Pass the Book: Still Missing (and Book/Blog question)

I finished reading Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon and am ready to pass it on. I received it as part of Sian's Pass the Book project, which you can read about here. This was one of the original books, I think, and it has passed through the hands of Amy, Jacky, Mel and Becky. I've kept it for quite a while, I'm afraid. It took me a while to get around to reading, and now that I'm finished with it, I'm not sure what took me so long! It's a really well-written book and quite a fast read. It deals with a young child who has disappeared and holds the reader's interest in many the same ways that a good police procedural television show or movie does - by showing the twists and turns in the investigation. But it adds a layer of character development that moves it out of the crime fiction genre and into literature, I think. This edition is also beautifully printed and bound - it feels good to hold it in your hands. If you're interested in receiving the book, leave me a comment and let me know. I'll pick a random name next week. 
If you receive a book in the "Pass the Book" project, you are asked to pass it along to someone else after you finish it and to post some kind of inspiration from the book. Which brings me to the art journal page at the top of today's post. My son, Henry, just passed his driver's license test and can now drive on his own - as in, alone and without us. It makes my life a bit lot easier, and he has earned the independence it gives him. But, it is a very, very scary thing. Much like the mother in Still Missing allows her seven year old son to walk two blocks to school on his own, I now allow sixteen year old Henry to drive a few miles on his own (to work, which is 4.1 miles away, and to the high school for baseball practice, which is 3.8 miles away). It's one of those hard parts of parenting that I know everyone must face.  It's one of those times when I'm acutely aware that, as Elizabeth Stone said about motherhood, my heart has decided to "go walking around outside my body."  The journaling on my page reads "I will watch you drive away and trust that the universe will bring you back home to me."
Finally, I am looking for a good way to keep track of the books I read, and I think I want to do it on my blog. For those of you who do this, can you tell me about what you use, where you got it, how to install it, etc. You can either post in the comments or email me at rinda1961{at}yahoo{dot}com.  Thanks.

Let's Talk Sepia

This week's assignment in the "Beautiful People" class I'm taking with Cheryl Johnson is to photograph babies and/or young children. Although I take lots of pictures of middle school and high school aged kids (11 years and up), I rarely take pictures of little ones. I called a friend who has a 7  month old, and she happily agreed to let me take pictures.  This is one of my favorites from the session. I turned it to sepia before I read a comment from Cheryl on another post that she generally doesn't care for sepia, as it feels too much like you're coloring the photograph (Cheryl gives lots of really useful comments on photographs, by the way.  It's one of the best things about the class so far). I hadn't thought about that before, and I was wondering what your thoughts were.  Here's what the original photograph looked like:

And here's what the photograph looks like in black and white:

So, which do you prefer?  And what do you think about sepia, in general?

Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop: 2011 Intentions Journal

{I think I am a little confused about the start time for the hop, so please check back later if the rest of the hoppers aren't ready yet!}
Welcome to the June Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop! The theme this month is "I," and I used the last bits of my June Counterfeit Kit to create a cover, back and inside front page for my 2011 Intentions Journal.  The cover is above.  The artwork is a copy of an art doll I made, and the letters are from my Kit.  You can read more about my intentions journal in this post.
Here's the back my journal. I added several pictures of myself at various ages (aren't I cute?):

And here's the inside cover with journaling, which reads "This is what fifty looks like - strong, confident and fabulous.  This year, I intend to embrace my strengths and recognize the various things that make me fabulous at 50." 

If you click on the "2011 intentions" label below, you can see the pages I've made in my journal so far. I make one each month. 
From here, you should click on this link to go see Stacey and continue on with the blog hop.
If you get lost, here's the whole blog hop list:

Counterfeit Kit Challenge:  http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

Karen:  http://icouldbescrapbookinginstead.blogspot.com/

Milissa:  http://millermall.blogspot.com/

Laurie:  http://lalybi.blogspot.com/

Amarilys:  http://amadrian8.blogspot.com/

Rinda:  http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/

Stacey:  http://ohschwietscrap.blogspot.com/

Helen:  http://craftimperfect.blogspot.com/
Emily: http://aplaceformyscraps.blogspot.com/

Becca:  http://lajoliefleurrouge.blogspot.com/

Glinda:  http://razzledscrapper.blogspot.com/

Jen:  http://jennifer-shaw.blogspot.com/

Bethany:  http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com/ 

My Path to Fitness: 5 Questions

My blog friend Amy asked if I would blog about my fitness routine, and I'm happy to oblige. 
1. Where am I now?  My one little word for 2011 is "health," and I started at the beginning of the year to focus on weight loss and fitness.  And now, half way through the year, I can say that I have lost 20 pounds. I can fit into all my work clothes again (I was down to one pair of work pants in January). I can run a mile in just over 8 minutes. And I can lift weights for an hour. I am getting back into shape, and I feel good.
2. How did I get here? Well,  in January, I started eating a little better and doing light exercise.  All I could really manage at that time was yoga and walking (usually for 20 minutes).  In February, I overcame my fear of the scale, saw that I weighed more than I ever had in my life and joined Weight Watchers on line. In March, I joined a gym and started doing 2-3 classes a week (yoga, weight lifting and conditioning). And, later that month, I started running. At the time, I could barely run/walk a mile, but that was a huge improvement.  In April, I started working out in a small group personal training setting.  Through it all, I've continued with Weight Watchers. 
3. What does my current fitness routine look like? I work out 6-7 days a week. Twice a week, I work out for an hour with a small group and a personal trainer.  That's Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-9:30. We do cardio (usually running) and then do intensive circuit training to build strength and burn more fat. I run on my own twice a week -I'm up to 5 kilometers (just over 3 miles). I usually do this on Saturday and Monday. I also continue to take yoga classes (1-2x a week - usually Wednesday and Sunday). Most weeks I'll either go for a long walk or take another weight training class on another day. I'm also continuing to do weight watchers. I'd like to lose another ten pounds by the end of the year [don't worry about me withering away - I can certainly lose that much (and even more) and still not be considered "thin."]
4. Doesn't this take a lot of time? Yes, it does. Counting the time it takes to get ready, drive to class and take class (or run) , cool down, shower and change, I'm devoting 1.5-2 hours per day to working out. It means that there's other things I don't have time for, but for me, this year at least, it's been worth it. I am doing a little less for my kids each day, but at 13 and 16, they can take on more responsibility. Especially if it means I'll be around when they are are 33 and 36 (or 43 and 46, etc.). I have made getting healthy and fit a priority, and I know it will be worth it in the long run. Which leads me to,
5. Why am I doing this? I'm doing this because I want to be healthy and strong for myself, my husband and my kids. I want to be active and vital and alive for a long time to come. I've always thought of myself as "fit" and have usually been the kind of mom woman who could go out and hike, play pick-up basketball, complete a local 5K, etc.  That's the kind of life I want to lead, and, to live that life, I need to journey down this path to fitness. 

Let's Talk Portrait Photography

Art Journal Page (Shooting Portraits)

One of my goals for this year has been to take more portraits. My photography in the past has focused on sports action, sports portraits and travel photography. I have always admired portrait photographers but have thought it was probably beyond my skills. Lately, as I've become more confident, I'm beginning to feel ready for the challenge. I don't want to get lights and have a portrait studio in my house. I'm more interested in location (especially outdoor) and "lifestyle" portraits. I particularly admire Tara Whitney's approach to photography. You can see some Tara-like shots I took in this post and my attempt at location portraits in this post. My favorite portrait shoot I've done was this one of special needs baseball players.  I just signed up for this portrait class, and I'm really excited about it.  Our first assignment was to do a self-portrait.  Here's my best shot:

It was a little difficult to get a really crisp focus. I learned a lot about trying to get a natural look on my face. It took me lots of expressions and poses before I got this one. I think that will be useful information next time I go to take someone else's portrait. It's in my studio. 

So, I'm interested in your thoughts on portrait photography. Do you do it? What's your style? Got any great resources to share? Any portrait photographers you admire?

Summertime Photography & Snapshot Scavenger Hunt Check-In

I thought I'd do a quick check in on the summertime scavenger hunt I'm hosting.  You can read the details here, and the list of items is posted on the left sidebar of my blog.  Here's a photo for item #21: A Rooster. I took this at a local antique store.  I know that Jacky has posted a picture of rain at her blog, here.
What about the rest of you? Let me know in the comments if you have a post you want me to highlight. Also, let me know if you have any questions.
Finally, I want to encourage people to have fun and participate, even if you don't think you'll be able to find everything. You have three months after all, and many prompts are flexible.  A castle, for instance, could be a sand castle, a disneyland castle, a castle shaped bounce-house, etc. Sian says there's not mailboxes in Ireland, but perhaps there's a way to think outside the box on that one, too. Any ideas?

Challenge Cards

The Stampotique Design Challenge Blog is having a "use your scraps" blog hop and challenge right now. So, I grabbed the scraps from my June Counterfeit Kit and made this hexagonal card with one of my favorite Stampotique stamps. As much as I'm captivated by this image, I have to admit that I have had some trouble figuring out how to use it So, I was really happy when I saw how well it went with this patterned paper!
I was inspired to make a hexagonal card because Mini Challenge #3 at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is to create a card or layout that is NOT a rectangle or square. I made this card as well:

I have one more project from my June counterfeit kit which I'll post for their blog hop later this month. But, for now, the kit is done! I just have a few itty bitty scraps left. It's so much fun to be using up my stash. Can hardly wait for the July kit. It was fun to make a non-square/rectangle card. Why don't you give it a try?

So, what do you think of this?

Plaster is one of my favorite media with which to work.  I've been thinking about some new ways to use it, and I've come up with this design, which is sortof like a patchwork collage:

I like the result pretty well, although I'm going to do something with the upper left hand corner to fill it in.  I'm curious about your reaction to this piece. I almost went totally abstract with just plaster strips in different colors and textures but couldn't resist adding images. I almost stopped there but it felt a little unfinished. I thought about using a row of buttons up top or something more subtle than the lace, flowers and word. So, I'm wondering whether you think this would be better if it were more abstract or less elaborate?  I also considered covering it all with beeswax. What do you think of that idea? I'll no doubt try all these ideas this summer, as well as some others.  So, at this point, I'm open to any and all feedback.
Thanks!

Elements ATC Swap

I used to be involved in a lot of ATC (artist trading card) swaps, but I've avoided them as of late. Until my west coast scrap friends decided to organize one around all the elements on the periodic table! I don't know why it intrigued me so much, but it did, and I joined.  This is my ATC for element #44 Ruthenium, which is a byproduct of platinum and nickel. The name actually comes from the Latin word Ruthia, which means Russia, because the person who discovered Ruthenium is from Russia.  I decided to go with a Babe Ruth theme instead (he's an American baseball player for those who aren't familiar with him).
Do any of you do ATC swaps anymore?

CK Sketch Challenge and Other Blank Layouts

I feel like I spent the day carting the kids around and then waiting to pick them up and move them to their next appointment.  It was hard to find a chunk of time to do anything big. So, I pulled out my June counterfeit kit and made some blank layouts to be filled in with photos I'm sure I will take on our trip this summer. The first blank layout (up top) is in response to the Counterfeit Kit Summer Add-on Sketch Challenge and based on a sketch from Page Maps (it's the bottom right corner sketch at this link - I flipped it to make a matching page for a two page layout).

Next up I created this blank layout based on this Shimelle Sketch for five 4x6 photos.

Finally, I just made a simple grid layout with the remaining pieces of my kit. All-in-all, I felt like I was productive in my little bits of time. What do you do when you only have 30-45 minutes here and there all day long?

Summertime Photography & Snapshot Scavenger Hunt List

This summer, inspired by my friend Young Nancy, I'm hosting a summertime photography and snapshot scavenger hunt.  Starting today (June 20 - the summer solstice) and ending on September 23 (the first day of fall), your mission is to find and photograph as many of the following items as you can. You can check out this post for all the details, but essentially, I'll be hosting two divisions: a photography division where you need to take a photograph of the item; and a snapshot division, where you take a snapshot of the item with one of your team members. On September 23, you will email me all the photographs which you have taken, and a prize will be given to the person or team in each division which has found the most items.  If you're interested in participating, please let me know ASAP. There's a list of those who have already expressed interest at the end of this email. The more the merrier; there's no down side to signing up, and I think you'll have fun!  Also, if you've signed up and want me to mail you some "happy mail" that includes the list in a couple of convenient sizes to carry around, just email me at rinda1961{at}yahoo{dot}com with your mailing address, and I'll pop it in the mail to you!

Are you ready to get started?  Here's your list!  You can take the photographs in any order, and I encourage you to post your entries on your blog as we go along.  I'll post round-ups every now and again.
1.   A picture of your entire team (or a self-portrait, if you're playing alone).
2.  A museum
3.  A camp fire (or fire in a fireplace)
4.  A protest, town hall meeting or other political activity
5.  A hand lettered sign selling something or giving directions
6.  A person dressed as a pirate
7.  A decorated mailbox
8.  Your country's flag
9.   A festival or fair
10.  A wooden bridge
11.  A forest
12.  A unicycle
13.  A cemetery of historical significance or with an interesting story.
14. A castle
15.  Graffiti art (not just graffiti and not just a wall mural)
16.  A building made of metal or glass
17.  Rain
18.  A person sketching or painting outside their house
19.  A beehive or an ant farm with live ants
20. A handmade roadside memorial or shrine.
21.  A rooster
*******************************************************************
Entrants in the photography division:
Helena
Amy
Jacky
Sian
Alison
Karen
Becca
Deb (England)
Mariana (are you sure you don't want to draft some of your family for a team?)
Carola
Irene (are you sure you don't want to draft the family for a team?)
Mel (I put you in both)
Cindy McCool


Entrants in the team/snapshot divison:
Laurie
Mann Family
Tricia
Jennifer
Mel (I put you in both)


Undecided:
Carrie (I think you and your mom should team up!)
Furrypig
Yvonne
Deb (Turtle) (I think you and Carrie should team up!)
Fiona

Sunday Scavenger Hunt: Sports Edition

{It's been a while since I played along with the Sunday Scavenger Hunt at Ashley's blog, and I've missed it. Plus, it's a great reminder that Monday will mark the kick-off of my Summer Photography and Snapshot Scavenger Hunt! There's still time to sign up. Go to this post for details. Now, on with this week's Sunday Scavenger Hunt - the items requested were: letters; from a flower's perspective; emotion; bliss; and natural frame. Just FYI, I'm posting this a day early, as I'm in Chicago on a quick business trip.  I'll catch up with you all when I return.}
1.  Letters (above):  Henry earned his varsity letter in soccer this year, and he also received a champions patch.  Both will eventually go on a school jacket, so I wanted to take a photograph of them for his scrapbook.
2. From a flower's perspective - shooting on the ground at the soccer match.

3.  Emotion. Love the expressions on the players' faces.

4.  Bliss.  This one I pulled from my files. It's Henry after scoring two goals last season.

5. Natural Frame. Because Henry plays baseball, too.

Thanks for stopping by; see you Monday with my summertime scavenger hunt list!

Summer Art Journal Page (Theme Thursday)

Yvonne at the ARTic Blonde Creations blog offers up all sorts of wonderful stamped art, with an emphasis on ATC's, and always seems to find fun challenges.  She posted recently about this Theme Thursday challenge, looking for summertime art. It inspired me to make today's art journal page. The background is glazed acrylic paints. I stenciled on some Club Scrap designs with Stayz-On ink and added some very cute mini-Marilyn images which I found as part of a set at a garage sale.  And, as the journaling says, I really am looking forward to a fabulous summer. The kids are old enough to be fairly self-sufficient about getting ready for their activities and entertaining themselves when they aren't doing something more structured. I'm enjoying working on my academic writing and looking forward to our summer travel.  But, most importantly, I feel good.  I feel healthy and strong and fit.  All this exercise,  healthy eating and weight loss (yes, the pound have finally started to come off again) is really paying off.  I may not look like Marilyn, but I'm certainly rockin' her attitude right now!
How about you? How's your summer going so far?

May Intention: Honoring the Importance of Family

As one variation on New Year's Resolutions or choosing "One Little Word" for the year, I have declared an intention for 2001.  My intention is to be "Fabulous at 50." You can read more about it here.  Each month, I'm making an art journal page around my intention.  This month's journaling reads: "From attending Cynthia's Quinceanera to working on my heritage/genealogy album, in May I was fabulous because I acknowledged the importance of family."  I created this with a couple of stencils from Club Scrap sprayed with Adirondack Color Washes. Paula at Journal Artista is running an stencil challenge right now - check it out here to see other wonderful stencil art. 

Still Playing Up - A Simple Story with Pictures

Henry, you have always been a gifted athlete.  We love watching you play.  When you were younger, you often played "up" in age group because you were as talented as the older kids.  Somewhere around 13 or 14, that stopped. The size difference became so great that we kept you with players your own age. But now, at just barely 16, you're playing in an adult men's soccer league.

And you're giving it your all. 

And holding your own. 

And it's still a joy to watch you play.
This "simple story with pictures" was inspired by the fabulous new blog Simple Aussie Girls. Check it out!

Album Case for my Houston Memory Cards

After having completed my Houston Memory Cards (see this post and this post for an explanation and an example), I decided they needed a special home.  In my stash, I found a Club Scrap kit to make an "album case." I used some Club Scrap Retreat papers and added the tags I made recently and the last bits from my May Counterfeit Kit to complete the album case.  The picture up top is what it looks like closed. 

You open the case like a book, and on the right hand side is a tray, where the album goes.  The album itself is simply a set of 6x6 page protectors held together with large rings.

On the left hand side is a three sided tray which is slightly larger than the tray on the right, so it works like a lid of a box.  I added a tag and journaled about my project on the left.

I really love how it turned out! I'm going to leave it out on my sideboard and hopefully someone will open it up, take a card out of its page protector and read my wisps of memory captured inside.  Thanks again to Sian for the idea!

What We're Doing This Summer

I was very inspired  by everyone's ten on the tenth posts, sponsored by Shimelle. I will definitely join in next month! If I were to have done a list this month, it would have been "Ten Things We're Doing This Summer," inspired in part by this fabulous post on what they are NOT doing this summer at the home of Havoc and Mayhem.  Since it's no longer the tenth, I'm not confined to that number.  So, instead, here are 16 things we're doing this summer. {Today's artwork is another page in my smashbook sketchbook, featuring a piece of the envelope I received in the "Good Mail Day" swap that I absolutely loved.}
1.  Henry will work at the CCP sports camp and do his summer AP American History reading.
2. Clara will go to surf camp and finally learn to surf.  She got shut out of Junior Guards this year because it's become so popular, so this will be her substitute.
3.  We will take a family trip to kayak in the San Juan Islands and visit Seattle Washington.
4. Paul and I will travel to England (London, Cambridge and the Cotswolds).
5. Clara will visit relatives in Southern California.
6. Henry will go to a residential soccer camp at Santa Clara University and play soccer for a local men's soccer team.
7. Henry will get his drivers license.
8. Clara will go to basketball camp
9. Paul will plan for  his retirement from the state and continue to lay the groundwork for opening his own consulting business.
10. I will scrapbook - focusing on my heritage album and annual family albums.
11.  I will work on my photography - focusing on portraits and relearning PSE.
12.  We will finally replace the carpets in the house.
13.  We will work on backyard repairs
14. Henry will play American Legion baseball and attend the HMBHS baseball clinic.
15. I write an article or two.
16. I will continue to work in mixed media collage and art journaling. I don't have specific projects in mind, except that I want to get back to working in plaster once the weather gets warmer.
Sounds busy! But still more relaxed than the school year. What are your summer plans?

Last Two Houston Memory Cards

These are my last two Houston Memory Cards (see details here).  I will end up with a set of twelve total, and the project feels done.  
The card on the left is about the quiet, day-to-day activities of the summer I spent in Houston.  It reads: "We spent lots of long days whiling away time at the office of Salas Jewelers. The highlight was taking the mail down the hall and dropping it in the old-fashioned mail slot and then trying to watch it fall all the way down from the tenth floor to the basement mailroom. Back home, Uncle Nano and Aunt Vera taught us how to play canasta and told us tall tales, including one about the 'missing link.'"
The card on the right is about Wylie Street. It reads: "My grandmother and Tia Lupe shared a house on Wylie Street.  Two of my Uncles lived on the same block.  I remember a drainage ditch out front where we caught tadpoles (or was it crawdads?) And at the end of the street was a little market where we could buy cold soda and candy - in all sorts of varieties not found in California."
After making all my cards, I had some scraps left over from my May Counterfeit Kit.  So, I made these tags:

I found the idea for these tags at the A Creative Operation blog during last month's CKC blog hop. Mine are a little different, but I'm happy with them.  Do you have a favorite way to use up scraps?

Distressed Blackbird Sketch (Grungy Monday)

I love red-winged blackbirds. I'm not sure if it's that deep flash of color on their wings or the memories it brings back of the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," which I read in college and found to be oh-so-profound at the time (somehow, I doubt it would hold up today, though).  At the very beginning of the book, a father points out a red-winged black bird to his son who finds it unremarkable.  And then there's this line: "At age eleven you don’t get very impressed with red-winged blackbirds. You have to get older for that."  I'm not sure why that line has stayed with me, but it has. And I think of it and smile whenever I see one of these beautiful birds. The other day when I was running on the coastside trail, I spied one of these wonderful creatures, and I wanted to capture the feeling in my smashbook sketchbook. I wish I would have used the Zen quote, but I didn't think of it until it was too late,  Still, I'm still reasonably happy with my page (and I did make it in 10 minutes). To make it, I used my Tim Holtz bird mask and used it along with some Tim Holtz distress inks. The technique is very timely because this week's Grungy Monday challenge over at the Studio L3 is to use distress inks! 
It's also timely because these blackbirds signal summer, and I'm definitely getting into summer mode these days. Don't forget to check out my Summertime Snapshot and Photography Scavenger Hunt, which you can find at this link. It's looking like we're going to have two divisions:  photography and snapshot teams!  I'm very happy with the turnout so far, but there's definitely room for more. So, go check it out!

May Catch-Up for 2011 Resolutions, Intentions and One Little Word

This year, I've been keeping three journals to keep me on track for my resolutions, intentions, and one little word ("health").  If your click on the "2011 intentions" label below, you can see all my previous posts on the subject. I had planned to post the last weekend each month, and I'd been doing pretty well, until May and the end-of-term madness took over.  So, in the better late than never category, here's my May Catch-Up. For my resolutions journal, I decided to claim victory around all the progress I made on my heritage and genealogy scrapbook.  As for my "one little word" (health), I made serious progress by joining a small group personal training gym that opened just down the road.  I'm getting stronger all the time. My weight is still stuck on a plateau, but in the last five weeks, I've lost 2.5" in my waist and dropped my mile run time from 9:55 to 8:25! It feels really good to be getting back into shape, and I know the weight loss will follow someday.  I'm still contemplating a page for my "Fabulous at Fifty" Intentions journal, but I'll post that when it's done.
Speaking of catch-up, I also did my resolutions page for April, which is about finally getting some of my academic writing done.  Here it is:

I'll try harder to be on the ball at the end of June!  So, how are you coming on your intentions, resolutions and one little word for 2011?  

Travel Journal Tutorial (June Counterfeit Kit)

I learned how to make a Travel Journal out of manila envelopes and cardstock from an article in the now defunct Scrapbook Answers magazine.  The author is Vicki Chrisman, who is definitely not defunct! She has a wonderful blog called "This Art That Makes Me Happy." I emailed her, and she said I was welcome to share instructions on how to make her travel journal.
I started by gathering the following supplies (all, except the envelopes and chipboard from my June Counterfeit Kit):
1. 3 manila envelopes (9x12 inches)
2. 8 pieces of paper (Cut one to 9x12 inches for the outside cover; cut one into two pieces 8.75x5.5 inches for the inside covers; cut two pieces down to 8.5x11 inches for two inside pages; take two pieces and cut each into two 8.5x5.5 to cover manila envelopes; take last two pieces and cut each into two pieces, one 8.5x5.5 and one 8.5x4.5).
3. 2 pieces of chipboard 5.5x8.5 inches each
4. two pieces of twine (24 inches each)
5. one piece of ribbon (32 inches long)
6. themed embellishments and letter stickers
7. tools: bone folder; tape; hole punch; adhesive
Before I go further, let me show you a few views of one of my completed travel journals, so you can see where this tutorial is going and how I use mine.  I love these because I can fill the envelopes with memorabilia, and there's lots of room to jot down important arrangements before the trip and journal about our adventures along the way.

Now, on to the tutorial. . . Start by folding all three of the manila envelopes and the two 8.5x11 interior pages in half.  Next, insert the two chipboard pieces, side by side into one of the envelopes (there should be about an inch between the two). Seal up the envelope. This will be your cover.

Cover one side with the 9x12 piece of paper for the outside cover (I used a dark blue). Take the two 8.75x5.5 pieces (inside covers; I used the butterfly paper) and adhere them to the other side. Glue them along the outside edges, not along the spine. Next, stack the two interior pages and envelopes, on top of the cover (alternating them):

Take the eight pieces of paper that you have left. You will use these to cover the eight sides of the manila envelope. I like to decide where to place these, so that the patterns and colors coordinate with the opposite page and also with the places I will go. So, I put papers appropriate for London up front, those appropriate for the Cotswolds in the middle and papers for Cambridge/London at the end. The two thinner papers (8.5x4.5) go on the side of the manila envelope with the flap. Once you've decided on the order, adhere the papers, again aligning them with the outside edge of the envelopes, not the spine:

Next, take you hole punch and punch two holes along the spine of the cover. I punch the holes the full length of my hole punch:

Punch holes along the spine of the envelope pages in the same position. Line the 8.5x11 interior pages up inside the cover (note, they will be smaller than the envelope pages) and punch holes in them. Line all your pages up and thread the two lengths of twine through the holes:

Tie the twine securely on the outside to complete the binding.  Slide the ribbon under the twine and wrap around the journal horizontally around the middle.  Tie it in the front.  Flip the journal over, and secure the ribbon to the back with stickers:

Flip the journal back over and decorate the front:

Finally, decorate the interior pages.  I like to leave some room to adhere postcards and definitely room for writing down our itinerary, important numbers and journaling about our trip. I also tend label our destinations.  Here's some of my pages:

So, there you have it! Thanks again to Vicki for allowing me to share her process. Feedback on the tutorial definitely welcome. Do you create travel journals before a trip?  Do they look anything like this?