Journals of Gratitude

Winter holidays are a great time for celebrations and deep reflection. We contemplate fresh starts and new goals while we take time giving gifts of 'thanks' to those who mean the most in our lives. It is a time to get your affairs in order and dream those big life dreams.

 

Keeping a journal can be a very personal and therapeutic practice. Everyone has a different approach bun in the end we are all a little less stressed after writing down our thoughts. Keeping a gratitude journal or a quote book can be a positive daily ritual to help you stay focused on your goals.

 

 

Personally I always prefer to physically write things down on paper , which has led me to acquire a notebook collecting problem.

 

When I create these journals I am trying to make  a book worthy of your thoughts and inspirations. A safe space to feel empowered and inspired or a convenient place to write down your grocery list. In the end I hope it is an artistic addition to your life.

 

These journals feature original abstract watercolour paintings on their covers. They are hand stitched with bamboo cord using a coptic stitch that allows the binding to open flat to any page.

These Journals can be found in my ETSY SHOP

 

Luther - The Octopus Book!

 Luther started out as  a quick warmup painting and a test for a future painting. It took me awhile to figure out what I should do with it but I decided in the end that Luther was destined to become a Journal/sketchbook. 
I glued and sealed Luther to the book board and created an abstract watercolour painting for the back cover to match. 
I stitched this journal together on a lazy Sunday afternoon  using cotton cord and a coptic binding stitch so that the pages will lay flat when you open it. Coloured paper along the spine makes it a little fancier!

Luther needs a home and is for sale in my Etsy shop Das Buch.
:)

Art of Journals

 Every once and awhile I feel compelled to create something reasonably useful. I have always been obsessed with books and journals and find a certain sense of satisfaction in creating my own. It's a lot of work but the end product is pretty fancy.
This journal started off with an abstract watercolour painting which served as the background for the covers as well as a matching bookmark. I painted the floral design in gold leaf and adhered the paintings to my cover boards which I also painted gold. The paintings are sealed with varnish and somewhat water resistant.
I cut all of the inside paper to size and fold it into signatures and then glue some fancy paper to the outside of the fold to create a colourful spine for my journal. Then I stitched it all together and glued in my end papers.The coptic binding stitch allows the journal to open flat without damaging the spine.
I probably spent about 4 hours total creating this journal from start to finish. I was at my cabin this last weekend and sat in front of a roaring fire stitching it together. The process is rather cathartic and relaxing, much like writing in a journal. 
I sell these journals in my second Etsy shop: Das Buch and hope that they will be appreciated as tangible useful art, or at least give someone a fancy book to scribble notes in!