• Home
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy and Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Blog Archives
    • Search & Blog Categories
  • Get Inspired
    • Get Inspired
    • Inspiring Words & Quotes
    • My Muses – Favorites & Inspiration
    • Challenges
    • Product & Book Reviews
  • Get Creative
    • Get Creative
    • Start Handlettering
    • Handlettering Fun Styles
    • Tutorials & How-To
    • Creating Art – Watercolor, Painting & Drawing
  • Start Planning
    • Start Planning Here
    • Planner Spreads & Themes
    • Plan With Me Archives
    • Organization
    • Habits & Trackers
  • Find Your Happy
    • Find Your Happy
    • Random Holiday Archive
    • Journal Prompts & Ideas
    • Health Journey
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Lost password
      • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Orders
  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Etsy
    • Facebook

Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

  • Home
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy and Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Blog Archives
    • Search & Blog Categories
  • Get Inspired
    • Get Inspired
    • Inspiring Words & Quotes
    • My Muses – Favorites & Inspiration
    • Challenges
    • Product & Book Reviews
  • Get Creative
    • Get Creative
    • Start Handlettering
    • Handlettering Fun Styles
    • Tutorials & How-To
    • Creating Art – Watercolor, Painting & Drawing
  • Start Planning
    • Start Planning Here
    • Planner Spreads & Themes
    • Plan With Me Archives
    • Organization
    • Habits & Trackers
  • Find Your Happy
    • Find Your Happy
    • Random Holiday Archive
    • Journal Prompts & Ideas
    • Health Journey
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Lost password
      • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Orders
Home » Blog » Page 12

Fading to Fall Leaves – Bullet Journal September Plan With Me

September 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

Inspired by changing seasons, my bullet journal theme for September features simple color-changing leaves. Instead of summery, willow branch leaves like August’s plan with me, I used color (green, yellow, orange, red, and a bit of purple) in just a few places to show the transition from summer to fall.

Here is an overview of the pages in this month’s set up. I hope this September Bullet Journal Plan With Me gives you some inspiration for layouts, products, and other ideas you can use in your bullet journal. 

September Plan With Me - Fading to Fall Leaves Bullet Journal inspiration - acrylic marker painting & blending | Creative & Functional Bullet Journaling Spreads, welcome pages, monthly spreads, weekly spreads, trackers & brain dump (with alternate names) | ChocolateMusings.com

I’d love to know if any of these ideas spark your creativity or give you an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

Supplies Used For This September Plan With Me

  • Tumbitri Meri 220 Page 160 GSM Notebook 
  • Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Pen 
  • Zebra Mildliner Markers 
  • Chalkola Acrylic Markers (get 10% off through this link)
  • Helix Circle Maker 
  • Circular Vellum Habit Tracker (coming soon in my shop)
  • Productivity Stickers (coming soon in my shop)
  • Foldable Portable Watercolor Set (not seen, but used later)
  • Correction Tape

September Plan With Me Video

  • Initial Flip Through Before The Pen/The Plan: 00:00
  • Welcome Page/Monthly Log Inking: 03:16
  • Welcome Page Quote: 04:33
  • Tracker Page (Habits, Productivity, Mood, & Goals): 06:11
  • Color Blends with Acrylic markers on Goals Page: 08:35
  • Weeklies: 12:23
  • Idea Bush (alternate brain dump name): 17:20
  • Journal Page: 18:08
  • Acrylic Marker Blends on Welcome Page: 19:41 (my favorite part!)
  • Final September Plan With Me Flip Through: 20:08

Welcome Page / Monthly Calendar Log

Combining the welcome page and monthly log page worked perfectly for this minimal leaf branch theme. Monoline text and a quote begging September to bring us something good before she fades away rounded out the ‘Hello September” welcome on the bullet journal’s left-hand side.

  • Hello September! Bring us some thing good before you fade away! Bullet journal welcome page quote | Planner Quote | September Quotes | Minimal Planning | Minimal Bullet Journal Design | Monoline Cursive Text | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Bullet Journal Welcome Page and Monthly Log Combination - minimal, functional, pretty, creative bullet journal layouts | Monthly Calendar, Monthly Log, Monthlies | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Color Changing Leaves with Acrylic Marker Blends on my Bullet Journal September Cover Page & Monthly Log | Simple, Minimal, Functional, Creative Bullet Journal Planning | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Close up of the color changing leaves for my September Plan With Me in my Bullet Journal - Color blends done with acrylic markers on the monthly log & September Cover Page in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Actual planning with a monthly log | September Plan With Me Fading to Fall Leaves - painted & blended with acrylic markers | Monthly log, monthly calendar, monthly planning, September plans | ChocolateMusings.com

Instead of a monthly calendar with rows and columns of boxes, I opted for a horizontal monthly log.

If you’ve never used a monthly log in a bullet journal, the idea is to keep the minimal design and write events connected to the date. I like to draw a line out from the date to write an event and other minimal details about the event. In this case, I’ll use the top section for family events and the bottom section for my events.

The progression of pictures on the monthly log above shows the different stages throughout this September Plan With Me until finally, I add in events and transition the monthly log from a creative planner to a creative and functional planner.

September Plan With Me Mini Calendar on Welcome Spread/Monthly Log - love how functional & creative this page is in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

The only thing I didn’t think to add initially was a mini-calendar so I could visualize which date fell on a particular day of the week (i.e., 1st is a Wednesday, 18th is a Sunday, etc.). But that’s a simple enough fix, and I added the mini calendar later. 

My notebook came with this handy ruler, I love a good ruler, and *this* is a good ruler. Check out the notebook review post here.

The color-changing leaves are my very favorite part of this spread. Instead of using watercolor markers, I used acrylic markers. You have to work quickly with acrylic markers, but I’m surprised at how well the markers blended. I also LOVE how vibrant the colors are and that they don’t bleed through the page.

Color Changing Leaves - Blended Acrylic Paint Markers in my Bullet Journal - no bleed & vibrant colors. I love this functional & aesthetic planning page | ChocolateMusings.com

Habit Tracker & Goals

  • Blend Acrylic Markers in your Bullet Journal - A new way to add color transition and bright, vibrant colors to your bullet journal spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

If you track habits for home and work, you might consider splitting your habit tracker into two sections. For September, I split my habit trackers into two sets this month: personal & blog related. You might recognize my favorite circular habit trackers.

Around the outside, like a wreath, are 30 days of productivity and mood tracking. Each leaf around the circle coordinates with the day of the month, to easily match the date and the mood/productivity for the day.

Using the same idea from the monthly log, the goals page fades slowly from summer to fall as the colors transition from green to yellow to red to purple. Adding a black outline around the leaves gives a more whimsical feel to the spread, which I always love.

Functional & Aesthetic Fall Weeklies

  • Functional & Aesthetic Fall Bullet Journal Weekly Spread with simple leaves, trackers & space for notes | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Leaf Wreath for a fun & still functional weekly bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Log appointments, keep track of productivity, & plan for the week in this bullet journal weekly spread | Simple & Functional with a bit of creative spice | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Weekly Bullet Journal - September Plan With Me Fall Leaves | Minimal, Functional, Pretty, & Creative Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Even though each week has a different design, they all have common elements that tie the designs together. It’s my favorite way to create weeklies if you’ve seen my plan with me posts/videos. I can’t seem to settle on one design. Maybe that’s why I like bullet journaling so much is that I can change it up and never get bored.

I loved my one line per day spread from August but decided to include a one-line per day for each week during September instead of having a dedicated page for the short journal entries. 

Each day throughout the weekly spreads is separated by leaves or vines. Though I’d love to add color for each spread, I left it black and white. If I have time one day or need to doodle away some frustration after work, adding color is such a perfect way to relieve stress.

While I’m on the phone at work, I find myself doodling, so I could fill in the leaves there if I wanted to as well.

In addition to the weekday plans, the one line per day, I included a productivity tracker, meal planner, and notes section for each spread. This September plan with me turned out to be very efficient and ready to support my ambitions! I already love using my blogger productivity stickers I created to track my blogging activities.

Productivity Tip

Tip: If you are struggling with feeling productive, add a productivity tracker to record the things that you do. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you are actually doing. If you find that you’re procrastinating a task, you might find the motivation to check it off if you get to visually track that you’ve done it.

Productivity Tip: Give yourself a visual reminder of how many things you do! Track your productivity with little doodles or stickers and get motivated! Bullet Journal tips & tricks | ChocolateMusings.com

September Plan With Me Essential Pages

  • Different names for brain dump: This Month it's an Idea Bush - Keeping with my leaves theme, but I love the lightbulb bursting with leafy ideas. Bullet journal spreads & Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Journal Page - I love how these acrylic markers blend & create a bright, functional journaling page in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Rounding out the month are some other essential pages for my bullet journal plan with me spreads: the brain dump page and my journal page.

The brain dump page is called “idea bush” this month. I love coming up with alternate names for the term’ brain dump’. Check out my post “Different Names for Brain Dump,” where I share 150+ name alternatives. I’ll have to add ‘idea bush’ to the list. I also love to coordinate the name of my brain dump page with the plan with me theme of the month.

Simple leaves in fall colors embellish the journal page. Little dots around the leaf doodles add some fun detail and dress up this simple spread even more.

Your Plans?

I hope that this September finds you well, and my plan with me spreads provide you a creative muse to follow May your month bring you something good before it fades away. We all need something good in our lives.

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020 Tagged: acrylic markers, Bullet Journal, functional, leaves, minimal, plan with me, PWM, september

Willow Branch Welcome Page / Cover Page in your Bullet Journal

September 3, 2020 Leave a Comment

How to create a willow branch bullet journal welcome page | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #coverpage #welcomepage #willow

Nostalgic Willow Welcome Page

If you’ve ever sat underneath a willow tree in the summer, this bullet journal welcome page brings the nostalgia of those draping vines. I lived my youth in the arms of our willow tree branches. Climbing as high as I could, building hammocks and singing at the top of my lungs from the top of that beloved tree. This welcome page brings me back to those times. I would love to share a bit of my childhood with you through this willow branch Bullet Journal welcome page.

How to Create a Willow Branch Bullet Journal Cover Page Tutorial | ChocolateMusings.com #willowbranch #coverpage #welcomepage

Supplies

  • Paper or Notebook (here is the notebook I used in this Plan With Me – see below for paper recommendations if you’re using a brush tip marker)
  • Pencil (my favorites are either this style or this one in 5 mm)
  • Eraser (I like this plastic eraser or this pearl eraser)
  • Drawing Pen (or you can use whatever pen you have on hand – if you watercolor over the ink, make sure it is waterproof)
  • Water pen
  • Crayola Markers or Watercolors (these are what I used)
  • Tombow Dual Brush Pens #228 Gray Green & #249 Hunter Green (if you want to match my colors)

Paper

  • 32 Lb Printer Paper (I like the HP brand)
  • Tracing paper
  • Rhodia Paper A5 Dot Pad | Rhodia Blank Notebook | Rhodia Size Varieties
  • Marker Paper Varieties | 6×8 Pad Size
  • Bristol Smooth Paper (the best Tombow Marker blending paper I’ve tried so far!)

So You Think You Can’t Draw

So many people say that they cannot draw and so they don’t try. If you feel that way, try creating this willow branch cover page in your bullet journal. The shapes are loose, the leaves aren’t exact, and the color is optional. The effect is purely whimsical & oh-so-summery.

Watch How I Created this Willow Branch Welcome Page

In August’s plan with me video – I show you how I created this willow branch welcome page – and how you can do it, too. Start at 5:07.

  • August Plan With Me Part I
  • August Plan With Me Part II (creating the weeklies)

Willow Welcome Page – Sketch

To create the willow branches, I lightly sketched some wavy lines in varying lengths in pencil. Remember, it’s just a sketch and your final willow branch version in ink doesn’t have to follow the sketch exactly. I wanted an outline to follow, but in the end, I didn’t follow all the lines.

  • Welcome Page Simple Pencil Outline | ChocolateMusings.com #welcomepage #bulletjournal
  • Loosely complete the vines in ink - you don't have to follow the pencil lines exactly | ChocolateMusings.com #howto #tutorial

Lettering the Title

Since I wanted the text to appear in front of the branches, I wrote the title first, using Tombow #228 & #249. After creating the title letters start inking in the branches. All illustrations on this page are very loose and not realistic, so don’t stress too much about making it perfect.

  • Handlettering Cover Page - my cover page lettering is usually larger and more fancy than other, more functional pages | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #welcomepage #willowtree
  • Adding leaves to the willow branch cover page in my bullet journal - this welcome page is easy to create - watch the tutorial here | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #tutorial #howto

You can add leaves to each branch as you go or come back and add leaves. I quickly drew leaves in basic oval shapes. But none of mine are perfect. You can include as much detail as you want. My leaves don’t include any details other than the form.

Note: You can choose to have the text appear behind the willow branches rather than in front of them like I did. For the letters in the back, it doesn’t matter if you draw in the letters or the branches first.

Erase your pencil marks, especially before adding color. If you want to leave this page ‘as is’ – then you’re finished!

Adding Color

Color in all the leaves or choose a few random leaves to color. I used a water pen with Crayola markers, which caused the page to bleed a little. But if I use watercolor or markers, the color won’t show through as long as I don’t press down hard with the markers or use a lot of water with the watercolors.

If you want to try some florals with your vines, add a few swirls near your vines and dot the swirls with a rosy pink or another color. Blue, purple, red, yellow would all look great! 

Try It Out!

You don’t have to be ‘artsy’ to make something fun and whimsical. This willow branch welcome page proves it. Even though your drawings might not be perfect, that’s ok, this page isn’t geared for perfection. If you’re just starting out, try something that doesn’t require precise lines or crazy amounts of detail. 

Here are some other posts & categories you might enjoy:

  • Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies for Beginners
  • Lettering Supplies for Beginners
  • Start Planning Here & Bullet Journal Plan With Me Archives
  • Get Creative (tutorials, art & doodles & handlettering)
  • How to watercolor paint with markers in your bullet journal

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: 5 Minute Planner Spreads, Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Get Creative, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020, Planner Spreads, Simple Planner Spreads, Tutorials & How To Tagged: Bullet Journal, cover page, create, how to, minimal, title page, welcome page

Plan With Me August 2020 – Overcoming Mistakes & Weekly Design Challenge

July 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

For the Plan With Me for August, I wanted to experiment with minimal layouts & using the same box shapes over and over again to see how many designs I could come up with throughout the month. Each of the weeklies use the same box dimensions (4 cm or 8 boxes wide by 9 cm or 18 boxes high) but each design is different.

Minimal and Functional Bullet Journal Plan With Me Set Up - Monthly Pages, Weekly Pages, Journaling Spreads, Cover Spread & Brain Dump in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #plannersetup #bulletjournal

In This Month’s Plan With Me Includes:

  • Willow Branch Welcome / Cover Spread
  • Circular Vellum Habit Tracker + Quick & Easy Floral Wreath
  • Leaf Mood Tracker (New!)
  • One Line Per Day (New!)
  • Monthly Calendar (with washi tape to fix mistakes)
  • Weeklies
  • Journal Page
  • Brain Dump Page (called Don’t Get Boxed in – Grow Your Way Out)

I challenged myself to use the same shape for all the boxes in my weeklies. I love how many designs I was able to use throughout the month.

Minimal and Functional Bullet Journal Plan With Me Set Up - Monthly Pages, Weekly Pages, Journaling Spreads, Cover Spread & Brain Dump in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #plannersetup #bulletjournal

Supplies Used for August’s Plan With Me

Summery Bullet Journal Color Scheme with Crayola Marker Bouquet | Chocolatemusings.com #plannersupplies #planwithme
  • Tumbitri Meri A5 Dot-Grid Journal | Blog Post Review | YouTube Review Video
  • Zebra Zensations Techincal Drawing Pen 
  • Tombow Dual Brush Pens
    • 228 – Gray Green
    • 249 – Hunter Green
  • Pentel Sign Brush Pens
  • Archer & Olive Paper Pads 
  • Crayola Super Tip Markers
  • Scotch Washi Tape
  • Correction Tape
  • Permanent Adhesive
  • Circle Maker
  • Water Pens

Supplies From the Chocolate Musings Shop:

Handlettering Books: 
  • Large Brush – Basic Strokes
  • Small Brush – Basic Strokes
  • 1-31 Number Stickers 
  • Circular Vellum Habit Tracker – Coming Soon!
  • Calendar Grids Coming Soon!

Welcome / Cover Page

Draping Willow Branches Welcome/Cover Page in my Bullet Journal - see how I create it in my plan with me video | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #august #willow

I imagine a willow branch flowing down the page for the welcome/cover page this month. It brought me back to my childhood during the summer sitting under my beloved willow tree hiding amongst the long and wispy branches which teased each other in the summertime breeze.

Using a water pen & Crayola markers, I marked a few leaves with blobs of color. Unfortunately, the color bled through a little to the opposite pages. I guess the water pen creates too much water, and it seeps through the sheet fibers. But if you use actual watercolor in this journal (check out the review I wrote here), it doesn’t bleed through.

Habits / Mood Tracker

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

Using a circle maker, I created a floral wreath with a few branch sprigs and flowers. The tracker itself is a semi-transparent circular vellum sheet I created and adhered to my planner. I love how it shows the design underneath. Watch the plan with me video below to see how I created this design.

I’ve never used a mood tracker before and decided to finally give it a try after nearly four years of Bullet Journaling. Mostly, I wanted to give myself a reason to open my planner every day because I need to get back in the habit.

Summery & Simple Habit & Mood Tracker - watch the plan with me to see how to create it - vellum habit tracker & easy circular wreath | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #mood #planwithme #bulletjournal

BIG Mistakes in My Planner This Month

I think it’s important to share the mistakes we make in our Bullet Journals. Not everything is rainbow sparkles & cloud fluff perfect, and you can see how I fix my errors in August’s Plan With Me Video Part I.

In my plan with me video part I (which you can watch above), I show you how I overcame page bleeds, what I did when I forgot a page (eep! I forgot the monthly calendar). And when I screwed up (twice!) when mapping out the monthly calendar. I’d love to know how you overcame any screw-ups in your planner. Leave me a comment below.

In the August Plan With Me Video Part II (Below) – I show you how I use the same box dimensions to create four very different page designs.

Which one do you like the most?

The Weekly Spread Challenge:

  • Bullet journal weekly dragon flies & florals minimal design | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weekly #bulletjournal
  • Minimal and Functional Bullet Journal Plan With Me Set Up - Monthly Pages, Weekly Pages, Journaling Spreads, Cover Spread & Brain Dump in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #plannersetup #bulletjournal
  • Loose watercolor butterfly minimal bullet journal weekly layout | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #butterfly #weekly
  • Bullet journal weekly floating dandilions minimal design | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weekly #bulletjournal

Beyond August’s Plan With Me mistakes, this month, I chose to use the same box dimensions for each set of weeklies but change the design for each week. Using the same set of elements over and over again throughout your design makes it more cohesive even if the plan isn’t the same on every page.

If you’re bored with your current layout, try giving yourself a set of rules to work with and see how you can change the pages around while still following the rules.

For example, the boxes for each of my weeklies are 18 dots or 9 cm high by 8 dots or 4 cm wide. I used relatively simple artwork with summery colors, the same color palette, and the whisper of summer throughout all of the pages. Each design is very different but follows all the guides.

Journal Page / Brain Dump

  • Brain Dump Floral Wreath - Don't get boxed in - grow your way out Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #braindump
  • Journal Spread - specific journaling questions & space to free-write to record thoughts & memories about the month in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com #journaling #journalspread #journal

If you get stuck looking at a blank journal page but want to write a snippet about the month, try asking yourself a few questions. This month, I included a small box for goals, a box labeled ‘happiness in action’ and the last one titled ‘how can I improve next month?’.

Happiness in action celebrates the small moments that we often overlook while trudging through the minutia of day-to-day tasks. For instance, I would include a sentence or two about my three-year-old talking on a banana like a phone. Or my oldest two kids playing happily with their legos and building towns complete with streets and miniature Lego cars. Those joyful moments are the ones I want to treasure when they get older. And every once in awhile I need a little nudge to record them.

What challenges do you give yourself throughout the month?

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Dress-Up Your Planner Spreads, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020, Planner Spreads, Simple Planner Spreads Tagged: August, challenge, how to, minimal, overcome mistakes, plan with me, weekly challenge, weekly design challenge

15 Short Quotes About Worrying (and How to Quit)

July 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

  • 15 inspirational quotes to help you quit worrying - perfect to handletter in your planner or bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com #inspriationalquotes #worrying #bulletjournal
  • Quotes for your planner - how to quit worrying | ChocolateMusings.com

There are so many more good quotes on letting go of worry and focusing on what you can control in life. I don’t think this will be the last post on quotes about worrying (and letting go!) for me.

It seems like worrying has become part of my everyday life, and I’d really like to change it. Whenever I decide to change something, I look up some motivational quotes on the subject. Wise words seem to shift my focus, adjust my mood, and set me straight.

Although, before we get into the quotes, I have to preface this post, the main word in these quotes may be “worry,” but the theme is all about getting past the worry and living. Because I feel that while I’m worrying, I’m not truly living.

Quotes About Worry (and Letting Go!)

If you can’t do anything about it, then let it go. Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change. – Tony Gaskins

Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. – English Proverb

You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Relax. Worry is infamous for being inaccurate. – Karen Salmansohn

Stop worrying about what can go wrong, and get excited about what can go right! – Unknown

Why worry. If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better. – Walt Disney

Worrying means you suffer twice. – Newt Scamander (JK Rowling)

Worry is a misuse of the imagination. – Unknown

I know worrying works because none of the stuff I worried about ever happened. – Will Rogers

You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow. – Janis Joplin

Learn to let things you cannot control go. – Unknown

The key to success is to focus on goals, not obstacles. – Unknown

Where focus goes, energy flows. – Unknown

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its strength. – Unknown

How to Adapt a Quote to Fit You

Mildliner Marker Fan | ChocolateMusings.com #mildliner #midliner #marker

I love the quote, “worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its strength’. However, it doesn’t quite fit me.

If a quote doesn’t quite fit, modify it for you & your life. I’m not saying tweak one word and then start selling the phrase, but I am saying that you can edit a sentence to appeal to your personal goals.

For instance, you could replace strength with joy, pleasure, peace, quiet, etc. I prefer the word joy instead. So I would write it: worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its joy, which fits my goals and ambitions more than the word strength.

Remember that if a quote doesn’t quite fit what you need or your situation, adapt it! Make the saying yours.

Do You Have More Quotes on Worrying (but Really Letting Things Go)?

Have you come across a good quote on worrying or letting things go? I’d love to hear it. Leave me a comment below!

  • Quotes to include in your planner - inspirational quotes on how to quit worrying | ChocolateMusings.com #inspirationalquotes #worry #plannerquotes
  • 15 Short Quotes on Worrying (and how to quit) perfect for your bullet journal or planner. | Chocolatemusings.com
  • Quotes on worrying (and how to quit) - Short quotes for your bullet journal or planner | ChocolateMusings.com #plannerquotes #quitworrying #quotes

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Get Inspired, Quotes & Words to Inspire Tagged: bullet journal quotes, inspiration, planner quotes, Quotes, quotes to letter, worry, worrying

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

July 16, 2020 Leave a Comment

How to create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadows #tombowmarkers

Using shadows under lettering or around art creates a 3-D effect that can make your pieces come alive. They stand out against the background and create interest. However, creating shadows is the tricky part. Here’s how to easily create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers.

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

This tip is one I quite accidentally discovered. I discovered this trick while filming my July Plan With Me Video. I used Sticky Notes to block off areas of the page and watercolor paint around them. Well, let’s say I was a little bit too liberal with the water. And let’s face it, sticky notes don’t block all the water or ink. It’s a fun technique to try, by all means, but it is not one to use if you want solid, straight lines when you peel them off.

After peeling off the sticky notes and revealing a slight mess underneath, I decided to try to make the page look 3-D. Like I punched out pieces of the paper, and there was a shadow cast down below.

  • Near Bullet Journal Failure! Peeling away the (supposed) blocked off areas - what a mess! How do I clean it up?
  • Fixing the issue with faded drop shadows gives the page a cool look and transforms the mistake! | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #bulletjournalfix #mistake

Supplies You’ll Need:

Supplies you need for creating perfectly blended drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #blending
  • Tombow Colorless Blender (which comes with most Tombow Dual Brush Marker Sets)
  • Tombow Gray Marker (or another color for different drop shadow effects)
  • Paper (preferably 32 LB paper or super smooth paper, like marker paper or a Rhodia pad)
  • Optional: Plastic Bag, Ceramic Plate or Palette

Tombow Marker Fun – Combining Colors

Tombow Dual Brush Tip Marker Bouquet | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarkers #markers

You’ll know that combining colors is fun if you’ve ever experimented with Tombow Dual Brush Markers. One marker essentially absorbs part of the pigment from another marker if you press the tips together or mop up the color from a palette like a paintbrush.

One nice thing about Tombow markers is that they are self-cleaning. Use the brush tip (or bullet tip for that matter), and the absorbed pigment fades into the marker’s regular color. If using a dark color with a light color, there’s no residual effect except you might be left with a bit of staining on the tip of the light-colored marker.

Colorless Blender Marker – The Key to a Perfectly Blended Shadow

Tombow Colorless Blender - The Key to Making Perfectly Blended Drop Shadows - tips, tricks & how to create perfect shadows using the Tombow Colorless Dual Brush Marker | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarker #dropshadow

Up until now, I never used the colorless blender for anything other than attempting to blend two colors together. (Which, by the way, I find only works well on marker paper – not even 32 lb super smooth paper.)

But then a stroke of genius hit me! If I absorb some gray into the colorless blender, the gray will fade automatically to clear. Which is precisely the effect I wanted! The colorless blender is the key to creating a shadow that softly fades away with your Tombow markers! And you can do it without rubbing holes in the paper by blending too. You can even create faded drop shadows without water.

Watch the Video to Create Perfect Fading Shadows with Tombow Markers

Watch the July Plan With Me Video

The inspiration for creating faded drop shadows using Tombow Markers. See the mess I made & how the drop shadows cleaned up a mistake.

Here are some examples of what you can do using this method to create shadows with your Tombows:

  • Shadowed Boxes + Blended Handlettering with Tombow Dual Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #lettering #weeklyspread
  • Boxes for appointments and to-dos, large spaces for writing and notes below - I love the flexibility of bullet journals! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weeklies #weeklies
  • Minimal watercolor Weekly - Bright colors + drop shadows make the colors pop on this page | ChocolateMusings.com #weeklyspread #bulletjournal #bujo
  • Large boxes on this weekly spread take care of your appointments and to-dos. Bright, fun colors keep you interested | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weeklyspread #weekly

How You Can Easily Create Shadows Using Tombow Markers (2 Methods)

If you press the tips of the markers together, the colorless blender will absorb some of the pigment from the other pen and will mark with that color until it runs out. I found two easy ways to create this effect.

Method 1:

Create a perfectly blended drop shadow - kiss the colorless blender + gray Tombow Markers together then use the colorless blender - you'll get perfectly shaded drop shadows! Get the full tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #tombow

Kiss the markers together at the tip and slowly rotate the colorless blender, so it is evenly saturated all the way around.
Now line the area with the tip to get the darkest shadow against another object or mark. The pigment will eventually be used up, and you’ll have to ‘refill’ the colorless blender with more gray and complete your shadows.
Don’t start in the same place every time – you’re most saturated pigment will always be at the beginning. So if you need to evenly distribute a shadow effect, start at the top one time, and the bottom another time.

Method 2 (Shown in the Video):

Scribble on a plate with Markers to absorb a different color on the tip of the marker - the color will slowly fade away as you use the marker - Get the full blended drop shadow tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #tutorial #howto

You could scribble the gray marker (or another color) on a palette or plastic bag or plate (like the ceramic plates from your kitchen). Then roll the tip of the colorless blender around to absorb the pigment.

The example video above uses this method to create shadows with the Tombow colorless blender. Because it the fastest way to cover a larger area. I found pressing the tips together took much longer than scribbling on a plate because of how often I had to refill my shadow color. But if you don’t have a plate or palette, then, by all means, use the first method.

Notes:

By the way, you can do this with any water-based marker. The process is the same!

Question:

What other ways do you use the colorless blender marker from Tombow?
If you want to learn how to handletter using Tombow Markers – check out my workbooks below!

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Large Brush Tip Markers

  • Tombow Dual Brush Pens – Full Set | Bright Set | Secondary Set | Pastel Set | Grayscale Set (there are more sets available as well)
  • Karin Mega Box Markers | Karin Mini Box | Karin Metallic Brush Pens
  • Artline Stix
  • Ecoline Brush Pens

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Dress-Up Your Planner Spreads, Fun with Handlettering, Get Creative, Planner Header Ideas, Tutorials & How To Tagged: Bullet Journal, drop shandows, how to, plan with me, shadows, tombow markers, Tutorial

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • …
  • 39
  • Next Page »

About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Etsy
  • Facebook

Cart

Browse Products

  • Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
  • Greatness quote - William Shakespeare quotes for your planner | ChocolateMusings.com #betrue #quotes #motivational Be Not Afraid of Greatness $10.00
  • Alphabet Inspiration Booklet (Traveler's Notebook) Alphabet Inspiration Booklet (Traveler's Notebook) $8.00
  • Custom Made: Combined states - where you've lived and where your children live. Show your story! Shop now! | ChocolateMusings.com #states #family #print Customized State Collage Featuring States Where You've Lived & Children's Residence States Multi-State Display (Custom Made) $50.00

Search ChocolateMusings.com

Categories

What Do You Want to Do Today?


 

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2025

Copyright © 2025 · Exquisite Damask Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...