Nothing says SUMMER like the new SUMMERTIME Journal Template by Creative Memories™

Wow! The new Summertime Journal Template is AMAZING! It is so easy to use and the images come out so beautiful.

Remember when you were little and had that fresh box of Crayola crayons? If you were like me, those first few coloring book pages you completed were, well, just BETTER because the crayons were so new and you were so careful to stay in the lines and so proud of your work! These templates bring back to me that sense of pride for CREATING something very beautiful that feels like my own, even though I had so much help from the template and my fun-colored pens.

I have played quite a bit with this little jewel and it is definitely my new favorite, so had to share with you some techniques that will make it easy for you to use, too.

First, I would sketch your embellishments on white or off-white cardstock instead of directly on your page. That way, you can cut it out with a rectangle, circle, or oval. Add a mat, and it will really look like a professional embellishment. PLUS, if you goof, it’s not a big deal since it was on cardstock. You can start again.

Second, try OUTLINING in a dark color before filling in the patterns. Outlining gives the embellishment some definition and texture that makes it pop. I have tried doing it where I colored in first and then outlined in black and have also done it where I outlined first and then filled in. If you are coloring in with a light color like orange or yellow, you may want to do the black afterward because I have found that, unless you want to wait for the black to completely dry, it may smear some in the colored part. However, what I LIKE about outlining FIRST is, if your template shifts at all while you are fumbling with pen tops, it is so easy to line it back up. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.

You can color in with either bold-tip, round-tip, or fine-tip pen, but unless the space you are coloring in is very large (like the palm tree, for instance), I have found the fine-tip works best for me. It fits in all of the crevices without having to pull out another pen to get the job done. I made sure I systematically colored in to give it a clean look instead of doodle-scribbling (Yes, it’s in the dictionary….not really. It’s a Beckie-ism.) Check out my video above if this doesn’t make sense.

Another thing to try with your template is to use more than one color. Take a look at my turtle and my fish. Changing colors on an image is as simple as taking off another pen cap, so USE YOUR IMAGINATION. The variation in color really will make it POP right off the page! If you are doing this on cardstock instead of on your page as I suggested, THINK before you START: Are you going to cut it off the page in a shape? If so, DO NOT COLOR YOUR SHAPE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE PAPER IN ORDER TO CONSERVE PAPER! Give yourself ROOM so that you can get that oval or circle cut nicely once you are done.

My absolute FAVORITE thing that I’ve tried with this template though, is sponging the shapes with simple make-up sponges and the ink from our dot pens. This is incredibly fast and gives kind of a soft, watercolor look that can’t be duplicated just with our pens. You can pick up these little sponges just about anywhere and they are very inexpensive, so buy some and put them in a Ziploc® bag because, this, you will LOVE doing. Simply choose your color and draw just a little bit with the dot pen side on your foam pad and then, press the sponge in the openings you want to be colored! Don’t worry, not every opening will be the same shade of color but that is part of what makes it so beautiful. This is so easy, even a child could do it!

You will also love the ability to make custom journal boxes. Though the rectangular box seems small, don’t hesitate to use it to make one as big as you want!

Lastly, I can’t talk about this template without mentioning how to keep it clean. The Stamp Shammy was designed to help keep our stamps clean but I also love it to keep my templates clean. If you haven’t tried our Stamp Shammy, you are in for a big surprise! When you take it out of the package, it will be smooth and moist and feels like something you want to clean your face with! (Only sort of kidding!) It easily wipes off our inks from not only our stamp system but will also keep your template clean. It is important to keep it clean because you don’t want ink from one creation ending up on another one. I lay my template on another piece of cardstock while I’m cleaning it because marker will rub off easily and because of the holes in the template, it has to go somewhere! I have used the same piece of cardstock for multiple cleanings. The cardboard inserts from our packaging will work great for this, too. Once the shammy has done its duty, leave it out instead of putting it back into its zippered pouch. Give it time to dry out. Once dried, it will be STIFF. I was sure I had ruined mine the first time I used it and left it out of the package. However, this is NORMAL. You want it to DRY before repackaging, sealing in the inks that came off your template and eliminating moisture so that it doesn’t mildew. Next time you take it out of the package, it will still be STIFF, so go and run some water on it. WRING IT OUT WELL so that it is just damp and it is ready to go!

I hope you have enjoyed these ideas. If you love scrapbooking and would like to make money from home like I do, doing what you LOVE, then reach out to me! It is fun to work alongside our advisor sales group and with clients that love, love, love scrapbooking. We are like family. Plus, Summer is a great time to try it out. Thanks for reading! I appreciate you.

Blessings,

Beckie Belote
Email: beckie@scrapbookwithbeckie.com