How can you explain in a text message what a junk journal is using as few characters as possible because the text was to travel from the to UK to NZ?! My answer was to say I’ll make a small one for you mum ๐ ๐
I had just finished making my first one and it was very well received by my dear friend whose birthday it was for. I started the notebook sized one immediately but thinking about the process a little more carefully. I made the cover first and my sewing machine was most disgruntled sewing through paper and card and decided to go into a huff and missed lots of stitches. I decided not to worry about it and carried on. Having completed the cover I started gathering recycled paper together for a tea dyeing session. These were baked dry and ironed. Other papers were assembled and mingled in with the tea dyed pages. There are 23 leaves creating 46 pages which were sewn to the cover as a single signature. Next came the decoration and addition of ephemera.
I really enjoyed making both the journals. I’m only showing images of a few pages and the cover of the second junk notebook. It’s secured with a length of lace tied around the cover and finished with a simple bow…
Inside the front cover (above).
This last week I’ve also made these for future junk journals…
And these clusters below made out of scraps…
Unsurprisingly, I’m a bit behind with my Coastal stashbusting blanket CAL ๐
I have loved making these junk journals and have several ideas for some more. I can’t wait to make one for myself ๐
A note about the dyeing… I had coffee dyed a batch of paper for the first junk journal but I really didn’t like the subsequent smell. I don’t usually mind the smell of coffee. So the second time I used tea. It didn’t produce such a strong stain. I used old tea bags that were used, left to dry out and then stored. For the dye bath I poured hot water over the bags and let them soak for an hour before using.ย I will try making the bath stronger next time. Most of the bags were earl grey so the paper has a more pleasant smell ๐
My faith journaling is going very well and I shall have to compile a new one of those soon also. I use rings to bind these so that I can add stuff in. It’s amazing how fast it has filled up. In it I write personal prayers and answers to prayer, scripture and any thoughts I have about it, plus I use it as a time to listen to what God has to say to me and I write what I believe he is saying into my journal.
It’s a while since I wrote a post…I can can’t remember if there’s anything else I’m meant to add…??
Thank you for visiting me ๐โค๐๐๐๐๐
What a pretty idea! It is a great way to repurpose special snippets of things that are too dear to discard.
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You’re so right ๐ Thanks โค
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Looks fabulous!
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Thank you ๐๐
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So cute!!!
Love them!!!
Huggs n โฅโฅโฅ
Suzette
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Thanks Suzette โค
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Junk journals look like so much fun to make! I love yours!
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I’ve really enjoyed them. Thank you ๐๐
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Very creative ๐
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Thanks ๐
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I had not heard of junk journals before and I am loving yours so much. I need to know more.
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Thanks Cathy ๐ There are a lot of YouTube channels detailing junk journals. I’ve never been much of a YouTuber myself but since I started junk journaling I can’t get enough of it ๐ I like Gayle Agostinelli’s channel as she is easy to listen to and the sound is generally good.
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Thank you, I had a look online after this post and saw there was lots on You Tube, I am old fashioned and prefer a book, preferably one I can borrow, but I failed to find a single one. I saw on Ebay that people sell them for phenominal sums of money! Please keep writing posts on this.
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Yes, they are expensive (or, more than I can afford to pay) but that’s because so much time goes into making them. I’m still hooked on watching YouTube videos on journaling ๐ Just can’t get enough!
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I have been watching them on and off all weekend, and have just fished an old book cover out of our recycling bin. I think I am hooked.
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That’s great! This week I’ve started making journaling cards, some little notebooks to stuff in future book inserts and covered an old book cover. Cathy, there isn’t enough hours in the day! I’m still watching junk journalers on YouTube but tending to make as I listen/half watch ๐๐๐๐ Please let me know how you get on ๐โค And thanks for updating me today xxxx
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Yesterday I rounded up papers and pictures, and I have a piece of cardboard from a shirt which I think I might try to make a cover from. The book cover I want to save till I know what I am doing a bit more. It looks such good fun. Will you be posting your new makes, I bet they look good?
I have also requested a book from the library, can’t wait for it to come, hopefully sometime this week.
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Yes, I most probably will Cathy ๐
I can understand you wanting to save your book cover for the time being.
The cover I used yesterday is not the best of those I acquired from the charity shop. It’s not quite as well done as I had hoped; there is a hardened area in one corner from too much mod podge. (I covered it in fabric and glued it down.)
What book are you waiting for?
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Those are gorgeous!!!
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Thank you Barb โค
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I had never seen this before, and now I am intrigued. Off to YouTube to,learn more!
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Yay ๐
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I love them! What an exciting idea – I have recently been playing with collage using material and scraps of old things so this idea looks great. I shall be looking it up. Thanks for sharing. ๐
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Thank you, I’m glad you liked it ๐
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They look amazing! I’ve never heard of junk journals before, such an interesting concept ๐ค
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Thank you Kat โค I’m fascinated by them at the moment ๐๐น๐ป๐ผโค
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So cute. I hadn’t heard of those before, but it reminds me of a stitch book one of my friends showed me. She has a book like yours about five inches square. Her assorted needles are inside, but outside it’s full of different embroidery stitches it scenes or like crazy quilt enhacements. Like yours- it is a treasure.
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It sounds delightful ๐ โค
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That’s all so pretty! So many textures and fiddly bits, it looks like it could keep me entertained for hours ๐
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Thank you ๐๐ They certainly keep me entertained ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ
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Was she pleased with it? x
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Thank you ๐๐ It hasn’t been opened yet as mum decided to save it til mother’s day which I think is next weekend.
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Oh wow! Now I understand what one is, they are incredible! xx
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Thank you ๐๐ They are such fun to make heart โค
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