I created a new-to-me style of junk journal for a recent swap in the Facebook group "Trashy and Flowish Junk Journals". It's called a Naked Journal because the pages within are left as-is, no additional decoration, embellishments (ie. pockets or tuck spots) or ephemera. It gives the recipient a blank canvas upon which to create.
With every swap, I try to learn and try out a new technique. I wanted to do a hard cover so I gutted a book I found at my neighborhood cafe. I reinforced the spine with a piece of chip board from the back of an art paper pad, collaged a napkin over it (the cover was red), glued some decorative paper inside and then wrapped a strip of fabric around the spine. I had previously made decorative paper strips stitched down the middle on my sewing machine so all I had to do was glue it in place.
I'm trying to work my way through a bunch of scrapbook paper I seem to have an affinity for buying but never seem to know how to use. Until now.
Inside is my usual mash-up of papers including copies of some of my original watercolor backgrounds I had originally created for my Zentangle tiles.
There are coffee dyed papers...
and some of my painty papers where I played around with a hand carved stamp I'd just made and a new set of mini stamp pads. There were two signatures, pamphlet stitched into the spine.
I had so much fun making the swap journal that I immediately made 2 more. I've been having a lot of fun with the one my partner sent me. I'll share that in another post.
These are collage tag and postcard bases that I made using the cover of one of the paper pads I'd pulled apart. They still need a focal point or two and perhaps some kind of word/sentiment to finish them off.
