Recycle and use an altered book as a journal

Altered books make very cool journals because they eliminate that fear of the blank page, or "spoiling" a new journal.

I painted the cover with light blue acrylic paint. Milk paint or chalk paint also distresses nicely. I let it dry over night and sanded it lightly with a green scotch bright pad. 

I didn't have to prepare the original surface because it was book cloth and absorbed the paint readily.

Now is the time to remove some of the pages. Randomly tear out sections until you are left with a good amount left in the book. I then took a ruler and carefully tore the remaining pages leaving a small edge about 2 inches. These are what you are going to add your artwork and collage to. Use a good quality paper glue (such as PVA) Be creative and use different weights and types of paper.

Here are some examples of what the pages look like. As you can see this journal is ready and waiting for me to begin.

Here is another way to transform a book into a journal. I liked the large format of this coffee table book. I decided to leave the pages intact, they were a good size and weight. So I removed first and last signatures and prepared the pages with gesso.

Oh, the possibilities......

Children's book or board  books

Reader's Digest Condensed Books

Use your imagination, you'd be surprised with how many everyday things you can turn into a journal. Good Luck!

Don't forget to follow me on instagram stories @lynncorsibland for the #stayathome journal challenge that starts on May 1st.

LET'S TAKE A RISK AND START AN ART JOURNAL NOW!

"Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly."

Robert Schuller

Grab your books and let's get inspired.......


Supplies you will need before you begin:

journal or altered book
paint, can be any that you like working with, watercolor, watercolor pencils, pens, or inexpensive craft paint
gesso, this is a white, flat paint that dries with a rough finish, makes a great ground for pages. Pastel or white craft paint works as well.
scissors
brushes
pens or pencils
matte medium or glue stick for adhering papers
variety of thin collage papers: these can be from magazines, junk mail, old book pages, painted papers, etc.


















Here are a few recent journal pages as examples.




This is a minimalist page with paint and very little collage, without text










These pages are just some doodles with a fine line micron pen. It's a great to get you warmed up and get your right brain in gear.





A page with collage and paint
Art journaling can help us to express our emotions, or be about something that is troubling us.




This page is strictly collage and I added the word art and the stripes with a marker.


Don't forget to follow me on instagram @lynncorsibland for the #stayathome Journal Challenge, May 1st in my stories.

#STAYING HOME

What a crazy time we are living in today! I felt this would be a great time to connect with all of you, since we are spending time at home, with no idea when we will be able to see the light up ahead.

As an artist I am enjoying spending more time making art. Art can be a solitary practice, so I am pretty good at social distancing. I do miss time with friends, and family. It is important for all of us
to be serious and stay away from others for the common good.

I enjoy working in my sketchbook or journal every day, and have been doing this for the last 16 years.  I never kept a diary or journal growing up but loved to make art. So when introduced to Art journaling I had found a perfect match. The beauty of this is anything goes because it it for just you!
If you feel the need to write a few words, thats great, if not, paint, draw, scribble, anything that motivates you. After keeping an art journal for a while it becomes habit, and looking at completed ones you have done will show your progress in art and life.

I would like to motivate you to start one in the coming weeks. I will be posting photos and prompts to help you get inspired. I will be sharing lots of journal pages on my instagram feed and hope you will follow along with me. @lynncorsibland.

First step is to find a physical journal. They are available in all sizes. There are many out there to purchase online and delivery is right to your door. Altered books, old day planners, and handmade books make great ones. The only prerequisite is sturdy pages that can take mixed media. Thin sketchbook paper does not hold up. I prefer a spray bound book but it is up to you.




Here are some ideas using old books and calendars to alter. I always check thrift stores for children's
books, especially board books because the pages are nice and thick.





Coffee table books also make good  altered journals. I haven't done the cover yet. this next photo shows a gessoed page ready to work on.



This one is an old do it yourself book from Goodwill. I liked the size, the pages were a little thin so I glued two of them together to use.




Below is a journal made from cereal box cardboard bound with a simple coptic stitch.

Don't forget to follow me on instagram. @lynncorsibland for my journal challenge and journal pages.