Have you ever had a love of so many things you find it hard to stay focused? That’s me. In a nut shell.
I am one of those artist types that doesn’t really have a specific medium she likes to work in, I just like everything. In my art studio/craft room — whatever you want to call it — I have collected and tried almost every art form you could imagine. If I haven’t tried something, PLEASE don’t mention it to me because I’ll likely get the supplies needed and dive in.
This photo is not from the journal in the video. Junk journaling about the importance of little things and sharing joy. This is a page from my personal journal.
Office Supplies
When I was little and my mom would announce the annual school supply shopping trip was fast approaching. I would get so excited over the idea of new pencils, new paper, new organizers, the way new folders felt all crisp… I loved school supply shopping. Fast forward to me today, and I’m just the same. When the kiddos say they need something for school, I’m out the door and in the office supply section of Office Depot taking special care to get what is needed while wandering through each aisle looking for anything else we may — (ahem) — need.
Over the past year or so I have fallen back in love with office supplies. Not just office supplies in general, but office supplies that organize and those within the context of hand-lettering and the multiple surfaces you can do so on. You know those little day planners? I could buy one every year. The problem is that I only use it for a little while and then go back to writing on whatever is around to plan my day. My day doesn’t fit in those neat little boxes in a day planner.
Bullet Journaling
So, I found bullet journaling. I don’t use bullet journaling the way “real” BUJO folks do, but my own style that works as a great way to keep my tasks and my life in front of me, but in a creative fashion. I doodle when necessary and tape in my ripped envelopes if that’s where I happen to have written my task list for the day or week. The idea of bullet journaling gave me a creative foundation to organize my life. I used up a couple of these little purchased beauties and then thought, “why not make one?” I sat down with two of my kids and we gathered our paper, made some covers and started poking holes and stitching together signatures. These little books, although rough around the edges, transformed my world and I started researching more about making journals.
Junk Journaling
THIS is my new love. As a person who loves anything from before 1970, a past graphic designer in a print shop and past art director for a wedding magazine, my love of vintage, paper and texture has come full circle in this art form. Lace and ribbon, coffee- and tea-dyed paper, doilies, old postcards, old hand written letters and books… All of these things come together to create these beautiful, one-of-a kind creations that are nothing short of stunning.
This photo is not from the journal in the video. This is a page from my personal journal. Junk journaling about the importance of little things and sharing joy.
I have created a couple of these junk journals now and have found junk journaling to be wonderfully therapeutic in the form of fiber art, mixed media, scrapbooking, daily planner, journal and memory keeper. I’m by no means a professional book maker like others I’ve seen on YouTube. But I’m getting the hang of it, learning from each book I make of possible better ways to create them. I love the process of making them: coffee-dyeing the paper, distressing some pages, making vintage looking tags and thrift/antique hunting for others, scanning in found items to make my own paper …love it.
My First Junk Journal, Handmade Gift
Take a look at the one that I finished in the video below. This little soft cover booklet I made as a gift for my friend’s daughters for her high school graduation. I was happy to hear that she loved it as much as I did the moment I finished it. I was told she made a point to show her mom the little discoveries she made when she started her own junk journaling. She even went out and bought new pens to write in it with. I swear she must be the daughter I never had. When she comes back for one of her breaks from college I may just see if she wants to meet me over at Office Depot.