Happy 2023... and I mean that! I have had a great start to the year and I start as I mean to go on, so my word of the year had to reflect that too. My word for 2023 is 'Thrive' and that's what I am hoping to do.

​​I didn't have the best of years in 2022 from May-October, so this year I want to 'Thrive'. Since then, I am the happiest I have been in years in my personal life, so I want to keep that happiness going and translate it in to positive energy in other areas of my life.

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my links.

I need to believe in myself more and then maybe others will too... yes it's been one of 'those' years... So for me thrive is the perfect word to restore my confidence and resilience, so I have documented this in one of my journals in a vintage journaling spread in a junk journal style. 

I started by creating a vintage background using coffee dyed paper, large washi tape and some Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Next I added in my 'Thrive' word stickers, which are raised and shiny. I used each letter of Thrive to create prompts for myself and key areas I want to focus on in the year. The key messages in these are:

      Thrive
      Happy
​      Reach
      I
      Visualise
      Engergise

​I then added in phrases and quotes to keep me going throughout the year and to inspire me on the left hand side of the journnal page.

I am loving the finished look of the journal page and it will serve as a reminder for me to keep going. I haven't blogged in such a long time and that along with posting on You Tube and in my Facebook Journaling group will be a big priority, even if it is just once a month. I built up this blog to be really successful and I feel I have let myself down in the last year. New start, New Beginnings and time to THRIVE!

What's your word of the year? Do let me know in the comments.

You can see more on my old word of the years here:
Word of the Year 2021
Word of the Year 2020​
Word of the Year 2019
Word of the Year 2018
Word of the Year 2017
​
Take Care,
​Kerry xx

Notebook cover ​ by
www.galenleather.com 

Here's a finished page from last years travel journal

Since the video was filmed, I have now added in some of my wax seal accessories and they fit perfectly in the bigger elastics (this is obviously what they were made for). They look stunning in the folio. It's a gorgeous cover and pouch for your bullet journal and notebooks.

​All I need now is for life to get back to normal so we can have some planner meet up's and craft events that I can take it to.

The folio is perfect  to hold my bullet journal and has actually prompted me to use it much more too. If you are a fan of vintage journaling, junk journals and creative journals then you are sure to love it.

​Galen Leather Co. is a family company, based in Istanbul-Turkey. The Galen Leather Company’s line of handcrafted, thoughtfully designed handmade leather goods has taken the stationery world by storm over the past few years. Stationery, pen-paper fans across the globe, can’t get enough of the rich leather pen cases and notebook covers, as well as the astonishing wooden Writing Box.
​
Each Galen Leather Co. product is rooted in a pragmatic design and intentional construction that results in something that is both useful and beautiful.
​
Sadly, the founder of our brand Zeynep passed away in July 2019. Her brother (Yusuf) and husband, Yunus, are lovingly carrying on her legacy and devotion to beautiful, quality handmade products.

I am loving how my best pens look in the folio and how everything is handy in one place. 

In summary: The quality is amazing, so well made and it would make the perfect gift for stationery fanatics.
​Thank you Yusuf for this beautiful folio.

​Kerry

I hope that you have found something you are looking for to put together your Christmas memory keeping, journaling and December Daily pages.  Please do tag the shops if you post your creations on Instagram or Twitter etc.  I would love a tag too, would love to see what you have created. Use the tag #kmmam (Kerrymay._.Makes A Mess - my Facebook Group).

​Don't forget to have a browse through my free printables and my Ten Best Vintage Ephemera Printables post.
​Take Care, Kerry xx
​
Read More:
Creative Journaling Category
Printables/Ephemera Category
Christmas Category

​​​I have created a mini challenge and prompts for my art journaling Facebook group - Kerrymay._.Makes A Mess  See the above image for the prompts. You don't have to join in there, you can just right click to save the image or to print it and use at your leisure for your journals or December Daily pages to give you ideas for what to include on your pages.
​
I'd love for you to head over there or join in on Instagram. Below are some ideas to get those create juices flowing.