2022 Christmas Journal

I love to make journals but I don't write in them. I love to make jewelry but I really don't wear much jewelry also. So sometimes you just run across something that your heart desires to make because it's so pretty and you just have to have it.

That's what happened here. I ran across the journal pages to print off on etsy. They are by ARTYmaze. Her name is Andrea and she designs collage papers that you can print out to make colorful and beautiful journals of your own.

You can make them just like she shows on her YouTube channel or do your own thing. You learn so much just by watching her do it. And you get tips along the way you can use with all your crafting. I was surprised that I could make this journal with all the stuff in my stash. I didn't have to buy a thing. I'm a craft supplies hoarder and I freely admit it.

I don't have a laser printer. I have an ink tank ink jet ET2700 Epson and I love it. I only have to buy ink about once every 15 - 18 months. Really! But for the savings, you do sacrifice a little quality. I cannot get it to print vivid and deep rich colors no matter what I do. It just won't do it, not even on the highest quality and vivid print settings. Ink jet print does not compare to the richness of a laser printer. But I have a trick that makes my prints look like they are printed on a laser printer.

I use Prismacolor colored pencils to color the prints. And YES it does make them rich and it does make them look like laser. If you loved to color with crayons as a child then you will not mind coloring over your prints in places. These pencils are translucent and each layer gives a little more depth and color to the print. I only used two pencils, grass green and crimson red to deepen the colors. These high quality soft colored pencils leave a waxy sheen that also imitates laser ink. It makes the graphics pop. 

On this journal I used what I had with the prints that I got and the freebies on Andrea's facebook site. It is probably the prettiest journal I have ever made. I need to start earlier next year if I'm going to make them for gifts. I worked on it over several days to get it done.

I love the use of stitching on the sewing machine and fabric swatches mixed with paper and little bits of bling here and there. I might make some more of these.

My Winter Journal

I'm a paper addict and I've always been one. I like to make journals and sometimes I run across some beautiful papers and just have to make something with them. I saw these papers on etsy. They are from SSdigital studio. Go look them up.

I love the colors of blue, silver and white. And I love the watercolors of wild animals. It's the perfect kit. So I made a 5" x 7" album out of four brown paper lunch bags and covered the pages with these digital prints.

The paper pack has plenty of cards, tags and papers to make a very large journal and frankly I printed too much stuff for my little journal. I should have made two journals or one big one. It is stuffed to the gills with all these beautiful graphic prints.

I really enjoyed decorating it with glitter, inks, ribbons and shiny papers. I made a belly band with paper and ribbon to slip on and off to hold it closed because I didn't want to have to keep untying and tying the ribbon every time I opened it.

Look at all these beautiful graphics! I love the paintings and the watercolor texture shows in the print too. This is one of my favorites. I'm working on three at the moment. This one, a rabbit journal and a Christmas journal, all made from brown paper lunch bags. 

And I have another one coming soon maybe after Christmas with a flower cart/market/delivery truck theme with a cutout paper cart in the works. The papers are from MyPorchPrints on etsy but I don't want to get ahead of Spring just yet.

I didn't even use all the papers and tags that come with this set. There are so many of them to mix and match. I want to add some white sparkle snow and snow flakes to the pages but I'm almost done with it. Then it's on to the next.

It was such fun to work on this beautiful graphic kit. The only thing it was missing was a polar bear. I loved all the glitter!