Guest Post: Amy Tan's Traveler's Notebook

Hi, it's Amy Tangerine here! I had the pleasure of spending some time with Julie several months ago when we were shooting for Scrapbook Soup. Although it was a jam packed day for Julie shooting many segments with many guests, I had a bit of down time.

 

Julie had piles of supplies and projects and it was inspiring just being around it. You know that feeling/energy that you feel around amazingly talented people who just exude creativity? It's hard to describe in words, but for those of you who have attended in-person art or paper craft classes, you may know what I am talking about. It's often just that positive energy that makes you want to get creative. I definitely felt it while I was waiting, and since I don't have the ability to just sit still, Julie encouraged me to use whatever supplies of hers to play around.

 

I had a Traveler's Notebook with me, and I thought it would be a fine opportunity to decorate it. While traveling solo, I like to journal, doodle and take notes. After seeing Julie's amazing sketchbooks, I was really inspired to experiment more and get over my own unreasonable notion that things have to look perfect. Especially in a sketchbook. I felt encouraged to play around more and really stretch out of my comfort zone by sharing works in progress or things that I don't feel look completely finished or all that great. As a collector of many books, I find myself starting pages and even decorating covers, but then only using up the first few pages before moving onto another project. And I am not one to share many of the pages in my sketchbooks because I don't think they are all that wonderful. However, I have been focusing more on making videos for my YouTube channel, and as I have been creating on camera (mistakes included!) it's all been a great learning process. The videos make me feel like I'm closely connected with my audience and you all get a peek into my creative life - messes and all. Because Traveler's Notebooks are such a great size, I have been using them a lot these days. And after being around Julie and her artistry, I thought I would take a leap and show you some of my favorite pages I've created lately.

 

Hope you feel inspired to get your creative juices flowing. Thank you so much for letting me share this here, Julie! 

 

 

Amy Tangerine has always had a fresh outlook on life. Growing up in Chicago, she wallpapered her room with fashion magazines and dreamed of a life of visual creativity. By the time she was 23, she had founded the popular and award-winning handcrafted t-shirt line Amy Tangerine, featured in hundreds of retail outlets around the world, including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York. But it wasn’t until 2007 that Amy discovered her true passion: scrapbooking. What started as a slice-of-life hobby blossomed into a full-time, fulfilling business venture that includes signature collections with American Crafts, her own book, celebrity events, consulting services, and teaching workshops all over the world. Most of all, she loves helping others tap into their creative sides. When she's not at home in Los Angeles with two mischievous Jack Russell Terriers, her long-time partner, JC, and their adorable son, Jack, she is traveling, finding great places to eat, and doing her best to enjoy every moment.

 

See more of her work on

• her blog http://www.amytangerine.com/blog 
• Instagram https://instagram.com/amytangerine 
• and YouTube http://www.youtube.com/amytangerine