Technique / Journaling by Wendy Smith

Some people like to and some people don’t. Some people do it lots, and others barely at all.

It is an individual thing really, but journaling is one of those integral parts of every layout i do. So i decided that i would show you 4 different journaling styles you can use on your layouts, and maybe try something different if you want to

INTERVIEW STYLE

Write a few simple questions down and interview your subject. This is great to do with children, because they come up with some really unique answers and insights. You might just find out something you didn’t know about your subject that is worth documenting

STORY TELLING

Somethings warrant a story. My layout “MR MONKEY” was about a character that Charlie made up, and it really needed explaining and a story. So if you have a picture that has a great tale behind it…share it! Not just the usually who/what/when/where but the why of a story can really make your journaling worth the read.

JUST THE FACTS

Some layouts only need the fact..the picture tells the story. These are the layouts where there is so much going on in the picture that you only need the who/what/when/where and you can actually omit the why! In my layout ‘FAVORITE THINGS” the picture tells everything you need to know…the kids are in a lolly shop for goodness sake!

JOURNALING AS A DESIGN FEATURE

Try using your journaling as a design feature on your layout, by creating borders, or shapes with your words. In the layout “Crazy Kid”, I have used my journaling as a border around the kraft cardstock, and almost used like I would normally use doodling. Just something a little different to look at and read.

So don’t fear journaling, embrace it. It not only makes the memories last forever but it also personalizes your page.