There is a new Designer Challenge up on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog! This time it’s all about calendars, agendas, diaries and planners!
I decided to create a new dashboard for my beautiful Electric Blue Filofax Finsbury A5. I’ve lived with this planner for a year now and up until now I’ve used the inserts and dividers that came with purchase.
I do not consider myself a planner addict in the sense of the recent planner craze. That means that I do not use my planner as a journal nor do I decorate my pages. I just use my planner to plan and carry notes, so I needed one that’s more of a catch-all and that’s how I ended up with a Filofax.
In August I added some Clipbook inserts into the mix and for 2016 I ordered custom week inserts from Loved by Gaby. I also finally found a 6 hole punch last month, so now I can punch holes in any paper I wish to add to the planner.
I say I don’t decorate my pages, but I certainly do use neon markers, tiny circle stickers, labels and post-it notes and sometimes I will add washi tape to block parts.
I do some colour coding, but I still don’t have a fixed system (yet). I just try to use the same colours for the same clients and then one type of sticker to highlight a similar task.
And now… Now I have finally added my personal touch to the planner with my gelli printed and laminated DIY planner dividers! No more boring standard Filofax dashboard!
I haven’t labelled the dividers yet, because I’m not sure if I’m going to keep the categories I’ve got going now. I guess I feel that a new year means new possibilities and so maybe even new planner categories!
It’s not a big deal because I know what the stuff in the back is and where to find the notes that I need.
I’ve added a year calendar to the back of the dashboard and some tables/info/cheat sheets to the back of some of the other dividers. I also created a new page finder that is large enough to carry my post-its.
So here’s to starting the new year with a clean slate (or a fresh new planner, if you wish)!
Enjoy the last day of 2015 and/or happy new year!!
Oh, thank you!! I thought I was the only one who does not want to do all of the silly things people are doing to and with their planners. I don’t need pages that are so decorated that I cannot write the important stuff down! I need calendar pages, blank lined notes, clients information sheets and that is about it. Perhaps a zipper pouch to keep receipts and pens and definitely a sticky note holder!! How did you make your sticky notes to stick to your tab without them falling off?
I have a laminator and a 9 hole paper puncher that I can either move or remove the punches, so I think I will make dividers like yours. The planner companies have very boring things like that, too business like.
Thank you again for the planner ideas. I must make a decision on what planner I want.
Hi Scramblinrosie!
Thank you for your comment!!! To answer your question about the sticky notes: I just took the backing off the last one and stuck them on the laminated divider… And they’re still there, so I haven’t given it anymore thought! If yours do not stay put on their own, then I guess I would try adhering them with clear double-sided adhesive!
Have you decided on a new planner yet?
I admit I was worried about getting one at all as they were so expensive and I am saving money for the Elizabeth Craft Designs 2016 CHA dies, cardstock, etc when they get released at the end of the month.
I found an excellent deal on a Webster’s Pages Color Crush Leather Binder Kit. The price was under $30 with free shipping! Now, all I need to do is be patient until it gets here, supposedly on Jan 18th direct from Webster’s Pages.
I’ve already made your sticky pad page finder and for fun, I put a piece of measuring tape Washi along the edge on the back! After checking whether or not the washi was the correct measurement against a ruler, I ran it through the laminator.
Then a weird unexpected magic happened! I didn’t use a gelli, I used stencils and inks, used my beloved fountain pens on it and even wrote a few quotes. For the quotes I used with 2 different medium nib pens, 1 filled with Diamine Shimmer Ink called Blue Pearl and the other called Night Sky (you can find them on JetPens.com).
I had thought that a few ink colors were too light, but once the laminate cooled, the lighter colors came out more vibrant and the shimmery effect of the pen inks really popped! The washi tape went from yellow with brown numbers to a light brown with black numbers! I think it made it look better!
Amazing how the heat affected my colors!
Thank you again for the planner ideas!!
That sounds awesome Scramblinrosie!!! Makes me wish I could see it ;-). Yes, the laminating really does make the colours pop, sometimes in unexpected ways. Hope your planner arrives soon, so you can start using it! Have a wonderful Sunday!