If you have been a fan of this site for a few years, you may remember that I started an Art Journal a few years ago. I based the book‘s design on Teesha Moore‘s Amazing 16 Page Journal . I really like this type of art journal because the 8-inch by 10-inch format is a good size to work in and 16 pages is an attainable goal. Having a specific, low number of pages also allows me to explore a single theme in each booklet.
Well, that‘s the theory, anyway. Now for true confessions: I never finished this one! That‘s why no more pictures appeared about it.
So, I‘m on a mission to either finish or get rid of old projects and it‘s time for this one to take one path or the other. I‘ve decided that I want to finish it, so for this post, I‘m going to review what‘s been done so far.
To begin with, I used 1-1/2 sheets of 19″ x 24″ Strathmore Vellum Bristol rather than watercolor paper. It‘s something I had on hand, and I like the weight of it. I used the full 19-inch width for the double page, cutting the sheet so that I got two pieces 19″ wide by 10″ high. Then I cut two of the strips down to 16″ and left the extra on the outside piece. I folded the extra over to make a “flap” that went over the cover to hold it closed.
The pages were then painted using Splash Ink . I like Splash Ink because it is color coordinated acrylic paint and it‘s difficult to make an “ugly” color with it. With only four bottles, it‘s also easy to store, since you don‘t need a bunch of bottles for lots of different colors!
While the pages were drying, I printed a bunch of textures, drawings and designs in black and white and cut them into two-inch wide strips. I ended up cutting these into smaller widths, but that was easy with a paper cutter. The strips were glued around the edges of each page using PVA glue .
After the pages were dry, I folded them all appropriately and then sewed them together using dental floss.
I already knew the theme, paper dolls, for this journal before I even created it. It had been bouncing around in my mind as an incomplete project for quite a while. I‘ve collected paper dolls for years. I‘ve also made them for my children when they were young, and they have made them for their own children. Paper dolls are a THING around here! In addition, I felt they would be an excellent human representation to play with.
So, my plan is to finish a single page per week. I may end up getting done faster, as I get into this project. But no matter if it works or not, I‘m going to finish it! Stay tuned!
Tandika