Journal It! A Designer Challenge with Sweet Tomato

Hi, scrappers, Cara from Sweet Tomato Designs here hoping to help inspire your journaling! I’m a teacher by trade (and a writer at heart) and I know how hard it is to get your thoughts down on paper in a meaningful manner; because, while your pictures are adorable and the design work beautiful, it is your words, your voice that will be the most important part of the legacy you are leaving your family. So don’t be daunted, try this challenge and see how fast and quick you can get those memories down.

Today’s journaling technique is about lists. You know you have them: the grocery list, the to-do list, the honey-do list, school supply lists, you get the picture. Why do we use them? Because they keep us organized and remind us of what is important. Well, isn’t that why we scrapbook, to remind us of what is important right here, right now? With our busy lives, taking 30, 15, even 5 minutes to write down a narrative of the day’s events is just not feasible, and just a bit daunting. Making a list also helps us from feeling overwhelmed. And, from personal experience, it doesn’t take long for memories to fade and you’ve lost those special little details that take your journaling from an account of the day to the special little paragraph that makes you giggle a decade later. So, here’s your 1st Sweet Tomato Designer Challenge:

1.Pick a topic (either from the list or one of your own)
2.Write down your thoughts as quickly as you can in one sitting. No need to worry about grammar or spelling right now. No need to even think right now, just write, you will go back and edit later.
3.Edit, either now or at a later date when you have a bit more time. Narrow down your list, find the wording that speaks to you.
4.Develop this into a journaling block or a list to include in your layout.

Here’s an idea list:

My DD/DS at age __
My everyday
My house
My favoritefunny things
My dreams
My secret indulgences
My life right now
My life right now
If I won the lottery
Things I would change
Things i wouldn’t change
My happiest moments
My saddest moments
My answered prayers
My prayer requests
My favorite…foods/books/movies/shows
Things I love about ________
My routine


And a special freebie, here is a journaling block that you can use on your layout to record that special list.

Click here to download.

Everyone who participates will receive a 50% coupon to my shop good through May. All you have to do to be eligible is:
1) Use my journaling block in some form or fashion in your layout (digi or traditional)
2) Use at least 50% of products on the LO from the Faith Sister's Shop (anyone's products, not just mine!)
3) Post your LO in this gallery.
4) Link us up to your LO by posting in the challenge thread which can be found here.

And, if journaling is something you struggle with or you’d like to learn some new typography tips, then come join me in June when I debut a new monthly challenge called Journal It.