Autumn/Fall Thankfulness Portfolio

This month I'm a guest designer at the Let's Craft and Create October Challenge #130. The theme is anything goes with the option of Witchy/Halloween or Autumn/Fall. I always need a lot of autumn projects for our craft fair in November, so here is one of my thankfulness portfolios or gratitude journal. I like to add scriptures and quotes about gratitude and lots of blank pages for the recipient to write what they're thankful for as well as room for a few photos.

The cover is made from a 6" x 6" kraft card base that CTMH used to sell. I like the scalloped flap that overlaps on the right side and that it's made from extra heavy kraft cardstock, making it more durable.

I used a variety of fall-colored papers, mostly from Authentique. Inside I made three "booklets" embellished with scripture and quote stamps that encourage thankfulness for blessings. 

The first pocket inside is simply a burlap ribbon attached with two brads that go through to the front. I attached the front of the ribbon after inserting the brads so that I could cover them on front so they wouldn't show. I had never tried that but I liked it enough to try it again.

This started as a fall card from Basic Grey paper that was square that I never used since square is not popular with our postal system. I added quite a few pages inside, stapling in the inside center like a book.

The pocket on the right side is made from a 4" x 6" card that I trimmed a little, including an angle following the thankful box, and adhered on the right and bottom only.

This tag booklet is 5.25" x 3. (It really has 4 sides but I didn't unfold all of it.Oops!)

This one is 5.5" x 4" with one of the small cards decorating the front and the rest left blank for photos.

The back has a simple quote stamped and the spine has a strip of bronze shimmer trim. The leaves were cut and embossed with Spellbinders Leaves 8.

Thank you for visiting! May your heart be filled with gratitude for blessings received and those to come.

I'm also sharing this project with the following challenges:

Mod Squad Challenge - Color Me Fall

Shopping Our Stash #323 - Give Thanks

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #41 - Anything Goes/Autumn Colors

Word Art Wednesday #302-303 - anything goes

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