Hello!
I want to show you some pages from my smaller daily art journal books today. I’ve been stapling 10-12 pages together to make journals for an easy, almost-daily practice. Because they’re “found” papers, ie. papers I have around my house, they often have color or pattern on them already, so there’s no “blank page” syndrome with these. And there’s no preciousness then, no “I don’t want to mess up this pretty notebook” feeling. Their smaller size also allows for quicker layouts and simpler ideas than the larger dry media sketchbooks I often use.
This one starts with a little map flap and label that still waiting for an end date and some other info.
This is an antique textile pattern I found when I was searching for some free clipart for the art journaling zine I made for our workshops. It’s the second book I’ve put a pattern near the beginning in which to color. Sometimes it’s great just to fill in color while I figure out what I want to write or make, other days, it’s all I do.
I keep thinking I want to add, you know, more detail to this page, but I don’t know what. Yet.
My current favorite quote,
“Many of our fears are tissue paper thin and a single courageous step could carry us clear through them.” -Brendan Francis
Covered by tissue paper, naturally. Which I taped in later. I do that a lot – my stapler can only do so many pages, so if I want something that’s not already in there, I tape it in. Penciled on the bottom it says, “Bakery paper from my donut at Sandy’s (local Grand Rapids donut shop) with Holly for our Creative Notebook meeting.”
Tissue paper again, this time a rubbing from a new book I got recently. I’d like to do a lot more rubbings this summer, especially with the boys out on our walks.
I hardly have any washi tape because I rarely see a pattern I want to use over and over, but these Scotch decorative masking tapes that I found in my local grocery store are current favorites!
More triangle and mountain love. It was a hard day. This is the phrase that came into my head. I really love the design I came up with, if I do say so myself.
Just a peek! More soon!
To Make Your Own Easy Art Journal:
1. Gather 10 papers, 8.5×11 -ish papers. A4 in Britian, right? I used paper from making bubble stationary like in the image above, old maps, graph paper, envelopes, tissue paper, old school paper, and tissue paper.
2. Fold all the papers in half together to create a middle seam. Staple with a long-arm stapler. Or, it you’re me and don’t have one, gently fold one half in half (which you can also sorta see in the image above) and quickly staple with your little office stapler. ;) Yeah, I need to get a bigger one. But hey, use what you have now, don’t get sidetracked!
3. Fold into a book again, trim any paper edges if you wish. Now you can either use it right away (yes!) or stick it under a few heavy books until tomorrow to really flatten it out and give you a great crease.
Easy, right? Using old papers around the house is a great way to explore – zero pressure because you’re using what’s on hand anyway!
I’ve been loving all the art journaling and writing I’m doing lately, but I’m itching to get back to some other crafts. I’m trying to make myself finish a lot of house decluttering first for spring cleaning and then put my crafty skills to use with some redecorating. I need you all to text me every couple hours and say, “Go declutter some more stuff!” so I can get there I think! Ha!
Hoping your spring or fall are going well!
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