One thing I like about scrapbooking and journaling is that you have the opportunity to reflect and write down your thoughts on a particular subject. If nothing else, it is always fun to look back upon the layouts you have made and remember that moment which you have frozen in time. But there are times where you really want to bear your soul, and even though jotting these feelings down unto paper has a real cathartic result, they can sometimes be too personal for public eyes.
Hidden journaling is a great way of both having your cake and eating it, with the added bonus that it adds a little element of interaction to your layout. In my last post, I incorporated into the design a hidden journaling element that I want to share with you today.
I came up with this idea when I was playing with luggage tags one day, and as two tags lay side by side on top of a piece of patterned paper, I really liked the fun way that the pattern peeked through the ‘missing corners’ of the tags. So I started to play and this is what I came up with. Why don’t you give it a try?
The Process
First decide what size you would like the journaling element to be, and measure a length of cardstock to the exact height but twice as long in length. Mark the central point using a pencil and fold the two outer edges towards the middle to make a gate fold card. Where the two gates meet, cut both the upper and lower corner of each flap to create a tag effect.
Next take a piece of cardstock and cut it to a slightly narrower width than the inner panel of the gatefold card, but roughly twice as long. Carefully fold in half upwards and crease using a bone folder so that this folded piece of card sits nicely inside the gatefold card. Using double sided sticky tape, adhere this panel in place.
One issue which I experienced was that the gate fold kept popping open, so in order to make the gatefold card stay put when it was folded shut, I used my Quickutz squeeze to die cut four small tag shapes. I stuck two of the mini tags back to back, overhanging each flap, making sure that they touched each other when the flaps were closed, just as in the photo above.
So there you have it – now you can simply open the gate fold, and fold down the inside panel to reveal an area where you can hide away some secret journalling. So go on, bear your soul…I dare you!
TIP: Why not try this technique for hiding away photos as well as journaling.
Journaling reads:
I am a girl. A pink girl. A purple girl. A sparkly girl. I am a daughter, I am a sister, a little sister! A grand-daughter, an auntie, a niece a godmother. I am a friend, a partner, a companion, a fiancee. I am a hugger, a smiler, A giggler, a trickster. A crafter. A teacher, a learner. A dancer. I am a leader and I am a follower. I am a believer, a history maker, and of course, I am a dreamer!
