We are almost in April, the beginning of Spring. Our bucket list of wants and goals are probably still full. Why? because life happens, the everyday hustle and bustle sometimes makes achieving these lists a bit harder or gives us a longer end result. But the good news is its Spring, the season of change and new beginnings hence the phrase, “Spring Cleaning!” Out with the old and in with the new. So before you start cleaning your house of clutter why not make a bucket list of new achievable goals. Even better try it with your partner. Having a support team is great, you can help each other get closer to achieving your goals.
This is why we love CCB Crew Member Betsy Skagen of Paper Calliope’s great couples bucket list project. The best part is she used various 7 Gypsies papers and supplies. So lets get started and follow along with Betsy and her great project!
Life suddenly began whizzing by for my husband and I. And, to tell the truth, it sometimes feels like there are a lot of missed opportunities. As parents of kids with unique needs, we put many of our dreams on hold. Year after year, we avoided activities that required babysitters. We embraced staycations and we usually juggled far more stress than we could imagine. Yet, I would give anything to have my kids be little tykes again so that I could better appreciate that precious and fleeting time. Now, before we know it we will be empty-nesters. When I’m not dabbing away the tears, find myself daydreaming about future possibilities. I knew I wanted a bucket list that my husband and I could share. I also wanted to have it be something we could physically hold, stick magazine articles into and write notes to each other, rather than an electronic board on Pinterest. Of course, it was inevitable that I would begin scheming a way to craft this bucket list. As the bucket list progressed, I discovered that I wanted it also to serve as a small notebook where we could keep track of activities we completed and places we went.
Materials Used
- 7 gypsies Ordre Du jour 12 x 12 go & be paper
- 7 gypsies Ordre Du jour 12 x 12 break the rules paper
- 7 gypsies Ordre Du jour 12 x 12 seize the day paper
- 7 gypsies starter journal kraft 5 x 7
- 7 gypsies moments cards: bucket list
- 7 gyppsies gypsy Moments Cards: States I visited
- 7 gypsies Ordre du jour 8×8 paper pad
- 7 gypsies Mini Ephemera American Vintage
- 7 gypsies American Vintage 8×8 Paper Pad
- Navy & Kraft Mini Dot Reverse Single Sheet
- Red & Kraft Ribbon Stripe Single Sheet
- 7 gypsies Lille Life is Good Book Cover Couvertures de livre
- 7 gypsies Vintage ephemera collections from the journey
- 7 gypsies Naked mini manila folders
- Tim Holtz Trinket Pins, Tim Holtz buckle
- Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink
- Tim Holtz decorative tape
- Old watch
- Glues; Beacon Zip Dry Glue, Beacon Fabri-Tac
- Other; Magnet, First Aid tape
- Tools; cutting tool, utility blade, scissors
Step 1
Begin by using a utility blade to cut away two spreads (four pages) from the 7 gypsies Starter Journal. Be careful not to cut the string binding the pages or the entire book could fall apart.
Step 2
Determine what combination of papers you want to use as the base layer for each spread. You will want to coordinate the colors and patterns for each spread (facing pages). Adhere these papers to the journal and ink all the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Step 3
Begin selecting any elements that you want to use for each spread. I used a combination of materials including prepared die-cuts such as the 7 gypsies Mini Ephemera American Vintage and 7 gypsies Vintage Ephemera Collections from the Journey; larger elements such as the 7 gypsies Life is Good Book Cover, the 7 gypsies Bucket List and States I Visited cards; and elements I cut from assorted 7 gypsies papers. After you have selected and cut ou the elements, ink the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Step 4
I even used an old watch and made a watch band with the 7 gypsies Ordre Du jour Go & Be Paper.
Step 5
Attach a decorative paper to the outside of a 7 gypsies Naked Mini Manila Folder.Fussy cut some notebook paper from the 7 gypsies Ordre du jour 8×8 paper pad and adhere it to the inside of the folder and attach it to the page.
Step 6If the base layer has a graphic on it that you don’t want to include, you can cover it up with another element. Here I replaced it with a notebook. I attached cloth book binding tape (aka inexpensive first aid tape from the medicine cabinet) to the inside of the notebook cover and the journal. I then added a 7 gypsies postcard to the back of the cover and the 7 gypsies Bucket List card and 7 gypsies paper on top of the journal. On the opposite page, you can see that I made a tab, where I could slide in some “ticket tags” that allow for journal notes on the backside.All-in-all, lots of places to write down ideas or memories!
Step 7
The next spread is kind of nifty. The left page has a large library card catalog drawer that is actually a magnetized clip. When you lift the clip up, you will even find space for a few notes. To make the clip, simply create a two-page “book” that covers two flat magnets with 7 gypsies paper. Flip the “book” on its side and adhere the bottom magnet to the page.
Below the clips are inspirational bucket list notes to my husband and myself. They are to remind us that we don’t need to wait until retirement to begin completing our bucket list and that bucket list items can range from something as small as going to a Saturday flea market to as monumental as taking a long-awaited cruise.
The opposite page has smaller card catalog drawers with inspirational messages about the rest of our lives. Some of the card catalogs open to reveal more places to leave notes. To make the card catalog, first adhere part of the 7 gypsies Seize the Day paper to the journal as the base layer.
Then cut out additional drawers–preferably ones with messages you like and colors that fit with the rest of the layout. Then cut out more of the same notebook paper you earlier used and create another “book”. Adhere the notebook paper so that half of it covers the back of the new drawer and half of it covers the drawer you are replacing.
Step 8
This spread includes another flap and two pockets to hold lots of additional tags. You can attach this flap with decorative tape. Then, just apply double-sided adhesive to three sides of ephemera rectangles to create the pockets. I added the #74 trinket pin for fun because it was my husband’s college football number. To complete the Bucket List album, just add a buckle and a ribbon that you distress with a little ink.
To see more of Betsy’s work visit her Blog: Paper Calliope or her Instagram Page!
We hope you get inspired to create your own couples bucket list. See you all soon! Happy Creating!
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'Life’s too short! A couple’s bucket list!' have 2 comments
March 24, 2016 @ 11:44 am barb macaskill
What an awesome way to document your bucket list! I think I need to do something similar for hubby and I. It would be a great way to add a little spice to our daily lives! So many little things that could be done and documented! Thanks for the inspiration (and hopefully a refresher to my marriage)!
March 26, 2016 @ 4:39 pm Donna Budzynski
This is so awesome! I love every detail!