Monday, August 09, 2010

Packing to Travel Journal

From the moment I knew I would be traveling
abroad, I have been like a little squirrel gathering
an entire stash of goodies all related to journaling
my voyage.

In fact, if anyone from the outside were looking in
on my follies they might be inclined to laugh, as
watching this collection grow has been a bit of
a comedy.

In the beginning, I had a substantial mound,
of course all items I didn't think I could live
without. But as the days passed, and I walked
by this small mountain, I have been able to
subtract from my pile of "needs".

And funny how you decide what you can and
can not live without, especially when you start
looking at the size of your luggage and the carry
bag, wondering how it's all going to fit.

Suddenly, soap, shampoo, and that extra pair of
undergarments become the priority over having
a large paint palette and that third extra Sharpie
Pen... you know... just in case the first two fail.

Now, I think I have my supplies all perfectly
selected and portioned, with a travel kit that
is quite manageable.


I thought I would share a list of what I am taking
with me....

* 2 - mechanical pencils
* 1 - white eraser
* 1- .01 black Micron Pen
* 1 - black fine Sharpie Marker
* 1 - 9B Pencil
* 1 - roll of 1/2" Artist Tape
* 1 - needle and linen thread
* 1 - small pair of embroidery scissors
* 1- small square of fine sandpaper
* several sheets of folded blank newsprint paper
(for pressing flowers...etc)
* 1 - Heritage brand travel paint palette for acrylics
(which I am anxiously waiting for
as it has not arrived yet)
* misc. 2 oz. bottles of acrylic paint
(which are needed for the workshop)
* 1 - Upper and Lower Case of Alphabet Stamps
(inspired by this friend's travel journal kit)
* 1 - small black cube ink pad
* various ephemera (such as vintage Italian Stamps,
Scrabble tiles that spell Italy and Rome and Orvieto,
a few vintage Italian handwritten documents)
* a stash of painting canvas in
various small sizes (I like using
bleach fabric muslin 200 thread ct.
for painting)
* Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 and film

And still considering if I want to purchase
a POGO printer and Zink Paper to use
with my digital camera?

Please feel free to leave a comment
if there are journaling supplies you use
that are a MUST HAVE.... I would love to
hear about them.

I am also really excited to show you my
newly crafted journal.


After looking around for several weeks,
I purchased a handmade watercolor
sketchbook
from a local hobby/craft
store and decided to give it my own
personal touch.

Using an old mini tintype
etched copper frame, I cut
an opening the exact same
size in the journal cover. I
lined the hole with a thin
strip of black cardstock to
create a snuggle fit for the
frame, and glued it into
place with industrial
strength adhesive.

The image seen in the window is a collaged
vision of a painted field of sunflowers married
with snippets from a vintage Italian document
I purchase off of the web.

Although I love the outcome
of the embedded frame, I
felt like the bottom of the
journal cover also needed
a bit of decoration, so I
cut an extra long piece
of indigo colored sari ribbon
to serve as a punch of color
and an additional way of
securing the contents of
the book, when hopefully
later on it is bulging at the
seams.

I have also ordered a copy of Globejotting:
How To Write Extraordinary Travel Journals

after doing a Google search on "Travel Journaling"
this book was at the top of the results and looks
quite interesting. Hopefully it will be a fun read
with some good tips.

7 comments:

Debbi said...

I am so enjoying your prepartions! I think I work the same way . . . We have a short trip planned in a couple of weeks, and I find myself pestering my husband for information {his family has planned it}, so that I can be prepared to make it positively wonderful and memorable. You've gotten me all excited! I'm kind of thinking of making up a ittle journal kit to take along*, naturally, inspired by yours! And I love that you were inspired by Nina's! I admired her travel journal so! Such precious memories these will contain for you . . .

*{if my destination is only a six hour drive}

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting the info about your traveling journal kit. I always take too much stuff, and your list will be very helpful in helping me pare down my supplies.

By the way, I have a PoGo printer, and I love it! I'm planning on bring it to the class, so if you don't get one, you can try mine out. It sounds like it might duplicate the instant camera you already have, though.

--Shelley

Anonymous said...

Oh Tracie,

You've got my travel juices running now at a fevered pitch! Your journal looks so beautiful, ancient in a most elegant way. I wanted to reach out through the computer screen and hold it in my hand. Will you let me when we are together in Orvieto?

Your suggestion to bring along a little notebook for other journaling is fabulous. Each afternoon, we'll be meeting with local experts from the area. What a perfect place the notebook will be to write down all the things Graziella has to tell us about the Etruscans and how they made wine way back in 400 B.C. - or to make little sketches of the decorations and details seen all through town. Thank you for this brilliant and oh so helpful suggestion.

Please excuse me if I've mentioned this before, but there are a couple of lovely Italian paper/calligraphy shops in town with all colors of inks and beautiful nib pens at very reasonable costs. They also have some little papers, stickers and bits which could add greatly to any journal. Ooooooooh...shall we go shopping now?

Inspired and excited,
Kristi

Seth said...

Glad to know that I am not the only person who spends more time packing travel journal supplies than clothes. You have created a great list and a great journal. Look forward to seeing it full soon.

dewatobay said...

WOW

Babsarella said...

Not that you need them, of course, but I like to bring along my Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen sets. I find that I can spend time on the plane decorating my journal and it keeps my mind off the flight. I think you have a great selection of items to work with!!

Jane LaFazio said...

There is a place in Orvieto that has a photo printing machine, so you can get your digital prints instantly. Jan Phillips used it in her photog class the week I was there. don't forget a sun hat. and yes, if you're traveling by train, make that suitcase a smaller one.
xo