Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I thought I'd start out with an introduction as my first post so here we go!

About Me
My name is Katie, I'm 24 years old and this year I am finally graduating college with a degree in Kinesiology. I would eventually like to go to nursing school and get my BSN but that's going to be expensive!

I am married, my husband is in the United States Marine Corps which is partially why I might not be going straight into nursing school, there is a 50/50 chance we may get relocated within a year and I don't want to start a program here and have to leave and start over. Currently we are stationed in southern California.

When people ask me about my hobbies, generally I'm not really sure what to say that would be interesting. In all honesty, I love reading when I can find the time to sit down and NOT read a textbook, currently I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series. Besides reading though my biggest hobby is building and making things. Whether it's furniture, plastic scale models, DIY projects, or arts & crafts I really enjoy being able to start with things in pieces and assemble it to see the finished product. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I made this all by myself! Which leads me to the next section...

Why make journals?
As I mentioned above, I love making things. Ever since I was a kid the arts and crafts days in school were always things I looked forward to. Of course I love all sorts of DIY things, not just limited to what I already mentioned, but also cooking and gardening. If our current dwelling allowed for plants to actually grow, I would LOVE to have my own garden.

I got into journals because I love to write. Writing lead me to collecting journals but they can be very expensive (especially at Barnes & Noble, whew!). I came across a tutorial posted by Uncle John's Bathroom Readers (maybe I'll do a post on those another time) on how to bind your own books. I started with a few demo journals just to see if I even enjoyed it. Turns out, I love it. I started asking my friends on Facebook if they had any requests or desires for custom hardcover journals and 3 of them contacted. me. I started with materials I had leftover from quilting and scrapbooking and over time I have added to my journal-making supplies to the point where I have boxes and tupperwares scattered throughout the house. I have had a few other requests to bind other types of books as well and I am still exploring different binding techniques, I find the options are limitless.

Where can I see these journals you have made?
I opened up an Etsy shop with the encouragement of a friend to try and sell some of my creations. Getting a little extra income is one of my goals because I am currently unemployed until I graduate, and I also want to share my creations with the world and receive feedback on what I've done. Other crafters have inspired me to come up with new design ideas so I think I will always be working on new journals as long as there is inspiration.

If you are interested in my journals I have links posted throughout my navigation bars that can take you to my shop, or you can click HERE.

Where else can I follow you and your journals?
Besides the Etsy shop, I have a handful of social media sites which I promote and market my journals as well as update people about what's new, what's coming soon, and to take custom orders. You can Follow/Like/Favorite through these sites:

Facebook
www.facebook.com/journalsbyk

Instagram
@journalsbyk

Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/journalsbyk

Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/journalsbyk

Do you take custom orders?
Why certainly! That's how I got started with making journals. If you have an idea for a design or theme for a journal contact me and we can see if I can get something made for you! You can start a Convo with me through my Etsy shop, or "Customize" an already listed item, or you can send an email to k.oleksy27@gmail.com