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Watercolor Tape Tips (for Easy Removal Later!)

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Tape Tricks for Watercolor Painting and Bullet Journals - for when you want to remove it later! | ChocolateMusings.com

Whether you paint exclusively on watercolor paper or dabble with painting in your bullet journal, these tips will help you get those clean lines and avoid tearing the paper. Here are some of my favorite watercolor tape tips.

Table of contents

Watercolor Tape Tips

Here’s a watercolor tip I discovered early on – how to make the tape less sticky (so you can remove it later). Sounds weird, right? Why would you want to make the tape less sticky? If you’ve ever used tape for the border of your painting and tried to remove it later only to tear your painting, you know the frustration.

Tips to Avoid Tape Tears on your Watercolor Paintings | ChocolateMusings.com

I love washi tape for decorating select pages in my bullet journal. I especially love using painter’s tape to block off borders when I watercolor paint. Using tape as a permanent decoration is great, but removing it cleanly can be an issue. It’s especially frustrating when the tape rips the paper off of your hard work. There’s a trick to make washi tape (or painter’s tape) less sticky so you can remove it later. The best part? This watercolor tape trick is easy to do.

And who doesn’t love a good tape-peel reveal video? Sooooo satisfying.

How to Make Washi Tape Less Sticky (So You Can Remove it Later)

Washi tape or painter’s tape can ruin a painting or creation if it peels or shreds the paper as you peel it away. The trick is to make the tape less sticky before you apply it to your paper. It will still have enough tack to stick to the paper while painting your masterpiece but remove it cleanly when finished. Be sure to read the other painting tips below to help save your paintings!

  1. Remove the tape you plan on using from the roll.
  2. Press it against a pair of jeans or cotton shorts or shirt, and remove and reapply it to the clothing if the tape is very tacky.
  3. Do this until the washi tape is not as sticky. You’ll gather a bit of fuzz, but remove a lot of the tack from the washi tape or artist’s tape so you can remove it from the sheet of paper without tearing apart the document.
Tape too sticky? Tearing your watercolor paintings? Apply the tape to your jeans to remove 'tack' for just the right amount of sticky. You're welcome | ChocolateMusings.com

Some people recommend doing this on carpet or other cloth surfaces. Sticking tape to a rug or carpet brings up an unwanted conversation about how much I need to replace my vacuum. (Try it; you might question your vacuum as well. If not, I’d love to know what brand you use and how often you vacuum.)

Sticking the tape to jeans work best, but if I’m arting around in leggings, those cotton/spandex material blend pants work almost as well as those hearty, hip-hugging jeans.

Now the washi tape or painter’s tape is less sticky, and you’re ready to use it in your bullet journal or on your artwork!

Important! Before removing the tape from your paper, ensure your painting is completely dry before trying to peel away any tape. If your painting is cool to the touch, even if it feels dry, it’s not *really* dry.

Note: If you forget to do this before sticking your beloved washi tape down or use artist’s tape to block off the edges of your painting, never fear! I have a couple of other suggestions below.

Make Perfect Borders on Your Watercolor Paintings - Love Tape Reveals | ChocolateMusings.com

Other Suggestions to Easily Remove Sticky Tape

Here are a couple of other excellent tips to note about removing artists’ tape or washi tape on paper:

First of all, I know I’ve said this before, but It’s worth repeating: Make sure your painting is completely dry. It won’t feel at all cool to the touch if it’s ready.

  • Peel your tape slowly. This is not a band-aid!
  • Slowly peel the tape at an angle away from your painting (see pictures below) – do not peel straight back or pull straight up. Peeling at an angle away from the painting will help avoid those annoying little tears along the edges.
  • Is your tape still too sticky? (Or let’s face it, you forgot the washi tape + jeans trick?) Blast it with a bit of hot air from a blow dryer (not too hot, of course). It will heat the glue on the tape and let you slowly peel it away (at an angle) without shredding your paper.
  • Don’t have a blow dryer handy? Use a slightly damp sponge and dab it on the tape directly (be careful not to get it on your painting!) **This is not my favorite method. If you apply too much water, you’re weakening the paper so that it might tear more. So I would test it out beforehand to see if it works for you.
Tape Tips for Perfect Tape Reveals | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #bulletjournal #washitape

More Tape Tips:

Here are some other tape tips to keep in mind while painting or to block off areas in your journal, on a canvas, or on watercolor paper.

  • Make sure the paper is 100% DRY. The painting may be dry, but the paper might not, especially if you’re using cotton-based paper. If the paper is cool AT ALL to the touch, it’s not dry.
  • Do not use Scotch Tape/Cello Tape (the kind you use for wrapping paper)
  • Test out your tape on scrap watercolor paper to see how tacky it is (and see how much tack from the tape you might need to remove)
  • Some of my bright washi tapes tend to bleed – especially the cheap but cute washi tape. You might want to do a colorfast test when using colored tape.
    • Place your washi tape on some scrap watercolor paper to do a colorfast test.
    • Paint over the washi tape with pure water to see if the color from the tape bleeds away.
    • Wait for the paper to dry, and peel the tape away.
    • Ensure the water didn’t push any color away from the top of the washi tape or bleed down into the paper.
  • I also love to cut out designs with my Cricut and paint around them in my journal and watercolor paintings. I always use removable vinyl and do the jeans trick to make the tape less sticky. Otherwise, I can’t get the vinyl to peel away without ripping the pages.
Use cut vinyl in place of tape in your journal or on watercolor paper for even more templates | ChocolateMusings.com
Use tape to block of areas of your artwork | ChocolateMusings.com
Perfect edge reveal on a watercolor painting - tape makes all the difference. Find Watercolor Tape Tips in this blog post. | ChocolateMusings.com
Taped Edges Preparing for Watercolor Painting | ChocolateMusings.com
Taped Edges on a Painting | ChocolateMusings.com
Blank bullet journal with washi tape | ChocolateMusings.com

My Favorite Tapes (for Journals & Painting)

In case you were wondering what I love to use, here are a few of my favorite washi tapes and painting tapes.

  • My all-time favorite washi tape: The Black and White Striped Scotch Expressions tape. I found one at Staples and wanted more when I ran out. They’re sold in 6-packs on Amazon – but they have more styles than just black and white. If you find a style you love, get a 6-pack!
  • Scott Expressions Multi-Pack – these are perfect compliments to the black and white tape & include the colors I like.
  • Find other Scott Expressions Options – I’ve also seen them at Target and Staples.
  • Ruler Tape – I think this is so fun in journals. It comes on a big roll, so I don’t feel guilty about using it for a watercolor project. If you need to mark the length (up to 12 inches) on something, this tape is super handy!
  • Recollections Crafting Tape at Michaels (or you can find sets on Amazon)
  • Delicate Surface Painter’s Masking Tape – tends to have less ‘tack’ than other painter’s tape intended for walls – but I still use the jeans trick.
  • Masking tape – the general masking tape you might think of – I always use the jeans trick 2-3 times because it is tackier than I like but makes great lines on paintings.

For the Recollections tape, I picked up the rolls in the picture with the journal at Michaels. I like their tape in the tubes (like this one at Amazon). The collections are color-coordinated and don’t bleed like other cheap tapes I’ve bought. Plus, if I limit my supply to a few, I don’t get so overwhelmed.

My favorite watercolor tape tips - for those perfect lines you see on tape reveals | ChocolateMusings.com

I know what it’s like to ruin art projects/bullet journal spreads with too-sticky tape. I hope these tidbits help you create art with less frustration and more happiness.

Wishing you joy and creativity every day - Tricia
Make Time To Create! Motivation to Get You Creating | ChocolateMusings.com #create #motivation #creativity

Why Record Your Completed Tasks?

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Why Record Completed Tasks? Here's what I discovered when I started writing down the things I accomplished - how it helped motivate me and improved my self-care | ChocolateMusings.com

Why record your completed tasks? Isn’t it enough to do a bunch of tasks and feel satisfaction at the time? In this post, I’ll describe how recording my completed ’10-minute tasks’ each day reduced overall overwhelm, led to a feeling of accomplishment, and refreshed my mindset. Which, in turn, resulted in more motivation to keep going day in and day out.

Read this post to find out more about my 10-minute task list. Here’s the original spread vs. the new spread in my current bullet journal. Most of the tasks are the same!

I love this mind map format for task lists – because it makes them feel equally important. I don’t do the same task every time because it’s at the top of the list.

Table of contents

Create a 10-Minute Task List

When I started bullet journaling, I remember a conversation with my husband where I felt dejected by all that I had to do and never felt like I got anything done. I know you’ve been there, too. No matter how hard you try, your to-do list grows faster than you can cross items off of it.

That’s when I came up with the 10-Minute Task List. If I found a snippet of downtime, I’d refer to the list of repeating chores and to-dos and see how much I could get done in those few spare minutes. Seeing how much I could do during those few clusters of minutes felt terrific. But then, the next day, I’d feel that same frustration by having too much to do and not seeing a dent in the tasks. That’s why I started recording my completed tasks.

Have 10 Minutes? 10 Minute Task List in Mind Map form in My Bullet Journal - Go to Collection reference for getting tasks done in a short amount of time | ChocolateMusings.com
Original Spread
Have 10 Minutes? 10 Minute Task List in Mind Map form in My Bullet Journal - Go to Collection reference for getting tasks done in a short amount of time | ChocolateMusings.com
New Spread

Don’t Plan it Out

In his original bullet journal format, I know Ryder Carroll uses a list format to jot all his tasks down. It’s what helped him manage his overwhelm. Similarly, recording your completed tasks creates an irrefutable record that you did get something done, even when you feel like you didn’t.

However, these 10 minutes don’t require you to plan beforehand. You take advantage of a sliver of time and furiously work from a suggested list. Getting done what you can. Then the fact that you record it afterward focuses your attention on what you did, instead of looking at a half-crossed-off to-do list.

Keep in mind I’m not saying that you shouldn’t keep a running to-do list. Instead, I’m saying to keep a tally of everything you did in a separate “Ta-Da” list so you don’t compare the overall task list to what you accomplished.

Why Record Completed Tasks

When the feeling of overwhelm and defeat kept coming back day after day, I realized that I needed to write down what I did. When I’d glance over the list of ‘done items’ later on, I had to acknowledge that I did more than I remembered. And that’s a good feeling.

Blue Box #inmy10minutes - list out all the things you accomplished - you might be amazed at how much you actually got done vs. what you think you got done. That's why it's important to jot it down!Read about the other benefits in this post | ChocolateMusings.com

Give yourself credit where credit is due, and write down what you do during your 10-minute task sprints. This is part of my self-care regimen and the effort to be kinder to myself. We can all afford to be a little kinder to our minds.

When I started writing my finished tasks, I noticed a reduction in my overall overwhelm. It wasn’t that my to-do list was shorter. It was that I was giving myself credit for the effort that I was putting in. It’s been said repeatedly that we are not kind enough to ourselves. Recording your completed tasks so you can briefly bask in the accomplishment creates a gateway for building confidence and self-esteem and living a life where you’re more gentle with yourself.

Why Record Completed Tasks? Here's what I discovered when I started writing down the things I accomplished - how it helped motivate me and improved my self-care | ChocolateMusings.com

Add Every Accomplishment

Give it a try. If you do a 10-minute task sprint and get 2 or 3 things done, start making a list of all the things you did. Add every accomplishment to your ‘look what I did’ list. Then see what effect it has on your mental state. Test it, and see if it reduces your overwhelm and lifts your spirits.

You might find the motivation to keep going. Just like an object in motion tends to stay in motion, a person motivated stays motivated.

10-MInute Task List in Mind Map Format - List of tasks you can do in 10 minutes or less | ChocolateMusings.com

Create a Go-To To-Do List

I created a go-to to-do list with tasks I could do around the house in 10-minutes or less. This 10-minute task list in mind-map form was the catalyst for helping to reduce some of the overwhelm I felt daily because it all felt like ‘too much.’ Your task list will likely be different than mine.

After working on the to-do list, I created a little space in my bullet journal to write down the tasks I did in those 10-minutes. Recording those completed tasks certainly made me feel better, which helped reduce my overwhelm. Writing it down provides proof (to me) that the week isn’t wasted, and it turns into a personal show-and-tell of the things I was able to get done.

Every once in a while, I’ll call out to my husband, “I’m going to do a 10”. And immediately understands that I’m going to clean fast and furious or take a break for a few minutes to try and feel like I was accomplishing something. He loved the idea and noticed a difference in my anxiety levels afterward. I could also tell that my focus level increased following a 10-minute break.

Weekly Bullet Journal Spread with a place to write my 'ta das' (I call them #inmy10minutes) or things that I've done. It works as a confidence boost and adds to my self-care | ChocolateMusings.com

Give Yourself Some Credit

If you struggle with these same thoughts, try recording the things you get done (no matter how small they are). Make a list for the week of the menial (but finished) tasks you did all week long. Give yourself some credit. This process will work wonders for your overall view of yourself, especially if you record your finished tasks consistently for a few weeks.

Pro Tip:

You don’t have to create a 10-minute task list if you don’t want to. You can use your everyday task list instead. I promise you’ll be surprised about how fast you work when you focus and are trying to beat the timer. I love creating a mind-map-style task list, so one section doesn’t seem more important than another section.

Today for My 10 – My Recorded Finished Tasks

Here’s a classic example of when I started doing something, I kept going after the 10 minutes was up (but not much longer) because I felt so motivated. This one was probably two sets of 10 minutes.

First of all, I took a deep breath. Then, I cleaned the bathroom sink and the mirror. After that, I cleaned up and organized all the kid’s toothbrushes and toothpaste, discarding dried-up tubes of toothpaste and old toothbrushes. Next, I picked up tissue scraps from the floor, scrubbed the toothpaste off the counter, and cleaned the toilet.

Onto the floor next, which I scrubbed. Following the floor, I checked and arranged their shampoo and soap bottles in the bathtub. Six minutes down.

Recorded task list - a fun way to doodle your day & record the things you accomplished | ChocolateMusings.com

I could stop there, but I decided I had a few more minutes and gladly made my way to the kitchen, where I quickly emptied the dishwasher and filled it with spare dishes in the sink. I cleaned out the baby’s high chair – we had rice, and it was a mess! But it looks great now. Lastly, I swept and scrubbed the floor.

Whew! Don’t you just love that feeling of getting all those nagging tasks done?

It Doesn’t Take Long to Record Your Completed Tasks

Once I finished the myriad of tasks, I took one more minute to jot them all down. It’s amazing to look back each week and feel a sense of accomplishment when otherwise I might have criticized myself for not using my time wisely. Recording these finished tasks changes my perspective and reduces my daily overwhelm and anxiety. You don’t have to create this sheet of doodles. Making a list is good enough.

These 10-minute tasks have really changed my life. I only wish I had thought of it sooner. I’d love to know what you do in your 10 minutes. Use #InMy10Minutes and tag me @ChocolateMusingsCreates on Instagram.

After-the-Pen Examples of Recorded Completed Tasks

Here are some real-life examples of my recorded tasks using #inmy10minutes. One week, I cuddled with my little one for 10 minutes. Another week, the whole family was sick, but I made an effort. In other weeks, I recorded a long list of completed tasks. Consistently recording my 10-minute efforts is what makes the difference, and I give myself credit for the efforts I put in.

#inmy10minutes accomplishment box - where I take 10 minutes, do as many tasks as I can then I write them all down so I can give myself a little credit | ChocolateMusings.com
Even when the week is rough like this one - I love seeing whatever effort I made. Recording completed tasks gives a sense of pride and motivation to keep moving forward | ChocolateMusings.com
Purple #inmy10minutes recorded completed tasks. Seeing this list of things I did, gives me a boost to keep going - give credit where credit is due and recognize all your efforts | ChocolateMusings.com
Blue Box #inmy10minutes - list out all the things you accomplished - you might be amazed at how much you actually got done vs. what you think you got done. That's why it's important to jot it down!Read about the other benefits in this post | ChocolateMusings.com

Take The Challenge:

Here’s your challenge – just try it out for a week and see if you have a cleaner house and an improved mental state.

  • Take 10 Minutes
  • See How Much you Can Get Done
  • Record What Your Completed Tasks (this is the important part)
  • Be Proud of Yourself
  • Repeat

The key is to write it down and give yourself credit. It’s not important what you got done in those 10 minutes. What is important, however, is letting yourself see your successes and recognizing your efforts. Try it for a week.

Instead of taking 10-minute bursts, take the challenge at work or at home. After each hour, use one minute to list all the things you got done. Keep a running tally of your ‘Ta Das’ or completed tasks. Review it at the end of the day and end of the week. Give yourself a pat on the back because you deserve it.

#InMy10Minutes Challenge - take 10 minutes to do as much as you can, then record the tasks you finished. Repeat each day. The effect is more than just a cleaner house. It changes your mental view point as well. Try it out. | ChocolateMusings.com

Moms Need Timeouts Too!

Sometimes, instead of cleaning, I take 10 minutes and put myself in ‘time out.’ Moms need timeouts too. And some days, instead of doing tasks, I take 10 minutes to restore my mental health by reading a book that I wouldn’t read otherwise. It is a book I want to read, and I do it for fun. Sometimes I take 10 minutes to cuddle with a kid who needs attention. It’s hard to slow down when there are so many things happening. But if they need it, use your 10 minutes and give them all that attention. Remember to record it – those are important moments. They’re not a task, but they need to be written.

No matter what I do during these snippets of time, I make sure to record these completed items because writing down these finished ‘tasks’ reduces my overwhelm and gives me confidence. Then I look back over the week and realize how many things I got done. If you try this challenge, I think you’ll find that you get more done than you realize. Give yourself a little credit. This is why I record my completed tasks because it helps me do more and feel better about myself.

Question:

What do you do with your 10 minutes? Let me know!

Remember to plan your life so that you live beautifully, and don’t be afraid to try something new and find your inner muse. ~Tricia

5 Lettering Tips For Beginners – What to Know Before You Pick Up Your Pen

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5 Lettering Tips for Beginners - What to Know Before You Pick Up Your Pen + Tips to Get Started | ChocolateMusings.com

Starting Your Handlettering Journey?

Are you starting your handlettering journey? Or do you feel like a kid outside a candy store admiring all the sweet talent everyone else seems to have effortlessly? Yeah, I felt like that, too, before I picked up a pen. I even felt like that after I’d been lettering for a while. So I’ve compiled five lettering tips for beginners to get you headed in the right direction for starting your lettering journey.

But Remember: I want you to know that no matter the pen or the paper, it will take a lot of practice. So don’t get frustrated – keep going.

There are still brush pens I can’t get the hang of using – even after several years of practicing lettering. I hate to admit it, but there was one time I swept everything off of my desk in frustration, leaving a pile of crumpled paper and strewn about markers all over the floor because I wasn’t ‘getting’ it fast enough.

Originally Posted November 2, 2021, updated October 17, 2022

Table of contents

How I’ll Help You Get Started

I’d love to help you avoid that type of frustration. Here are the beginner’s lettering tips I’d like you to remember. Remember, you can review them as much as you need. Bookmark this page and come back to it.

If you’re having trouble figuring out what to write – I’ve compiled sets of (mostly short) inspirational quotes – perfect for practicing.

Quotes are and forever will be among my favorite things in this world. So I will strive to share more with you. View my list of quote-related blog posts.

Do Not Compare – Lettering for Beginners: Tip #1

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul" -Dieter Uchtdorf - Create quote in brushlettering | ChocolateMusings.com

Please remember, do not compare your starting point to someone else’s middle. Though I can’t say it enough, I’ll say it again. Do not compare yourself to others.

However, I didn’t say you shouldn’t compare at all. By all means, compare your progress. Date your work to compare yourself to your own progress but not to anyone else’s progress. You have no idea how long they have been working or how much. I’ll show you my own example above. The first image shows the beginning of my lettering journey before I learned how to create the letters and form thick and thin lines.

How Long Did the Examples Take Me?

P.s. In case you’re wondering – I wrote the 2nd example quote (in the box) 10 times before accepting the outcome. Not only did I write it several times, but I also sketched it several times with a pencil and wrote it several more times. Even though It’s not perfect, I like it nonetheless. Moreover, it shows a great style transition and represents a great deal of time and effort. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when I return in a couple more years. I’m sure you’ll be excited to see your own progress, and that’s what matters!

By the way, if you don’t know which quote to start with, choose from my ever-growing list of inspirational quotes when you begin lettering quotes. An excellent way to measure your progress is to recreate the same quote every six months and see how far you’ve progressed over time.

Daily Practice – Lettering for Beginners: Tip #2

One of the biggest overlooked lettering tips for beginners is creating a daily practice. Set aside a few minutes a day to practice.

Are you worried about fitting it into your schedule? Practice for 5 minutes while you wait for your kids at soccer or basketball practice. Do what you can to get those 5 minutes in. Bring the supplies with you. Schedule it out. I don’t allow anyone in my family to say that they ‘don’t have time’ for something. Instead, they have to admit to themselves that they haven’t made (insert task/item here) a priority.

Recommended Post: 5 Steps to Learn a New Skill (and Keep Your Life, Too!)

If you can do 20 minutes, do 20 minutes. Writing in any form takes muscle memory. Just like going to the gym every day will do more for your physique than spending 2 hours at the gym once a week. Or eating right all week will do more for your health than dieting all day on a Sunday (is that a thing?).

Make the Shapes – Lettering for Beginners: Tip #3

Large Marker Lowercase Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet - Learn Handlettering | ChocolateMusings.com #brushlettering #handlettering #lowercase

Each letter is created by adding different components to each other or strokes. For instance, the letter A is composed of an entry upstroke, followed by an oval, complete with a tail (underturn). The letter n is composed of an overturn stroke and a compound curve.

Lift your pen between each stroke. You are not writing a word or writing a letter. You are using different shapes or strokes to form each letter. Practice the shapes of each letter instead of trying to write the letter itself. Learn which shapes create each letter. This will help you develop your own style and create cohesiveness throughout your lettering.

Confused About the Strokes? Start With My Workbooks!

These workbooks are made especially for beginners. And includes illustrations, tips and tricks, reminders, and lots of space to practice. The first book will teach you the basic shapes. Then the second book will teach you how to combine those basic shapes to create letters. Choose from small brush pens or large brush pen formats.

Lettering / Handlettering

Lettering / Handlettering

Guides, printables, worksheets to learn hand-lettering and other lettering styles

Shop now

Go Slow! Lettering for Beginners: Tip #4

Go sssssslllllllloooooooowwwww. Really slow. Escargot slow.

You’ll be shaky, but you’re learning to create the shapes of the individual strokes. Do not rush. Get the form of the stroke correct, then do it 1,000 times. Do it 10,000 times! Then practice it some more. Get that shape in your head.

Once you have the marker stroke in your head, practice will then build muscle memory in your fingertips, in your hand, along your arm, up to your shoulder, and into your brain. Muscle memory is a real thing. Just like building muscles by lifting weights, it takes time.

Practice! Lettering for Beginners: Step #5

Circular Habit Tracker with Modern Calligraphy Lettering in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #habit #habitracker #tracker

Practice everything. Then practice more. Practice everywhere you can. Create a habit of practicing. Take your brush pen and a notebook with you to practice. But practice the right way – practice the individual shapes and go slow every day.

And remember: don’t compare your ‘practices’ to someone else’s final.

What Should You Take Away from These 5 Tips?

Realize that learning this new skill will not come immediately. Know that there may be times when you want to throw all your pens in the trash in frustration. Take a break, then come back and start at it again. Compare yourself to your own progress, but not to anyone else’s progress.

Finally, my last piece of advice: practice, practice, practice. Work on the skills that you are trying to build. Practice means it’s a slow progression, not an immediate success.

I hope these lettering tips will help you as a beginner or if you’re more experienced. Handlettering provides me with so much joy, and I love creating beautiful words using thick and thin strokes with my brush pens. I hope you’ll find joy throughout the process of learning as well.

What Supplies Should You Use?

Are you lost in the sea of supplies? In this post, I’ll highlight the supplies you need to get started and what each one does. But nothing beats trying them out.

5 Lettering Tips for Beginners - What to Know Before You Pick Up Your Pen + Tips to Get Started | ChocolateMusings.com

In the meantime, here are some supplies I like:

Small Brush Pens

Large Brush Tip Markers

Paper

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review (Bullet Journal Version)

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Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review - for Bullet Jouranalists | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers in a Glass Jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

I’m excited to review these Chalkola Acrylic Markers. Just a heads up, I reviewed these markers for use in my bullet journal and on paper. I love to use a lot of art supplies when I bullet journal. Sometimes I branch out and use the supplies outside of a notebook (a few of which I’ll highlight, here) but in general, I tend to stick pretty close to my notebooks and paper. I hope I cover everything you’d like to know in this Chalkola Acrylic Marker review – especially when it comes to bullet journaling. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below.

By the way, Chalkola sent me these acrylic markers, but with no pretense. They just said they liked my art on Instagram. So any opinions are mine & mine alone. You can learn more about my disclosures here. By the way, check me out on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Table of contents

About the Acrylic Markers:

The Chalkola Acrylic Markers I received came in a pack of 20 colors with an easily reversible 3mm bullet tip or chisel tip. They have a new 1mm extra-fine tip that I’m excited to try. But I used the 3mm tip markers equipped with the bullet tip for my test.

Find the Markers Here:

Colors in the 20-Color Pack

  • Candy Apple Red
  • Deep Cherise Pink
  • Electric Pink (?)
  • French Rose
  • Sherbet Orange
  • Warm Ivory
  • Orchid Purple
  • Taffy Pink (?)
  • Pineapple Yellow
  • Luminous Yellow
  • Lime Green
  • Royal Blue
  • Soft Blue
  • Turquoise
  • Emerald Green
  • Coffee Brown
  • Bright Gold
  • Metallic Silver
  • Pitch Black
  • Milky White (which is written there, I promise!)
Chalkola Acrylic Marker Swatches + Paint Marker Product Review | ChocolateMusings.com

The coffee looks more like a coffee diluted with a lot of creamers. I couldn’t tell the difference between taffy and electric pink. I’d love to see another shade of red or green instead of the selection of pinks. Overall, I like the quality and intensity of the colors. They’re semi-opaque, but you can add extra layers for a more opaque look.

Close up of acrylic markers in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com

The Basics: How to Paint with Chalkola Acrylic Markers

Before starting, activate all of your markers.

To activate your markers, shake the marker with the capped side upright several times before removing the cap. The box recommends shaking for 30 seconds per pen. When finished, remove the lid and press the marker’s tip up and down quickly several times on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing.

The box recommends using these acrylic paint markers on rocks, wood, metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, porcelain, and fabric. But you know I’ll test on other materials including my faux leather bullet journal cover and, of course, paper. I’m excited to see how they work in my notebook as well.

When finished, recap tightly and store them in a horizontal position.

Box Front View of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Paint Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Back view of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Markers - Instructions on How to Activate | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Questions I Asked as I Reviewed the Acrylic Markers by Chalkola

First of all, I wanted to see how Chalkola acrylic markers worked on all sorts of surfaces (including the faux leather bullet journal cover). I don’t do a whole lot of other crafting, so I am sure these markers have many other uses – more than what I tested.

With watercolors, I know how to blend colors and transition from one color to another. But I wasn’t so sure what would happen with these Chalkola acrylic markers, especially on my bullet journal cover. So that’s what I set out to do.

  • Which Materials are best for the Chalkola Acrylic Markers?
  • Are the markers easy to use?
  • Is the paint permanent after it dries?
  • Does it rub off or wear off easily?
  • Can I remove the Chalkola Acrylic Paint after it dried – even from my bullet journal cover?
  • Can I fix mistakes (remove paint) while wet?
  • How quickly do Chalkola Acrylic Paint Makers dry?
  • Could I easily blend the colors?
  • What blending technique should I use?
  • If I used the marker tips to blend, how easily do they clean afterward?
  • Do the marker tips stain? (Meaning does the tip of the Chalkola Acrylic Marker self-clean, or does the tip continue to look dirty from the other colors.)
  • How would the colors look on a dark surface?
  • How well do the markers work after 6 months of non-use?

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review – Bullet Journal Cover:

Since I bullet journal, I of course want see what I can use in (or on) my notebook. So I decided to paint the cover of my faux leather notebook Tumbitri Meri. If you’d like to know more about the Tumbitri Meri notebook I’m currently using, you can read (or watch) the review here.

The company logo was debossed in gold on the front cover – which I figured would be a good test on different surface materials for these Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers.

Tumbitri Meri Notebook in Purple 220 Pages, 160 GSM comes with gold ruler with templates - great for bullet journaling | ChocolateMusings.com

What I Learned From the Notebook Cover Experiment

Painting the cover of my new bullet journal with Chalkola Acrylic Markers would help me learn several things about them. In this experiment, using the Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers on my bullet journal cover, I discovered in real life how the markers performed.

Here’s what I learned:

  • The ink dried quickly, so I had to work in small sections.
  • The colors blended easily if I pushed down on the marker to release a little more paint. Like combining other water-based markers (like Tombows), the shades blended easier if I used the lighter color to mix. I used darker colors over the top of the logo to hide it better.
  • After mixing colors, I’d scribble on a piece of paper off to the side and clean the marker’s tip. It worked like a dream, and even the white marker didn’t stain. So every time I colored, the color was pure instead of muddied with another color.
  • The colors are not entirely opaque but become less and less transparent with each additional layer.
  • I found that if you add a base layer, let it dry, you could color over it again and enhance the color. You could blend with other colors at that point as well.
  • The markers needed multiple coats to cover dark surfaces.
  • If they started streaking, you could wait for them to dry and go over the same area again without a problem.
  • After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple of minutes, I gingerly touched the paint. It was not tacky in the least. There were no visible or textured raised areas like you might find when painting with acrylic paint from a tube.

Read more about the process I used to paint the notebook cover in this post.

What I’d Do Differently

  • Next time I won’t be as shy about blending colors. Knowing that I can quickly and efficiently clean the marker tips makes all the difference in confidently mixing colors without worrying that I’ll ruin the tip or permanently stain it.

If you want to decorate your bullet journal or planner cover, I’d say these acrylic paint markers are the way to go. Check out how I used these markers in my September Leaves Theme. I even blended small areas of color directly on the paper.

Step 9: Add finishing details - here I added wispy tendrils at the base of the feather in white acrylic marker | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com
Step 7: If you used a template, remove the vinyl or tape to reveal your design. | ChocolateMusings.com
How I painted my bullet journal notebook cover with acrylic markers - step-by-step pictures | ChocolateMusings.com

How Well Do They Clean-Up (After a Mistake)?

I colored outside the template lines a few times (gasp!) but removed the color with water and a Q-tip while the paint was still wet. The paint didn’t bleed under the template as it was not overly wet, so it stayed where I put it. In my second experiment (6-months later), I pushed down too hard and got a big blob of paint on the notebook cover. It cleaned up nicely with a few swipes of a wet Q-Tip.

If you mess up on an area where the paint’s already dried, use a bit of water or rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip and rub at the mistake. The color will start to fade away. You might, however, see a different result based on the type of surface you’re painting.

Six months later, the paint looks great on the cover. I take my bullet journal everywhere in my purse. I would give the durability an A.

Inside the Notebook – Marker Review

Not only did I use the markers on the outside of my notebook but I also used them inside. Don’t worry, I’ll give you those details for this Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review.

In one case, I covered most of the page with paint (teal future log pages + argyle sweater cover page). If I colored slowly, I reduced the streaking. Probably because the paint was drying so quickly. One nice thing that I could cover the entire page in color and the page didn’t buckle as it does with watercolor. And for a layered design look like the argyle sweater cover page, just wait until the paint is dry and color over it. Since I use notebooks with thick pages, I had no trouble with bleeding.

I had trouble writing over the paint with my regular gel pens, but fineliners seemed to work just fine. I also used some lettering pens (Fudenosuke and Pentel Touch) which worked well over the markers (page with boxes & yellow box).

As far as testing on black paper, I did a pretty terrible job about documenting how the colors showed up on black paper vs. white paper, but I did notice quite a bit more streaks on dark paper. The dark paper required more layers just like the dark notebook covers. I think if I slowed down those streaks would go away and if you let the paint dry in between layers, the coverage would be better. When I get some 1mm pens, I’ll test it out better on black paper.

Blending and pen test with acrylic markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Argyle Sweater Bullet Journal Cover Page | ChocolateMusings.com
Fun painted future log page with full color paint | ChocolateMusings.com
Full Color Pages - No Wrinkles! | ChocolateMusings.com
Full page coverage using acrylic markers - without wrinkling | ChocolateMusings.com

Bleed Through Review

The markers didn’t bleed through in my regular notebook. It does have thicker pages (160gsm) than a Leuchtturm or Exceed notebook. So I also tried a notebook with super thin pages (the thinnest pages I could find!). As you can see from the first and second pictures, the markers ghosted but didn’t bleed through on this thin paper any worse than the regular pens I use on it.

Acrylic Marker Test vs. Thin Page Notebook - how did they do? | ChocolateMusings.com
Thin Paper vs. Acrylic Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Acrylic Marker Test in a Thin-Paged Notebook - Still Fares Great! | ChocolateMusings.com
Ghosting vs Bleeding - What's the Difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #ghosting #bleeding
Fading to fall leaves September Bullet Journal Plan with Me - Creative & Productive Bullet Journal Ideas & Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Find the Markers Here:

Reactivating the Markers Six-Months Later – Will They Still Work?

After an unexpected break from all things creativity (2020, am I right?!), I came back to this half-finished post and decided to dedicate a portion of the review to how well the Chalkola Acrylic Markers faired six months after opening them and activating them.

When I cracked open the box, I half expected each marker to be completely dry. After shaking them and ‘re-activating’ them, they seemed to work better than I expected. I think the markers laid horizontally (for the most part) during my six-month hiatus, which probably helped.

There was only one marker that I had issues reactivating. That was (I think) the electric pink. That was the only marker I switched the tip from round tip to chisel tip and left it that way. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but that’s what I observed. I was able to coax the changeable tip out and could see that the paint had dried around where the tip met the reservoir.

I soaked the tip in a bit of water (hey! it was that or the trash can at this point) and stuck a pin down the marker tube to see if I could break up the dried paint. Amazingly, it worked. I could tell that the marker wanted to roll over and die, but it reactivated for my little experiment. I figure if I worked at it a little more, I could restore it further.

How Do Six-Month Old Markers Work?

All of the swatches below were done after the 6-month period. Certainly not like new, but I was surprised that they weren’t completely sealed over.

Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

In good fashion, I created another cover with the markers to test blendability (is that a word?) and the flow of the markers. As you can see, I struggled a bit with the blue on the end. I had to make a pool of ink in a couple of instances and dip the markers into the pool to get the right amount of ink. Sometimes I pushed too long and hard to get more ink flowing and created ink blobs, but even these large blobs cleaned up with a Q-tip.

I would rather use these markers when they are fresh and newly activated, but what else can you expect from acrylic markers? In general, I was pleasantly surprised that they worked at all and were easy to reactivate for the most part.

Summary – Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review

Find the Markers Here:

The markers are straightforward and easy to use. Once they’re activated, there is not much effort to start creating. I haven’t tried extremely hard to remove the paint, but it doesn’t seem to scratch off or rub off easily. If you like a variety of supplies for your bullet journal, I would definitely add these to your list!

I’d love to know what you thought of this review and if you’ve tried acrylic markers in your bullet journal or notebook. Leave me a comment below!

Functional Book Dutch Door Bullet Journal Theme October 2021 Plan With Me

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Bullet Journal Extended Monthly Log + Dutch Door Book Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

In this post, I’ll share how I turned a Dutch-door monthly log-type layout into something I hope to be quite functional. And as a bonus, my bullet journal theme this month is books that complement my bullet journal quote list.

I occasionally return to this style – trying to marry more form and function into the monthly log layouts. But first, let’s back up and answer a few questions you might have. The only thing consistent throughout my years of bullet journaling is that I like to try (and re-try) new things. I decided long ago that I was not looking for the perfect layout. My perfect layouts were ones that I didn’t tire of and used.

I discovered I was not too fond of the same layout every month. So I decided to experiment with different themes and combinations of techniques. Since I gave myself ‘permission,’ I have enjoyed using my bullet journal each month.

Bullet Journal Dutch Door Book Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

What is a Dutch Door Layout in Bullet Journaling?

“Dutch Door” in bullet journaling removes part of the page by cutting or folding pages. In functional bullet journaling, you can leave a piece of the page stationary throughout the month (or part of the month) and still turn the pages like usual. For instance, if you have a cleaning list every week and don’t want to copy over the cleaning chart, you might cut your weekly pages so you can always see the cleaning chart graph but mark it off on that week’s page.

For purely aesthetic reasons, you might use a dutch door to reveal part of a design. Such as cutting out a window to show a pattern on the next page. Or cut the page to look like falling leaves like I did in my November 2019 bullet journal.

Beyond Dutch Door – Why a Book Theme?

I don’t know about you, but the turn of the seasons from Summer to Fall makes me want to curl up under a cozy blanket, sip some hot chocolate, read a good book, or watch a great series. Last year, I also did a book theme for October, but that’s when I went through a tough time, and the theme never made it into the world. I guess this month was to revive that idea because I liked it so much.

You can, of course, use this theme any time of the year. The colors I chose to paint the books on the welcome page are deeper and classified as more ‘fall’ colors. That’s one way you can modify a theme to be more seasonable – change the theme’s colors.

By the way, if you’re looking for other great theme ideas for Fall – check out this post.

Not all thoughts are black and white - that's why we have grey matter - Bullet journal brain dump page | ChocolateMusings.com

How I Used Dutch-Door Layouts This Month

I may or may not have gone a little crazy this month with the dutch doors. The thing is, I want them to work practically. I know there are a few ways I can improve them in the future, but I think I’m onto something.

Habit Tracker

For the habit tracker, I must admit that the form exceeds the function on this page. I stuck a black page behind a stack of books I cut out for the welcome page and liked it so much that I had to figure out a way to keep it. I love the peek-a-boo effect for the habit tracker. Now let’s hope I use the tracker.

When using a design on my dutch doors, much like the leaves, I love to use both sides of the page, and the stack of books is no exception. But hey! I’ve discovered that I won’t use my bullet journal if I’m not excited about it. It can’t all be about function with me. Many people wonder why others use themes in their bullet journals. This is why I love to use themes in my bullet journal.

Book + Dutch Door bullet journal theme - Habit tracker | ChocolateMusings.com

Monthly Log

How many times do you write down an appointment in your bullet journal? The idea behind this dutch-door monthly bullet journal layout is to eliminate at least one of those times. Instead of writing an appointment on my monthly calendar and a weekly page, I’ll use the weekly pages for specific to-dos and looser notes for the week. Meetings and day-specific items have their section, so I don’t have to skim through notes and to-dos to know that I have a dentist appointment on Thursday.

Using a clear numbered sticker down the left-hand side of the page, I split the page into sections. The first page keeps appointments, school notes, errands to run, and a cleaning chart. If I flip the next page over, I use the same numbering system from the previous page but track daily notes and goals and have space for one line per day.

These pages keep all the things that are either calendar-related or that I do daily. That way, I don’t have to copy those items over and over to a weekly page. This reason right here is why I love the idea of a perfect dutch door theme.

Bullet Journal Dutch Door Book Theme - Flip Out Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Book Theme - Flip Out Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Monthly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com

Weekly Pages

Since there is no need to record appointments on my weekly pages, I wondered if I needed them. But I’ve tried eliminating weeklies in my bullet journal, which didn’t go well. Even if I skip a week of using my bullet journal for one reason or another, I always return to it and use the weekly pages for journaling, ideas, task lists, and general information specific to those weeks.

I continued the scalloped book dutch door theme, indenting the pages a little more each week and adding stickers to the first week’s left edge. These pages will be primarily task-related instead of appointment-based. I left them open and did not separate the pages into specific days. I’m trying to follow Laura Vanderkam’s advice to focus on a week instead of a day.

Bullet Journal Monthly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Weekly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com

Using Books in My Dutch-Door Theme

Beyond the first dutch-door book stacks featured on the welcome page in this month’s bullet journal, each page in the monthly log and weekly pages has a scalloped edge that reminds me of stacked books.

Yes, I could have cut the pages in a straight line and achieved the same function. But I trimmed the indented pages into the curved outline of book spines. So I could continue with the book dutch-door theme in my bullet journal. The scalloped edges add just a little flair to the pages and, quite frankly, make me happy.

There are many possibilities to combine a book theme and dutch-doors in your bullet journal. It’s like a bullet journal book inception. You could go deeper and deeper.

Things I Learned While Creating a Book-Themed Dutch-Door Bullet Journal

While creating this dutch-door bullet journal theme, I learned the number one thing: I need some serious practice using an Exacto Knife. Especially with those curved edges I added for the book spines. After cutting out the dutch-door on the welcome page, I reverted to scissors for all the weeklies.

The second thing I learned while creating this theme, I love using templates for repeating shapes. Since the scalloped book edges for the weeklies, I cut out a template from a notepad and used that edge to create all of the weekly pages.

I learned this month that I need a visual calendar when using a monthly log. But I ran out of room on my page, so I added a flip-out set of books with a calendar.

The fourth item I learned about this month’s theme was to use flip-out pages when you run out of room on your page. What’s nice about the flip-out pages is that you can also use them on subsequent pages. So if you don’t want to cut pages like a dutch-door, a flip-out page is a great alternative.

The fifth and final thing I learned when creating this theme is not to be afraid to cover it up. I covered up a messy mistake on my brain dump page called “Not all thoughts are black & white. That’s why we have grey matter.” I love the look of the torn pages and the contrast on the page. Some of my favorite pages have come from trying to figure out how to fix a mistake.

Your Thoughts on Dutch-Doors

What are your opinions on Dutch Doors in your bullet journal? What concerns do you have? If you’ve tried it, I’d love to know what worked and what didn’t.

Oh, and by the way, if you have ideas on more ways to use books and dutch-doors together as a bullet journal theme, I’d love to hear your thoughts!