For one of my art groups, we have a surprise Christmas gift exchange; we each make one present, but we don't know who will get it (we draw numbers). This is fun because you don't have the responsibility of making a gift for someone specific; you just make a present. I decided to make a journal. I over-dyed some commercial fabric hat has words on it (I figured words are a good theme for a journal cover). I used the fabric as the journal cover, which I folded over a spiral notebook in the same way we used to fold cut up paper bags over our school books in the '50s and 60's. I prepared the spiral notebook by glueing pages together, then sewing them together, and then covering with gesso. After the gesso dried, I either painted the pages or glued some gelli printed deli paper on them.
Below, are photos of the journal.
The back cover:
A journal page spread (the lines of the notebook peeking through, to use or ignore):
The last page of the journal with a folded pocket for some tags:
beautiful and so useful
Posted by: Elaine Akers | January 01, 2015 at 11:33 AM
Joanne, it's fabulous! I'll bet when people opened things they all wanted yours! (Was it one of those things where you trade? I hope not, for the sake of the other makers! Although you hang with a pretty high end group of creatives so I bet everyone wanted everything and NO one wanted to let go of what they had!)
Love the colors. Beautiful!
Posted by: jeanie | December 07, 2014 at 08:04 AM
Beautiful! Wish I were in your group.
Posted by: Karen Owen | December 06, 2014 at 10:47 AM
Lynn, you got it!!?? How super!
Posted by: Susan Trump | December 05, 2014 at 08:22 PM
Lucky person who gets this! Joanne, you are so creative. Your projects always inspire me.
Posted by: Catherine Anderson | December 05, 2014 at 08:19 PM
Whoever receives your journal is a lucky lucky person!
Posted by: vicki | December 05, 2014 at 07:55 PM
Amazing and the recipient will be very lucky!
Posted by: Christy Grant | December 05, 2014 at 06:49 PM
I am the very lucky recipient of this fabulous journal. It is outstanding with each page done in a different cool manner. Also, it came "wrapped" in a terrific fabric bag/briefcase that will make a great safe storage spot for the journal. Color me darn lucky!
Posted by: Last Minute Lynn | December 05, 2014 at 06:20 PM
Can I join your group and get in on the drawing?
Love, love, love it!
Posted by: Andi | December 05, 2014 at 04:56 PM
Love it Joanne!!
Posted by: Michele | December 05, 2014 at 04:06 PM
I soooo loved it when I saw it! I love the texture and the look.
Posted by: Laura Kovach | December 05, 2014 at 03:27 PM