Shabby Chic G45 Journal

I love to make altered composition books as gifts, gratitude or prayer journals. Here's one  I made with the vintage Graphic45 papers from the "Couture" collection. This paper would seem too busy for some projects, but I think it's perfect for a journal. I used to add flowers and such. Now I try to make them as flat as I can so that it's not difficult for the recipient to write on the left page.

I like to put pockets inside the covers. I kept the insides fairly simple. Here's a quote I stamped inside the front:

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them FEEL."

Inside the back cover I made a double pocket by adhering a black envelope just around the sides and bottom so things can be filed behind the envelope as well as inside. So that the envelope flap won't accidentally get "stuck," I adhered a piece of red cardstock inside the envelope to cover the adhesive. Here's the back quote that I stamped:

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson"





The back is covered with the black patterned paper that's on the left of the front cover. (Sorry I didn't take a photo!)

I'm sharing this book with the following challenges:

All Crafts Challenge April/May - anything but a card
Card and Scrap #76 - shabby chic
Crafting at the Weekend #1 - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Feeling Crafty #28 - one for the girls/ladies
Pile It On #20 - shabby chic
Simply Create Too #61 - anything but a card
SunflowerField May challenge - Vintage, shabby chic, rustic
That Craft Place - alter a can or alter it