Autumn "Forever Blessed" Display Journal

Fall is such a beautifully colored time of year. Here's a great fall color inspiration from the current (Pin)spirational Challenge that got me into the mood to use some great fall papers.

Then I found this base for a card. A couple of years ago I had started to make a fall card using a 6" x 6" kraft card that had a scalloped flap. I put on background paper but didn't get any farther because I lost my inspiration. I really don't like to send square cards because I have to drive to town to the post office to pay extra and get it stamped for special handling since U.S. post offices aren't set up for square cards. Today when I came across the unfinished base I had a much better idea. I kept thinking it would make a nice mini-album, but with Thanksgiving in a few weeks I thought I would make it into a small display journal for listing BLESSINGS. With that idea the rest came easily. I stapled some folded (slightly trimmed)  6" x 12" papers inside with two stamped verses about God's blessings and left plenty of room on multiple pages for people to write what they're thankful for.

It could be passed around on Thanksgiving for each one to add something and then bring out each year with the other decorations for everyone to read what had been written. I keep a Thanksgiving scrapbook that everyone enjoys looking at each year, but the journaling is always mine. This could be everyone's "journaling." The inside pages are ombre colored cream, yellow, and orangish, but the lighting doesn't really show this. The back sides were white, so I added 3/4" strips of the leafy paper along the outside edge to decorate.

Both of the verses I used inside are from Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Series 2 stamp set. "From the fullness of His Grace we have all received one blessing after another." John 1:16 and "God richly gives us everything to enjoy." 1 Timothy 6:17. I could have put in more from other sets, but I mainly wanted to leave lots of room for people to write.

All of the papers are from an old Close To My Heart 2010 paper pack, "Olivia." The copper word charm was from an old CTMH set called Harvest Charms. The die cut oval is from Spellbinders and the word die is from Simon Says Stamp. The leaves and flower are Michaels Recollections. After I finished I decided to make a few more to share at our local craft fair next month.

Thank you for visiting! May you be ever thankful for your many blessings and find ways to share them with others!

I'm sharing this project with the following challenges;
Craft for the Craic - Autumnal Twist with Kraft
Crafty Enjoyments #10 - anything but a card
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper October challenge - anything with patterned paper
Dies R Us Challenge #59 - Fall
Let's Craft and Create #118 - Halloween/Autumn/Fall
Not Just Cards #37 - anything goes
Ooh La La Creations #215 - Shades of autumn
(Pin)spirational Challenge #176 - photo inspired colors and texture