101 Journals Project: The Travelers

These are the 3 remaining journals from a travel series that I made for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. The photographs on the covers are my own originals taken from several years of my travels in Europe and my cross country drive moving back to San Francisco from New York City.

These are single signature with only about 10 full sheets from maps, brochures, hotel stationary and then various plain papers for writing.

Salzberg

The cover base is a piece of mis-printed cardstock that I used as mop up during another project. I stenciled gold acrylic over it. It was pure happenstance when I realized the the filigree pattern in the stencil mirrored the iron work in the photograph.

Santa Fe

This cover is "Frankenpaper", kind of a paper crazy quilt I made from a bunch of scraps someone had sent me in a swap. It's a bit wonky and I love it.

Paris

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is walk along the Seine.

Fabric lined cover and scrapbook paper signature covers.

I love these journals.

101 Journals Project Set 2: Pattern Paper Covers

This is a pair of gutted book journals covered in some paper I had purchased on clearance from Tuesday Morning ages ago. I'd long since thrown away the packaging but I think it was marketed as Decoupage paper.
The process of making these was experimental.  The spine was reinforced with a strip cut from a commercial sized bean bag (I work in a specialty food market) so it had a grid texture and the thin paper cover wrinkled a bit.

 

Scrapbook cardstock signature covers with pockets

Coffee and tea dyed papers

Pages from books

Painty papers

Various art paper

101 Journals Project Set One: Batiks and Decoupage

These are four naked journals from the 101 Journals Project. I'm attempting to detail them here as a reference point for the few who have commented on my posts in the various Facebook groups where I originally posted my progress last month.

The larger journal on the top right is made from a cereal box. The others are from gutted books. The yellow batik covers are fabric, the autumn leaves are decoupaged napkins.

The papers are a mash up of eco-prints...

Somerset studios magazine, coffee dyed, art tissue dyed...

mixed media and water color papers...

avocado dyed...

there are some museum brochures and pages from Edibles magazine.

Project Share: Mixed Media Master Boards

 These are 4 masterboards inspired by a challenge on the Facebook group "The Mixed Media Emporium"

A masterboard is an arty background that you can either cut up and use in other projects and/or make copies of to use in other projects.
These started off as a painty project trying to use up book pages that I had brayered acrylic paint onto and stenciled.

 The originals are 6x9 inches. I took them to Office Max where they scanned and reduced them so they would fit 2 to a page. I printed them on parchment resume papers that I had in 4 different tones intending to use them in junk journal signatures.

 I used some of my old Zentangle tiles from my dud pile

I cut a few pages down the middle to make these tri-fold journaling tuck-ins.

I love how these turned out.

101 Journals Project: It's a Wrap!

98-101

These are the final 4 journals of my personal challenge "The 101 Journals Project". I started this back in October as a de-stash/no new supplies/use it or lose it thang. I completed it on New Years Day. 

The three orange journals are single signature, sort of travel themed, gender neutral, writing/drawing journals remaining from a set I created for my nephews and for my nieces boyfriends/husband. The pages consist of maps, ledger papers, grid papers, assorted art papers and sporadic pages from National Geographic magazines. The covers are my own personal photographs.

The Little Women journal was left for last because it presented the greatest challenge...attempting to conform to a decorative theme. I had been sitting on this Graphic 45 paper collection for several months having found it at Tuesday Morning and thinking I had to have it. I've only ever found Graphic 45 at TM once, before I even knew what it was. I remember sitting on that one for quite a while as well because I didn't know what to do with it. I've come to realize that I don't really like it. I find the colors to be too garish for my taste and I have a heck of a time trying to coordinate other papers with it.

Anyhoo, I decided to get out of my comfort zone with this one and make it conform to my aesthetic.  I've decided that January will be focused on decorating and ephemera. First task is to use the ephemera I've already made as well as create some new stuff.

After gifting 25 journals, this is what remains

The biggest take-away from this project is that I don't need anywhere near as much stuff as I thought I did. 

The only thing that I've come close to running out of is scrapbook paper. I like to use it for the signature covers because I can fold it up to make pockets...oh! and ledger paper. I'm almost out of ledger paper. I  love ledger paper.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Michaels because I needed glue and blades for my paper cutter. I perused the paper because I wanted to see if there was anything that captured my attention. There wasn't. I get a lot more satisfaction shopping at SCRAP, the creative re-use center and things I've received in swaps. 

I'm so glad that I did this! I think I've broken out of hoarding things that I love. There will always be more stuff and if something speaks to me I'll use it rather than save it for the "right project".

The right project is now.