That first brisk chill in the air, to the first puff of frosty breath, to the first flake that hits the ground are all signs that winter is just around the corner. Depending on who you ask, winter has already begun. Meteorological winter starts on December 1st while our traditional almanac states that winter begins during the winter solstice which for this year is December 21st.

No matter what source you follow there is no denying that winter is upon us. It’s not all bad though. There is the upcoming holiday festivities to look forward to and winter fun to be had outdoors. You are never to old to go sledding – what fun!

So here is my journal entry from last year which was my little”hello” to this chilly but fun season.

Materials used: Tombow markers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Sakura Micron Pen.

The process: This page utilized a very simple design based on the humble name tag style bubble. I started with my usual light pencil sketch to layout the design elements. Next I swirled on the the page light blue distress ink in the background using a makeup sponge applicator. Moving on, I used my dark blue Tombow marker to outline the words and snowflakes. As a final touch I dated this entry with my micron pen. All in all, this was a fun and easy journal entry that was a nice break from my more complicated layouts.