of my Design Team responsibilities.

DO YOU FIND THE PLANNER REALLY DOES KEEP YOU ORGANISED OR DO YOU FIND YOU USE IT MORE AS A CREATIVE OUTLET?The planner is definitely just an organisational tool for me. The only embellishment I use are stamps from Scraptastic Club with Stampin’ Up! ink. I color code the various design teams I’m on so that I know what projects I have coming up for what teams.

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TIP//Finding the right planner for YOU is the key. Since using the

GTWB I’ve thrown away all those “to do” pads that were lying around

the house.

“Being a list-maker, the vertical columns in the GET TO WORK BOOK just made sense for the format I needed.”

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WHAT PLANNER ARE YOU USING IN 2016 AND WHY?I am using the Heidi Swapp gold and white spot memory planner this year. As part of Heidi’s Media Team we share ideas and inspiration to Heidi’s fans using all her products and the gold and white spotted planner was my favourite of all her 2016 planners. This year I am using the planner to record the everyday moments of my family’s life. Its more of a simplified version of Project Life. I cant wait to see a whole year of memories at the end of 2016.

KIM JEFFRESS

KIM JEFFRESS

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME USING A PLANNER?I have used the different Heidi Swapp planners for the last three years and I might be addicted! Last year I used the black and white striped Memory Planner which was more of a forward planner for writing down events and appointments but this year I wanted to record more of my family’s memories.

DO YOU FIND THE PLANNER REALLY DOES KEEP YOU ORGANISED OR DO YOU FIND YOU USE IT MORE AS A CREATIVE OUTLET?I think my planner is making me more accountable for recording our every day moments. There have been days where I haven’t written things down and I have forgotten what has happened on these days so I am finding it important to write things down every day. Just short snippets of journalling for me is enough.

WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR PLANNER FOR?I use my planner to hold photos, journaling and memorabilia of my family’s day to day happenings.

TIP//I have been using my Fuji Film Instax printer to

print photos directly from my phone. Its so quick and easy

to print and add photos to my planner without fussing with

my computer and printer!

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KIM JEFFRESS

“I think my planner is making me more accountable for recording our every day moments...”

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LAUREN HENDER

LAUREN HENDER

Well the planner craze has hit the industry like a whirlwind and I love it! Seeing what everyone was creating in 2015 was so inspiring and I was jealous I was not joining in all the fun. The reason I didn’t use a planner last year was because I did not have a focus for my planner and therefore I knew I wouldn’t be able to follow it through the year. 2016 brought me a fresh start and time to come up with how my planner would work for me.

This is what I came up with: 2016 - A year of gratitude. Each day of 2016 photographed or not, I want to be grateful for something. I want to find gratitude in everyday life, the people around me and the world I live in. Achieving this I hope will turn my everyday thoughts into ones of gratitude and after 12 months of mindfulness I will hopefully have changed the way I think and respond to all my experiences. I see this planner filled with memories of moments and thoughts that I will look back on and treasure my 2016 year.

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LAUREN HENDER

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JODIE YORK

KIM JEFFRESS

For years and years I have needed, and attempted to use, a planner/s to organise our day to day lives. I have four children and two businesses. I wanted a practical, ‘all in one’ organised hub which housed our day to day appointments, meetings, everything to do with school, our do-to lists and more.

TIP//I love this planner because it’s BIG, strong, chunky yet I’m still able to throw it in my bag if I need to take it out and

about, which isn’t too often.

I was done using a separate planner for business, another for family, and yet another for school commitments. While I liked the idea of having separate planners for the different aspects of our lives (they looked so scrumptious all in a row on our shelf) I could never keep up with the entering of dates and information, etc into all the separate books. I had tried to use iCal on my iPhone etc but that never worked for me either. I adore the old fashioned pen to paper, book with pages method of planning. I just needed a planner that was big enough to house it all!

It usually sits open (thanks to the spiral middle) permanently

on my desk. It’s aesthetically pleasing to me with the clean black and white design. I have plenty of room to write the where and when for appointments, meetings, school related happenings, and the details of our family and friend fun. I love that there is a section down the side of the Monday to Sunday double page spreads which I use for my weekly to-do list.

The grid area down the bottom of the pages is fab for note taking. The calendar at the beginning of each month is what I use for my blog planning. I love using a black Artline felt tip pen when writing. The pages are thick enough that the pen doesn’t show through to the other side of the page.

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KIM JEFFRESS

“What makes a good planner? Commit to simply using it! ...”

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Hey guys, it’s Lory here to say you ok I can officially declare to be a plannerholic!

New crazy obsession over here and I find this is really healthy to me! I love to plan everything from Andrea’s weekly meals, to our dinners, the things to do, the appointments, the projects, the clean schedule, everything! Really! I have found that being organized and planning the week ahead help me to stay more focused on the things I want to do and I have to do! I have two planners. One is for everyday life. And the second one is for my creative passion - goals and Design Team assignments.

I love my planners! I use a hello Forever + Studio Calico planner for the everyday, telling also what happens during the days and the gettoworkbook for my creative goals! Love them to pieces! Maybe you will think I am crazy but I love big planners and big space where I can write all the littlest things I think of.

LOREDANA BUCARIA

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“I love all the little colorful details and I can have fun everyday with stamps, little embellishments, notes, flags and everything that is useful to me. It is relaxing and creative...” Loredana Bucaria

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FROM OUR FACEBOOK PAGE“Are you a planner girl?...”

Lisa-Jane Johnson “I’ve always used a paper planner but I love decorating them now too. It definitely makes me use it more and remember things better.”

Jen Hall “Sure am! I love love love my planner - always been a doodled diary kind of girl.”

Amanda-jayne Baldwin “Planner crusher right here. Here’s a looksee at this week’s plans..”

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“So. Planners. What sort of planner do you use and why?...”

Rebecca Petch “I have a Erin Condren. I use it to track everyday things as I can’t remember everything but also a helpful reminder of important events.”

Amanda Hall “I’ve just started on a bullet journal... I love ticking boxes and lists so it’s so perfect for me. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this years ago..”

What is Bullet Journaling? I’m glad you asked? Check out these videos for more information.HOW TO BULLET JOURNAL - VIDEO here>GRETCHEN HOPES - HOW I USE THE BULLET JOURNAL SYSTEM video here>

Tess Pretty-McMahon “ I use a Carpe Diem for my everything planning. I can’t live without a diary/planner. It love that it is a week to a view with a month overview layout and a section for monthly important dates, birthdays and goal setting. I feel I can use it for my daily to do lists and make it pretty and be creative.”

Lisa-Jane Johnson “I use a Carpe Diem for my everyday stuff. I have an old Paperchase that holds old pages / inserts for later in the year. A nude Filofax for my goals and a white Websters Pages for my new business. I’m busy making cute paperclips, bands and charms to make our planners even prettier.’

Cassandra Reed “Seriously- I use a cheap Kmart diary/planner to record my day so I can remember when it comes to Project Life. I’ve decorated it too. Pretty.”

Amy Little “Personal-planner.com is what I use. You can alter the colour, the size and what you have in it. Its fabulousness all wrapped up in a binder.”

Jen Hall “I love the Mambi Happy Planner. Lots of space and gives me a place for extra creative vibes.”

Helen Mandy Jeremiah “Midori for me. Simple and can change things in and out as and when.”

Vicky Cornwell “An A5 Filofax that I’ve added washi tape and other bits to so its a little prettier! Have a multitude of coloured pens that I write in it with, sometimes takes me longer deciding on what colour than actually writing!!”

Kirstyn Fisher ”I’m currently waiting for my Mambi Happy Planner to arrive from the US. I love how versatile it looks and how you can combine planning with memory keeping.”

Kim Smith “I use a Carpe Diem for everything planning and a Heidi Swapp for an inspiration book.”

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PLANNER SHOPPINGSo many planners. So many accessories. So little time. Here’s a few of our favourites.

SIMPLE STORIESThese delicious Carpe Diem Planners from Simple Stories are A5 in size and come in split leather in Black, Robin’s Egg, Coral, Aqua, Platinum and Pink. Each planner comes with a metal charm, monthly calendar pages, monthly tabbed dividers, weekly inserts and more. PLUS there’s a heap of accessories to pretty up your planner including stickers, pocket inserts and plastic storage pouches. Check out the Simple Stories website here>

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Me & My Big ideas (MAMBI) The Happy Planner comes in a variety of designs and styles and is an expandable, disc bound planner that allows you to not only get organised but allows you to explore your creativity by adding in all sorts of pretty stuff.

There’s a ton of how-to videos on the MAMBI website to get you started AND a whole range of accessories from washi tape, labels, stickers, pocket pages and even a Happy Planner Storage Bag. Check it all out here>

Erin has a whole range of planners to choose from including the above Good To Go Life Planner. It includes a mix of lined pages, graph pages and motivational quotes and has daily, weekly and monthly planning views. Visit Erin’s website here>

ERIN CONDREN

Heidi has done it again. A truly beautiful personal planner for 2016. It comes with a pen holder, monthly tabs, to do lists and personal planner dividers.

Jot Girl Kim jeffress LOVES her Heidi Swapp Planner and she says, “I think one of my other favourite items in the collection is the To Do List paper pad. You can just rip off a page and add it into your planner as needed!

READ MORE ABOUT HOW KIM JEFFRESS USES HER PLANNER HERE ON HER BLOG>

MAMBI

HEIDI SWAPP

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What’s your favourite chipboard piece to use in your papery

projects?

Chipboard is such a versatile and fun embellishment to add to your work.

From chipboard frames, alphabet letters, embellishments and ephemera pieces, we explore the world of chipboard with the Jot

Girls and our reader gallery.

CHIPBOARDG A L L E R Y

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12” x 12” die-cut chipboard sheets are my favorite embellishment in my stash, and I used a lot of these pieces on this layout to create a fun, child-like layout to record a photo of my daughter finding a bug with her bestie.

Meghann Andrew - The Jot Team

FIND

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“12 x 12” die-cut chipboard sheets are my favorite embellishments in my stash.”

~Meghann Andrew

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: Crate Paper, Scraptastic Club. Embellishments: Crate Paper chipboard, die-cuts, puffy stickers & rub-on, American Crafts alphabet, Scraptastic Club journaling tag, Stampin’ Up! twine.

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A page about us, our love, our date night. I love how the little instax chipboard frames can be used to insert the journaling or a title - so simple and beautiful.

Loredana Bucaria - The Jot TeamYOU COMPLETE ME

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: Studio Calico. Embellishments: Studio Calico, Ali Edwards. Other: Paislee Press digitals, date stamp.

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Kim Jeffress - The Jot TeamYOU ARE HERE

SUPPLIES |Bazzill Basics Cardstock, Heidi Swapp patterned paper. Embellishments - wood veneer, glitter chipboard, Colorsshine Heidi Swapp, We R Memory Keepers paper trim, Pink Paislee Chipboard, frames, epoxy stickers, Acrylic letters

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I have combined some glittery chipboard with some bright patterned chipboard shapes for a fun summer feel to my layout!

TIP//We love Kim’s fringed paper

border which adds interest, texture

and movement to her delicious page.

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This layout is an exercise in simplicity. It’s just patterned paper, cardstock, some mixed media and a whole bunch of chipboard. Just one way to really let a photo be the focus.

Jamie Pate - The Jot TeamHELLO LOVELY

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper: Maggie Holmes. Cardstock: American Crafts. Chipboard: Maggie Holmes Shine, Crate Paper Hello Love. Stencil and texture paste: Heidi Swapp

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TIP//We love the fresh clean

colour scheme of black, white and pink on Jamie’s

layout.

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I love that chipboard elements come in so many shapes, sizes and colours. They always add that extra bit of dimension to a page.

Sheree Forcier - The Jot TeamBIRD HOUSE

SUPPLIES |Patterned paper: October Afternoon, Basic Grey. Alphabets: Crate Paper, Basic Grey. Chipboard: American Crafts, Crate Paper. Embellishments: Cocoa Vanilla, Crate Paper. Other: small white tag, date stamp, black ink, brad.

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Once I started layering up the chipboard in a banner across the top it was hard to stop! Amanda Hall - The Jot TeamBEST EVER

SUPPLIES |Cardstock : Bazzill, patterned paper: Kaisercraft, Crate Paper. Embellishments : Heidi Swapp minc chipboard (un-minc-ed) Kmart label sticker, My Mind’s Eye chipboard. Other: cotton thread.

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I do love the impact of a big solid chipboard word as a title and focal point on my layout.Mardi Winen - The Jot TeamTOTALLY CUTE

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: Canson Watercolour paper. Patterned paper: Dear Lizzy (American Crafts), Maggie Holmes (Crate Paper), Elles Studio. Alphabets: Chipboard word by Crate Paper. Embellishments: ephemera and rub-ons Amy Tangerine (American Crafts), Heidi Swapp speech bubble, Studio Calico. Other - watercolor paint, machine stitching.

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This is a favourite photo from a family holiday to central Australia nearly twenty years ago. Yvette Adams - The Jot TeamALICE SPRINGS

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: Typo, Heidi Swapp, unknown. Other: Heidi Swapp stencil, Freckled Fawn chipboard and cork, paper trim.

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Leanne Allinson - The Jot TeamTHE BIG DREAM

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Printed chipboard frames and alphas can be quite effective in creating dimension on layouts. Keep it simple with a large title and off set it with a cluster of elements around your photo.

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned paper: Bella Blvd, Teresa Collins, Amy Tangerine. Alphabet: Basic Grey. Chipboard: Bella Blvd, Dear Lizzy, Crate Paper. Embellishments: My Mind’s Eye label stickers, Crate Paper die cuts, Dear Lizzy die cuts. Other: sewing machine, typewriter, foam dots.

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An abundance of chipboard in our scrapbooking stash - we all have it! So why don’t you dig it out and make some fabulous layouts. I used a great few pieces by Crate Paper to highlight my little girl’s beautiful face.

Lauren Hender - The Jot TeamHELLO LOVE

SUPPLIES |Fluttery Designs, Crate Paper, Heidi Swapp, Fundamentals and Dylusions.

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I backed my chipboard with black scrap paper. It then made a great base for my photo, allowing it to pop, as well as making a great squiggle track for the chipboard scooter.

Sharmaine Kruijver - The Jot TeamSCOOTERIN’

SUPPLIES | Patterned Paper: Crate Paper. Chipboard Alphas: American Crafts. Chipboard: Scrapmatts. Embellishments: Cocoa Daisy die cuts, Evalicious flair. Other: Typewriter, ink, pen, scrap black paper.

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Raquel Bowman - The Jot TeamA GIFT FOR YOU

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Recently we have had friends have a baby girl. It was the perfect opportunity to pull out one of my favourite collections I’ve been hoarding and create a card of congratulations. The chipboard balloon was the perfect touch for this pretty girly card.

SUPPLIES |Cardstock; Bazzill. Patterned Paper; Crate Paper ‘Confetti’. Embellishments; Crate Paper Chipboard, die cut ephemera, Scrappy Canary enamel dots, Pebbles Inc Tag, doily, string. Other; sewing machine, thread, We r Memory Keepers envelope punch board.

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I adore this photo from our wedding and as soon as I saw the ‘Hello Love’ collection by Crate Paper I knew I would have to document some wedding photos. I wanted to create a horizontal cluster of embellishments and the chipboard pieces were perfect to do this, especially that frame. It was the perfect touch so the focus remains on the photo.

Raquel Bowman - The Jot TeamI LOVE YOU

SUPPLIES |Hip Kit Club Kit. Paper: Crate Paper, white cardstock, vellum. Embellishments: Crate Paper chipboard, stickers, tags, resin hearts, white doily, string.

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This lady is one of my favourite people! Her art inspires me, so I wanted to capture that with this layout. Using paint splatters is a fun and simple way to add interest to your layouts. BUT remember to cover your photo with a scrap piece of paper first!

Anita Rodway | NSWDREAM BIG, SISTER

SUPPLIES |WRMK, old book pages, white cardstock, joint tape, washi tape, Flutterby Designs stencils and flair button, Ceramcoat, gel medium, Denim Tampons stamps, Zing embossing powder, 2Crafty chipboard, American Crafts, Posca Paints, Faber Castell, October Afternoon.

Anita’s blog

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Tarrah McLean | The Central Coast, NSWBIG DAY

SUPPLIES |Crate Paper/Maggie Holmes Patterned Paper, D-lish Scraps Embellishments and Glassine Bag, Words or Whatever Chipboard.

A few favourite chipboard pieces were the perfect addition in keeping all of my elements small and drawing the eye to bottom of this layout.

Tarrah’s Blog

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Rikki Graziani | Mandurah Western AustraliaLOVE

SUPPLIES |Your Creative Wings Chipboard, Tim Holtz Distress Stains Mist, Amy Tangerine – Yes patterned paper, Finders Keepers patterned paper, Shine Epoxy Stickers, Enamel Dots.

Rikki’s Blog

After attempting my first sewing project for Amelia’s book week - ( Something starting with P – Purple Parrot),I just had to capture how she just loved her dress up. Nothing like being a bit silly and cheeky.

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Rachel Lowe | Perth, WA

EVERYDAY IS A BLESSING Rachel’s Blog

SUPPLIES |Pink Paislee Cedar Lane collection.. 2Crafty Chipboard frame and 2Crafty Harlequin chipboard.

This photo is one of my favourites but I needed to ensure it remained the feature and hence the chipboard frame which I gold embossed for a real wow factor.

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Moon Lee | Taiwan#LOVE YOU

SUPPLIES |Patterned papers: Crate Paper/ We R Memory Keepers/ Heidi Swapp, chipboard: Crate Paper, sticker: Crate Paper, mist: Heidi Swapp, washi tape: MT masking tape.

Rikki’s Blog

I love using the chipboard frame to focus on my lovely niece and to give the layouts more interesting details with other chipboard elements.

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5 MINUTES WITH..Meet the people behind some of our favourite papery brands

and businesses in our fresh new regular feature. This issue we

meet Anita Rodway, Bec Pullen and Melissa Lawty.

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“You know you’re an artist if you go through glue sticks faster than lipstick.”

~Anita Rodway

FLUTTERBY DESIGNSWHY FLUTTERBY DESIGNS?I had designed a butterfly tattoo that sat in my purse for months waiting for me to have the courage to have it done. After my son’s birth, my tattoo became my brand logo. My mum had always encouraged me to follow my passion, to believe in my ability and to start my own business. I finally took the plunge and the name ‘Flutterby Designs’ represented new beginnings for me and my family.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?I find social media and word of mouth play a huge part in creating the size of my customer base. I have many loyal and valued customers, both here in Australia and overseas, that have been supporting Flutterby Designs since my hobby became my career.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?Being owner-operated allows me to push the boundaries on what is considered the scrapbooking ‘norm’. My designs are fun, bold, bright and often humorous.

“Dreams don’t work unless you do. Nothing worth having comes easy and you have to work hard to make them happen!”

WHO: Anita owns Flutterby Designs and sells a bright and fun and sometimes humorous range of paper crafting embellishments.

As all my products are designed and the majority are produced by myself, I have greater control of the quality.

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE RIGHT NOW?Where do I start... I am definitely one of those people that has ‘too many tabs open’ . There are some AWESOME things happening with Flutterby this year and LOTS of new designs, products etc in the works - so keep an eye out!

THE FLUTTERBY DESIGNS WEBSITE

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“I have such a fantastic job and every day I am grateful that I am doing what I love..”

~Melissa Lawty

WHY THE PAPER BIRDCAGE?I chose that name because I absolutely love ornate vintage birdcages and of course working with paper. So it just seemed the perfect name for my shop.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?I sell on Etsy which is a terrific platform for creative people to sell their goods.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?My designs and attention to detail set me apart. I am willing to go the extra mile for my clients.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO CREATE?I especially love designing wedding stationery.

THE PAPER BIRDCAGEWHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE RIGHT NOW?I am working on several weddings at the moment and also Easter cards and Mother’s Day cards.

WORDS TO LIVE BY?Do something creative everyday!

WHO: Melissa, from Brisbane, Australia owns The Paper Birdcage and designs wedding stationery and paper goods.

“I feel blessed that I am, in a small way, a part of someone’s special day whether it be a wedding, a baby shower or any other celebration.”

THE PAPER BIRDCAGE WEBSITE

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“My love of fabrics and sewing began after I received my ‘Strawberry Shortcake’ sewing machine for Christmas when I was six years of age.”

~Bec PullenRUBY JUWHY RUBY JU?RubyJu is a combination of my sister Julia’s and my childhood nicknames. Naturally Julia got Ju and dad used to call me Ruby-Roo, hence RubyJu.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?You can find my little shop online through Etsy and I also have a Facebook page and Instagram account.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?Whilst there are people making Tassel Garlands in Australia, there are not many people selling the Italian crepe paper and DIY Paper Flower kits.

Our Italian crepe paper is also hand cut into smaller rolls to make it more affordable for people to buy. With paper flowers back in vogue, they are definitely one of our best sellers.

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE RIGHT NOW?A the moment I am busy making paper flowers to sell at a handmade market on the Gold Coast as well as keeping on top of my tassel orders.

WORDS TO LIVE BY?Be kind! It’s not hard!

“The Italian crepe paper is definitely my favourite product at the moment. The texture and thickness is gorgeous which is perfect for making handmade paper flowers.”

WHO: Bec owns Ruby Ju and she sells gorgeous hand-made tissue and crepe paper decorations including tassel garlands, balloon frills and fringed bunting. RUBY JU WEBSITE

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LET’S MEET BEA VALINT I’m from Hungary, a little country in middle Europe.

We have pretty hot summers, spicy foods, and a difficult

history… but, we have always been good at coming up with creative solutions for making

life easier.

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BEA VALINT

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN PAPER CRAFTING?I’m an economist and I’ve always been interested in numbers and right now I have FOUR kids, TWO hobbies, ONE husband and ZERO time... Regarding scrapbooking, everything started when my sister-in-law invited me to a workshop in 2013 and I became totally ’infected’.

“I like bright, soft and lively colours. Nowadays my favourites are sunset yellow and rose quartz.”

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“My craft room is always open… I create things together with my kids, sometimes friends, but never with my husband... He just enjoys the results.”

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DESCRIBE YOUR WORK IN THREE WORDS.I can describe my work mostly with the following three words: COLOURFUL, DETAILED, CHEERFUL.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SCRAPBOOK PROCESSDuring my procedures I like playing with cut files and mixing different patterned paper shapes spiced up with slight mixed media materials. Neither the tiny wood veneers and playful letters can be missed from my pages.

WHEN CREATING, DO YOU START WITH A PHOTO, COLOUR SCHEME OR PRODUCTS FIRST?I usually use my pages as wall decoration, so I think in a whole composition as to how I want to create a spectacular page. This is my starting point of choosing the color palette, but I also try to harmonize it with the chosen photos mood.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT PAPER CRAFTING/MEMORY KEEPING?Happiness ebbs and flows through our lives and I want to capture these unforgettable moments of joy by documenting it so that I can relive those precious moments from time to time. Making minibooks or scrapbook pages is also really fun, don’t you think?

“My main rule is sleeping on it before calling the work final.”

BEA VALINT

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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PULL A PAGE TOGETHER FOR YOU?The length of time spent on a page depends on the inspiration. I like creating handmade embellishments and working on tiny details so it takes more time.

Visit Bea and say hello here on her blog.. My Shiny Studio.

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BEA VALINT

Did you know we have a fun Mood Board challenge over on the Jot Blog every single month?

Come along and check it out here>>

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In our regular feature, we get to know the Jot Girls a little better by taking a peek into their daily lives as they share some of their recent Instagram

photos with us.

Jot SPOTTINGWhat have the Jot Girls been sharing on social media?

Playing catch up - trying to get current before the end of the year gets here!

Beshka Kueser

@bckueser

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Sheree ForcierDuring the school holidays I did a huge clean out of my craft room. It was well overdue! I love that my yarn is now all pretty and organised in it’s new storage space. It’s the first thing I see when I walk in the door.

@shereeforcier

Leanne AllinsonHello beach!! We love spending time here as the weather gets warmer!

@leanne_allinson

Amanda HallAnother summer’s day, another beach!

@apolkadotheart

Lauren Hender2016 Today: I am grateful for MY CHILDREN - They are extraordinary and are growing up way too fast. First day of school 2016.

@lauren_hender

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@mardi_jane

Mardi Winen

Our family movie nights always look like this!

These kids LOVE making.... And I love helping them.

Natalie Elphinstone

@natalieelph

This month I have chosen my desk because I love it! I love staying at home during the day reading emails, editing my pics and preparing my Project Life spreads. I love writing on my blog and take a look at the blogs I like most. Dreaming about my dreams!

Loredana Bucaria

@loredanabucaria

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My family spent 8 glorious days in Hawaii over summer. This was our last sunset - so many beautiful memories to hold on to!

Kim Jeffress

@kimjeffress

Summer means cricket. We went to two “Big Bash” games, supporting our state team the “Hobart Hurricanes”. Fun times!

Sharmaine Kruijver

@4squirts

Jodie YorkToday I am grateful for days like today spent with my family. Happy Australia Day! We spent all day right here. Bliss. @jodie.york

There is nothing better than being able to sneak a little creative time into my day. This always makes my soul happy!

Raquel Bowman

@raquelp

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Anna Allan

@annamayde

I recently upgraded to the iPhone 6S PLUS and I’m loving it! Bigger and better with 64GB of space to fill up with my kind of music, photos, and super duper cool apps to play with!

My phone really is my everyday companion.

A beautiful high tea at The Burbury Hotel in Canberra for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower.

Yvette Adams

@eeveeadams

Aside from scrapbooking, my other creative passion is throwing parties! My daughter turned three in January, and we celebrated with a big Frozen-themed party! I was certainly in my element.

@meghannandrew

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2016 #projectlife cover page approved. #phew

Petra Corcoran

@petracorcoran

Kim ArcherAnd just like that.. First day of school.. And second day of the last year of school. Forever.

@jotmagazine

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A throw back photo. When I discovered it in my camera roll it just cracked me up. These are the best kinds of family photos.

Jamie Pate

@jamiepate

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“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with fears you didn’t know

existed.”

We’re celebrating motherhood with some of our Jot Girls in our special

Mother’s Day Gallery.

MOTHER’S DAYG A L L E R Y

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This gallery theme has been one of my favorites because I had the chance to write something to me and to my boy about being his mom! An incredible adventure! At least I have used some different colors from what I usually use in my works and this challenged me and I have loved to try different things. The design is really simple - just using some pretty embellishments here and there.

Loredana Bucaria - The Jot TeamBEING YOUR MOM

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned papers: Studio Calico. Embellishments: Ali Edwards and Studio Calico. Other: sewing machine.

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Being a mum is one of the most challenging but rewarding and amazing jobs ever. Everyday makes me feel like the luckiest mummy in the world. I just had to document these feelings.

Raquel Bowman - The Jot TeamPHOTO SHOOT MEMORIES

SUPPLIES | Cardstock- American Crafts - white. Patterned paper- Pink Paislee C’est La Vie Collection, plain vellum. Alphabets- Pink Paislee. Embellishments - Pink Paislee clip, die cuts, stickers, washi tape, white doily. Other - sewing machine, typewriter, Heidi Swapp Blush Colorshine.

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Sometimes as mums we have to make sacrifices big and small! Not being a Star Wars fan i made the ultimate sacrifice over Summer and watched the movie with my boys!

Kim Jeffress - The Jot Team#THETHINGSWEDO

SUPPLIES |Patterned paper: Heidi Swapp, Embellishments -Glitter stickers, glitter bow, stamps, Minc Reactive paint, Minc machine, Minc Gold foil, black Colorshine We R Memory Keepers paper trim.

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These kids have no idea just how lucky they are! Their mum is patient, kind and encouraging and even when they are driving her nuts she looks on the bright side. I am so very proud of her.

Mardi Winen - The Jot TeamLOVE

SUPPLIES | Cardstock - Canson Watercolor paper. Pattern Paper- Maggie Homes (Crate Paper), Seven Paper (American Crafts). Alphabets- Thickers American crafts. Embellishments - Chipboard by Maggie Homes (Crate Paper) Rub-ons, enamel hearts by Amy Tangerine (American Crafts), Clear stamp and Minc label by Heidi Swapp, Die cut foliage by Wilna Furstenberg. Other - washi tape, water colour paint, machine stitching, Silhouette Machine.

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Being a mother is such an adventure and every day is different! I love that by using a black and white photo, I can choose any colour scheme I want, including this unusual green, yellow and pale pink combination!

Meghann Andrew - The Jot TeamYOU ARE MY GREATEST ADVENTURE

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill. Patterned paper: Crate Paper, Carta Bella, American Crafts. Alphabets: American Crafts. Embellishments: Carta Bella stickers, American Crafts sticker, Crate Paper clip and rub-ons, Elle’s Studio tag, Studio Calico stamp, My Mind’s Eye chipboard.

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Mother’s Day is one of those occasions where I often make my cards in bulk and for efficiency reasons it helps to stick to the same design throughout.

To keep it interesting I change the colours with each card which seems to really alter the overall ‘feel’ of the card, and now I can match each card to it’s specific recipient.

Natalie Elphinstone - The Jot TeamMOTHER’S DAY CARDS

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, Echo Park, Studio Calico. Embellishments: Studio Calico enamel dots. Stamp: Neat and Tangled. Other: Peerless Transparent Watercolours, Zig Clean Colour Real Brush Markers, White embossing powder.

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I have created a 6x8” page for my own personal album sharing my thoughts on motherhood and particularly this moment I captured on my iphone. My girls and I quite often get silly for the camera and take random selfies together. As you can see, its not the best photo but it actually makes me smile, probably because I know that straight after that photo was taken, we all burst into a fit of laughter! Sometimes it’s the imperfect that is the most perfect. A bit like motherhood, or life in general Really...it’s the imperfect moments that are sometimes the most memorable and cherished.

Anna Allan - The Jot TeamI LOVE BEING YOUR MUMMY

SUPPLIES | CARDSTOCK - Bazzill white cut to 6x8”; PATTERNED PAPER - Project Life Becky Higgins ‘Confetti Edition’ 6x6” paper, Studio Calico 4x6” paper pad; ALPHABET - Studio Calico mini alphas, Webster’s Pages little letters; EMBELLISHMENTS - Pink Paislee ‘Hello Sunshine’ ephemera, Freckled Fawn resin flowers, D-lish Scraps, Shimelle wood buttons, vellum hearts, Amy Tangerine chipboard; OTHER - tiny attacher, journal pen, colour mist spray.

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Amanda Hall - The Jot TeamTHE GOOD LIFE

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: watercolour paper. Patterned paper : Crate Paper, Kaisercraft, Basic Grey. Embellishments : Heidi Swapp chipboard heart, Heidi Swapp flower cutout, Heidi Swapp minc-able phrase (un-minc-ed), rhinestones, Maggie Holmes Crate Paper arrow sticker, mini heart stickers. Other: typewriter, thread, watercolour paint.

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I just love these photos of my three. I’m so lucky to call myself their mum!

Sheree Forcier - The Jot TeamMY HEART IS FULL

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper: Crate Paper. Embellishments: Crate Paper. Other: twine, white tag, date stamp, black ink, stapler.

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Sometimes there’s no denying the pull of motherly love, even though your children, as they grow, might become embarrassed by your public declarations! I make it clear to my kids all the time, that I will always be by their side and on their side, no matter what emotions they are experiencing at the time.

Leanne Allinson - The Jot TeamYOU + ME

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned paper: Bella Blvd. Alphabets: Bella Blvd. Embellishments: Bella Blvd stickers & chipboard. Other: Typewriter, stapler, black watercolour paint, Scraptastic Club clear stamp.

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I often struggle with making cards, but with this one I treated it like a tiny scrapbooking layout, with a picture and a title. I folded a large Stampin Up! Project Life card in half to make a small gift card.

Yvette Adams - The Jot TeamMUM

SUPPLIES |Patterned paper: unknown. Other: Typo picture card, Stampin Up! Project Life card, wooden shape, rub-ons, sticker, washi tape.

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They made me a mum..and I am very proud of them.

Sharmaine Kruijver - The Jot TeamTHEY MADE ME A MUM

SUPPLIES | Cardstock: Bazzill, Patterned paper: American Crafts. Embellishments: Cocoa Daisy DITL cards, Fancy Pants die cuts, tags and packaging, Jillibean Soup alpha stickers. Other: Pen, ink.

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Our STORY TELLING gallery isn’t just about pretty photos and

embellishments -- our focus is on the story.

It doesn’t have to be a long story. Just use a few sentences or even a few words if that’s all it takes

to tell your story. This issue our theme is -- my best friend?

STORY TELLINGM Y B E S T F R I E N D

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Our new cavoodle puppy Lola is certainly my son’s little bestie. She is never too far from his side, always following him around and playing with him. It is not a one sided relationship either! He absolutely adores her and I often catch him giving her cuddles and even kisses!

Raquel Bowman - The Jot TeamHELLO LOLA

SUPPLIES | Patterned papers: Seven Paper. Cardstock: American Crafts. Alphabets: American Crafts. Embellishments: Seven Paper stickers, die cuts, wood veneer. Crate Paper Stickers, enamel dots. Other: typewriter, sewing machine, Heidi Swapp Gold Lame Mist.

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I wanted to add a bit of drama to my layout to suit the dark photo, so over the top of the floral and spotted patterned papers I added those bold Heidi Swapp Letters!

Kim Jeffress - The Jot Team

WE’RE SO FANCY

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper- Heidi Swapp embellishments. Heidi Swapp acrylic letters, Minc Letters, wood veneer, glitter bow, stickers, washi tape, ColorShine.

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Not only do I love and adore my best friend here...but she loves and adores my children. I had to include that aspect here in this story of my best friend. It’s such a beautiful reality in my life.

Jamie Pate - The Jot TeamBEAUTIFUL

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper: Heidi Swapp Hello Gorgeous Paper Pad. Stickers, washi, letters, gold word: Heidi Swapp. Glitter hearts and circles: Maggie Holmes.

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She really wanted to take my sister’s new kitten home, however an allergy to cats means her new best friend can’t be her best friend.

Sharmaine Kruijver - The Jot Team

2 BESTIES

SUPPLIES |Patterned papers: We R Memory Keepers, Pink Paislee. Alphabets: American Crafts, Evalicious. Embellishments: Crate Paper puffy stickers and enamel dots, Pink Paislee die cuts, Cocoa Daisy stamp and DITL cards, Evalicious sticker. Other: Typewriter, file card, sewing machine, date stamp, pen, ink, paint.

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I smiled as I scrapped this old photo knowing that right now, you are together in Queensland, celebrating Kate’s 21st birthday.

Mardi Winen - The Jot TeamHELLO FRIEND

SUPPLIES | Cardstock- American Crafts. Patterned paper - Maggie Holmes (Crate Paper), Seven Paper (Studio Calico), Dear Lizzy (American Crafts) Alphabets - American Crafts Embellishments - Maggie Homes (Crate Paper) Chipboard Stickers, American crafts glitter tape, Heidi Swapp Minc ephemera, Washi Tape. Other - Machine stitching, watercolour paint.

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My daughter and her bestie formed a friendship over a shared name, as you tend to do at a very young age. Both girls are named Tahlia and I have had the pleasure of documenting their growing loyalty towards each other for a number of years. It is a blessing to have such a heart sister when neither of them have an actual biological one. (2015)

Leanne Allinson - The Jot TeamBEST FRIENDS

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd; Chipboard: Bella Blvd; Embellishments: Crate Paper chipboard frames & die cuts, Bella Blvd label stickers & die cuts, paper clip; Other/Tools: water colour paints, Scraptastic Club clear stamps, typewriter, foam dots.

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I don’t get to see my bestie very often since she moved away so when we do get to spend time together it’s extra special. It’s always so lovely to catch up again!

Sheree Forcier - The Jot Team

TOGETHER

SUPPLIES |Cardstock: American Crafts. Patterned paper: Fancy Pants, Cocoa Vanilla. Embellishments: Crate Paper, Fancy Pants, Typo. Stamp: Stampin’ Up. Other: Black ink, date stamp, sewing machine, rhinestones, paper doily.

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I immediately knew that this photo would look great as a full size layout - with lots of negative space down the bottom to pop my story into. Piper’s bed is so full... and she snuggles in with this crew every night!

Amanda Hall - The Jot TeamFAVOURITE FRIENDS

SUPPLIES |Patterned paper : Little Yellow Bicycle, Kikki K, October Afternoon, Crate Paper. Embellishments : October Afternoon letter stickers, Kaisercraft banner sticker, Heidi Swapp ‘favourite’, Simple Stories stickers, October Afternoon speech bubble, Simple Stories heart stickers, Heidi Swapp stars, Other : cotton thread, Photoshop.

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Since high school, my bestie and I had always said we’d be the main girls in each other’s weddings...and we did just that! She was married two and a half years before me and it was such an honour to stand beside her on one of the biggest days of her life -- the day where she would marry the man she loves; a man who would be her other best friend. Our lives have taken us in different directions BUT nothing can break the bond that we have as true friends! I love how easily we slip right into familiarity with one another, no matter how long it’s been between catch-ups! I’m so blessed to have such a special friendship.

Anna Allan - The Jot TeamHELLO BESTIE

SUPPLIES | CARDSTOCK - Bazzill white. PATTERNED PAPER - Studio Calico, Chickaniddy Crafts ‘365’; ALPHABET - Stencilled letters, Dear Lizzy chipboard word stickers; EMBELLISHMENTS - Scrapbook and More flair, D-lish Scraps paper flowers and sequin bow, Dear Lizzy; OTHER: gold doily, washi tape, printer, Heidi Swapp Minc + gold reactive foil, gold gel pen, gold Color Shine.

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For commissions email: jodieyork@me.cominstagram: @jodie.york

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SCRAPBOOKINGP O C K E T

J O U R N A L I N G C A R D S

Beshka Kueser and Leanne Allinson share with us some fun journaling and filler cards

for your pocket pages.

PROJECTS & PHOTOGRAPHY | Beshka Kueser + Leanne Allinson

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Beshka KueserI love using digital kits to create hybrid elements and I am always looking for ways to get more from my digital purchases.

With it being a new year I thought it would be fun to create a few monthly cards for my album. To create these cards I used digital elements that I printed out. Here is a rough step-by-step of how I created them.

Jot GirlPocket

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Supplies// 2016 calendar cards, digital papers, digital elements - One Little Bird; digital word banners - Hello Forever(Studio Calico); wood veneer & chipboard - Studio Calico; matte premium presentation paper - Epson; tiny attacher - Tim Holtz.

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STEP BY STEP

1. To start, I opened up a 4x6 canvas within PSE (Photoshop Elements).

2. I then selected and opened various files from digital kits (calendars, digital papers, + a few digital elements like word banners).

3. Next I dropped a calendar onto my 4x6 canvas followed by a digital paper. I sized and moved these elements around until I had my canvas how I wanted.

4. Once I had my canvas how I wanted it, I printed it along with digital elements I would use as embellishments (word banners, decorative cutouts, etc.)

5. I used my paper trimmer to cut out my 4x6 cards and cut out my other elements by hand.

6. I then played around and pieced things together until my cards were complete!

BESHKA KUESER

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CARD ONEONE// Trim a grid patterned paper (to represent Mathematics!!) to 4”x6” in size. Add the word “SCHOOL” with large chipboard letters to the bottom centre of the card.TWO// With small black Tiny Text alphas, centre the words “Back To” just above the chipboard alphas. Fussy cut an apple from patterned paper and mount onto foam tape. Add the apple adjacent to the black Tiny Text alphasTHREE// Trim a 4”x6” rectangle from the Whatever Is Lovely clear cut transparency (Bella Blvd | Illustrated Faith). Make sure to include the text at the bottom of the clear cut transparency to be layered over the chipboard alphas on the base card.FOUR// Slip the clear cut layer in front of the card base when adding the filler card to your pocket. I don’t generally adhere these two layers together but rather let them rest against each other in the pocket.

LEANNE ALLINSON

Leanne AllinsonIt’s always a timely reminder for my children to remember to “just be themselves” as they walk into a new classroom on the first day of school. These filler cards were created to help capture the moment with the bright and beautiful Bella Blvd, Star Student and Illustrated Faith | Whatever is Lovely collections.

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CARD TWOONE// Trim a 3”x4” base patterned paper from Whatever Is Lovely | Lovely.TWO// Layer a large label sticker on the lower right side of the card. Allow it to over hang and trim the excess.”.THREE// Fussy cut two flowers from patterned paper that have primary colours in them. Layer onto the card and label sticker. Add a navy star sticker (Bella Blvd) and a pencil die cut (Jillibean Soup) to the card as well.FOUR// Complete the filler card by adding the date with a roller stamp.

WHAT YOU NEED/patterned paper: Bella Blvd. Alphas: Bella Blvd. Chipboard: Bella Blvd. Transparency: Bella Blvd |Illustrated Faith. Stickers: Bella Blvd. Tools: Dear Lizzy date stamp, VersaMark Ink.

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LEANNE ALLINSON

ONE// Trim two pieces of patterned paper to 3”x4” in size. Trim one piece of paper (red) at an angle to layer on top of the full 3”x4” card. Adhere layers together.TWO// Add a small chipboard school building (Bella Blvd | Star Student) across the join. THREE// Complete the card by adding a sticker sentiment.

CARD THREE

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teenagesurvivalcoach.com.au

hey mum,are you busy?Frazzled?Need to offload?Me too!

Grab a cuppa and join me.

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We love pocket scrapbooking here at Jot magazine and we

have another awesome gallery to share with you showcasing

some innovative and gorgeous pocket pages.

SCRAPBOOKINGP O C K E T

G A L L E R Y

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Leanne AllinsonThe Jot Team - Australia

With a fresh new year in front of us for Project Life, I love to also start my weekly spreads with fresh bright colours! Perfect for documenting summer holidays in Queensland, Australia! “

Jot GirlPocket

teampage “I’ve played with a number of

Bella Blvd collections, focusing on the gorgeous teals and yellows, adding punches of white and black to the mix as well.”

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We love how Leanne incorporates happy and positive quotes into her pocket pages.

Leanne’s Blog

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Beshka KueserThe Jot Team - Germany

It seems each year I am working on the current year along with random pages from the previous year. I don’t let being behind stress me out - I like always having something to work on.

Beshka has used all 3x4” cards in this spread and a mix of hand and computer generated journaling on her cards.

Jot GirlPocket

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Beshka’s blog

Beshka has a way of including teeny detail that really make her pages pop!

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Petra CorcoranThe Jot Team - AustraliaMy layout is using just one design card. My inspiration this week was the pink and gold striped card which was originally a 6x4 card from the Becky Higgins Everyday Edition Kit.

The only problem was that because it was one of the special gold foiled ones, it was the only one in the kit. Sometimes when this happens and I still want things to match so I make just one card go a long way.

FIRST - I used half the card for my “week number”...

...Next, I used the left over half of the card to create strips, and in this instance punched a semicircle too. These I adhered these to simple grid

cards to create new journaling cards.

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On this particular layout I also used the same font Thickers for this word “you” as the numbers on the title card. I like the way they are a little sparkly, match my daughters black T-shirt and sort of match the black frames from my other daughter’s glasses on the left side of the layout.

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Petra’s Blog

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Leanne AllinsonThe Jot Team - Australia

This glorious Christmas pocket page spread was left out of Issue 12 of Jot by mistake and it was just too beautiful to not include this time around. Leanne has the knack of including just the right balance of colour and white space in her pocket pages.

SUPPLIES | Patterned paper: Pink Paislee, Teresa Collins. Alphabets: Jillibean Soup, Teresa Collins. Embellishments: Pink Paislee ephemera, flair, sequins, black glitter words, Pink Paislee silver foil words, Pretty Little Studio labels. Other: typewriter.

Jot GirlPocket

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Leanne has created a shaker card using some patterned paper, a label and some festive coloured sequins.

Leanne’s Blog

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SUPPLIES | Project Life cards: Studio Calico. Embellishments: Studio Calico, Ali Edwards.

Loredana BucariaThe Jot Team - Italy

This year I want to stay on the wagon of my Project Life using a key word for my spreads: simplify! I want to tell all the little stories that we live, even if they are just not that extraordinary! I want to remember the amazing ordinary moments in our life that are simply the best.

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Love this size of album 9x12. I think it is my favorite! This year my intention is to write a lot and insert pictures and set a simple design with few details.

Lory’s Blog

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In 2015 I was mindful of keeping my layouts really simple with lots of white space, lots of journaling. This year the layouts for our album will be every more simple, stripped back and raw. Just our photos on blank white journaling cards

and our words of gratitude. I’m hoping to include more memorabilia in our album this year and it’s going to be just slipped into the pockets so that we can

pull it out and reminisce whenever the mood takes us. I’m really looking forward to creating our album of year long gratitude.

Jodie YorkThe Jot Team - NSW

Hello Project Life I love you!! I love how you are a project that can evolve with our lives. I’m taking a completely different approach to the creating of our Project Life album for 2016. Our album will be part of a personal 2016 Gratitude Project that my four babes and I have embarked upon. My goal is to have an album full of gratitude and love for what we have right here, right now.

Jodie’s Blog

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SUPPLIES | Artline black felt tip pen 0.4. White 4x6 and 3x4 Project Life cards by Becky Higgins. And our life’s memories.

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Lauren HenderThis little doll of a child is now six years old but when I picked up these photos the other day I couldn’t resist creating a pocket page layout and delight in the memories while I was putting it all together. Look how chubby and cute she was.

The Jot Team - NSW

SUPPLIES | Products: Flutterby Designs, Teresa Collins, Heidi Swapp, Posca Pens, Fundamentals.

Lauren’s blog

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Tip: Posca pens are fabulous in general

because of their vibrant colour but even better

that they write on photos. Look at that gold. Have a go, be

brave and journal on your photos with these

fabulous pens. I love them!

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Meghann AndrewThe Jot Team - Houston, Texas USAI typically stick to a simple color scheme with two colors, but on this layout, I couldn’t resist adding a bit of pink to go along with the bright, cheerful yellow and teal colour scheme.

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Meghann’s Blog

I also like to include typed journaling, to get as much as I can on a card, as well as my own handwriting, to give my spreads a personal touch.

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Kirstyn FisherDevon, UKThis layout shows a belated birthday gathering which included a BBQ, outdoor cinema and dressing up fun!

Kirstyn’s BlogWe loved the pink and green colour scheme Kirstyn has chosen for her pocket pages.

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Lisa WebbThe Sunshine Coast - Queensland

How gorgeous is this Becky Higgins September Skies Core Kit? It is totally one of my favourites. It is so pretty, full of colour and happiness. It’s not very often that I get to do a full on girly page as my daughter is not at home anymore and it’s just my hubby, son and me. So whenever I get the opportunity to do a full on pink page… I love it.

“At the moment I am loving gold, cameras and my favourite Ali Edwards monthly stamps I receive in the mail. They are a great little filler for a little hand made embellishment.”

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Lisa WebbThe Sunshine Coast - Queensland

I have my own Facebook page SNAP IT UP PROJECT LIFE and this week I inspired my members to do a page using a lovely mood board. These were the colours and I just loved putting this page together. Sometimes it’s nice to get out of your square and have a challenge in front of you.

This is my 3rd year I have been loving Project Life. I just love the concept of documenting weekly life in such a great creative way. I love to document the good and the bad. No sugar coating in my album. I love to look back and actually read it myself from time to time with my family.

In this layout I have used a mix of paper and kit cards. I like to use a lot of different textured embellishments as I do love dimension. I like to layer my cards using a mix of papers, cards, doilies and card stock. Sometimes I doodle around my card if I look at it and I think it needs a finishing touch somewhere. This normally does the trick.

“I have a few favorite designers but most of all I use everything that goes with what is in front of me. That’s the fun part about Project Life. You have a little pocket in front of you and it doesn’t take much to make it look great.”

Lisa’s Snap It Up Project life Facebook Group>

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Emma P New ZealandOur beautiful girl turned three. She’s so full of life that it only seemed fit to have decorations so full of colour. I used black and white filler cards to show off our birthday girl and the bright life that surrounds her.

We love the black and white colour scheme Emma has chosen which makes her colour photos pop off the page!

Emma’s Blog

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DEAR DIARY.I’VE DECIDED WHAT I WANT FOR MOTHER’S DAY… AND WHILE IT’S NOT EXPENSIVE, IT IS HARD TO GET AND EVEN HARDER TO GIFT-WRAP. SLEEP, JUST GIVE IT TO ME!

I’m not getting any younger you know, Diary, and the pace of life with two teens and a six year old is taking its toll. Now, I just need to leave some hints and notes suggesting they gather me a big box of sleep. It appears my exhausted vacant stare and then nodding

off in front of the television may be just too subtle! If we can embrace Santa, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy how about a mythical figure to shower Mums with a treat too? Let’s get it on the to-do list.

Reflecting on the time that’s passed since I last wrote, here is a challenge described best by the word blur! Let me catch you up on some of the goings on we’ve survived around here.

Scott is preparing for a rapidly upcoming big band tour. You know how he plays the clarinet? Well, band camp is heading to Japan. Do you have any idea how

With the fast paced life of having two teen

boys plus a six year old, Shari’s request for Mother’s Day this year is.. a big box of sleep!

BY SHARI BREWER

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BY SHARI BREWER

Shari Brewer lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with her family and these diary entries may or may not be a truthful account of her day-to-day experiences. She’s never been shy of a story, so

it’s best you decide what’s fact or fiction.

A mother of three (two teens and a preschooler) Shari’s a part time high school teacher who keeps herself busy running a household as well as the parenting website Teenage Survival Coach. In her

spare time she clatters on the keyboard and pimps her writing services as a freelancer.

hard it is to buy clothes for teen boys out of season? It’s almost a nightmare, so he’s stalking the postman waiting for delivery of his online shop of hoodies and woollens. Meanwhile I’m keeping my fingers tightly crossed they’ll not only arrive soon, but look similar to what he’s ordered. Please keep your fingers crossed too for me, as we don’t want things turning ugly.

It’s a new uni year for Liam after changing courses and deciding to study in the big smoke. He’s decided he likes the city campus and seems to be very impressed by the range of available clubs and student associations. Most of them appear to be sponsored by “beverage” companies, so it appears he may be in for a big year. It’s all very exciting, not long after his return from the ski fields of Whistler.

Diary, I must say my lad has more gumption than I did at his age.

He worked around the clock over the summer break, saving every last cent to then jump on a plane to Canada. Via Los Angeles. By himself. He decided a couple of weeks snowboarding was needed before uni started back and so off he went, all self organised and funded. I knew I’d be in for a restless fortnight waiting for daily reports, praying all limbs remained unbroken.

And I was!

Don’t think I’ve ever been more pleased to hug him close and tousle his hair as I was after seeing him safely home.

Gina has slipped into Year 1 without missing a beat. Her reading has improved to the point where I’m now cautious of leaving notes for the big boys or spelling words out for the farmer. Not much gets past her and so we’re continually on red alert to mind Ps, Qs and secrets that don’t need to be shared in the school yard.

The class borrows weekly from the library and for two weeks in a row she’s selected books on babies, desperately wanting a little brother or sister. Pass the panadol I think I feel a headache coming on.

Now Diary, I’m going to start dropping hints and ideas for my Mother’s Day sleep request. It’s a big ask, but wish me well. Next time I’m sharing with you there will be tales of sweet, sweet dreams if all goes to plan!

Till next timeShari xx

Teenage Survival Coach Website

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www.jotmagazine.com

We hope you enjoyed

ISSUE 13 ofJot magazine.

Our next issue will Hit the digital news stands

In JUNE 2016.In the meantime, visit us

On the jot blog and Keep an eye out for Workshops, e-books and all

sorts of fun new things.