Friday 29 June 2018

My Junk Journal Journey - Part 1

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  
So pleased that you decided to pay me a visit.

So, here I am to share something I have been working on for a while now .. My first Junk Journal.
Actually, I have two of them on the go at the moment.   The one I'm showing today is fairly simple.  The other one I'm working on is more on the shabby side and will have some photos in it but I am nowhere near to showing that one yet.

I do love making books and I started this particular one a long, long time ago!!  Months ago in fact!!  Yes, I know!!  Why is it taking such a long time??  I can't even remember exactly when I started it.  I do know I made the cover before I was lucky enough to win Eileen Hull's Journal Die from Anne Redfern so this cover was made late last year!!!
When I first made this journal it was quite basic.  I had some leftover papers from a couple of A4 Prima pads that had been sitting in my stash for ages and decided to use them up.  So, I made the cover from cardstock and then 4 signatures from the papers.  I sewed the signatures to the spine and then the whole thing was left on a shelf until about a month ago.  When I picked it up again, I was not happy with it, so I actually took it apart and made a heap of changes.  Now, because of all the additions, it will only have two signatures so I have another two with which I can make another book!!  Win! Win!

In this post I will show you the cover and the first signature.  I should warn you though, there are a lot of photos. 
This is the original cover I created.  I was quite happy with it so didn't change it at all. 
The papers are quite busy so I simply did a little stenciling and collage work on the front cover using strips of the papers, some pretty lace and a flower by Little Birdie which was altered with watered down acrylic paint.
On the inside cover, I added strips of washi tape and a quote tag by Kaisercraft.

The signature.
The flower is attached to an altered paper clip.  All of the Prima papers have been sewn around the edges.  I have also used a stitches stamp here and there.
 A pocket for a tag and small booklet on the inside front cover and I have added tea stained paper to the book.

 Used Distress Ink and a Tim Holtz stencil on most of the tea stained pages.
A collaged tuck spot on the left side and a flip up tag on the right.  The flip up is an idea I saw in a Journal created by Jenny Marples.  She has made some wonderful books and, if you'd like to take a look, you can find her blog HERE
A great spot for some secret journaling underneath the tag.  Think I might pop some lined paper there just to make it easier.

The next page has another pocket.  This one is edged with a bit of lace.  You will see that there are also small bits of lace added to the sides of some of the pages.  More tea stained paper with that sweet little stencil.
The page on the left folds out and the paper on the right is tea stained tracing paper.  I love how the staining makes it more transparent.
 Just the papers here with a tiny bit of washi tape added on the right side.
 Side pocket on the left with a little envelope inside and on the right you can see another of my altered paper clips. 
I will show this envelope in more detail in another post ..
 .. and, if anyone's interested, I might explain how I altered my paper clips as well.
The centre of the first signature.  At this stage, all the pages are still loose.  I will actually sew them onto the spine once I have finished the second signature.
 Another side pocket for tags and a small bulldog clip to hold the word strip.

Well, we are past the half way mark!  Hope you are still with me!!
Washi tape and a heart on the left and more of the tracing paper on the right.
 A very simple embellishment.
 On the home stretch!!! LOL!!
Another pocket and more tags.
Another Tim Holtz stencil.  Love this one .. I think it's called Shatter.
 The flower is another paper clip and the right side page folds out.

 The flower is by Little Birdie.
 Another pocket.  This one is an envelope.

 The back cover of the signature.
WoW!!  Did you really stick it out to the end??!!  Awesome!!  Sorry it is such a long post but I did want to show all the pages and I am stoked that you are still here.  Thank you. 

I'm not really sure if I am done with this signature yet.  While I was flicking through it taking these photos, I thought of a few more things I can do and, as it's not attached to the spine yet, I can still make some changes.  We shall see.
When this book finally does get finished it will be used for collaging some lovely quotes I have found. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you will come back to join me on the next leg of my Junk Journal Journey!!  Goodness only knows when that will be, LOL!!

Enjoy the rest of your day!!
 Take care and God Bless.
 

13 comments:

  1. Hi Marg, I hope your week has been good, how did it get to friday already?? I am totally in awe of this blog post and your junk journal. how amazing is each page... love the pockets and stenciling and using the tea.. wow.. this must have been lots of creative fun I think.. i love it.. thanks for all the photos, and I am sure it looks so much more inventive in real life!! Have a great weekend!!

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  2. Wow, this is absolutely amazing!! Each page is spectacular!! I love all of the details and stamping and stenciling!! It's so creative and gorgeous!! Wow!! What a stunning journal, Margaret!! It's fabulous!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  3. Such an interesting and intriguing post Margy. Your book is a standout, with each page offering something special. I love the secret little spots to tuck a memory or a piece of ephemera. Truly a triumph of construction and artist flair. TFS

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  4. Lol !!! Stayed with you all to the end Margaret. Loved it and your one very clever lady. Look forward to the next stage xx

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  5. The cover alone is beautiful but for me the signature is just gorgeous! I love your tea stained papers and the way you have decorated the pages, there are so many beautiful things to see! I would definitely be interested in seeing how you did the paper clips. Thanks for the shout out too! Hugs, Anne xxx

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  6. Oh. My. Goodness. Margaret, you had me at the cover, but inside, page after page of the most beautiful colors and collages! Wow, Wow and WOW, again! I am not kidding, my heart is skipping beats over this STUNNING journal! Sending hugs!

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  7. Oh my Margy this is just amazing, so much detail, love, love, love!! Can’t wait to see the next part xxx

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  8. Wauw your journal is beautiful Margaret. I love it! All details come together so well on all the pages. Great work! Marlies

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  9. Wowser, such a stunning, stunning album Marge! I adore the way you did the cover and each of the inside pages is just amazing!! So much inspiration!! I by the way, I would love to see more about altered paperclips, as they make such fantastic embellies for books and journals! You should add this album to our challenge at Mini album makers!

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  10. Wow wow wow! Oh how I adore this! The cover is truly phenomenal and your inserts are amazingly beautiful. Next time you make a journal please share with us at Mini Album Makers. This would be such an inspiration to our readers. I'm off to pin this! Hugs, Autumn

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  11. Wow...this is just beauty after beauty after beauty! The cover is gorgeous and the pages, details and bits...so fabulous! Lots of love and work went into this beauty! But so worth all the effort...it's stunning! I am sure you could keep adding more and more....as we all do...and make changes here and there...;-) But it's a beauty as is!! ;-)

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  12. so many awesome details. one gorgeous page after another. it will take some study to really see everything you did. thanks as always for sharing.

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  13. Hello my friend, so nice to be able to have a few minutes to pop in and see what you've been up to! What a fabulous page to start off with, this sure did catch my eye! I am blown away by the amazingness of this, and holy cow for the first one, you just nailed it! Love the cover, that soft touch of lace amid the rich dark tones is a lovely combo. Thanks to Anne, I am also going to purchase one of these journal cover dies! The inside is just incredible! Every single page is unique and filled with so many wonderful details! And you call this the 'simple' one, wowzers, can't wait to see the other one! sending hugs :)

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