Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Who are you?

01 May 2019 Comments Off on Who are you?

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: who are you?

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The month of May issues in our self-development journal. Now much has been written, centralized, podcasted (is there such a word?) about the journey of self by much more learned people than I so I thought I would touch on some simple ways for us to write about our journeys. To start us off, G asks the simple question:

JUST WHO ARE YOU

Have you ever stopped and taken stock of who you are? I mean REALLY who you are. Just who ARE you?

Are you what other people say / think you are? Are you what you THINK you are? Are you what the “social measurements” say you are? Are you what you’ve been, or what you’re becoming? Just who ARE you?

And when you look in the mirror who do you see? Do you see you, or someone else? Just who are you?

And by the way, are you who YOU are, or what someone else WANTS you to be. Just who ARE you?

Are you what you started out to be, or are you still looking for what you WANT to be? Just who ARE you?

And say, if you know who you are today, are you certain it’s who you want to be TOMORROW? How difficult is it to be who you are, and how difficult is it to change? Just who ARE you?

Then is who you are what you WANT to be? Just who ARE you?

And while we’re at it, are you a human being or a human BECOMING? Just who ARE you?

Have you ever helped someone become what they wanted to be? Or have you spoiled someone’s dream of what they wanted to be? Just who ARE you?

Excuse me now, while you ponder “Just who ARE you?” I’ve got to go figure out —–Just who I am!

Index card mini binder

24 Apr 2019 Comments Off on Index card mini binder

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Tutorials Tags: hole punch, index card binder, ribbon

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The following blog post is pretty awesome. Check it out!

Sallie

My versatile index card mini binder is very handy.

It’s small and compact, and I can change the cards around, or add or remove cards whenever I need to.

Because it has covers, the index cards are protected.

I like using index cards because they are sturdier than paper, are very inexpensive, and come already cut to size.

You can even buy colored index cards, which I used to make dividers.

If you use the unlined index cards, you can make a nice little drawing book or notebook for your kids to use when traveling.

I was able to find the index cards in Dollar Tree, and I only needed 2 packages. I could have used just one package, but I wanted colored cards for dividers.

Materials.

Index Cards

Binder Rings

Cardboard from Recycled Cereal or Cracker Box

Paper to Cover the Cardboard

Ribbon – Optional

Embellishment – Optional

Mod Podge or White Glue

Hole Punch

How to Make an Index Card Mini Binder.

1. Cut the cardboard a little larger than the index cards. I used 5 3/8 inches by 3 1/8 inches.

You don’t need to make the binder ring edge wider because the edge of the covers and cards need to be flush there.

2. Make the decorative paper for the outside of the covers about 1 inch larger than the covers.

I used 6 1/2 inches by 4 inches. Cut 2.

3. Cut 2 inside cover papers a little smaller than the covers.

I used 5 1/8 inches by 1 7/8 inches.

4. Apply glue or Mod Podge to one side of a cover card board.

Center the cardboard over the wrong side of an outside paper.

Press firmly all over to adhere.

Repeat with the other cover.

5. Draw a triangle across each of the 4 corners on both covers – as shown.

6. Cut the corners off.

7. Score, fold, and crease all 4 paper edges next to the cardboard.

8. Apply glue or Mod Podge to all 4 edges and smooth them over the cardboard.

9. Apply Mod Podge to the wrong side of the inside paper and center it over the uncovered side of the cardboard.

Smooth it onto the inside cover.

Repeat with the second cover.

10. Put the covers between 2 sheets of wax paper and lay something heavy on top to flatten them.

After a half hour or so, remove the covers and let them finish air drying.

Prepare the Cards for the Index Card Mini Binder.

1. Decide how many cards you want to use and how many dividers you need, (if any).

2. Decide where you want to put the holes.

I put the holes about 1 1/8 inch from each side edge.

3. Use 1 of the index cards for a template and punch the holes. Lay this template on the other cards to mark where to punch them.

Use clothespins to hold 3 or 4 cards together and punch them all at once.

Finish the Binder Covers.

1. Line the index card template up with the edge of the cover that needs the holes.

Center it so that there is an equal amount of cover on each side of the index card.

2. Mark the holes. Punch the holes.

3. Attach a co-ordinating ribbon around the top cover, using double sided tape on the ends.

Overlap the ends off-center.

4. Attach the decoration.

I used 2 different colors and sizes of foam flowers and attached them with a snowflake brad – which kind of matched the fireworks in the paper design.

To attach, poke a hole through all the layers of flowers and the cover, and insert the brad.

Put the Index Card Mini Binder Together.

Arrange the index cards with the colored ones interspersed among the white cards wherever you need to divide them.

You can lay the index card mini binder flat

or open the pages and stand it up.

Tips

I didn’t put tabs on the dividers because I wanted to be able to stand the index card mini binder up, and the tabs would get bent.

You could put tabs on the sides, but the colored cards are easy to see and access, so I didn’t bother.

You can find binder rings in different sizes in Walmart or an office supply store.

You could put 3 binder rings across if you want to.

You could make a larger index card binder by using the 5×7 index cards and 3 binder rings.

Crafty Journal

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com

Wednesday words to live by

24 Apr 2019 Comments Off on Wednesday words to live by

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Quote Journal Tags: Easter

Happy Easter

21 Apr 2019 Comments Off on Happy Easter

Image by uniquelyyourscraftjournal

Kick start your journal

17 Apr 2019 Comments Off on Kick start your journal

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams, Perspectives Tags: Journal, Quinn McDonald

Dear Fellow Journalers,

This is a unique look at journal writing by Quinn McDonald:

~Sallie

Yesterday, my friend Marit said she was “waving from her journal page to mine,” and I thought, “what a great idea!” Need something to focus on? Need a jumpstart on writing?

This is more than a journal prompt. It’s not a word to write about, it’s a whole technique. And it’s powerful. Let’s get started:

Warm up by focusing on your emotions: Right now, I feel [fill in the blank.] One word may be all you need.
The reason I feel [blank] in 20 words: [describe how you reached this emotion.]
Almost always, someone else is involved in this story about your emotion. Whether you are happy, anxious, excited, or skeptical, most of our emotions are connected to other people, often for reasons we don’t understand.
Use the next page to write a dialog between you and the other person. Writing dialog means you will make things up. That’s fine. You want to figure out a reason for the emotion and what your role is and what the other person’s role is. By putting words in someone else’s mouth (and you know you are doing this), you are resolving old issues, exploring new ways to happiness, or clarifying ideas.

Example: I’m feeling anxious. A friend has asked me to help her in a way that I feel uncomfortable with. I want to help my friend, but I want to hold onto my values.

Q: I’m not sure I can do this, Friend.

F: But it will help John and it will be a big favor to me, too.

Q: I think speaking up at the Writers’ Club and supporting John as another member isn’t a good idea. The club rules say you have to be a published writer, and John isn’t.

F: It’s not about you, Quinn, it’s about getting John into a place where he can find business. And the club is great for that. You’ve gotten business that way. John is a good guy.

Q: I have gotten business from the club. But I was a published writer when I joined. And John isn’t.

F: He writes his own blog, and that’s publishing. You are just afraid he’s a better writer than you.

Q: A blog is not publishing. And I want what’s best for John. But getting him into the club is not in his best interest.

F: What’s wrong with you that you won’t help this friend? Haven’t you needed a hand before?

Q: I’ll be happy to help John in some way that helps John. Being dishonest doesn’t help anyone. Least of all John, if he gets a job he can’t handle.

. . . .the dialog can go on as long as you need it to. In this example, I see my own stubborn character, but also my clarity in not being dishonest. Yes, it’s a small thing, but I can see that if I vouch for John, and he doesn’t do well, the lie I told will be the reason John got in over his head. What I am understanding from this dialog is that my need for approval is pretty big, not big enough to lie for someone.

Is this the dialog the way it really happened? No, but by making up the other half, I’m giving myself the opportunity to dig into my own emotions in ways that help me see my own motives clearly.

The dialog exercise is a good way to find out more about yourself.

–Quinn McDonald is an explorer in her journal.