My Travel's Notebook

I have always loved collecting ephemera when I travel—brochures, tickets, receipts, business cards, and more. I tell myself that when I return home, I’ll print my photos, pair them with these paper treasures, and arrange everything into one glorious collage.

Unfortunately, reality tends to intervene. I come home hitting the ground running, and before long the moment has passed. The scraps are tucked away, and I’m already onto the next project.

A couple of years ago, I discovered the Traveler’s Notebook at my favourite stationery store, Paper Plus Cloth. It’s a slim 4” x 8” notebook designed with travelers in mind—perfect for bullet journaling on the go. I was disciplined enough not to splurge on the $100+ covers, accessories, and stamps… but I did leave with three different notebooks and every intention of diving in immediately.

And then—I didn’t.

Trip after trip went by without me opening a single page. I felt oddly stymied, unsure how to begin.

Last fall, when Paper Plus Cloth offered a class called Traveler’s Notebook Collage Workshop with Bechori, I signed up without hesitation.

The tables were covered in coloured paper, stickers, stamps, washi tape, scissors, maps, and images—an irresistible playground. Bechori spoke through a translator and brought a stack of his well-loved, filled notebooks for us to leaf through. Seeing those pages—layered, textured, imperfect, and alive—was incredibly freeing.

It was worth every cent. I tore paper strips, experimented with ink, and let myself simply play.

The million-dollar question for me was, “When do you start your journal?” His answer: during the first days of the trip.

So on my most recent textile tour to Singapore and Indonesia, I did exactly that. I packed a small kit—pens, glue, tape—and each evening before bed I cut, pasted, and scribbled.

The hardest part? Accepting imperfection. I had to constantly remind myself that I could add to the pages anytime, in any way. Nothing was final.

When I returned home, I printed a few photos on my little printer, added a couple of stickers here and there, and experimented with some final spreads. Slowly, the pages came together.

And here are the results.

See all the spreads here

I’m pretty chuffed… and also kicking myself for not starting sooner (so typically me).

Thankfully, I have plenty of opportunities to keep practicing this year. There’s the Best of Japan cruise in May/June (just one room left), and a Christmas Market River Cruise in November/December.

If you’d like to join me—and perhaps start your own travel journal along the way—you can find all the details on the events page on my website

Karen's Quilt Circle

100 years ago, Singer changed sewing when they launched the featherweight. Suddenly you could sew on the go. Bill Johnson, also known as The Featherweight Guy, is restoring featherweights for a new generation of quilters. Even if you love your new electronic sewing machine with all the fancy stitches, one glance at these old beauties will have you thinking, "Maybe I should get one." Watch my interview here. Tell me what you think of the new thumbnail style.

Listen to any of my Karen's Quilt Circle podcasts on the YouTube Music app here. 

Live Q&A

Don't miss the monthly question and answer time with me on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm EST. Ask Me Anything!

And, even though we're done posting the videos and emails, it's not too late to join in the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge for 2026. You can start any time and go at the pace that suits you. You can watch the playlist here.

There are more adventures ahead. I am so happy to have you along for the ride.

Take care,

Karen

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