- Fauxbonichi Pages -

- My Michaels Jane Davenport Haul -

For several months I've been searching for Jane Davenports new line at my nearest Michaels, which is more than 1.5 hours away and it never carried any of her items.
So this past weekend my husband and I drove across the State ( Husbands work related trip, I only tagged along! ) to see if that Michaels would have anything of her items!

They also did not carry some things I was hoping to find, but at least I was able to purchase the Butterfly Book I wanted! :)

The trip turned out to be a nice weekend trip. Husbands business got done, we went shopping and had a nice dinner! Maybe I should tag along more often?

- My New High Capacity Pencil Case -

I finally found the perfect pencil case for my Prismacolor Premier Pencil Set.
This case holds 168 pencils and is awesome!

Have a look at my review video and see what this case looks like and how many writing utensils you can fit in it.

Thank you for watching

-The Fauxbonichi Is My Favorite Now!-

It has been a long while since I added a post to my blog, but I have been working on myself to feel better and become a healthier person!

Managed to lose 42 pounds since last year end of November and I'm still going strong, because I still want to get rid of an other 40 pounds or so.

It is unbelievable how much better I feel already and how much more energy I have these days. My depression and anxiety moments are almost all gone and being around people is a bit more comfortable for me.

I ditched my Filofax and mostly just use my Fauxbonichi and Midori to take notes, journal, plan and be artsy. This year I will buy the real Hobonichi, because I'm sure now that I can justify the cost for one, because I make good use of my Fauxbonichi.

I still love my Filofax and will figure out some kind of use for it, but I just don't have that much to plan like Moms or people with a job have to do. 

I'm a housewife, my daughter is grown and I really do not need to plan out when to wash my dishes. 

It's pretty obvious that when a pile of dirty dishes stares at you up from the sink, that it is high time to fill the dish washer or get the sponge out to wash them! 

I still do make notes here and there about household chores that need to get done, but I don't need to make a huge deal about it in my planner and that is why I love my Fauxbonichi!

It also is way more fun to decorate, do some art or doodle. 

I find it very relaxing and less pressure to keep track of things, plus it feels like there is much less of a rule to plan or journal about your life on a daily basis. 

Not to mention I get to buy great stationary and art supplies like my newest splurge the set of 150 Prismacolor Pencils....Boy do I love them!

 

More of my Fauxbonichi can be found on my Instagram.

Thanks for looking

-My First Hobonichi/Fauxbonichi Try-

Like so many Filofax lovers I became very curious about the Hobonichi Planner and so I decided that I should give it a try. I really like how other people use the Hobonichi for planning, decorating and their art.

I want to give a Fauxbonichi a try first to see if I will manage to commit to this kind of planning and journaling before I order myself one of those lovely originals. So I ordered a 8"x5.8" grid paper notebook to move my first Fauxbonichi in. It arrived today and I will set it up over the weekend. Plus I have to get me some more stationary goodies to use in my Fauxbonichi.

While waiting I started a view pages in a notebook I already have and I must say I really love spending time writing and drawing things about my day. It is fun and there is a bit more room for creativity in this type of planner.

I do absolutely love my Filofax planners and will of course continue to use them, but I think the Hobonichi will be a better way for me to journal.

Here are my first view days in my temp Fauxbonichi

Thanks for looking

-Make your own Jellie Plate...Gelli Plate-

I love art journals and mixed media arts.

There are so many talented people out there sharing their journals and altered books that I feel really intimidated to try and start my own art journal.
I think the fear of the blank page or the ruin of a pretty but empty journal is what keeps me from trying to get messy and artsy. I have tons of empty composition books and journals on my shelve because I love having them, but I never buy them to actually do something with them.

Today I desided to change that and give art journaling a try.
For sometime now I've seen artists use a Gelli Plate to create backgrounds for their art or simple mono prints. It looks like fun playing with the Gelli Plate and acrylic paints. This method should help me to create some nice backgrounds for my journal.
There are several sizes on the market for purchases but I thought I would try to make one myself first.
Besides, the Gelli Plates are not on the cheap side and I like things to be affordable, especially if I'm not quite sure if I will like it.

I found a really simple recipe on Youtube by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich. 
If you would like to make your own Gelli Plate please go and check out her video.

Meanwhile here is my short tutorial and recipe on how to make one.
It's really very simple and will save you a few dollars.


You will need:

6 Tablespoons gelatin (7 packets)

I found mine from Knox in the section of Walmart where they keep all the other jellos.
You will want the unflavored kind (see picture below) There are 4 envelopes in each box so you will have to buy 2 boxes.

3 cups glycerin

You can find glycerin in the pharmacy. Usually by the first aid supplies. If you can't locate it ask your pharmacist. It can also be found at Hobby Lobby or Michaels in the baking section. It is used to soften fondant and as sweetener. There are tons of other uses for glycerin like soap making or preservation of flowers. Why not do some research?

1 1/2 cups of boiling water

1 shallow rectangular form or whatever container deep enough to hold 4 1/2 cups of liquid.

Choose a form you won't feel bad about if you have to throw it away. I'm not quite sure if it is advisable to reuse it after it was filled with glycerin. I don't know if it is toxic or not. I would think it isn't if it has uses for baking and cake decorating. But better safe than sorry. Same goes for any utensil you might use to stir the mixture!
I just used an old spoon.

Instructions:
Bring water to a boil.
Dissolve the 7 packets of gelatine in the 3 cups of glycerin

Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the gelli glycerin mix and stir well.
Pour all of the liquid in your form. If little bubbles have formed just use a needle or tooth pic and pop them all to avoid them showing up on your Gelli Art Prints.Now just let it set until firm.
I placed mine in the fridge for several hours.

Use a knife to trace and loosen your homemade "jelli plate" around the edges of the form and carefully lift one corner to release the vacuum. Now your plate should come out of the form easily.

When my Jelli Plate is not in use i have it sitting on a piece of cardboard and covered with some plastic wrap. The plate should hold up for quite some time, but if you ever damage it or scratch it just place it back in your form, liquify it for a couple of minutes in the microwave and let it reset again.

The glycerin is acting as a preserver and will keep your plate from molding. Please note that it will not turn out to be crystal clear.

I did not have much time to play with my plate, but I managed to make some quick and simple prints.

If  you would like to buy a professional Gelli Plate you can find one here
Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate 8X10 Inch

Thanks for looking