I Bought Myself the Fancy Ice Maker — and Made a True Crime Junk Journal
There are big things we do for ourselves.
Vacations. New clothes. A day at the spa. A weekend away.
And then there are the little things that probably shouldn't make us nearly as happy as they do.
Like chewy, crunchy Sonic-style ice.
Yes. Ice.
I treated myself to a Kismile nugget ice maker, and I am ridiculously happy about it.
If you joined me for Creative Care Friday, you already got to witness my excitement because, naturally, I had to show everyone my new ice before we could even start crafting.
And yes, I crunched it right into the microphone.
Sorry, ice-chewing haters. 😂
But seriously... why did I wait so long to buy this thing?
I've been putting that little chewy ice in my iced coffee, adding it to water with a squeeze of lemon, and enjoying the heck out of it.
Is an ice machine life-changing?
Probably not.
Does it make an ordinary glass of iced coffee a little more enjoyable?
Absolutely.
And I think there's something to be said for that.
Sometimes You Should Buy Yourself the Fancy Ice Machine
As women, we're pretty good at justifying purchases when they're for somebody else.
Something for the kids? Sure.
Something the house needs? Of course.
Something for work? Makes sense.
But something we simply want because it will make us happy?
Wellllll... suddenly we need to conduct a six-month cost-benefit analysis.
Do I really need it?
Is it practical?
Couldn't I just use regular ice?
Yes, Teresa. You could use regular ice.
But regular ice isn't CHEWY.
And that, my friends, is the point.
Not everything we do for ourselves has to serve some bigger purpose.
Sometimes the purpose can simply be:
I like it.
It makes my day a little nicer.
It makes me happy.
That's enough.
And really, that's the same philosophy behind so much of what I talk about here.
Creative Self-Care Doesn't Have to Be Complicated Either
Creative Care Friday has never been about making perfect art.
It's about gathering a few supplies you already have, grabbing your favorite drink, and spending 15 or 20 minutes doing something creative.
That's it.
No pressure.
No complicated supply list.
No expectation that you're going to create a masterpiece worthy of a museum.
You don't even have to make the project I'm making.
You can grab your coffee and just hang out with me.
Because sometimes the creative reset is as important as the finished project.
This week, however, we made something that turned out REALLY cute.
And I may have a new favorite.
This Week's Project: A True Crime Multi-Pocket Junk Journal
You can download the KIT here! Use code CCFFREE until August 14th to get the PDF for FREE
For Creative Care Friday, I pulled out one of my true crime printable collections and made a little multi-pocket true crime junk journal.
The printable collection includes coordinating case-file-inspired papers, patterns, faux washi tape, journaling cards and ephemera.
There are things like:
- timeline pages
- suspect profiles
- evidence sheets
- lists of suspects
- case notes
- phone number pages
- an autopsy report
- fingerprints and shoe-print patterns
- places for journaling, photos and notes
But the fun part is how we turned ordinary printed sheets of paper into a chunky little interactive journal filled with top pockets and side pockets.
And it is much easier than it looks.
Fold, Fold Again... and Suddenly You Have a Journal
The basic construction starts with regular printed paper.
I trimmed the white printer borders from my pages and — brace yourself if you've been crafting with me for a while — I INKED THE EDGES.
I know.
Who even am I?
I'm usually not a big ink-every-single-edge person, but because I had trimmed the white borders, I wanted to tone those bright white edges down a bit.
And that's another thing I want you to remember:
You don't have to ink yours.
You don't have to distress anything.
You don't have to use the exact glue I use.
You don't have to have special paper-crafting tools.
You don't have to do a thing simply because somebody on YouTube tells you that's how junk journaling is "supposed" to be done.
Around here, we're very much a you-do-you operation.
There Are No Junk Journal Police
Each sheet gets folded in half lengthwise and then folded again, creating small folded pages.
From there, I stacked and arranged the pages however I liked.
Could you carefully plan which pattern goes next to which design?
Yep.
Could you measure exactly where every piece of washi tape goes so they're perfectly aligned?
Also yep.
Did I?
Absolutely not.
I was drinking my fancy-ice iced coffee and talking to everyone.
We have priorities.
I used the coordinating faux washi strips from the printable pack to join the folded sections together. You can also use real washi tape — and I ended up adding some of that too.
Once the pages were joined together, we had the basic little book.
Then came my favorite part.
You can watch the Youtube Video here:
Turning the Pages Into Pockets
Because each page is folded, you can decide how you want to close it.
Glue the bottom edge closed and leave the side open?
Side pocket.
Glue the outside edge and leave the top open?
Top pocket.
That's it!
I alternated mine so the journal has pockets going in different directions throughout the book.
You can make yours completely different.
Make every pocket open from the top.
Make every pocket open from the side.
Alternate them.
Make five pages.
Make twelve pages.
Print extra copies of your favorite patterns.
This is where you get to stop worrying about recreating somebody else's journal and start making your journal.
Then We Filled Those Pockets
Once the glue dried, I cut apart the coordinating journaling cards and case-file ephemera.
Some pieces got little tabs made from washi tape.
Some got scraps of lace.
Some got ribbon.
Those little tabs aren't just decorative — they make it easier to grab the cards and pull them from the pockets.
Then I started filling the journal.
A timeline slipped into one pocket.
A suspect profile went into another.
Case notes, evidence sheets and journaling cards went into others.
And suddenly this little folded stack of printer paper became a chunky, interactive true crime journal.
I LOVE IT.
Why I Started Making True Crime Crafts
I've been a true crime reader for decades.
One of the first books that really hooked me was Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me, and after that I read just about everything of hers I could find.
What I always appreciated about her writing was that the story wasn't about glorifying the criminal. There was attention paid to the victims, their families and the investigation.
When I started looking for ways to combine my interest in true crime with crafting, I kept running into the same problem.
So much of the true crime craft world felt gory or focused heavily on serial killers.
That's not what I wanted to create.
I'm interested in the case-file side of true crime:
The evidence.
The notes.
The timelines.
The newspaper clippings.
The investigation.
The unanswered questions.
The old folders and typewritten reports.
The detective notebook feel.
So eventually I thought:
Fine. I'll make it myself.
And that's how my true crime paper crafting collection started.
Create With What You Have
One thing you'll hear me say again and again is:
Use what you have.
You don't need to buy twenty-seven new craft supplies every time you see a project you want to try.
Have a glue stick? Use it.
Have double-sided tape? Great.
Have some random lace in a drawer? Put it on a tag.
Have regular washi instead of true crime washi? Use that.
Don't have ink?
Skip it.
Don't have cardstock?
Regular printer paper works.
And please don't throw away a perfectly good creative afternoon because you don't have the "right" supplies.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is to make something.
Maybe That's What the Ice Machine and Junk Journaling Have in Common
Stay with me here. 😂
I know an ice maker and a true crime junk journal don't exactly scream "deep life lesson."
But I've been thinking about how easy it is to dismiss the small things that bring us joy.
We think they aren't important enough.
We tell ourselves we'll do them later.
We'll make something when we have more time.
We'll buy the thing someday.
We'll sit outside when the chores are finished.
We'll go to the beach when everything else is done.
We'll use the beautiful paper later.
We'll open the new paints when we have a "real" project.
Except there is always more laundry.
There's always another email.
There's always something that needs cleaning, watering, cooking, fixing or organizing.
Sometimes you need to decide that the little thing gets to matter too.
Drink the iced coffee.
Use the good paper.
Sit down and make the junk journal.
Go to the beach.
Buy yourself the ridiculous little machine that makes the crunchy ice you love.
Not because you've earned it.
Not because you've checked everything off your list.
Just because it brings a little more joy into an ordinary day.
That's reason enough.
Your Creative Care Challenge This Week
This week, I want you to give yourself one small treat and one small creative moment.
Neither one has to cost much — or anything at all.
Maybe your treat is making your favorite iced coffee and actually sitting outside to drink it instead of carrying it around while you do twelve other things.
Maybe it's putting lemon in your water and using the pretty glass.
Maybe it's going to the beach for an hour.
Maybe it's reading a chapter of your book in the middle of the afternoon.
And for your creative moment?
Grab some paper.
Cut something.
Glue something.
Paint something.
Start a journal page.
Use one of those craft supplies you've been "saving."
Give yourself 15 or 20 minutes where the outcome doesn't matter.
Create. Relax. Enjoy.
Because those little moments aren't wasting time.
They're part of what makes an ordinary life feel like yours.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an iced coffee that requires a completely unreasonable amount of chewy ice.
See you next Creative Care Friday.
— Teresa
Teresa's Spot for Creativity
Paint • Paper • Create
Simple creative projects for more joy, less stress & a little time for you.
