My current art journal is just about out of space, so I thought that it might be nice to show you how I make my journals. I use my art journal to travel internally and externally. Sometimes I explore exotic places and sometimes more mundane locales. I use my journal to gain clarity and to work through problems as well as to experiment. Sometimes our path is obscured and we go to a dark place, and when we get there we find a bright spot amid the darkness. I used this idea for the theme of my new journal cover.
I start my journals with a piece of white duck cloth canvas. I cut the piece a little larger all the way around than my pages will be, plus a flap. I like to be able to close my journals and have everything tucked away inside, so I add a flap. I decided to decorate my cover with stencils. I started with the Pari stencil and some turquoise and brown fabric paint. I covered the whole piece of canvas with the stenciled image randomly using my chosen colors. 
After this layer was dry I used white fabric paint and a brayer to push back the background image. I let that layer dry.
I painted over the edges of the canvas with black paint making sure that I scrubbed the paint out, so there wasn't such a harsh line of black. I randomly scrubbed black paint over the whole piece. I wanted to add interest and and to obscure the map in certain areas. I let that dry as well.
I took the Celestial stencil and added star images inside of the black areas with silver fabric paint. I let that layer dry and then I heat set the entire piece of canvas. I put my journals through a lot of abuse, so I wanted to make sure that the paint wouldn't rub off the cover.
I cut a piece of felt and a piece of cotton fabric for the inside of the cover. I like to make quilted journal covers because they are more unique and the quilting adds interest to my design. I use felt inside because it adds some stiffness to the cover so that it isn't too floppy. I pin all the layers together and free motion quilt the whole piece. This time I used a random wiggly pattern for my quilting. I don't draw out the pattern before I start sewing, I just doodle with the thread and see where it takes me. After I had covered the entire piece, I zigzag stitched the edges three times. I want the cover to have a strong edge and not to fray too much. I trimmed off all of the excess fabric and neatened up the edges.
Outside
Inside
I prepared my signatures next. I use Strathmore mixed media paper with a velum finish in my journals. I love the way that the paper holds up to all the wet messy journaling that I do. It is also a smooth paper so I can easily draw on it too. I made four signatures with five folios each. My finished pages are 9" x 12". I really like working on this size of paper. I added inclusions to my journal this time. I haven't done this before, so it should be interesting working with these extra papers. I chose a couple of different sizes of card stock, some graph paper, and some manila envelopes.
   
I made a template of out of a food box for punching the holes in the papers. I am using six holes. I line all the folios up in a signature and the inclusion papers too and I hold everything together with large clips. I place the fold in to the crack of a large outdated phone book. I punch the holes with an awl. I do this for all the signatures.
After all the holes are punched I line up everything inside my cover and mark where the first signature will go. I sew the first one in with book binding linen. I start on the bottom hole on the inside, leaving a tail, and sew to the outside and then into the next hole up and down to the first hole and do it again. Then I go up on the inside to the next hole and do the whole process again. For the last set of holes I go to the top hole first and sew twice through the holes leaving a tail on the outside. I repeat the process for each signature. I learned this method of binding a journal from Effy Wild. She has a free tutorial if you want more information. You can check that out here. Here is a quick illustration to demonstrate the stitching path.
The black lines are the first row of stitching and the red lines are where the stitching is doubled
I use the tails on the outside to bead. I knot them and bead them to add a bit of decoration. I punch a hole into the center of the flap and using a button hole stitch I sew around it to finish the cut edges. I add a ribbon, a lace, or cord to close the the journal and keep everything inside. I like to wrap it all the way around with some extra room so it will fit as my journal expands. The inside tails I knot and add a bit of glue to the knots so that they don't come undone.
 
Here is a page in my journal where I used Tam's Butterfly Wings stencil and the Loved stencil plus some of my hand carved stamps.
I hope that you enjoy making your own journal sometime. I get a huge amount of satisfaction from working in a journal that I made myself.
Janelle |
This week I want to share a fun and easy project. We are going to be decorating white ceramic tiles with alcohol inks and stencils. These decorative tiles make great art for gifts or to display in your home. I went to my local DIY home store and bought tiles in three different sizes to experiment with, 4 1/4" x 4 1/4", 6" x 6", and 3" x 6". These plain white glossy tiles don't cost very much so it is inexpensive to buy a bunch and have fun.
I started by cleaning the tile with rubbing alcohol and wiping it off with a clean rag. I didn't want any dirt or dust on the tile.
Then I chose three or four Adirondack ink colors and started dropping them onto the tile. There are several different ways that you can blend the inks and get interesting designs.
- You can turn the tile different directions until the inks run into each other adding more as you go until the tile is covered and the inks blend.
- Dropping more ink into the ink that is already on the tile will create lighter spots and organic shapes.
- You can add the Adirondack alcohol blending solution to lighten the colors and allow them to flow more easily.
- You can use canned air or blow through a straw to blend and create interesting patterns as well.
- A heat tool also will push the inks around to blend them and to dry them.
I used different combinations and kept working the inks until I was happy with the way that the background looked.
Then I chose three or four Adirondack ink colors and started dropping them onto the tile. There are several different ways that you can blend the inks and get interesting designs.
I used different combinations and kept working the inks until I was happy with the way that the background looked.
On some of the tiles I used a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol to add a fine mist to the ink in select areas. This creates speckles and light spots and will add nice patterns in the ink. You should do this in a well ventilated area or outside and avoid breathing in the alcohol to stay safe.
At this point I let the tiles sit for a couple of days to make sure that the inks were completely set.
I got out my Artistcellar stencils and had fun picking which stencil I wanted to go with which background. I laid the stencil over the tile and using my black Faber-Castell Pitt Pen with the brush tip, I filled in the areas of the stencil that I wanted to use. I used the whole stencil on some of the tiles and on others I only used part of the stencil. I also used the black Pitt pen to add a word to one of the tiles.
I got out my Artistcellar stencils and had fun picking which stencil I wanted to go with which background. I laid the stencil over the tile and using my black Faber-Castell Pitt Pen with the brush tip, I filled in the areas of the stencil that I wanted to use. I used the whole stencil on some of the tiles and on others I only used part of the stencil. I also used the black Pitt pen to add a word to one of the tiles.
This tile is 6" x 6". Explore
This tile is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4 ".
This tile is 3' x 6'.
This tile is 6' x 6'.
This background was a bit dark for the black pen to show up so I went over the lines with a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen. I also added hair with a water-based Sharpie Paint pen in white. I added color in the lips with a red and pink gelly roll pen and added some sparkles to her face with a clear Stardust gelly roll pen.
I used these stencils on the tiles:
Pari
Tumbling Pods
Petite Pods
Coy
Hemp Flower
Apparatus
I am going to seal these tiles so that the inks don't lift off or get scratched. I want them to be durable and last for a long time. I'm still experimenting with what sealant works best for me, so I can't share that information yet. I'll try and share later after I figure out what works the best.
I have done some experimenting now with two different products. I used Liquitex pouring medium and triple-thick crystal clear glaze spray by Krylon.
The spray is easier to use and worked well. I followed the directions and put four layers on each tile.
To use the Liquitex product, I set the tile slightly above a level surface and carefully poured on the medium. It isn't always easy to get the whole surface covered without the pouring medium flowing off the edges. I let it cure for several days.
I tested them by wiping with a wet cloth, letting water set on top of the tile, setting a cold drink on it, and setting a hot drink on top. The inks stayed put and the water wiped of easily in all the tests. The glaze spray and the pouring medium did melt when a hot drink was set on top of it however. If you want to make coasters for cold drinks or make a back splash these would both work well. The spray is easier to apply though. I haven't yet found something that won't melt if it exposed to heat from boiling water.
Here are a couple of the other tiles that I decorated.
I used these stencils on the tiles:
Pari
Tumbling Pods
Petite Pods
Coy
Hemp Flower
Apparatus
I am going to seal these tiles so that the inks don't lift off or get scratched. I want them to be durable and last for a long time. I'm still experimenting with what sealant works best for me, so I can't share that information yet. I'll try and share later after I figure out what works the best.
I have done some experimenting now with two different products. I used Liquitex pouring medium and triple-thick crystal clear glaze spray by Krylon.
The spray is easier to use and worked well. I followed the directions and put four layers on each tile.
To use the Liquitex product, I set the tile slightly above a level surface and carefully poured on the medium. It isn't always easy to get the whole surface covered without the pouring medium flowing off the edges. I let it cure for several days.
I tested them by wiping with a wet cloth, letting water set on top of the tile, setting a cold drink on it, and setting a hot drink on top. The inks stayed put and the water wiped of easily in all the tests. The glaze spray and the pouring medium did melt when a hot drink was set on top of it however. If you want to make coasters for cold drinks or make a back splash these would both work well. The spray is easier to apply though. I haven't yet found something that won't melt if it exposed to heat from boiling water.
Here are a couple of the other tiles that I decorated.
I hope that you have some fun decorating tiles either for yourself or to give as gifts this upcoming holiday season.
Janelle
Janelle
