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For big trips like my recent one to England and Paris, I like to take along a simple travel journal that I can work on as I go. It’s the perfect place for just a few quick words about the day, scraps of ephemera, and postcards or photos.
Plum was the color I associated with this trip to Paris, so that dictated my color scheme for the journal. I found a dramatic plum and black damask print for the cover, which was made of simple chipboard rectangles cut to a size I could easily fit in my bag. The pages were cut slightly smaller from an assortment of plain, lined, and gridded papers in my stash. I embellished a few even further with rub ons. The whole thing is held together with a set of 7 Gypsies black book rings*, so I can rearrange pages on the go.
I picked out a selection of plum, grey, and teal embellishments to take with me. This included scraps of paper pre-cut to fit the journal pages, ribbons, brads, stamps, washi tape, and ink pads. Everything is contained inside a cigar box decorated with vintage ads and buttons, with loops inside the lid that can hold pens and a pair of scissors.
My journaling style is pretty simple – a short summary on one side of a two-page spread, colorful snippets of any ephemera I picked up during the day, or some simple embellishments from the kit. I wish I could do beautiful lettering, but for now it’s pretty plain and simple. I did try accenting some key words with a pop of color this time, which I think added some visual interest.
The opposite page has room for a photo or better yet, a postcard I can add to the book right away. This was also a great place to use the stickers I picked up from Lamp Paperi’s Etsy Shop*. I absolutely love them, and will need another set for future journals!
Do you make travel journals for your trips? What’s your journaling style? Share yours in the comments.
