3 in 1 Journal with Denim cover

I've made a 3 in 1 journal for next year - planner/diary/journal/art. It has weekly pages for using as a planner and writing in appointments.  It has some blank pages for writing down my thoughts or arting on and it has some gelli printed pages to use as starter backgrounds for arting on - painting, drawing, doodling, mixed media art journaling on.

If you would like to make one of your own here are some tips on how I made mine - when I made mine I never intended to create a tutorial for it so I do not have the best, detailed photos and there are many helpful videos out there so there was no point making a video either:

Watch these videos:

There was a very simple book stitching video but I can't find it now. Similiar to Rhomany's stitching in the video below but it involves 3 holes not 2....

Rhomany - Filofax Friday - DIY Filofax Inserts & Midori Refill Booklets Pt2

Make an easy art journal.

You will need 54 weeks on 27 pages (top left) - I had some days of the week stamps so I made a template and then photocopied it - leave enough room on the edge for trimming and washi taping. Pages in between - one side was gelli printed but blank on the other side (top right):

Each signature was made up of 15 pages (7 pages of weeks with alternate pages of gelli prints) and a cover made from a manilla folder - cut lengthwise and fold. My book is approximately 5 1/2 inches wide by 8 inches - paper sizes are different in Australia and the USA - so fold regular letter paper/A4 paper in half and go from there.

Here's the inside pages...I created holes in the signatures with a nail and a hammer two inches from the top and bottom leaving 4inches in between. I used embroidery thread to sew the signatures together as I had embroidery thread.

I trimmed my edges using a craft paper trimmer - a great tool I use all the time - keep the pages from moving with a clip.

 I made some home-made washi tape and sticked it to the sides of the pages because I love the colourful edge look (my tutorial coming up next week on the Cre8ive Klatch blog).

After I had made 6 signatures I used the tails of the embroidery thread to tie each signature to the next one.

Making the cover:

I used a denim skirt and cut it down to size and sewed the edges.

I gelli printed the cover just with normal acrylic paint - be generous with the paint as the material soaks it up.

I used a meat tenderiser/hammer and nail to make holes in the fabric - place it on a chopping board. I made 9 holes to stitch 3 signatures in not all 6 as it was going to be too hard.

I used embroidery thread to stitch the first, third and last signature to the material.  I started threading on the inside of the signature in the middle hole. You can start on the outside of the cover and some people add beads to the ends of their tails - I have heard that this makes writing in the journal difficult as the beads get in the way so I have left the spine nice and clean looking - see middle photo.

I found some wooden buttons in my old button box and sewed those on to tie the leather strap around to keep the journal together.

I made 3 journals and have sent two to my Besties. They are too much work to sell profitably but they are great fun to make for oneself or as a gift.

I love my new journal, made of items I already had (except the leather strap) and look forward to 2015 to start using it!

If you have questions then leave them in the comments and I will happily answer them.

Have fun!

PS I sell gelli print packages in my Etsy store if you need any and can make up a special batch just for you if you don't see what you like.  :D

May 2014 Recap

At the beginning of May I was getting ready for the art sale at Myattsfield Vineyard, then spent time rearranging some rooms in my house to create an art space for me to store my paintings and supplies in and to play in my art journal and catch up with the art journal challenges that I am doing this year.

Art sale at Myattsfield Vineyard:

Art Space:

Art Journaling:

Faces in the World Challenge: Top left is the drawing I sent to the first person out of three - top right is how it returned back to me - I could add more to it but love it how it is!
- Middle left (minus the crayon) is how Joyce's drawing arrived to me and the right is how I sent it on to Sandy.
- Bottom left is Sandy's face that came to me after Joyce had drawn on the face - I found the blue background to be a great challenge - the right pic is how I sent it back to Sandy.

Journal 52:

Documented Life Project:

Hope your month went well.

PS  Do you love creating gelli prints?  Want a place to discuss gelli printing?  To show off your work?  Share your ideas? Discuss the pros and cons of different paints/paper/plates/tools etc?  Get some great ideas on what to do with the thousands of prints you have created?

Then I would love you to join me at the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook Group.

DLP Wk 22 Houses

Documented Life Project - May 24, 2014 - Week 22 Challenge - Draw, paint or sketch a house.

I used a gelli print for the background, trees and roofs of the houses, the house and the sun I found in my happy mail box.  I gave the background a watercolour wash and I stamped on the pendants and coloured them in with Inktense pencils.

Wish We Were Neighbours

 PS  Do you love creating gelli prints?  Want a place to discuss gelli printing?  To show off your work?  Share your ideas? Be inspired and inspire others? Discuss the pros and cons of different paints/paper/plates/tools etc?  Get some great ideas on what to do with the thousands of prints you have created?

Then I would love you to join me at the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook Group.

Art Journaling and DLP and J52

I have this sort of love/hate relationship with art journaling.  On the one hand I love the freedom of it, the fact that I can do what I want and really no one can criticize it as it's not for public consumption.  On the other hand the freedom can be paralyzing - where to start, what to do next and how to pull it all together so it's a cohesive piece. I am my own worst critic at times.... I can't seem to get the layering thing like some people can.....

 And then there are the supplies....art journaling is mixed media at it's best
- journals
- paint - acrylic and watercolour,
- papers - lots of different sorts - old books, dictionaries, gelli prints
- glue/gel medium,
- stamps,
- stencils,
- gesso,
- inks,
- ephemera,
- sprays,
- pencils - normal, watercolour, Inktense,
- Gelatos (whatever they are!),
- rub-ons,
- pens - hard to get good ones that will write over all of the above!!!,
- brushes,
- scissors,
- punches,
- craft knife
- craft paper cutter - use mine all the time!

Documented Life Project - Week 21 Challenge - Add embroidery or embroidery floss to your page.

Week 17 Challenge - Photograph or draw your favorite shoes.

Journal 52 - Week 20 Prompt: Book Inspired

 Week 19 Prompt: Photography

So if you need me I'll be upstairs in my art space....

DLP Wk 20 Stamps

Documented Life Project - Week 20 Challenge - Use a rubber stamp in a new way.

I used a rubber stamp under a gelli print and over a gelli print as well as on the page.

I was inspired by the latest art journaling craze of painted circles except I cut mine out of gelli prints, glued them down, used paint pen and Inktense Pencils to create lines around them.

I'm trying to be looser and freer in my journaling and not so uptight perfectionisty...so if you think this looks a little slap dash...then my job here is done!  :D

PS  Do you love creating gelli prints?  Want a place to discuss gelli printing?  To show off your work?  Share your ideas? Be inspired and inspire others? Discuss the pros and cons of different paints/paper/plates/tools etc?  Get some great ideas on what to do with the thousands of prints you have created?

Then I would love you to join me at the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook Group.

DLP and Journal 52

I did some quick art journaling this afternoon:

Documented Life Project - Week 14 - Write your name and embellish it.

Gelli print with glued on letters....

---

Journal 52 - Week 13: How Does Your Garden Grow? 

 

Gelli print, Sharpie pen because my paint pens won't work, gelli print flowers.

 

 

Oh dear, I can tell how tired I am as I could have added a lot more details and embellishments to these, oh well, at least I have done them this week.

How's your art journaling going?

March 2014 Recap

I've been on a creative binge the past few months, feels good to come out of my slump and have a goal to work towards - a booth at the local harvest festival.

This month I've had fun playing with my round gelli plate:

I created some gelli print collages:

I created my own stencils:

I created a whole heap of dreamcatcher/mobiles:

I created Beverley who has now been framed and will go to the town of Beverley for the Art Exhibition soon.

I've been a little too busy to do all my art journal challenges - oops but here are the two I did finish and both used the gelli plates:

Documented Life Project Wk 10:

Wk 11:

Hope your month went well.

PS  Do you love creating gelli prints?  Want a place to discuss gelli printing?  To show off your work?  Share your ideas? Discuss the pros and cons of different paints/paper/plates/tools etc?  Get some great ideas on what to do with the thousands of prints you have created?

Then I would love you to join me at the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook Group.

DLP Week 10

The Documented Life Project - Week Ten - Make a list of the things that make you YOU.

This weeks tip in was watercolour paper so I added some round gelli printing to it, watercolour wash and Sharpie pen. 

February 2014 Recap

This month I joined in on 29 Faces and managed to create 24!!! Thank you for all your great responses to them, I'm now thinking of creating a girl for the Beverley Art Exhibition.

I also participated in the Documented Life Project challenges:

And the Journal 52 challenges:

I got a round gelli plate!!!!  Loads of fun and a challenge too...

 I slipped on a honky nut, similiar to an acorn and hurt my backside, still hurts.  A few days later I got this rash on my arm and face, I saw the Dr and the cream worked on my face but my arm got worse.  Went back to the Dr and got some stronger cream and was tested for shingles but the test came back normal... and the blisters have now dried up and are scabby....yeah, Shells, nice.... oh TMI?   lol

And I had a haircut!!!

And now it's March.....

Art Journal Challenges

Documented Life Project:

Week Eight - Add a flap to your flap.  I used an envelope that was sent to me with 'happy, art mail' in it and the quote was from another bundle of 'happy, art mail'.

 Week Nine - Collage something you recycled. I recycled the gelli print and the butterflies I created from some 'happy, art mail' that I've received.

Journal 52 - Week 8 - Found Poetry

This Week’s Prompt: Found Poetry

"For this week’s prompt, we will explore found poetry. Whether you decide to write a haiku or a sonnet or a freestyle poem – all depends on what you can find to make poetry out of!"

I created a Haiku out of magazine words.

The truth about love,

Paradise, blossomed, savoured

Not so naughty sex.

bahahahahahahahahaha.......


Nothing brilliant here as I've been concentrating on my gelli plate printing and my girls this month.

Hexie Love for DLP Week 7

The Documented Life Project Challenge (Week Seven) - Draw one shape - repeat - add color.

I love hexagons so I did a hexagon gelli print onto my watercolour paper tip-in for this week.  I then had some gelli print fun with scrunched up greaseproof/deli paper on the plate. I turned the print over and used my hexagon stencil and drew lots of hexagons and then glued them to the page and outlined them with gold and black paint pen.

DLP Wk 6

Documented Life Project - February 1 Challenge (Week Six) -  Open your Pinterest board and be inspired.*
*Please make sure that you CREDIT the artist or blogger that you are being inspired by - this is very important so that we honor the efforts and property of our fellow artists and bloggers.

An artwork titled Boxed In by Original Bliss on Flickr aka Shannan Sinclair caught my eye so I thought I would re-create my own version using my tip-in page from my DLP Journal, black pen, stamps, scrapbooking papers, gelli prints, stickers - some were from some Happy/Art Mail I received on Friday so it was great to be able to use them.

I'm looking forward to the next DLP challenge but in the meantime I have Journal52 and 29 Faces challenges to work on.  Yay!!!