Kikki K Planner - Not Just a Planner Part 2: Magnetic Anything Tracker

Hej All,

I have noticed in a lot of planner videos (my current obsession) that a lot of people track water intake.  There are so many creative ways people track their water intake.  Some use stickers, other stamps and some use mason jar cards etc. 

So, for my second project, I present to you my version of water tracker.  I figured I would like my tracker to be versatile so I made a magnetic track anything tracker. 

As usual, for this series, I will make use of the Kikki K Be Brave sticker book and planner kit.  In using what I have and things from the same collection, I am saving money in a way as I don't intend to buy any more stickers.  Also, it saves me time to mix and match patterns and colors.  

So, to make it, I put my diary stickers in the ruler from the Kikki K planner kit.  These will represent the levels or numbers of my goals.  I first intended to use number stickers but I searched everywhere and I realize I don't have any, haha. I know I don't have any but I still searched my stack. Wishful thinking. 

Level 1 is a cute puppy saying "fighting" and the last level is a "Good Job" sticker.  For now, it will do.  I can change it to a more grown up sticker or classy in future. Depending on my mood.

Then, I made the magnetic indicator.  This is a very simple project to do.  Something that happened naturally, no practice and no repeats.  Anybody can do this.  First, get a card tag, cut into 2.  Use 2 fold into half small strips of paper and use as hinge to attach the 2 pieces of tag cutouts together.  Next, glue magnet strips into place. 

Oops, forgot to mention to punch a hole in one of the tag cutouts.  This will serve as a window to see the levels.  For decorative purposes and not to waste, I decided to use the heart byproduct from the punched tag. I put a slit in the heartshaped byproduct and thread a gold sticker into it and attach to the magnetic indicator I just made. 

And, to cover the holes, I used some gold foil butterfly  from the borders in the sticker book.  

Now, that I have the tracker and levels, all I need is what to track?  I decided to use the labels that came with the planner.  I would like to make something special but I am not sure yet what I would like to track.  This is just a temporary fix until I can figure out what I really wanted.  My motto nowadays is to "Start Somewhere."

These are the things I can think of using my tired brain.  (It's 12 midnight already). 

NO junkfood for 8 days (yeah right)

LOSE 8 lbs ( doable)

8 Glasses of Water Per Day (standard)

Make 8 people Smile ( Now we're talking)

Sleep early for 8 Days straight (no more blogging?)

Wish Upon 8 rainbows ( NZ has amazing rainbows, I saw 2 bright rainbows going to work this morning)

Anyways, I can think of a more beautiful way of presenting those things when I finalize my list to track. (Hmmm, this is giving me an idea of what I might do for my next project.  That's my problem, I think too much.)  I need to focus more on writing and finishing this blog :)

Finally, putting all the elements together and into the binder!!!

 

The magnetic indicator stayed in place wherever I put it to.  Success!  The indicator can also slide from one level to the other without any problem.  Success #2.  I was able to write this blog and finish it.  I am going to slide it to the maximum level and that is. . .

I hope you like this.  It is a fun and very easy project to do.  Till next time.  

Kikki K Planner - Not Just a Planner Part 1

I am so excited to show the first small project that I did for my Kikki K Peach Perforated Medium Planner. 

I plan to use this planner as my go-to-planner.  If I could, I will totally put everything that I can in this planner.  As we speak, I already have 9 sections and it is growing exponentially. 

I haven't done anything special in the front yet, as shown below.  I don't have collection of sticky notes and stickers and stuff so I left it simple and put in some tags from the Kikki K Be Brave sticker book.  The tags that I chose are those that I may use for gift giving.  

And a paper clip that I made, also from the same sticker book.  A butterfly cut out from the Be Brave planner kit.  Is it obvious now that I love that collection? 

Onto the project, the above is a picture of a closed envelope-like insert that I did.  I regretted putting the sticker on top of the insert.  It would have looked better and simpler with just the butterfly cut out from the Be Brave planner kit.  I just used a gold cardboard paper to make the envelope.  The closure is a strip of velcro tape. It may also be a good idea to make the opening on the opposite side of where I put the opening.  I put it on that side as I like the butterfly to be put in between the rings.  I thought it makes it special.

Let's open it, shall we? I decided to make a first-aid ala mending kit to put inside my planner.  For the simple reason that I think it can fit inside.  Also, it can be useful as well.  I have seen a lot of people putting lots of colored pens and lots and lots of cards and stickers.  Why not a mending kit? Well, maybe it is just an excuse because I don't have those stuff.  They are not accessible to me here in NZ.  If there are, they will be expensive.

There are 4 little components inside.  First, there is the pocket for the plasters and alcohol wipes.  This is just a folded pink paper.  The pattern I used is not a very busy one to give a nice backdrop for the other things. I could also use the same gold paper and it will look nice.  Secondly, the scissor holder.  Under the butterfly sticker ( also from Kikki K Be Brave sticker book) is a magnet piece to hold the scissors in place.  The scissor is decorated with a gold sticker strip that I bought from Whitcoulls.

Third, is the mending kit.  

This is made out of a tag from the Sticker Book.  I cut the top part and made a small pocket out from it. Then, covered the hole with a butterfly sticker.  I just inserted one safety pin and threaded 2 needles with white and pink threads. 

Fourth, is the button holder. 

I took the bird cut out from the Be Brave planner kit and punched a heart shaped hole.  My puncher is from Daiso that I purchased for 2 dollars while I was in Singapore.  It is not the sharpest puncher as you can see the crooked cut it did on the cardstock. I am not really bothered by it, I think it made it look handmade and real.  To showcase the button, all I did was fold the plastic and tape it behind the bird cut out.  

I enjoyed doing this project so much.  I plan to make good use of the Sticker book that I bought. . .so more projects coming. 

Also, if you are wondering.  This insert did not add too much bulk in the binder. 

It is almost invisible when you look from the side.  The first aid ala mending kit is under the Projects tab.  The other gold insert under expenses that is very visible is another project for some time. 

Hope you like this project and please let me know if there are things you want to see done :).

Kikki K Peach Perforated Leather Planner ( Medium) Overview

This will be about my new project series.  I have a few small projects in mind and it involves the use of a planner.  The planner that I fell in love with is The Kikki K Peach Perforated Medium Leather planner from the "Be Brave" collection.  I have always been a fan of Kikki K so my hubby gifted me with a Kikki K voucher for my birthday.  This planner is a gift from my hubby and not from a sponsor for commercial purposes.

Below is an overview of the planner.  I will try to describe the planner in as much detail as I can.

1. The box

I loved boxes ever since I can remember.  Hence, the title of my blog.  I really hoped that they kept the boxes they used to sell the old planners in.  The old boxes have a sturdier feel to it and you lift the top up to open the box.  The new design requires you to slide the inside of the box away from the cover.  I can understand that this new design maybe a cheaper alternative to the previous boxes. This box design is easier to assemble and looks like there is no wrapping required paper required.  I would like to see the old box but I am not really complaining about this new one.  Not all new planners come in a box so Kikki K is ahead on that game.

2. The color

     I have been eyeing the peach planner before I went to visit the shop.  But when I stepped inside the store, the Ice Blue Planner is just so eye catching.  With all the blue colored products together in one shelf, the look is so fresh and cool and clean.  In contrast to the shelf where all the peach products are displayed, the whole shelf looks warm and orangy.  I instantly want the Ice blue planner like Love at first sight.  I studied the peach and held it in my hand.  I have a gut feeling that this beauty will look better under natural lighting.  It could be that the shop lighting is making it all look orangy and dark.  I left the store to clear my mind.  I went back again and knew that I will get the peach.  I paid for  the peach and never looked back.  I looked at the peach planner several times during the day under different lighting.  Early morning is when the peach  gives its best hue.  It maybe orangey and dark for some, but I would say that this color grows in you. It gets prettier every day.  Below pic is under artificial light.  It looks orangey compared to the first picture above.  The above picture is taken in the morning under natural lighting, although the photo is still more orange than the actual color.  It is hard to capture its actual color in camera but I will definitely say that it is not orange. 

3. The texture

    I am not sure how to describe leather texture.  This particular planner feels hard and rough and I like it like that as it gives me the impression that it will not become dirty very easily. It is not very rough that you wouldn't want to touch it, just enough friction against your skin to give you a good nice grip.

   The perforations are squarish in shape.  The holes are probably around 2mm deep.  The inside of the holes are grayish, more like cardboard color.  It makes me wonder how beautiful it would look if the insides of the holes are gold or some color contrasting with the peach. Nevertheless, the gray holes doesn't compete with the beautiful peach.

4.  The hardware

      The hardwares are gold in color.  The binder rings feel high quality.  I love the gold hardware against the peach.  The gold color is more on the yellow side and also very shiny.  I rubbed my fingers across the rings and it seems fingerprint proof as well.  My ring binders open and close without any hiccups.  No ring gaps as well.  When measured with a ruler, the ring diameter is around 3 cm. 

Opening the popper doesn't give me a problem either.  It looks and feels like it is tighly secured to the strap. 

5.  The cotton cloth interior and pockets

     The interior fabric matched the leather perfectly.  From afar, it looks like the whole planner, plus the interior is covered in leather.  In close inspection, it is a cotton fabric.  I am worried that because of the light color, it might get dirty very fast.  Although it feels like it is somehow a  protected fabric, I will still be mindful on preventing accidentally putting pen ink on the fabric. 

On the plus side, the stitching looks uniform and clean.  The thread used for the stitching is also peach so the design looks seamless and clean.

Pockets are ok in this planner.  It has 2 card slots, 1 secretarial pocket and 2 note pad slots.  I am not very fussy with pockets as I can always add storage slots inside the binder with handmade envelopes and business card holder inserts. 

6.  The inserts

     I plan to use the inserts provided in the planner so I don't waste any of it.  However, I have few comments.  First, the labels feel like there is not a lot.  Only 6 blank tab labels, so there is very little room for error when using labels.  Next, is the month in 2 pages inserts. Is it just me or anyone else bothered as to why there are no margins on the sides of the pages? But, it will have to do, I can ignore it.  Good thing is that Kikki K is generous with the number of pages.  The paper provided are a lot so I will be making hundreds of my lists and still have spare note pages left.  

I hope I described this great planner in detail to help you if you are looking at getting this planner.  For some people, it may seem like just a notebook but for planner/notebook enthusiast like me, I need this kind of information when selecting a planner.  My hubby always laugh at me when I describe a notebook to him, I can go on forever.

I would like to hear your from you.  I welcome any comments and please feel free to ask any questions.  A

Although I have been using planners for a long time, only recently have I learned about the planner love or planner community in the internet and would like to be a part of it.  To end this post, here is my 17 year old planner.  

Make-Up Cosmetics Organizer Made from 1.5 mm thick Cardboard/Chipboard

This project really made my heart pound and temperature rise to the sky.  I had been thinking about this design for 3 months already.  This design actually made me want to start learning the art of box making.  I just couldn't find or, yeah, afford the organizer that I had in mind so I just needed to make me one.

This is my first and so far latest original design.  It took me 3 weeks to complete this project because, again, not sure what to do next and how to do it and just how to proceed.  I just finished it last week and so far, my friends and family loved it so much that I wanted to share it as well.  You see, I was inspired by a lot of people from the books and YouTube that maybe I can be an inspiration too.  My sister told me that these could make lovely gifts for a bride.  She couldn't be more right.

My YouTube heroes are Jennings644, Jim, thegentlemancrafter and xannero1.  Jennings644 for her attitude in crafting.  From her, I learned to just do it.  Just do it.  Just do it.  Just do it.  Use whatever you have and do whatever you can.  Just do it.  And I did.  I did it.

Jim, thegentlemancrafter, for the polished look of his work.  It's not just about the beauty of being simple, but also the usefulness of his projects.  His projects are clean, useful, polished and durable.  He's a professional and the projects that he makes are out of this world.  Who can make paper work like a machine?   I actually learned how to make the small caddy from him.  Thanks to +Jim Ragon Hankins.

Xannero1 is another lady that I admire.  She also loved working with chipboards.  Making boxes is what I am interested in and chipboards are the only material that I can actually work with.  I guess chipboards found me and because of that I came accross xannero1.  Aaaargh, her projects are just beautiful.  Just amazingly beautiful.

I exhausted all of their videos to help me complete this project.

As usual, I used the very beautiful Graphic 45's A Ladies' Diary Paper.  I had some leftovers from my desktop caddy project.  But, those weren't enough so I purchased additional 8 more of the 12 x 12 sheets.  I was really stretching this paper out.  I love it so much.  The leftovers will probably make it to yet another project.  

Make-up Organizer (Storage) made from 1.5 mm ChipBoard using A Ladies' Diary paper

I used 3 layers of chipboard for added strength.  I tried to build it to hopefully last a lifetime.  I used 2 layers of chipboard for the top lid and cabinet doors.  The front panel of the drawer has 6 layers of chipboard.  It grew to 6 layers because I wanted my drawer to do 3 things.  First, it should open easily.  Secondly, the gap on top should be covered.  Lastly, the drawer should lock into place when closed.  It shouldn't dance from side to side.  Maybe next time I can do less than 6 layers.  If you have any idea how, please do let me know by leaving a comment below.

Project In process.  The hinges were taped, the chipboards were not yet covered,  Sections we not yet glued to each other.  The stand was painted with white gesso.

Top Lid.  The lid is heavy enough to stay shut.   The top compartment is 1 inch deep.  It can probably store  everyday jewelries or electronics.  If for jewelries, it is easy to just line with velvet.

The hinges were bought from the local hardware shop for 15 cents each.  The knobs were actually wooden finial covers easily bought from any craft shop.    I had to look at the dictionary to know what finial is, haha.  I used Renaissance Gold to paint the knob and hinges.  I bought this gold paint because I really wanted the cabinet to have a feel of rose pink look from afar and this fit the bill (It looks pinkish gold).  I didn't want the hardware to grab all the attention.

Right Cabinet door.  The design are cutouts from vairous paper.  Mostly from A Ladies' Diary Collection.

Left cabinet Door with handmade tassel.

                         

Drawer with Antique Pull painted with Renaissance Gold Leaf paint

Inside Look.  Top Shelf is removable.  It was measured to keep Lipsticks or small tubes.

Inside Right Cabinet Door.  Mirror with paper cutouts.

I made 2 independent storage units that can perfectly fit inside the middle portion of the main organizer.  These can be used independently or side by side with the main storage unit.  All the paper used to cover compliments each other so it will look as good when placed side by side.  One is a small caddy and the other, a small display unit with storage compartment.

Small Caddy - Front View

Small Caddy - Side View.  Made to store brushes, bottles and small make-up palettes.

Sometimes, I have small objects that gets lost in my make-up bag that I need to use all the time.  Example, eyebrow shaper or lip balm.  I made this small display shelf to with these two in mind.  The front panel opens up to reveal a storage unit for those extra make-up that I don't need to see.

Display Unit with storage

Display unit with storage

Top Lid - Open.  Just a simple paper cut-outs.

Left inside door is magnetic to hold light objects like Bobby pins or small tweezer.  Example of how the unit can be used.
Notice the top of the display unit.  I made it in that size so the top can also double as a display unit.  

There are some things that we need to see all the time to remind us of a special event.  I made the display/storage unit in that size so the top can double as memorabilia stage.  I put several Juicy Couture charms because these reminds me of a special event in my life.  It may hold the box of an engagement ring or movie tickets.  Anything.  I just love to be reminded of happy events.  It helps me feel grateful everyday.  I try to put reminder things on places for my everyday routine like putting on make-up or brushing my teeth.

Desktop Storage/Organizer made from 1.5mm Cardboard using G45 A Ladies' Diary Paper

Ok.  I learned tons of things in these projects.  But there are certainly room for improvements.

Continuous Improvement Areas:
1.  Tassels -  I didn't realize how a tassel can make a project extra lovely.  My tassel needs improvement.  I will definitely experiment with other materials as my tassel doesn't dance around.  It's so stiff and bunch into one piece only.

2. Use of magnets.  I put magnets on the cabinet doors so it will stay shut.  But, the magnets I put are totally useless.  Good thing the cabinet stays shut because of the design and the heavyness of the chipboard.  After I covered the magnets with one layer of cardstock.  There's only a little bit of magnetic force that you can feel. I may get a stronger magnet or learn how to use them properly.

3.  More creative use of paper and paint finishes.  I would definitely try to make some paint finishes on my next project.

4.  Hinges and doors.  I really had the hardest time figuring out how to add the hinges and make the door look balanced.

I would love to hear from you and let me know what you think or how I can improve on my projects.  Thank you for visiting and have a blessed new year ahead.