What I Have Learned About Junk Journals

I consider myself a beginner at making junk journals. Mine seem to lack ‘something’ that I see in others. I acknowledge that we are our own worst critic but I still feel that I have a lot to learn. And continuing to move forward and not give up is the path I’m choosing.

But what have I learned by watching videos, and looking at the work of others? Let’s look at it together.

1. All the pages do not have to be the same size or shape. Variety adds interest to a journal. 2. A plain page can be boosted up a level by small things; a cluster of small bits in one corner, some rubber stamping or stenciling in random areas of a page. 3. There is no right or wrong way to create a junk journal. There are no ‘junk journal police’ around to enforce a plethora of unwritten ‘rules’. Any journal you make is a reflection of you and an expression of your style & creativity. 4. Everything does NOT have to be ‘perfect’ or whatever version of perfect you are stuck in. There is beauty in imperfection. There is charm in asymmetry.

A junk journal can be as big or small as you choose. They can be bound many different ways. They can have hard covers or soft covers. They can have a specific theme or purpose, or not. You can add fabric, lace, buttons or beads and such, or not. Basically, if you can conceive it, you can make it. And it is good.

I have purchased several journals from other artists over the past couple of years. I have swapped or been gifted journals too. I constantly flip through them to get ideas and inspiration. What I have to do is not compare my work to others and not to criticize my own work as 'not up to par'. I need to keep reminding myself that 'What I create is uniquely me, and is special.'

Making Journal Cards

What do you do with all those election cards left in your mailbox or tucked in your front door? As you might have guessed by the title of this blog entry, you make journal cards with them! They are typically printed on a thin, glossy card stock and most, if not all of them, usually end up in the recycling bin.

I decided to cut a few of them up and make journal cards. A light sanding takes off some of the gloss and helps the glue hold better. The backs are plain coffee dyed paper and can be written on. The fronts are collaged with coffee dyed music and security envelope papers, book pages, and brown paper bag.

They all spent some time in the book press my son made for me to keep them flat as the glue dried. On top of the collage are Beatrix Potter images cut from books and inked around the edges frame them. The front and back edges of the cards are inked to finish them off too.

I don’t have a journal to put them in right now. They will go into a shoebox where I’m collecting items for future projects or swaps. I have many more of those little Beatrix Potter books to make ephemera from and as the urge hits me, I’ll make some more. I just love those watercolour images.

I Hate Spring!

I know that sounds totally ludicrous to most people. We wait for months for the warmer weather to arrive and here I am complaining about it. I do have a valid reason for it though. Spring brings the seasonal allergies with a vengeance!

In April, it’s the grass pollens. While I love to see the changing of the seasons, and cannot imagine living somewhere that you don’t experience it, it also causes me a lot of distress. I’m sneezing and coughing. My nose is running like tap and my eyes are weepy. The asthma kicks in and my lungs are wheezing. It’s not a fun time.

Then comes May, and the trees will start sprouting their new leaves. The tree pollen will be visible in the air some days, floating around and mocking me. That’s when my breathing really becomes laboured. More often than not, it turns into a lung infection requiring antibiotics. It is a regular pattern for me.

So, please excuse me for being cranky about Spring. It will pass as it does every year. It simply is not my favourite time of year for that reason.

Gratitude Journal

I think that everyone should have a gratitude journal and write in it on a regular basis. We are so busy with everything happening around us every day that we don’t stop to be grateful for all of our blessings. And there are plenty of good things in our lives if we just take the time to reflect on them.

Gratitude and appreciation are powerful tools for enhancing wellbeing by fostering positive emotions and reducing stress. Regular practices like gratitude journaling and expressing appreciation can improve relationships and increase life satisfaction. Cultivating a habit of gratitude promotes resilience & can lead to a more fulfilling life.

A gratitude journal involves jotting down a few things that you are thankful for and can be done daily or weekly as you so choose. Keeping a gratitude journal is a good first step toward establishing gratitude, and it will help you identify and reflect on people, things, or events for which you are thankful. What are you grateful for today? Take a moment now to think about it and write it down.

Wall Art Progress

I’m still not satisfied with the gel prints I’m making for my potential wall art project. I’m likely being over-critical of my work, like always, but I have not given up on the idea yet. Rather than not accomplishing anything on the weekend, I decided to try to make a small ‘test’ piece out of patterned scrapbook paper. I picked out a dollar store 6” X 6” paper pack to make it with. If nothing else, I proved that the ‘concept’ worked.

I will continue to work on the gel prints and try to not be so critical of myself. I may watch a few video tutorials to help me advance my technique, looking for all the tips and tricks I can find. The test piece is 8” X 10” but I want the ‘real’ one to be bigger with more variety of colours. It’s a long weekend, so I will have more time to experiment. Onward and upward we go!