SMASH books and COMPO books

I love this kind of project! Adding all the miscellaneous bits of life ( or just one adventure!) into a quick scrappy journal is so much fun. "Smash books" are the brand name from EK Success and K and Co partnering to bring you a ready made type of product for something we used to do on our own with composition notebooks from the office supply and our own stash of papers.

Wanna see a EK Smash Book? This is new from CHA but you can also make your own and we will talk about that in a minute.
Watch the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PFsArr4Z1s
and of course those come with nice accessories like a combo pen/glue stick and giant rubber bands (LOVE those tools!)

But I honestly prefer to use my own supplies and not have it be so 'off the shelf'. We used to do these same books with $1 composition notebooks and either cover the outside with your own scrapbook papers or paint and rubber stamp the covers. Add in your normal scrapping embellishments too as well as postcards, doodles, memorabilia, notes to self, sales slips, ...whatever! Being creative is more than half the fun! :) Whether you call them altered books or junk journals or smash books--you can make one!

How to's and samples seen here

altered and painted covers- love these!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpqnCZ-qzM&feature=related

we also call them junk journals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpZ-tv5TsjM&feature=related

painted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i885gkDJi9Y&feature=related

a little tim holtz flair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LfwLkcemBI&feature=related

partial paper covering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBCNFIEED_I&feature=related

I like to add rub on lettering or sticker lettering on the fronts and then I Mod Podge the covers of my notebooks for longevity after they are created.

You could also create a digital cover for your notebook like in the following tutorial if you are computer savey. If you are going to add spray on protective coatings or Mod Podge, make sure your print out is laser jet computer printing so the inks won't run.
http://www.scrapgirls.com/Tutorial_DEB_070817_CoveringACompositionBookWithSGProducts.htm

if you have a Bind It All to make your own bound spine books, you can also make your chipboard covers and also the interior pages. Use anything you have on hand for interior pages by using lightly patterned two sided papers as your pages. Make a few pocket pages too and bind those in as well. Pocket pages are handy about every 5 to 7 pages throughout especially if this will be a travel journal.

Here are some great ideas on how to spruce up the outside when your book is all full!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lElA6VR91Po&feature=related

Have fun with it! I have to run off to a wedding planning appointment right now but i will try to add a photo or two of my own smash books later today. :)