Mrs Brimbles photo challenge - week two

I have just completed the second week of Mrs Brimbles photo challenge and I am really enjoying the autumnal prompts!  Here is a round up of my pics.

Day eight - Journal

I am still using my Lokta journal for doodling and sketching.  I also use some project life cards and journalling stamps in this Nu Era Pop notebook when I want to record my feelings or occasions I would like to remember.

Day eight - Journal

Day nine - Warm drink

Now the days are getting cooler I like to treat myself to a coffee once I have dropped my girls off at school.  If I am feeling really naughty I'll grab a gingerbread man too!

Day nine - Warm drink

Day ten - Colours of Autumn

This pumpkin dashboard by Mrs Brimbles perfectly encompasses all the colours of autumn.  Anna sent it to me last year and looking at it now I think it might have inspired the colours I picked for my Van der Spek organiser!

Day ten - Colours of Autumn

Day eleven - Orange

I don't have a lot of orange stationery but this divider has some peachy orange flowers on it and I dug out a pen and pencil too for this shot.

Day eleven - Orange

Day twelve - Memories

These Paperchase stickers remind me of our trips London, I thought they were really fun and I can't wait to use them in my planner.

Day twelve - memories

Day thirteen - Book

I am currently reading Motive by Jonathan Kellerman, I love a good murder mystery!  No spoilers please if you have already read it.

Day thirteen - Book

Day fourteen - To do

I write myself daily to do lists and sometimes weekly ones depending on how busy I am.  This is my list for the weekend, it is nice and short thankfully.

Day fourteen - To do

So we are nearly half way through the challenge but you can still join in if you like, you can find all the prompts here.  I will be back next week to share more photos with you.

Thanks for stopping by!

      

Lokta journal review

Hello!  Today I want to show you a gorgeous Lokta journal made by the Anglesey Paper Company.  "What is Lokta?" I hear you ask, well it is a kind of handmade paper that is environmentally friendly, ethically traded and chemical/acid free.  The paper is made from the bark of a plant that is stripped away and as the root system of the bush is not damaged it grows back making it 100% sustainable.  I think that's pretty cool! 

How my journal arrived

There was a great choice of covers available but I was drawn to the Batik Multi Square journal the most because it is so cheerful and I love the colours!  The design was created using wax lines applied to the Lokta paper which was then hand painted using natural dyes so each journal is different. 

The colours are stunning!

The journals have 80 unlined sheets of Lokta paper inside them and measure 9" x 6" which is slightly bigger than A5.  It feels really lightweight though so they are perfect for carrying around in your bag to use as a notebook or a journal.  This size costs £9.95 and shipping is £2.95 within the UK (international shipping is also available).  I received mine within 72 hours which is pretty impressive!  

Information about the journal

The journal comes with a little information sheet telling you more about the paper and how and where it is made which is a nice touch but there is an article on the website that goes into more detail and I found it really interesting.  I do like to learn new things!

Handmade Lokta paper

I really like the texture of the paper, it feels kind of rustic and shabby chic but it is still easy to write and draw on.  Knowing each sheet is handmade also makes it a bit luxurious too.

The pen test

As you can see I used ballpoint, gel and fountain pens to test the paper and there was no feathering or bleeding through to the other side.

My sketches

I wanted to see what the paper was like to draw on so I did some Jubly Umph based sketches.  They're not my greatest work but I'm quite rusty!  It felt good to pick up a pencil again so I think I will keep using this journal to practice my artwork and try and improve it.  It is just the right size for me.  I find too much blank space intimidating and then end up not drawing anything and if it is too small I'm not inspired enough. 

As well as the journals there are a whole range of Lokta products available from gift wrap to photo albums in lots of different designs and styles.  I was looking around the site and found this incredibly pretty table lamp which isn't made from the Lokta paper but it is still going on my wishlist!  

Thanks for reading!

*Disclaimer - this product was given to me free of charge for the purpose of this review.  I was not paid to write the post and as always all opinions are my own.