We recently had our first RV getaway to Wabamun Lake Provincial Park, which is less than an hour from home. Though early in the season (it was the first weekend that the campground was open), we wanted to ensure everything was in good working order before venturing further. Daytime temps were great, but the evenings were still quite chilly – thankfully the furnace made things warm and cozy inside.
There are always lots of preparations and pre-travel check-lists before heading out. One of mine included making a new travel journal to record some of the scenery and highlights of our upcoming 2024 trips. I found this fun travel-trailer print at my local fabric store; it was originally intended for the covers, but I decided to use a favourite acorn/oak print fabric instead. Despite the sloppy sewing around the edges (I was in a hurry to finish!), I’m happy with how it turned out.
Since we got our RV, I’ve been on the lookout for the perfect travel art case. Last year I thought I’d bring watercolour supplies, and found this container with lots of compartments to store brushes, paint, watercolour pencils, paper, etc. Turns out it wasn’t easy to haul in/out of the storage cupboard, nor was this ‘open’ design practical.
Pinterest has some great ideas using small suitcases and vintage travel makeup cases. Check out the ones I’ve pinned here; it’s hard to choose a favourite! I was gifted this travel case several years ago and plan on working on it over the winter.
In the meantime, here’s my ‘almost perfect’ travel art case, and I love it! This makeup case is just the right size (10x11x3″) to hold a variety of art supplies. The handle makes it easy to grab and carry in and out of the RV when I want to work outside.
I was surprised with just how much I could pack in!
Sometimes I’ll bring a specific project to work on, but in case I change my mind – which I’m apt to do – it’s nice having a variety of art materials along to choose from.
Here’s another little gadget that was on my Christmas wish list – a Canon Ivy Mini-printer. It works like a charm, allowing me to print photos directly from my phone and pop them into my travel journal. The paper isn’t cheap, so I’m not likely to be frivolous with it. But I really like that I can include a photo right away and then write, doodle or create around it.
Update: Those little clay buttons on the front and back of my journal made it too lumpy to write, art or glue something onto a page. Once the book is filled at the end of this years travel season, they’ll get sewn back on.
