The New Journal

As the last page of my current Art Journal is in sight (just three more spreads to go!) I was thinking of a new book. As much as I liked the tiny journal before this one, a new one would have to be roughly the same size as the current journal, but maybe not using pages out of an old book like the one I'm using now...

And then I found myself doodling on an envelope. And then I decided to test out different pens and crayons...


So that made me decide to make a book out of brown envelopes. Yay! I folded five envelopes into a signature, and figured three signatures would work best.


Using cardboard and an old T-shirt for cover and spine:


More envelopes for the cover:


And then the cover was done!


Making holes in the spine


Using my trusty dental floss to bind it all:


A very simple out hole 2, in hole 1, over to hole 3, back into hole 2 binding..


And then it was done! A nice size brand new Art Journal!



Just three more spreads to go! I am still thinking of making this new one more sketchbook-y... the brown of the envelopes is perfect for it. The cover still needs some work, and maybe a layer or matt medium to protect it because it's now just paper, but I'm not going to worry about that just yet. Need to finish my current Journal first and then I get to play in this one!

Bookbinding

For some time now, I watched with envy how others bound book after beautiful book. I knew that it was 'the next step' for me when it came to Art Journals, but I never got any further than hinged rings and a ringbinder.

Until....



So last night, I made this:

It's a booklet that came in one of the many Dutch magazines my sister brought over when we went on holiday together. Instead of waxed thread, or even waxing thread, I used dental floss, and it worked really well. Oh, and I've left two longer tails at the back, so I can hang some paper beads from it when I'm done. (Oh come on! You knew I would!)

Now if you like this, and are interested in learning more, you should follow Leslie on Twitter. Or even better yet... Join her (and me and many others) on Art Journaling Ning, where she's got a whole series on this Junk Journal, and there will be more workshops to come!