HeartYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Explore how to make moveable collages in your art journal. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more...
Making Moveable Collages by e bond
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Art Journal Catalysts
Tutorial
Lovingly Stitched by Alyssa Griese
HeartYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Stitch a love note or kind word to yourself or to someone you love. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know...
Color & Paper Mixing by Roben-Marie Smith
MessYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Gather papers by color and collage them into your sketchbook for project inspiration. Bonus Save this file to your computer, print it out, and...
Grungy Papers by Melanie Theriault
MessYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create grungy tissue papers with a gel plate and acrylic paints to use as a quick background. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take...
Words and Lists by Abbey Sy
OKYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a journal spread with a list of things that make you feel OK. Start with the phrase "I feel ok when..." and get creative with your...
Imperfect Face by Iris Fritschi-Cussens
OKYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Draw and paint an imperfect face with simple raw art journaling techniques Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know...
Feelings from Music by Anouk Karssen
VulnerabilityYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: While you listen to a song that moves you, that reminds you of a happy memory or simply inspires you. Take a moment to feel what...
Our Archaeological Dig by Lisa Goddard
VulnerabilityYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Work in layers to express different aspects of yourself and your life. Imagine an archaeologist peeling back each layer in 200...
Floral Sister Pages by Camila Garcia
EnoughYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a double-page spread in which one flower is explored in two different ways using the same colour pallet. Work with your favourite media...
Inspiring People Sketches by Shemi Dixon
EnoughYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create fun, and messy people sketches to honor the inspiring people in your life. Supplies Journal Paper scraps Washi Tape glue tissue paper...
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...
Challenge: Artist Affirmations
I love to incorporate artist affirmations into my art journal practice. Let’s create a beautiful and meaningful art journal spread to silence our inner critics.
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...
Challenge: Transformation
Moments #gmseasonofmoments Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create an art journal page using the word Transformation as the theme. Bonus points: Limit your...
Mindfulness Through Art
Mindfulness#gmseasonofmindfulnessMindfulness. Turning towards ourselves and listening. Being patient and curious and open. Imagine how much our...
Recipe 24
#getmessyrecipes painted papers floral images circle punch alphabet stamps ink pad glue Punch several circles out of your painted papers and floral images....
Recipe 23
#getmessyrecipes two black and white photographs black acrylic paint white gel pen gesso old gift card small paintbrush large paintbrush stamp and ink pad...
Recipe 22
#getmessyrecipes watercolor floral images word phrase stamp ink pad paintbrush scissors glue Choose three colors of paint that coordinate with your floral...
Recipe 21
#getmessyrecipes Background papers (see the PDF for printable options) Clip art (see the PDF for printable options) Scrap paper, ledger paper, favorite paper...
Recipe 20
#getmessyrecipes Background papers (see the PDF for printable options) Clip art (see the PDF for printable options) Ledger paper or any paper you love to write...
Recipe 19
#getmessyrecipes Background papers (see the PDF for printable options) Clip art (see the PDF for printable options) Scrap paper, ledger paper, favorite paper...
Recipe 18
#getmessyrecipes Art Journal Water jar Brushes, one medium flat, one small flat Colorful, art paper scraps, magazine ephemera, scrapbooking paper, wrapping...
Recipe 17
#getmessyrecipes Art Journal - the paper should be able to withstand watery media (watercolor paper and high quality mixed media paper works well) Water jar and...
Recipe 16
#getmessyrecipes Art Journal - paper should be able to withstand watery media Water jar and brush (any kind) Several watercolor crayons or Stabilo Woody pencils...
Recipe 15
#getmessyrecipes Food packaging, cleaned and cut out (choose the ones that will fit your current journal) Acrylic Paints and brush. Pick your favorite paint....
Recipe 14
#getmessyrecipes Dried and emptied used tea bags, coffee filters, leftover painted papers, magazine cut-outs and security envelope (choose the ones that will...
Recipe 13
#getmessyrecipes Unfinished/ extra tags and magazine cut-outs (choose the ones that will fit your current journal) Any homemade embellishments – I used clay....
Self Love through Collage
Worthiness#gmseasonofworthiness This lesson was originally released in the Season of Kindness. It holds so much value for the Season of Worthiness that - for the first time...
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...
Your Story is Worthy
Your Story is Worthy of Being ToldHello dear heroines, I feel so lucky to be back with you for a little bonus lesson. When Caylee mentioned that the next Season was that of Worthiness, it sparked some ideas when it comes to this class. The Inner Heroine is quite a...
Your Story is Worthy of Being Told
Sometimes, things get in the way of our art making – whether it’s time, emotions or life in general! But I want to impress upon you that you are worthy of taking this time for you, that your story – your journey – is worthy of being told as well.
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...
MIND
Self #gmseasonofself Download the Season of Self: Mind Sidekick Save this file to your computer, print it out, and keep it inside your journal to spark journal ideas. For each...
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.
Finishing with the Unfinished
Finishing#gmseasonoffinishingLet's finish our journal spreads with unfinished things. I know I have a lot of sketchbooks and journals of pages I didn't finish, forgot about, or...
Envelope Pocket Journal
Finishing#gmseasonoffinishingLet'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...
Choose Your Companion
Free Lesson - Choose Your CompanionThe Inner Heroine class is all about documenting a journey that we have undertaken and that has allowed us to grow. In telling our story through the lens of a heroine embarking on a grand adventure, we can be free of self-censorship...
Painting a ‘scene’ in your art journal
Spark#gmseasonofsparkOk so let’s get started! The goal is to create a ‘scene’ or a full painting spanning 2 pages or a spread in your art journal. Use whatever...
Imperfect brush lettering
Steven#gmseasonofstevenGetting an entire book into a journal I am not going to teach you exactly how to script letters and how to combine them. Please use my own...
Quick tip: Processing a book for art
Steven#gmseasonofstevenGetting an entire book into a journal Before we get into the techniques, let's talk a bit about how to process your book.Steps for...
Preparing your journal for art
Steven#gmseasonofstevenPrep Your Journal In the video I'll go through the initial prep for an altered book journal. Remember that your journal is a work in...
The Bloom Book Cover
Bloom#gmseasonofbloomLet'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#gmseasonofbloomAfter a severe winter full of rain, snow and wind, nature is reborn and shines for us in a stunning beauty. Blooming...
Journaling Exercise: What do you need more of?
More#gmseasonofmoreWe're going to take our art to the next, deeper, level today. Grab a journal and pen and spend some time answering these four questions: What was the process of...
More Depth: Watercolor Layering
More#gmseasonofmoreFor this workshop we are going to focus on adding more depth into our art process. Whatever that means for you, take your time, in these crazy times, and go deep...
Bonus – How to Use Sketched Faces in Your Art Journal
In the class I teach you how to draw faces from start to finish, but for this free lesson, I wanted to share a printable with y’all and demonstrate how you can use faces in your art journal. So I’ve created 4 different printable faces for you to use (whether or not you take the class!) in your work.
Bonus – Make Your Art Bloom with Botanical Collage
Botanicals in art journaling > Bonus BECOMING BOTANICAL BY COLLAGING FLORALS It's kind of obvious now that one of my muses in art journaling is all things botanical. I have a fun...
An intuitive approach to building a layered spread
Focus#gmseasonoffocusIn this video I’ll be sharing a layered spread from start to finish in my handmade journal. These spreads used to intimidate me, but not any...
Incorporating your favourite elements into an art journal spread
Focus#gmseasonoffocusIn this video, I’ll take you step by step through my process of creating a spread which combines all the elements of my work. I will show you...
5 elements to meaningful journal pages
This workshop gives you a run down of 5 simple things to strive to include in your journal pages to ensure you are filling them with meaning, purpose, story telling and emotion. How to successfully encapsulate the significance of a moment no matter how small it may be.
Lettering
Belonging#gmseasonofbelongingTurn your monoprinted pages into lettering with Mou's technique.Transcript (this transcript is automatically generated and is sure to contain...
Monoprinting
Belonging#gmseasonofbelongingIn this workshop, Mou walks you through the supplies she uses for monoprinting, and guides you through her process for creating a monoprinted...
Bonus: Going large in an A3 sketchbook
Less#gmseasonoflessTaking everything we've learned in the first tutorial, we are now going to take the same colours and techniques and go large. When you open up an A3 sketchbook...
Creating massive impact with minimal resources
Less#gmseasonoflessIn the previous lesson, we explored our colour palette and mark making. Now we'll be bringing it all together.Action Steps pull everything together in a...
Colour Mixing
Season#gmseasonoflessIn this tutorial learn how to explore the full possible range of a limited colour palette, and experiment with mark making. In the next lesson, we'll pull it...
Layers of Reflection
Reflection Reflection happens often for me, I define it as giving serious thought to something. That something usually involves a good measure of self-reflection too. For...
Welcome
Welcome to the class!
Quieten the Itty-Bitty-Shitty Committee
Holly guides you through mindful art practice to go from unkind self words to positive affirmations.
Silhouette Reflections
Reflection The end of the year is a good time to reflect on the past year and our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. This tutorial will show you how to combine written...
Journal your Dream
Reflection We’ll make a journal page reflecting on a dream we’ve had for this week’s Artist Date with Thea. This can be a recurring dream, a recent dream, or a daydream! Thea...
Messy Mandalas
Reflection In this Artist Date, Clare will guide us on how to make a ‘Torus’ mandala base using a compass, along with a freeform method which needs no equipment apart from a...
Transformational Tea
Reflection In this tutorial, watercolor pens and a squirt bottle magically transform paper towels, as the process of appreciation changes your reflections about yourself....
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.
Inner Glow: A Shadow Box Collage Tutorial
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...
Create a Life Mind Map
Reflection Life Mind Maps are a fantastic way to reduce anxiety. They give a bird’s eye view of your life and helps you be objective. When you know exactly...
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...
Creative Warm-Up Exercises
During this hangout, Jenny shared a creative warm-up exercise that can be used for those busy days when it’s hard to fit art in.
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.
Making and filling a grid with Gilly
Habit Gilly guides us through the relaxing art of making a grid by colour, doodle, paint, collage or mixture of different things.Using a thick piece of paper or art journal we'll...
Creating Everyday with Artist Trading Cards
Habit This lesson will take you through a week long creative habit that I like to do in my own art practice. For 6 days, we will set ourselves up to create an artist trading card...
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.
Reuse the “meh”: Giving art a second life
Habit Art as a habit is great! But creating lots of art also means you'll create some you're not happy with. With these ideas, transform old art into something new & beautiful!...
Season of Documenting Reflection
Documenting This Season was so FULL don’t you think? There is something about having two long months to really explore a subject and to get our creative juices flowing. Here is a look at...
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.
Floral Junk Journaling
Documenting In this lesson, you'll learn what junk journaling is and see examples of Meg's own junk journals. She'll show you how you can create your own floral inspired junk...
Document your Inner Landscape
Documenting In this lesson Caroline shows you how she uses her everyday journaling practice as a resource for art projects and inspiration. She believes that our inner...
Bonus – Three Hole Pamphlet Stitch
This is the easiest way to bind leftover paper scraps into a great little booklet that is incredible versatile.
How to include yourself in your art
Documenting Sasha Zinevych Sasha is a memory keeper and mixed media artist from Ukraine who currently lives in Poland. She is mesmerized by other people's journals and...
Re-start: Six practical ways to get back into journaling when you’ve taken a break
Starting Tanyalee Kahler Tanyalee Kahler is an Australian mum turned artist. She loves creating mixed media art journals, dabbling with watercolours, publishing magazines...
Closing Thoughts
Further bookbinding resources
Embodying the Fool: How to feel the fear and take the leap anyway
Starting can be difficult. The way ahead is obscure, we are afraid of failing or of getting lost on our journey. So how can we set off boldly, how can we be daring? We must embody the Fool. The Fool is an archetype that allows us to take a leap of faith, to go ahead even if we are fearful. When we are able to look ahead with enthusiasm and energy and when we know that whatever lies ahead is part of our journey and will support us, we are embodying the Fool archetype. This allows us to feel free as well as (perhaps paradoxically) in control of our own destiny. That is when we are happy to start. We will use water soluble media to create an inspiration wave to encourage us to start. Let’s gather this wave of positive energy and let’s be intentional in finding the mantras that carry us forward and let’s take that leap! Let’s start in this creative journey together.
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...
Recipe 12
#getmessyrecipes acrylic paint in a bright or fluorescent colour black and white image or Xeroxed image (if you don't have one, you can download one of flowers...
Recipe 11
#getmessyrecipes black and white image or pattern (e.g. music sheet, old book, handdrawn pattern, if you don't have this, print the ephemera below) tissue...
Recipe 10
#getmessyrecipes a poem on paper - written by you, from a magazine, or you can use one scanned in from an old e e cummings book (just click below) image from a...
Recipe 09
#getmessyrecipes /your gorgeous self pencil modeling paste acrylic paint stencil (if you'd prefer, you can download and print the background) brush pen (if...
Recipe 08
#getmessyrecipes magazine image to use as the focal point pattern from a magazine to use as a background text from a magazine ledger paper (if you don't have,...
Recipe 07
#getmessyrecipes dried tea bag typewriter or computer printer collage fodder - 2 pieces that mean something to you, 1 piece that you simply love, and 1 piece...
Recipe 06
#getmessyrecipes paint your favourite paper old ledger paper or book paper (click here to print if you don't have your own - make sure to print on both sides)...
Recipe 05
#getmessyrecipes two colours of paint in the same colour family pencil a dark or light colour paint paint in an opposing colour old credit card, gift card, or...
Recipe 04
#getmessyrecipes four colours of paint - acrylic, gouache, watercolour, whatever acrylic ink or fluid acrylic paint marker stencil One Add small smears of...
Recipe 03
#getmessyrecipes scraps of artwork, preferably matching scissors and glue brush pen or actual paint brush dipped into paint thread - either on a sewing machine...
Recipe 02
#getmessyrecipes old book or book pages (if you don't have any, click here to download and print with a laser printer) gesso or white acrylic your favourite...
Recipe 01
#getmessyrecipes collage papers tape - washi or masking tape glue acrylic paint watercolour, ink, or watered down acrylic a typewriter, computer, or magazine a...
How to make a paper bag junk journal
Home 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...
The Voice of this Moment: Using Journaling to Find Meaning and Hope
Connect with your deepest self in your journal, and discover a vantage point on the current crisis that offers meaning and hope.
Lesson 4: Create a Muse Dictionary
Inspiration How To Create a Muse Dictionary A 'Muse Dictionary' is simply a catalog of your muse and it's definitions, symbols, meanings, etc. It's a quick and...