Week 3: Social Studies (Journalism)

Discussion in 'Summer School 2022' started by bestcee, Jul 18, 2022.

  1. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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    Journal Cards – They are more than their name

    Part of Social Studies around here includes newspaper class and journalism type classes. Let's talk about Journal Cards, which happen to be on sale! Journal Cards, Pocket Cards, Tiny Notecards, Cards. They are all about the same thing. They come in different shapes and sizes, although they tend to come in 3x4, 4x6, and 4x4 sizes. I like to categorize them as 3 options: Design Cards, Journal Cards, and Quote Cards.

    Design Cards are pretty cards that can be layered on or just left as is. Some ideas for design style cards are to use them like elements. You can layer around them, layer them with clusters on top of them, or peek them out the top of other layouts.
    Filler-Cards.jpg

    Journal Cards are cards with lots of room for writing. Use them to tell a story. Use them to tell the basics who, what, when, why. Use them to add the date or a favorite quote or music lyric. You can also use them like a frame and put a photo or other element over the lines or blank space.
    Journal-Card.jpg

    Quote cards are full of a quote or saying. They fill the space like Design cards, but are not usually good for layering under other pieces if you want to read the quote. The edges are often great for adding a bit of color under other layers. These cards can easily be tucked into the sides of paper stacks, or layered on top of element clusters.
    Quote-Cards.jpg

    While journal cards are often used in pocket pages, they are also great to use in regular pages.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Journal cards often match the kit in color and patterns. They can be layered underneath photos, they can be used to add a bit of color or pattern. Here is a layout that uses journal cards as the main elements.
    2019-09-i70-copy.jpg

    I started with my photos, and decided that the 4x6 pattern card would make a great mat. I added the same pattern in the 3x4 card on the left too. Then I looked over the journal cards and decided that the hearts were adorable and would be a great layer to break up the street sign card. Then, all the cute saying cards needed a home!
    I also added the two journal cards (over the black polka dot frame) in the bottom left corner. This is an example of adding an element (the camera) over the journal card. There are 9 journal cards, 10 if you count the sign journal card in two directions journal card layered horizontally and vertically. The journal cards are a combination of all three types above.

    One thing I like to do with journal cards is write around items on a journal card. With Photoshop CC it’s very easy to do this. Here’s a short video showing the pen tool. Now, the pen tool is easier to use on straight lines than curved, but it works the same. The trick is to make sure your cursor has the circle around it not the square. Circle – it will fill the shape. Square – it’s not in the shape.



    Affinity Designer has the same pen tool. Once you create the shape with the pen tool, you right click and choose “Convert to text frame”. Then you can fill in the frame with text the same as Photoshop.

    Affinity-Pen-Tool.JPG

    Affinity-Pen-Tool-2.jpg
    Share your tips for journaling cards below! Have you made a layout using mostly journal cards as the decorative elements? Try it today!
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2022
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  2. michelepixels

    michelepixels A pun is not fully matured until it is full groan.

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    I have used journal cards in all the ways described above. And I've made journaling cards the main feature of a few layouts.

    In my first MOC, 2016, there was a challenge to repeat an element a number of times.
    [​IMG]

    I did this for the September 2017 random challenge, which I guess was something related to journal cards.
    [​IMG]

    In 2019, for Love Our Designers on Mommyish's day, I made use of some of her many journal cards.'
    [​IMG]

    In the MOC 2020 full page challenge, journal cards helped me fill up my page.
    [​IMG]

    :D
     
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  3. michelepixels

    michelepixels A pun is not fully matured until it is full groan.

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    Also, while I was searching my gallery for those layouts, I came across a couple of times when I altered journal cards. Like cutting them, changing colors on them, extracting elements from them, and using blend modes to blend them into my layout. I actually don't care for journal cards very much -- I don't make pocket pages and for journaling they are too limiting for my prolific writing habit -- but when I think more open mindedly about them, think of them as just another element, I make a lot of use of them.
     
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  4. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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    I issue you a challenge! Use those journal cards layered a little on top of each other (to create more room)to tell a story. I've done that (mobile, I'll look for the page later), and paper scrappers do it all the time! Try it out, see how it goes for you.

    Kinda like this: that's two cards, one for part of the story that I wanted separate for emphasis. ( I'll find a better example too)
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. G.J.

    G.J. If I Could Turn Back Time

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    Beautiful layouts dear ladies, and great video, thanks dear Courtney for putting all of this together, and Michele for sharing her beautiful pages, so much inspiration.
     
  6. G.J.

    G.J. If I Could Turn Back Time

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    I was inspired for you dear ladies, and I tucked a journal card underneath my photo
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. G.J.

    G.J. If I Could Turn Back Time

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    Some old layouts using journal cards
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. michelepixels

    michelepixels A pun is not fully matured until it is full groan.

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    I'm pretty sure I've done that a few times too! :D I've definitely use multiple journal cards even if I didn't layer them. It's not just the size of the card that limits me anyway, but also sometimes the card has a design or lines that I would have to conform to . . . although sometimes I ignore those things and make the card work for me.

    I forgot to mention another way I made a card work for me in yesterday's layout. That orange roaring monster card had a word -- I think it was "RAWR" -- in the lower left corner. I covered that up with my "Delicious" word art. :)
     
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  9. umyesh

    umyesh President of the Hangry Ladies Supper Club

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    I like how you categorize the cards Courtney. Thanks for all the inspiration!
     

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