The last time I posted any art journal pages I had just finished making
this journal. Since then, it's been finished. Here are a few pages...
And some pages from my working sketchbook...
It was time for a new journal, so this summer I made 3! I found a couple of interesting old book covers at the Rose Bowl Flea Market last month. One being a regular sized book and the other an oversized photo album. Although both covers had a bit of wear, they both had some pretty detail. For the third journal, scraps of patterned paper were sewn together to create a large enough cover to wrap around two cardboard pieces.
The three on the left are the new ones, and the two on the right are about half full. From left to right - large visual journal, regular visual journal, pattern book, inspiration journal, small sketchbook.
Cover (outer and inner) details for the new books.
There has been an attempt made (a few days last week at least) to keep working in one each day, even now that I'm back to work. School work tends to monopolize my time once we're back in session, but it is a goal this year to NOT let that happen. The pretty new books will hopefully be motivating to put forth the effort.
I am so impressed! It makes me wish I had some artistic ability (my sister got it all) I love notebooks and have many, but the majority of mine are lined and have been used for journaling over the years. It's sad that I've slacked up on that greatly since keeping a blog.
ReplyDeleteI had such fun browsing through the pages you've shared here. Pooh reaching for a hunny jar is so cute (then again, I've always had an abnormal affection for the character, Disney or Classic)! I like how some pages are simple, others more detailed.
Do like I do with my jigsaws... make a point to sit down every day for at least 15 minutes. If nothing comes of it, well you tried. Otherwise, you might get caught up and produce something wonderful that day!
Yep, there is just not enough time in the day to do EVERYTHING is there?!?! I could really use 36-48 hour days. :)
DeleteYes, that's a great idea. I'm not very good working in short spurts preferring to work until "it's" done, but knowing it's 15 regardless, might work...however I'm already in bed and didn't do any journal work tonight. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.
Thank you for the kind words.
These are quite lovely.
ReplyDeleteDo you paste the outer leaf to the boards of the cover.
When using a book cover other than the hardback of a book (like the first two) I'll use some type of adhesive (YES, Mod Podge, or the like) to wrap the cover around the boards. Sometimes I'll bind the boards with book tape first and butt the cover right to edge, but have found it's easier to cover the boards and then bind with the tape - it makes for a cleaner line. I like the collage-like look of the covers on the inside so usually the cover isn't long enough to wrap completely around, just enough to secure on the other side. With the hardback book covers this go around, the inside it collaged and the outside includes bits and pieces where the covers were worn.
DeleteA lot of journalers that I follow online use actual books for their art journals, tearing out the pages and just using the covers. I've bought a few bound books from the friends of the library store, but I've never been able to tear out the pages. I just can't do that to a book! :) These two book covers only came as covers, someone else tore out the pages. It was much easier repurposing them into my covers with the pages already gone.
The trick is to find something that you dislike like sports that show excessive amounts of respect. Then gutting the insides isn't that traumatic. I'll bet you there's a plethora of wedding album covers from failed starter marriages that have no bad back story beyond the mutual heat dissolving.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, there sure are a lot of wedding albums who've lasted longer than the actual marriages. This one I liked with all the engraving in the leather and the color. If it were white, satiny, and frilly I'd have to cover it. :)
DeleteThe problem lies more in the look of the book instead of the subject matter. The "pretty" detailed books tend to be on the older side - they don't tend to emboss or gold leaf them anymore - and because of that it feels like destroying an antique or something. There are two books sitting on my shelf as I write this that were bought at a used bookstore. Before I cut them apart, I (stupidly) looked the titles up and, of course, checking the published date inside - they were just too old to destroy. I've never read either of them nor taken them apart. They're destined to sit on that shelf until the end of time.