Handmade Journals for Sale!

It all started when Mr. Right bought me a Zutter Bind-It-All.  On top of a really beautiful collection of paper (which I use for collages, etc...) I've been painting a lot of paper lately and so, swiping the covers from an old, discarded book, I made myself a new journal.

This is nothing new... well, except for the Zutter.  I have made sketchbooks/art journals for years, all kinds and methods.  There are many posts about handmade books on this blog.  I have a longstanding fascination with bookmaking and with creating content for these books.

  

  

  

I started working in my new journal. I'm not formally participating in the #yearofcollage but wanted this book to be a collage journal. Making pages, posting them to IG, creating little collages to go on my pages, cutting up old watercolor paintings, making more pages.

   

Armed with the new Zutter toy, I made a second journal for a librarian friend of mine who is so, so generous and lets me know when she has damaged books that are headed to the landfill.  I really love giving a library's leftovers new life!  

  

Well, you know where this is going.  I'm having so much fun making journals that I can't stop.  And I've gotten lots of interest through Instagram -- you can visit my Instagram page and my Etsy shop to see many more photos of the individual journals for sale.  Both links are in the column to the right. 

The Valentines Files I

On a whim, before Christmas, I decided to practice some mixed media layering on a few brown craft file folders that were sitting around.  I've done that before on manila -- click here to remember -- file folders are tough, cheap, disposable, and fun when finished!

Well, along I went; every time I was painting or stenciling or gluing something else, I'd throw some of that on those folders.  I've been obsessed with blues lately; I've been obsessed with chinoiserie for my whole life.  Pretty soon I ran out of folders, ordered more, and along the way I decided I would give them to my colleagues for Valentines.  They were turning out to be blue-on-blue, our school colors.  And I was running across scraps of paper that fit the bill.

Paint, ink, dye, more paint, graphite, paper, stencils, cute images to draw/paint (from the internet; not mine), some of my favorite quotes, more paint.  The outsides are more decorated than the insides (see below) and I left some painted spaces for my Valentines to write their own quotes if they wish.  And of course, I sealed them all the way round so coffee mishaps are no problem - they are 'wipe and go.'

Talk about fun! Highly recommended! I'll post more pics tomorrow.  Thanks for playing along!

 Thanks for the quote, Dina Wakely! 

The insides of the folder are less decorated but still fun!  See below.

A Pretty Little Junque Journal

I made a little book.... maybe we call it a "junque journal" or a "glue book."  I just wanted a place where I could cut and paste and paint and sew and write.  

For the base I used all kinds of papers, both vintage and new, including lots of Fabriano Artistico 140# Hotpress.  This paper makes me swoon.  I truly love it that much -- so great for any medium, from pen and watercolor to collage to acrylics.  The journal's design is based on Teesha Moore's Amazing 16-Page Journal (Google and find the videos on YouTube for excellent step-by-step).  "Amazing" is an understatement -- I've made a gozillion of these over the years.  A 16-page journal from one sheet of 22x30 paper.  Amazing.  

For this project I added a number of signatures.  I did most of the machine sewing before sewing the journal together. Blackboard paint, ball fringe and S&H Greenstamps, washi tape, doilies and dry cleaning tags, and flowers.  Lots of flowers.  Pure eye candy.  More photos to come!

Meet Maggie!

Maggie

16x20, paper on gallery wrapped canvas

sold

The Paper Dolls Series Continues

Harlequin

16x20, multi-media on cradled board

double click on images for larger view