Remember: Bring your messy self, take what you need (no such thing as being behind), and remember that more than zero is enough. Here's the prompt for today's Messy May:Create a new, dedicated home for your Messy May journey by binding an imperfect,...
Art Journal Catalysts
Bookbinding
Whimsy + Curiosity Suggested Journal
Whimsy + Curiosity#gmseasonofwhimsy #gmseasonofcuriosityThis season, the suggested journal is a Handbound Journal. Need some inspiration? Here ya go!If you'd like to dig...
01 – Making the Journal
In this lesson I will take you through the process of making a simple and scrappy journal using mixed media paper and painted fabric strips as the signatures. The cover is made from...
Welcome to Body of Art
Welcome An invitation into being vulnerable with yourselfWelcome I’m beginning this class with no makeup, no elaborate hair, and no pants. Just kidding. It’s a small gesture of vulnerability in the hopes that you’ll meet me with your own gesture of...
Expanded Spine Art Journal
The incredible Diana was so inspired by Claudette's journal in the Courageous Adventures in Art Journaling class that she played around, figured things out by pausing a video, and made a similar journal. And then another and another. And then we're...
Pleasure + Liberation Suggested Journal
Pleasure + Liberation#gmseasonofpleasure #gmseasonofliberationThis season, the suggested journal is an Altered Book Journal. Need some inspiration? Here ya go! (I've...
Day 01 Starting
Remember: Bring your messy self, take what you need (no such thing as being behind), and remember that more than zero is enough. Here's the prompt for today's Messy May: Start. Either by opening your journal to a new page or by binding a journal just...
06 My Story
Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug history’s in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The...
05 My Worth
Set yourself up for heart-led creating. Smell the flowers. Pick a few. Close your eyes in the sun. Take the murdered flowers to your workspace. Feel the earth at your feet. Notice the details. Breathe in. Make a cup of tea. You're ready. What does my mind...
04 My Truth
At the core of who you are is your truth. We often need to remind ourselves of this truth. The world likes to try to get us to forget. Journaling.Meditating.Heartstorming.Creating. All of these are great ways to remind us of our truth. For MIND, meditate on the...
03 Creation
To prepare for the creating in the next three lessons, connect with what each of the three areas mean to you. Create a mood board, curate a kit of supplies that soothe you, and bring you back towards yourself. Grab a slice of cake...Download the mood board templates...
Dear Self: A Framework for Worthiness
Worthiness#gmseasonofworthinessThis season's artwork is created by @valloves2create Dear Messy Artist You are worthy. Not because you have done anything, but simply because...
All of Self
Self#gmseasonofselfWe as human beings are complex. By focusing on the details of ourselves, we are able to fully appreciate and celebrate them. Process Step One: Digitise your...
SOUL
Self#gmseasonofselfDownload the Season of Self: Soul Sidekick Save this file to your computer, print it out, and keep it inside your journal to spark journal ideas.For each lesson...
BODY
Self#gmseasonofselfDownload the Season of Self: Body Sidekick Save this file to your computer, print it out, and keep it inside your journal to spark journal ideas.For each lesson...
Ideas for non-zine journals and ideas for using self-portraits
Self#gmseasonofselfAre you a zine non-believer? It's okay. The zine won't take it personally. I'm sharing a few alternatives to creating a zine for the season. Because you are such...
How to make a zine
A zine is a handmade magazine or mini-comic about anything you can imagine: favorite bands, personal stories, subcultures, or collections. They contain diary entries, rants, interviews, and stories. They can be by one person or many, found in stores, traded at comic conventions, exchanged with friends, or given away for free.
Envelope Pocket Journal
Finishing#gmseasonoffinishing[wpseo_breadcrumb]Let's set ourselves up to finish strong this year. I'll be showing you how to create and easy envelop pocket journal that can be accommodated into...
The Bloom Book Cover
Bloom#gmseasonofbloom[wpseo_breadcrumb]Let's get messy with color and bloom the cover of the Bloom Book. Using collage elements, lines and color, create a...
The Bloom Book
Bloom#gmseasonofbloom[wpseo_breadcrumb]After a severe winter full of rain, snow and wind, nature is reborn and shines for us in a stunning beauty. Blooming...
How to bind a vintage book into a junk journal (no perfection needed)
Bind your own journal using an old book… as old as you’d like. With a lot less perfection than you think you need.
Staggered junk journals
Home [wpseo_breadcrumb]Page through the pages of Char's Season of Home journal, and hear its story. In the video, Char also shares a few other ideas for journals she's made in the...
Welcome
Welcome to the class!
Lesson 1 – Pamphlet Stitch
We are going to start with a simple, but versatile stitch that will enable you to quickly start creating your own beautiful, handmade art journals.
Japanese Ledger Binding
Reflection Learn how to create a beautiful art journal with a quick and easy binding. The Japanese Ledger binding looks impressive but it’s very simple and can be made with an...
Lesson 2 – Long Stitch
The long stitch is a beautiful yet simple way to bind your signatures into a cover. You will be attaching the paper to the spine of your book. The width of the spine and its strength will determine how many signatures you can add into your book.
Lesson 3 – Coptic Stitch
The Coptic stitch is an open spine binding. This means that you only need covers, not a book with a spine.
Lesson 4 – French Link Stitch
This stitch is very decorative one and is at the top of our list for difficulty. Just like the Coptic stitch, it allows your journals to lie very flat. Because the open spine is so pretty to look at, I tend to bind thicker journals with this stitch.
Bonus – Three Hole Pamphlet Stitch
This is the easiest way to bind leftover paper scraps into a great little booklet that is incredible versatile.
Closing Thoughts
Further bookbinding resources
Season of Starting Intentions
Starting Beautiful artist! Welcome to the Season of Starting. No matter what kind of starting you are doing, I'm excited for you. The first week of a season is dedicated to...
How to make a paper bag junk journal
Home [wpseo_breadcrumb]Char DeRouin Char is an artist, designer and maker whose work is abstract, intuitive and organic in style, with a no-rules approach. She is influenced by...
Using Commonplace Books as a Weapon Against Perfectionism
Failure The last time I counted back to see how long I’ve been keeping commonplace books, I thought it’d been about twelves years or so, but since then I’ve found...
Make a quick accordion art journal
Creativity For this season, I thought long and hard about what type of journal would work best for my journal's theme: A Wrinkle In Time. I wanted something that was very...
Postcard Multibook
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DIY a Mini Selfie Scrapbook with Paint Chips
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Lesson 1 – Assembling the Book
How to assemble your own chosen papers into a simple art journal.
One World – A Mixed Media Concertina Art Journal
Ubuntu Basic Supplies: Large sheet of smooth medium weight paper like Arches hot press - 22”x30” 90lb/185gsm Fluid paints in favorite colors like Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint Brayer...
1.2 Preparing the Journal
how to choose, and prepare paper for a handbound journal
1.3 Binding the Journal
how to bind the journal using threaded saddle stitch
Bookbinding Secrets with Kiala
Bookbinding expert, Kiala, takes us step by step through binding a journal.
How to make an easy journal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6MTr2A5j1c
Creating a journal of the tides of your year
Nature Hi Get Messy friends. It's Elizabeth here with my final tutorial of the year. And what a year it has been. I have been so grateful to connect with you, and have been so...
How to make an envelope journal
Connections Hey y'all! It's Katie here with my tutorial for the Season of Connections! Have you ever had a penpal? I used to have half a dozen of them when I was a...
How to make a folded accordion book about everyday details
Connections One of my most favorite ways to include my life in my journals is to make the mundane magical. I love taking the day’s routine and drawing it out with color and...
How to make a pop up art journal
Fairy Tales [wpseo_breadcrumb]Hello lovelies! It's Ashley here with a fresh new tutorial. As you know, fairy tales are full of ups and downs, twists and turns, trials and...
How to make an accordion folded journal
Fairy Tales [wpseo_breadcrumb]Surprise! It's Misty! Normally Vanessa kicks off our seasons but she was kind enough to switch with me for Season of Fairy Tales so I could show...
Make an upcycled journal from gift wrapping supplies
Gifts Hi there everyone, it's Tanyalee here with my final tutorial post for the 2016 Get Messy Creative Team, I have loved every minute of my CT duties and look forward to what...
Art Journals from Found Materials
Dreams One of the best aspects of art journaling is that there are literally no rules. None at all. This applies even to your journals. Let me back up. I know most of us all...
Easy watercolor tiny book
Lists Hey messy people! Nina here.When you’re taking on a huge project – like a daily challenge or a 30 lists album – it can prove quite necessary to take a shortcut on some...
Make your own notebook using pamphlet stitch
Lists Hello, Get Messians! It’s Vanessa here to help you kick off this Season of Messy Lists. I am definitely a Lister and I love making notebooks to house them in. I’ve met a lot of people through...
Creating and filling an accordion album
Happy Hi everyone, Tanyalee here from the Creative Team. I'm going to give you an insight into my process for a journal page. Not just any journal page though, an accordion album using supplies sent...
Prepping an Altered Book
Words In the video, I show you how to take pages out of your book by finding the signatures and by ignoring the signatures. I demonstrate how to prepare a page for paint with gesso. I also show you...
Resources for making an altered book
Words We're giving the prep an entire week in the season. Use this time to prepare the cover and pages, then share your book on Instagram with #getmessybook. For some people, this week will feel too...
How to staple large zines
Brave This is one of those ‘a-HA’ moments. I could never figure out how to staple together pieces of paper that were too big for my stapler to reach. I saw this on the net somewhere a few years ago,...