If you have put off starting a journal of your own, maybe some of the thoughts and ideas here will help you get started. One warning, however: You may find that you become hooked very quickly!
Since a journal often takes on a personality or life of its own, I generally wait a while before embellishing the cover. Even though I initially have a vague idea of what I’d like to include in the journal, it often takes off in another direction. When I get to “know” what the journal is about, I generally have a better idea of what is suitable. That doesn’t stop me from using one of my favorite handmade or paste papers for the cover, however. Don’t fret if your journal doesn’t follow your plan—discovery is certainly part of the fun and excitement of the creative process.
There are many considerations before you begin to put your journal together. While you may find that a ready-made journal will suffice, consider making a customized journal that displays your style. By assembling your own journal from start to finish, you can add envelopes to create journal pockets to collect embellishments and memorabilia. If you enjoy watercolor, you may wish to include several pages of watercolor paper. I also like to include a few sheets of sketch paper. While text weight paper is fine for writing, it is a good idea to use cardstock or heavy weight paper if you plan to use markers, paint or other media which may bleed through to the back side of the paper.
Spiral binding works quite well for journals as it allows the pages to remain open flat while you paint, draw or write. After the cover has been completed, arrange all pages and envelopes and pockets in the desired order. Take it to your favorite copy shop to have the binding completed for just a few dollars. You may wish to call ahead to ask about size limits, time required, and so on. It is a good idea to ask them to bind it very loosely if you plan to bulk up the pages with embellishments.
This page serves as my table of contents, establishing the theme of the journal. The “list” of favorites gives a hint of what the inside will contain, and the quote by Fellini is a poignant reminder that life is a celebration. What you wish to include in your journal may be affected by whether or not you plan to share the journal with others. You may want to keep a personal and private journal in addition to a journal that will be shared with friends and other artists.
Because a journal is so personal, feel free to include any media, techniques and embellishments needed to express your theme or your thoughts. This spread is about a special friend, and wouldn’t have been complete without photos that serve as reminders of a memorable afternoon with “the girls”. Photos can help recreate the mood or the scenery of the moment. Memorabilia may also be included on a page dedicated to a special event. Add a matchbook cover, a fortune, ticket stubs, a program, a napkin, or a photo.
Templates from http://www.bydonovan.com/templates.html are wonderful to add a special touch to journal pages. Please visit the website for an exceptional collection of templates and project ideas. The teacup and saucer provided just the touch I was looking for when completing these pages. By including a silver teapot and silver photo corners I was able to include reminders about the silver tea service and the feeling of being pampered in elegance.
The acrylic paint used as a base for these pages is the exact color of Hershey’s chocolate. What could be better? Why not add a few chocolate wrappers and some tags to fill the pocket? Enjoy expressing yourself in your own journal.
To purchase the products to complete these featured projects, go to your local retailer and don’t miss our retail store coupons.
