101 Journals Project: Decorating "Live the Life You Have Imagined"

I've been decorating. I think I'm up to 4 now. Decorating is where all the work is. I'm trying to use stuff I've already made(inspired by a gazillion hours of YouTube tutorials)...or finish things I started. I have a lot of decoupaged napkin bits and painted/stenciled/stamped backgrounds.

I call my style "Anything Goes". I like to think that my aesthetic will give each journal some sort of cohesion but I don't do themes. The closest I get is Travel.

For this journal cover I tried a layering technique I saw in a recent Artymaze YouTube craft along video. She's the queen of textured layering. This is the first time I have ever used lace on a journal. I have sooooo much lace from back when I used to design costumes for theatre but I've always shied away from using it in journal making. So many use it and use it brilliantly but I always feel it gets so fussy.

I make all of my own tags, pockets, journaling cards etc. as my primary goal is to use what I've got. I don't have a computer or printer so I don't use digital kits.

My stash is heavy on fashion and I love deconstructing Somerset Studios magazine.

Stamping on coffee/tea/avocado dyed paper happens. A lot.

Collage happens a lot...

I use art tissue paper to color pages and envelopes. I laminated some hydrangea petals and raided my box of art postcards and note cards that I've been collecting since I was a kid. I've always loved stationary.

I like using art paper (watercolor and mixed media) so there's space to create and more little collages to accent a page yet leave room to write or doodle.

I use a lot of tea dyed index cards (for writing notes and ideas) that I'll decorate with a little stamping. I like to use the Somerset Studios page to inspire the colors and sometimes the actual technique to carry over to the neighboring page. I made this 3 pocket belly band inspired by a video on how to use up those 6 x 6 scrapbook pads

I made some little envelopes out of the 6 x 6 papers and some faux postage stamps. I got my mitts on a couple of Open Art Studio catalogs chock full of beautiful thumbnails of gorgeous art. They make perfect "stamps".

Napkin decoupage pocket and a big tag made from glue stick packaging that I had practiced saran wrap texture painting on ages ago. I trimmed down an art postcard to mount on the background.

I got several of these batik Fat Quarters from a sale at Joann's months ago when they were moving locations.

Slowly but surely, I'm working through my stash.