My First Mini Junk-Plus Journal (Long Post)

 I don't remember which artist/teacher I learned about a mini junk journal from, as I have learned from so many generous teachers in all sorts of ways, it's hard to keep track. I've been working on this one, off and on, for over a year.

It's called a junk journal, and is meant to use up scraps, junk mail, and other stuff we usually throw away, just for fun. This one does have a lot of that in it, but it also has a lot of sentimental, to me, pieces, which I would never throw away, such as the tiny bird painting and card from a fellow artist/doll lover that has become a dear friend through Facebook. There's also some of my original art work, an original "inchie" with a picture of my original carved clown stamp, and numerous other keepsakes. So, it has been fun to make, but it is also priceless to me, and a keeper!

It is about 4" x 5" big and has one signature of various papers. I made it very simple, with only two holes punched all the way through the cover and a cord (later changed to a strong shoelace) run through the center of the signature and out through the spine, which ties and holds the journal closed.

I should have made the spine wider, but I didn't think about it growing this much as I added stuff to it! Ha!

The cover is cardboard cut from a postal package box that something came in, held together with zebra colored duck tape, and I did a bit of stenciling on it and added some washi tape

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Page 1-2: Different tapes, text, Lil Caesar's pizza napkin, an original abstract painting of mine, and other stuff that I would ordinarily throw away.

Pages 3-4: An original sketch, a yarn bow, some text, a page that I marbleized with shaving cream a few years ago, a sticker from one of our favorite coffee shops, the Dragonfly, etc.

Pages 5-6: Some stamping, a bit of doodling, collage bits from junk mail, a clothing tag, etc.

Pages 7-8: An elephant stamped on cotton, a bit of paisley cotton with text saying "You are Gorgeous", attached by cotton thread, and the flap lifts up to reveal another page underneath, one of my favorite poems, the flowers are a napkin, which I tried a new technique on, held on to the texted page with a spiral paper clip, etc.

Pages 9-10: A pink and gold thank you card cover held to a page for journaling by the spiral paperclip, with an angel and number collaged on it, a page of typewriter letters that I printed off and collaged a bird made from punched out circles on, a flap with printed dominoes and scottie dog duck tape, which also opens up for a bit of journaling, etc.

Pages 11-12: Duck taped edge with an inspirational text cutout collaged on, a prescription envelope with a stamped rabbit collaged on, which forms a pocket to keep things, like a pretty fragrance card, which can be journaled on the back, that I liked, etc.

Pages 13-14: Envelope pocket, strip of paper ribbon, stamp, sticker, part of a card (junk mail) glued to text page, which opens up for writing on one side (a print of my original sketch on the other), etc.

Pages 15-16: A band cut from a scrapbooking paper cover glued to the page at both ends to hold small papers, quotes, etc., a blank thank you card with a cutout from a greeting card collaged on, and a lace edging, etc.

Pages 17-18: A print of an original sketch, a translucent work, stamp, two tickets to a movie on a trip from many years ago, a sheep cutout collaged onto the page with a fabric pocket stapled on, a fake ticket stub, words from a Splenda packet, a handmade paper button, etc.

Pages 19-20: Watercolored text page for writing or collaging, Mini marblized with shaving cream page, transparency from a candle jar given to me by a friend and glued to the green tissue page, etc.

Pages 21-22: Text page, an Asian stamp, cutout from a tea box, fake ticket stub, scrapbook paper corner pocket, machine stitched paper, bit of lace, thank you card with scrapbook paper fold down, cheetah duck tape, fabric tab lifts it up for writing, etc.

Pages 23-24: Scrapbook paper hiding inside of card, cheeta duck tape, washi tape, stamped cutout, handwritten thank you message and a hand painted mini canvas from a dear friend, scrapbook paper corner pocket glued in, etc.

Opens up to reveal a favorite photo of me and more journaling space...

Pages 25-26: back of card with rest of message, pocket cut from scrapbook card, bookmark stamped with ribbon tie that says Girlfriends Matter, stamped quote, cut out translucent quote, printed photo of my two great-aunts, a band to hold stuff, ribbon, and a newsprint fabric tab, etc.

Pages 27-28: An original watercolor with text scrapbook paper, a mini text page, marbleized with shaving cream, with a quote on a fabric band stapled to the page, various ephemera, etc.

Pages 29-30: Mini and full text pages, marbleized, hidden paperclip on side edge

Pages 31-32: Text page with inspirational words cut from somewhere, a hand sketched and watercolored leaf inspired by our tulip tree-they remind me of little kimonos when turned upside down, etc.

Pages 33-34: Thank you card front with a smaller note card glued to it, which opens up to a small collage and a place to write, a small handmade brown envelope pocket holding a quote card, with three handmade paper buttons down the front, text page with a print of my original sketch, words, another button, a stamp, etc.,

Pages 35-36: A text page, the other end of the RX bag, which forms a pocket holding a black card with collage and writing space, collage bird/flowers, a scrapbook paper bookmark with a newspaper print fabric tab, an original "inchie" with my original hand carved stamp printed off in miniature and applied, etc.

Pages 37-38: Back of envelope pocket page, red ink and threads, a bit of screen wire found on my table, a label from a meringue cookie box, a bit of newspaper text fabric, writing or doodling space, etc.

Pages 39-40: Pages of printed off typewriter letters and text marbleized ready to be added to

Pages 41-42: Text page to be added to, original monoprint (gelli print) on sheet music, paper tape, etc.

Pages 43-44: Found phrase on sheet music page, ledger page with ink feather and writing/doodling space, etc.

Pages 45-46: Ledge page for writing/doodling, fabric pocket stamped and holding a bookmark with fabric tab and an empty tea bag-The page is also glued to the next page to form another pocket and has a stamped tab with a fabric tab, etc.

Pages 47-48: Front of a tea box glued to back of text page pocket, empty tea bag pouch, empty tea bag with stamped cutout, tea bag tag, washi tape, doodling on green tissue page

Pages 49-50: Scrapbook paper page can be added to, small envelope, covered in napkin and paper doily with handmade button, holds a stamped card to be written/doodled in-staples holding the torn envelope flap together, etc.

 

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I added etc to the end of all of them, because there are tiny embellishments and stuff that I may have missed as I was typing the descriptions, and I deliberately left some pages for future journaling. I'm calling it done for now, but I can always go back and do more writing, doodling, collaging, or adding to, if I want to. It looks much better, and is more fun, in reality than it does here, but you get the idea.

It's very much fun to have it laying handy to add bits and pieces to when you have a few minutes or as a warm up to your other creative play, and it's great to flip through and have your memory jogged.

I plan on starting another one after the holidays, when I get my days sorted back out, and maybe this time I'll remember to make the spine wider to hold all the "stuff" I add to the pages, although I kind of like that it turned into a "chunky journal". 

As I said, this little book holds some junk and a lot of memories, so it's a keeper!

Fun stuff!