Handmade Mixed Media Art Journal using Found Papers

1. Intro: it doesn't really matter if you're an established artist or just starting out on your creative journey. The fear of the white sheet of paper can actually stop you from starting your creative process. So with this in mind, I've created this class and which I'm going to show you how you can create your own mixed me up gentle from scratch. My name is Nina. I'm a mixed media artist, journal maker and online content creator on I live here in the UK Right from the start, we are going to use materials that you would normally have chucked into the recycling, one of them being a brochure, which we're going to use as the base for our Mixed Media Art journal. We are then going to transform the pages off this brochure with MAWR discarded on found pieces of paper. This class is perfect for anyone who's starting out on the mixed media journey or anyone who would like to learn how to make their own mixed media art journal while making your job . You are actually creating the first layer or background to any future artwork you're going to start on. You could also use the individual pages and backgrounds has promised to get started. You'll also find that turning something seemingly worthless into an art journal immensely satisfied. You'll be starting your mixed media journey by creating your own art journal on. Once it's finished, you won't have to fear that blank page in your journal. So if you like the idea of creating your own mixed me are journal just enrolled in this class, and I'll see you in the next video. 2. Tools & Materials: First of all, let's talk about the tools and materials are you are going to need for this class. Basically, for this class or you need is a pair of scissors. Andi a glue stick. Those two are going to be the most important tools. I prefer to use a glue stick because a dries quicker than PV a glue Andi I find with PV a glue. Uh, for me, it's a lot more hassle because I've got it in a big bottle and then after, pour it into a smaller container and then I need to use brush on. Then there's so much more cleaning involved, and I find that I get the glue everywhere, but a few free to use PV a glue, but I find it takes longer to dry, so I would really recommend using a glue stick, possibly a pencil, if you want. Teoh needed to make any marks, but I don't think that will be necessary on maybe a cutting mat and a knife or a Gyu teen, but that will come into place mainly when we're doing the cover on. Then let's have a look at the materials on their festival. We should be talking about the brochure you are going to use or you will be using in this class. You can see that at least here in the UK, we seem to be getting them in in kind of like a typical size. That's what I would cause of a five. So if you had a piece of printer paper Andi afforded in half of this is size you would get now for the paper quality. A lot of thes have a matte finish on ah, thicker paper quality, which is really important for this project rather than something that is like, This catalog is a shiny paper, and it's definitely thinner. And you want something that can hold the weight off the paper that we're going to glue onto the pages also with the number off pages That's totally up to you. You might want to start with something that hasn't got that many pages. I mean, you can always take some off the pages out or just start creating some mixed media backgrounds on then kind of. Once you start working with your journal, you can always add mawr to them. So the number of pages is really completely and utterly up to you. Also, something else to look out for is the binding. As you can see, all of the's brochures have bean staples, so they're being held. Pages are being held together with Staples on that will allow the book to fold open really nicely. It is also a lot easier to, uh, stick all the mixed media backgrounds onto the pages rather than having a book that is kind of bound a little bit like a paper book. Oh, a paperback book where all the pages are single sheets that have been glued back that have been glued together at the spine. There's wouldn't work that well for this. So please try and find something that has bean stapled on. You have Aaron easier job in creating your makes me yard journal. Now I'm going to talk you through the kind of papers that I'm going to use in this class in order to give you an idea of what you might be able to use in order to find at home. I'm working a lot with paper. Anyway, I've got a whole box filled with off cuts, and I really liked use those for my mixed media are journals. But if you haven't got any off cuts of homes or Dibley Stone Bori because we can create our own my one of my preferred go to papers are envelope. Start collecting the envelopes that come through in the mail because you will find that they've got the most amazing patterns on the inside, and you can also use the paper and so many projects, so I'll be using envelopes. Then look, pages I'm not saying issued a grab a book just off your shelves. But there might be books that you no longer need. Maybe paperbacks that falling apart. You might come across a book and a charity shop, and the next time you're on a charity shop a ball past one, it's definitely worth while going inside and having a look. Four books, because I really like to use pages, Or maybe a Nolde dictionary or a textbook that is an up to date anymore. And sheet music is another really good way of fusing out materials. Who might be able to find sheet music that nobody wants in a charity shop, then wallpaper remnants of wallpaper or wallpaper samples and just any kind of a notebook you might, um, have at home. You know, I've got all these little notebooks that I've started using on Bond, and they're just sitting on the shelf. But they are, you know, they're line, they've got squares. Andi have different Conners. And those are really good to use, then. Different kinds of napkins. If you've got any at home that have nice patterns or just nice colors, tissue paper is a really nice way off, adding to your mixed India background on then catalogues again thinking about the paper. This is a really nice matte paper. I would probably not go for anything glossy because you will want to use, uh, various pains on your mixed media background on with glossy pages. Some of the pains might not be able to be absorbed by the glossy texture, and then you could also use coloring in books if you've got them. Onda. Also, if you have any artwork or any sketches, anything you're not quite happy with, or kind of like. Any creative mishaps keep hold of them because if you cut them into pieces or rip them into little bits, you can use them as mixed media background. So you're reusing work you've already created, and it will look very different as a background. So that's something else you might want to keep holder for or possibly use in your journal . And then, lastly, if you were going to bind your art journal, I'm going to give you an option, or I'm going to show you how I bind them because even though they've got the staples in them, if you are adding lots of paper to them and you're working with them a lot, the staples might not be strong enough, so you might want to be looking into something to hold all the pages together. And that's what I really like. Teoh. Bind them on what I'm using four is just You don't need any special needle. It's like a thick, darning needle you can use on embroidery. Floss, for this is book binding thread. It's usually waxed linen thread, but embroidery, floss, death, a job. Really well, then an old to punch the holes. But if you haven't got one, just a thumbtack does the job really nicely 3. Before we start: So just a few words before we get started. I've created this class in a way that it's perfect for beginners who are new to mixed media art journaling eso. For some of you, it might be enough to just watch the video with tools and materials and maybe the first video where I'm showing you how I create the pages office journal on. Then you know what you're doing and then you can just skip to the project section. However, I thought, if you're a beginner, you might still want to see a few more examples and see how I'm working. I'm also trying to give you a few ideas of how you can create your pages. So I have created more videos where I'm showing how I'm creating a with the various pages in the mixed media art journal. Andi, I'm also comparing this size to a little challenge. I set myself where I'm creating. Uh, it makes me up journal for my Travelers notebook, so you will get to see that as well 4. Getting Started - Page 1: I'm ready to get started with the little booklets. I've got a few here. I I think just for this class I'm going Teoh choose one that hasn't all that money pages, so I get a chance to finish it in this class. I think I would normally probably be tempted to go for one that has more pages just so that I've got more to work with. I quite like to have more pages in my mixed media journals, but I really like this size, so I'll put these 2 to 1 side on. I'll be working with this one. It's a really nice paper. It's It's Matt. It's also not. It's not quite as thick as Thea others, but it's kind of thick enough to be able to work with Andi. It's also important it's not glossy because I find that most blotting papers, Ah, thinner. Then, however, I I'm going to do a little experiment because I would like to create a mixed media journal for my Travelers notebook. So I found this former and as you can see, it's a Hey festival program, and I thought that it's very close to Travelers notebook. Insert side and see, it's not quite as wide, but it would still fit into a Travelers notebook, and I also think that it might work. So this is going to do my experiment. So this book, this booklet, is going to be for our class on, then on a side. I'm also going to make this one. As you can probably see, it actually has glossy paper, but the pages aren't that. Then it's like expect the same thickness is this year, I would say, but I'll start with this one first. But as you can see, I've thought loads of bits and pieces of paper on my table when I'm working. I really like to have it all out so that I don't have to really think I can just grab a piece of paper and then just stick it into my journal. I would probably normally have my two boxes, or at least one of the boxes sitting on the table, But that would be a good tricky in this class. So I thought, Just grab some paper, stick it on the table and coffee. I need mawr. Just grab a bit more, just for now. I'm going to leave the cover as it is, always tend to do the inside first and then come back to the cover A Z we can see. In this case, I wouldn't really need to do anything about the inside of this little booklet because it's already, you know, kind of like a color. So there's nothing really I don't need to hide on. The other thing is that, like the cover off off a notebook, I don't tend to ride on the inside of a note off the notebook. So what I might do, however, maybe you something like a thin a piece of paper or tracing paper. Put something on there later, so let's just get started with the first page on. As I said, I'll try not to overthink it, but just grab whatever is here. And then I've got my glue stick ready, Andi, because I don't want the pages to blue together. I've got an old envelope, and I'm just going to stick it between this page and the next so I can put blue turn to page right to the edge, getting blue all over my table. I don't necessarily pert kind of glue on all of the page at once because it has a tendency to first, I didn't see. I don't even bother to match that. It's hanging over because once it has dried, I can just cut off any bit of paper sticking out. And really, all I want to do is cover up the pages and cover up writing in this brochure so I can use it. It's just on, really. I can only recommend that you don't thing too much about it for just graphics and pieces. Aziz, you're working because you have to remember that this is just going to be the background to your mixed media. General. You might, in the end, be covering up with pains. It's just kind of like your first layer of any mixed media. I think this is also something you could just do when you listening. Teoh would your book, or you could do this while you're you're watching something on TV. The other thing you could do is instead of putting, grew onto the page. You could, uh, let me just grab another piece. He could describe the peace. You want to go on it under, and then just, you know, put glue on this piece of paper and then digital either I would have a way. IHS works best for you. I kind of tend to do both. I guess so. These two actually work really nicely together. And I didn't even think about it when I just grab that fit. If paper it was it's completely up to you. How big you want the pieces to be, You glue on. I'm just making the most off using up all my, um oh, my scraps. But I'm also going to show you a few other ideas for how you can cover up pages so you can see this is my first page done. You didn't take that long. Really? I don't always go in a certain order When I'm gluing the pages, I, uh my just do the second side. Sometimes I'm waiting for the first page to dry. Andi kind of go on to another page in the booklet. So I think I'm my do this, Uh, in this case, I have to say I might leave this image as it is for now on. Then use this in a mixed media project because I quite like the idea that you've got something there. And I like the Wellington boots all lined up so I might get Just leave this one. We could move on to the next. 5. Pages 2 & 3: on. Let's take this one on. Now I'm going to use Catholic bigger pieces of of paper to cover this up because it doesn't have to take very long. You know, you don't have to use up like tiny, tiny bits of paper. You can use bigger ones. So let's just go. This is quite a big one. So that start with this, um, then through some of office and have to say I really like the fact that we've got this side with the stamp on it. No, I just tear it in the event to give it a bit of a rougher to it. Andi was most of it on the page, so I'll just stick something behind this area. Harold, about this bitch that would work quite nicely. Was it? One of the things I really like about making these next media booklets is the fact that you , uh how do you get to play? And because you're just making a background you don't have to think about, You know, you don't have to overthink it. You just do something and it's just, you know, just really satisfying Also, to see how the page changes, how you create something from, um, you know, from a, uh, a brochure that might be quite boring thing into something completely different. I just need to find something for this corner. I'm really drawn toward that. For some reason, I'm now really drawn to all the blues. I suppose because I've got blue on their side and I've got blue here and now I feel like I want to add more blue to it. So even though I'm not trying to overthink, uh, the whole process, you know, you will find yourself doing something like that on. That's obviously completely okay, because he might just help you Kind of, like, make really quick decisions. On what paper? They're going to shoes next on. Dino did promise he would use bigger bits of paper, and now they're smaller ones. So try and make the next page just with maybe just one, one or two bits of paper. See, I'm just really tempted to just keep using up all my ruminative scraps on. It's just fun. I want to not really bothered if I choose one bit. If paper and then cover up a lot of the other bit of paper just stuck to the page. So it's OK. Okay, Let's go on to this one and have a look. Uh, what I might find to kind of use a bigger piece of pain. I really like the blues. I might leave some of the blue sticking out. Um, I think that would work quite well. Okay, so I could do is just a little bit. I just grew on something like something like you wanted it. You do that. I can always see it. I can always paper to it If I thought that, actually, I want to cover up for the blue, so I think that's what I'm going to do. So here we go, with just one, uh, paper. I would really up. Uh, I should really have to bits of scrap paper, like one that goes underneath the page. And then one can use to do all my doing. So if you're adding a blue to a piece of paper and you're not entirely sure if you've covered the whole paper, a good thing to do is to kind of just hold it up against light on. Then you will be able to spot all the little places or where you haven't put any blue onto the paper right north with this run because I just wanted to be kind of like a very tactile background to whatever I'm going to use it for later. I don't mind little little bubbles or little folds or if the paper isn't on there, kind of like 100% really flat, because that would just add to the whole texture. There we go. So we did that really quickly, and that's just one sheet of the one bit of paper I used to cover this up, so that didn't take very long. Um, so now in the next for the next energy pages, I wanted to just working. If you are not somebody's already working with paper crafts or if you haven't got a whole box of off cuts but, uh, kind of a completely new to paper crafts, anything like this, I would like to you the next couple of pages, and that's going to be the next video, just with materials that you are most probably going to have at home already in order to get you thinking about the kinds of paper that you've already got available and that you could be using in this project 6. Materials Recap: As I said, I want to talk through a few things that you can use if you haven't got a whole stash of off cuts at home, but are just starting with paper crafts, or you just think you haven't got anything home to get started on a mixed media notebook. So just a thing off what sort of paper you might already have at home. First of all, I can really recommend just keeping hold of any envelopes that you might get through in the post. I mean, get just the simple brown envelopes, those of really nice backgrounds. But then and I think most people don't really realize. Just take this off, that how maney amazing patterns can be found envelopes. And they come in all sorts of colors on all sorts of patterns, and they just make fantastic backgrounds. And you can use them for all sorts of things within your, uh, in a mixed media projects kind of many other projects. And I was really loved the fact that this way you are upside clearing, actually to bits that would normally obvious that would normally have ended up in the in the landfill, so or in the recycling first of four. You've got the brochure that you no longer need, and you might have just tossed it into the recycling on the same of the envelopes. Then the next thing is, if you have got any magazines, you could go through them. However, you have to make sure the pages aren't glossy. It's just that if you're later on, if you want to use if you want to draw on the pages whenever you come onto the glossy part , not or colors and pens will stick on the glossy surface. However, there are lots of magazines that have now different kinds of paper inside, like this one. It comes with patterns, pages inside, and they're quite a few out there that do that. So if you've got any of those, you can just go on pick any of the pattern papers, they would work really well. So that's an idea on then. Of course, if you like a coloring books, you can use either pieces that you've already colored in, Um, or you could just use little bits off a page and just use the pattern as a background kind of like make it up as you go along, then this'll is a fashion catalog. But what I really love about it it has this beautiful, beautiful paper which I used a lot in all sorts of my in my projects. But he can't have you Look at it. You could just use a very playing bit of the background or just some some pattern. So, you know, that works really well for this sort of project. Then let's think about any stationery that you've already got at home like I don't tiny notebooks. Andi, you can just use pages from, you know, various notebooks. This is just one has come out and you know it's crinkled, so I'm definitely going to use this as one of the pages. Then this is was my mom's Italian exercise notebook, and I thought it would be really fun to have one of thes pages as a background and then add something to it. I'm going to use this. Let me see then. This is something I picked up in a charity shop. Looks really bettered on the outside, but it has some really nice. I think he could even be handmade made paper. It's quite thick, so so I'm not quite sure how well it would stick and work with it. But just as an idea of kind of like to think about what kind of notebooks do you already have at home, for example, something like this. We've got squares and there's would look really nice. Then we've got some line paper because I've had this notebook sitting around at home for quite a while. You can see that the pages have kind of like a yellowed beautifully, Um, and just packaging paper is brilliant to use, and you might have got something if it no office at home as well. So I always keep hold of those. And then lastly, napkins. Oh, yeah, napkins and tissue paper things is just another off cut. You might just have some tissue paper home because you've been wrapping presents or something on any. No patter. Napkins are very nice. I'll be using those as well 7. Pages 4 & 5: So let's just get started on our next page. So now I have to make a decision on which, if all the options I'm going to go for first, I think what I might do because this is dried. So I just cut this off now and I'll just used the edge off the paper to cut a long on again . I'm going to use this little bit on at some in some other place in the book. Right further. Let's cover these two pages. Let me just like how about we start with page from the Italian notebook? Just And I think what I'm going to do is just glue it on as it is, because later on, once I start using it, I think I might use some water colors just to kind of wash this page. But for now, I'll just gluten. You could just do that with just a very there was a plane, uh, lined a sheet of paper were just think side of paper thin. The anything I probably would wouldn't be doing is just use a white sheet of paper because one of the reasons that we're doing this is really to get away from the fear of having to face a blank or white piece of paper to get started with our mixed media projects. New apart from being able to recycle and up cycle materials sue then on this side because I've only got kind of like one theme I recorded on this side. I think I would like to have something. We're amusing mawr on this just to give it a little bit of contrast on, uh, I'll use this better the envelope and I really like that pattern. I find it also kind of compliments the other side with the blue and white. I think that works really well worth it. When I'm gluing on the bits of paper, I try not go over the fold because I find if I do that, even if I glued on up to the edge, it they will start to kind of come away because of the constant movement. Though the paper that glued on is starting to kind of like come away. And I just find that annoying where that's just my personal preference, which doesn't mean that you know it doesn't happen to me, And if it does, then I just live with it, right? Then what else could we do? Maybe confined a difference pattern. Just let Teoh like maybe I could do this one done, and then we'll go and have a look at one of the, uh, one of the magazines, I think. Do you want it like that? Yes. Let's do this. I just remembered I actually bought two bits of paper. Now I think I might have a look if I can find something good pull to this. Was that? The thing is, if I don't like it, I can always glue something on top and it's just going to be my background. It's going to, you know, is going to change anyway. Of course I'm going to use this. But somewhere else on then, uh, for this corner, let me think what could be dio good. Very quite like this bid. Even with a little bits, there's I need something down here. Let's just create this honor is you can see this is a notebook that has bean used of scribbled something. Uh, this side there. It's being used in mixed media journal book. They're not just going to use a little bit here I think because I've got Brown here. I want to go for a bit if kind of brown paper. So I heard we go. We've got some here, but something was a bit wider, So just hair, some of the packing. I kind of just have it here like that. You can see a little bit of the paper has gone on over the other side. So after work will probably be starting to come away. But just for now, I'll just leave it because I don't want Teoh kind of try and a try not to your everything, kit. So good of this. And I can see if you compare these two. This almost looks a little bit bland in comparison. So I know that I'm going to do something with this page of even being thinking about possibly covering it up with, uh, something like, um, tissue paper. This is from a sewing pattern, because I feel like I would like to add another layer to give it a bit more texture, but the same time, I would like to be able to still see the writing on order to ah yet it a little bit darker that is, I might t stain it. That's one idea. I quite like the idea, adding another layer on top, just wondering if something like this would work as well. This is a napkin, Andi. I have done just to quickly show you if you haven't worked with napkins or doing kind of like any dick, a posh kind of work with napkins. Just to make you aware that most napkins have at least two layers of paper, you've got the one that has been printed on. Then there's at least one other layer. Um, the easiest way to take them apart is like going to one corner. They can get first layer. Off you go. So now this is ready to use. I'm very often, especially if they are kind of a bit more. That kind of like more expensive ones have to extra layers some of only one, but well, most of them normally come with two. I should probably say the very cheap ones only come with one, but it doesn't matter what kind just to make it. Where and kind of the second layer, the one that was closer to the outside layer was the show. Some of the data. Just have a look. So you could, for example, in this case, if you just wanted to have a little bit of a pattern, but not too much. You could use this as a lay on top. And, you know, I quite like that as well. So I think I might be thinking about adding this, but I might do that at a later point in time when actually know what I'm going to do with this page. Or I might just go for simple tissue paper a little bit like this one. I just glue it on top. So now I'm going to leave these two. I will move on to the next. So you already in the middle ever little notebook. I'll make this next video so that the individual videos aren't too long. So we'll go with this one in the next video 8. Pages 6, 7 & 8: so I think we're almost done. Let's have a quick look use. And I think we're just at the end. I had kind of an idea I want to do with these. So I started on this side. I think this'll is just a piece of paper where I've bean trying out some stamps I've been making from, Uh, yeah, yeah, it raises phrases stuff. But in the end, our TV, I really like the way it look. So I'm going to you that here. I actually stick something behind that. See, now that I have already made a choice, I'm starting to think more about where I want, um, pieces of paper to be away, how they work together. Whereas before where I was kind of just randomly choosing be papers. Uh, it had a completely different or I had a completely different approach. That so that's something really interesting Notice. I might also be really interesting to notice how you were best or what is your best approach to this on, then. Also work with what you find more challenging because you might come up with a completely different results in again. Yeah, this is another one. Just a sample sheet where I've bean playing around with printing on a war. That pattern, a wall pattern growed us, you know, uh, roll pattern Road, to be precise. So I've been holding on, Do you all sources papers, and it's really nice to be able to use them in a project like this. Two more. And I think I might actually go back to just pulling a few bits and pieces. Narrative the bag because, after say, really enjoyed the experience. That's the thing. You could also do a mix you could do mix, and I drew the few items you wanted to have on your page and then just have a bag with random surprises, you can add. Let's do a random surprise. I quite like this. That might be quite nice to have a Mathis's came from untold, while Not Super Old book. But, uh, let's say you're no up to date version. It's a street. I think it has Bean, Manchester or Liverpool think I found that in a charity shop. Let's go with this and we're almost done. There were initial I got to fill. I think that would do. Okay, so I think for the other page. What I'm going to do, I'm just going to choose bits of paper on going to speed up the whole process so you can watch me do it. But you don't have to be there in in real time. This'll is the back up envelope or the inside of an envelope to be precise on. I've stained it with teeth. - You can see waste before I glue a piece of on. I kind of have a look like Thanks. So here we go for another double page done. Andi, I think perhaps left is the last two pages. I'm counting the, uh, inside off the cover. Uh, Page, I think for this one get inspired by the green. Um, I've chosen a bitch off a map, which would look quite nice. I think I've been trying to include lots of ideas. How you can use will make use of different kinds of paper where you don't really have to go out by anything expensive. But just use what you've already got at home on my feet again. That if you'll using, um, papers and materials that you know on and under all that pressures, you are going to be more likely to actually use your mixed media journal to do something in it. Because if you were using really expensive papers, then I think you might end up having the same problem you did before. But this time it won't be kind of the fear of the white piece of paper. But mawr, the fear of our my goodness used really expensive materials on this page. So whatever I create just has to be really good on that might stop you on the whole idea off. Creating this journal is first of all, you know, just creating your journal is the part of mixed media. So you're doing this? The background is going Teoh, um, help you as already, has a problems. You don't have a white background. Um, you know, to work with all I would almost say work against, I find that so many, uh, positives bounce creating your own mixed media journal like that. I think this one's covered 9. Travelers Notebook Art Journal: you might have seen thes two pages on, then There are another couple of pages, but I haven't got any videos. Kind of like a making off video in this class On are The main reason for this is that my camera didn't, um, film them correctly, so I wasn't able to use that footage. But what I thought I'll do, just in case you would like to have more examples of how I'm creating the pages on create something similar to the pages that have now being missed out in the class. And also because I wanted to give you an update or an idea how I'm getting on with the little, um, our journal. I thought I'll try and recreate similar pages in this little booklet. And then we can also talk about how I'm finding working with this one on to give you an idea of what it's like to work with the different formats and also how I'm getting on with the glossy paper and also the thinner paper. So we'll have a look. So what? I'll do ISS really in this one, I would cover the friend page as well. First of all, to give it a bit more stability and order because, well, that doesn't look all that appealing, so I would want to cover it, but well, maybe let's get the get this book back. So we have an idea of what you're trying Teoh do in this one, so a Z can see and this art enough. I've just covered the whole page in kind of like one bit of paper. This happens to be a tissue papers have a bit like a napkin, but this really gorgeous pattern, So I just use that. So I was thinking I could do something similar on this one, but in this case, I might go for some, um, tissue paper. Just have to see how well it covers what's going on underneath. And I think that should do the job because even if I can see a little bit underneath, I'll be adding more onto it once I start working with a page my paper to see. You can actually see the writing on the image of slightly, you know, looking through. But, um, that's all right. I'll just use that as part of my background for for this page, then on this side I've had a book page, then just some coffee. Died paper I never actually using. I am image from a magazine. It's a glossy magazine, but I just really liked this image. And I thought, I'll just put this in because of what I can do later on Once I start using it as an art journal or a mixed media background is to either apply Jess. Oh, too weird or even blue, something on draw than, let's say, used water colors on this one. So let's do something similar on this one, - As you can see, because the pages are over is the small off. Then in other off journal, it doesn't take all that long. Teoh quickly cover the pages. So that's definitely, um you know, Plus, if you were thinking of doing something smaller, I suppose this also gives you an idea of how you could in a way I wouldn't want to say copy , but work with the pages I've created. If you're totally new to all of this and you feel you would like a little bit more help with creating your pages, you could really use all the individual segments of this class to just say OK, let's see how this page is being set up and done, and then I'll try and find similar pieces off paper on. Make my own page on bond. In a way, I've bean copying this page, just getting the idea off. We know the different papers I was using on the layout. If we're looking at this one, it's similar, but it's still very different. So it's not as if you were coming to kind of like completely copying what I'm doing on. Do you know, I would mind that at all, because this class is all about you learning this technique. But it just shows you that even if you were following it really closely, you would come up with, you know, you're completely own journal and design. Now, let's quickly go to this fund because I would quite like to show you how I did this just as another idea. So let's move on, Teoh, The next double page. How did it now? Just kind of roughly trying and copy what I've done here on. Then talk about details when I get there. - Wait ! Get back, Teoh! This aren't gentle. I can see I've put some paper on here. Hasem Inc. Um yeah. Examples on there on this was just a piece of paper I've been using right playing around with ink drawings on. In the end, I really liked how all this looks. So I kept this on. Now I'm using it in the art journal. So this is just kind of an example where he can keep hold of sample pages or pages. Were you just trying out colors and then use them later on in another piece of artwork? Kind of opiate. I'm using this page here that I've been using to try out different stumps. So I'm again. I'm kind of trying to copy it, but it's still a little bit different. No, let's do this page. It's remained off. Uh, me playing around with alcohol inks on sheet music on. Then I was using it to make envelopes on. I kept the off cuts. Can use them in a way. Just a brown paper bag I got Why would that be local shops? Um, these mike really nice backgrounds as well do. Okay, so I've got my page here. Oh, at the little detail I've heard here, Onda, um, this was part off a napkin on and remember me talking about napkins and the different layers. This is the second layer off, um, a patent napkin, and I'm going to show it to, you know. So this is the original napkin design Onda. When I took it apart, the second layer, you can see still hope you can see this. There's still kind of faint imprint off the birds on the roses or the flowers there on Drew this on. I'm going to just take a little bit out of failed, do the same things I've done there. So I've got two birds. I'm not just I tear around the little bit of balls. I don't half this straight edge. Have to be careful. Tear the bird's head. Oh, you go because this material is so thin, I'm going to apply the glued to the page like put it, put it on the lighter background so I can actually still see the birds. So I know roughly where the glue needs to go. I've part the glue onto the page from then you can not. You can kind of just about see the birds on. In a way, this is also kind of something you can do when you start on mixed media background or you're starting to work on a background. Um, so I don't know yet if this is going to be my problem for anything I might do with it, but I might cover it up. But I just quite like the idea of having this faint imprint off these two birds. We've done a lot. The pages so thes would have bean kind of like the missing pages that I've done in the other art journal I know receive with this one. I would want to wait for positive for the glue to dry because that's some Louis and I wouldn't want these two pages to stick together, so it would definitely want to wait for the stripe before I moved on. Um, just a quick word on using the thinner pages. I do find that the papers do stick on the pages quite nicely. However, they do seem to, um, kind of I've got some more here. They do seem to buckle a lot more on. That's because they are thinner on. Do you know any kind of clue will contain some water so that will make it kind of like buck loads of it. I I think it will get better ones. I've brewed something on the back side of all of the's, but there might still be, I guess, maybe not quite as flat as the pages in here, but I'll give you an update at the end of this class just to let you know what this one looked like. And we will also have a little flip through this book. 10. Adding an Envelope Pocket: the easiest way of adding envelope to keep all the little bits and pieces together in your mixed media are journal is actually to use an existing envelope. You can use envelopes that you can just buy in a shop. I'm actually recycling an envelope, which I quite like doing. But just use whatever you've got at home on whatever you feel well, kind of like fit into your journal Onda auto the size that would work. I'm going to glue it on the inside of the back cover. So if the idea is to create, like a pocket here that I can open up making put things inside So really, what I need to do is get it's the glue stick on. Apply it evenly on uh, I was about to say the back of the envelope, but this is actually the friend our fee and hope. And then again, if I hold except slightly against, lied and opened it, um, kind of a button angle so that I can see the light falling onto the envelope. I can see if I've I conceive. I've added enough blue, and if there's glue everywhere on the envelope and then I just try and put it in the middle . Could, of course, made some pencil marks. Well, just eyeball it, just press it down. I can see any little bit of blue here, the corner on and that's my envelope padded. And I can just stick. But if I e using all things that I think I might want to use, you know, especially if you may be out in a barrel would. Or as I said before, if you're working on something and you don't want to lose the little bits and pieces if you haven't been able to finish it But you kind of need to tidy everything away I'm really This is now our journal. Finished. We've done alot the pages inside. We've done the cover on. We've even added a little pocket at the back. 11. Art Journal Cover: So now I'm ready. Teoh, make the cover. Andi, I've had about everything I want to have on the cover. To be honest, I was so tempted to just go for my usual brown packing paper because I just I just really I love the idea of having something, and that is just a very basic background. Andi, I love the colors and I love the feel and texture of wrapping paper and packaging paper. But I've already got two on. I still have not run to creating any labors of putting anything else on it. So I really thought I should do something else on dumb. Then I thought about using what kind of paper wanted to use Andi. For some reason, I just thought about Children's books. Kind of like more vintage Children's books. Andi, I've got a whole collection of especially ex seventies eighties early nineties Children's books that can be taken apart because they're not that precious. Andi, I came across, uh, this dictionary. If you've taken my class how to make the note card set, you will recognize the layout because I've been using these pages to make some of the envelopes on. I thought It would be quite cute to have that on the cover on what I'm going to do, I'm going to have it sideways. And as you can see, as you can see, it won't be long enough to cover the back on the front. But I'm also thinking about creating something that will go over the spine because I thought it would be quite nice to do something completely different from what I have done before. So if I've got something I'm probably going for fabric of that is going to cover the spine , then he doesn't really matter that this isn't long enough. So first thing I'm going to do is just cut this in half members folding it in half, and then I'm going to use the fold line to cut the paper. Another idea of paper you can use is obviously wrapping, paid her, and I mean that any birthday wrapping paper, colorful wrapping paper, that would also be really nice way of reusing wrapping paper that you've already got. And you could oversee create a collage on your cover. Now I have to make a decision of how I wanted so look for want. Okay? This pods on the friend, which probably will. And then this will go in the back like this. I could turn it the other way round, even like that. But I think No, I think I preferred the other way made up my mind. So this will go on the friends again. I can hold it up a little bit. I can see a war, the areas that I might have missed. So I can make sure that I've got a nice equal distribution of a glue all over the cover. And then I'm just lining at the top corners. I'm unjust person from down. You can see there's a bit of an over up down here, but I can cut that off later, and then I'll do the same thing on the back again. I'm making sure that line up the corner on the top of the paper on the page on then ones, everything is in place. I just press it down, make sure it sticks to the cover really nicely. So very go. The next thing I'm going to do is cut the strip of fabric that want to go over the over the spine. I am going to So, uh, the notebook. So I'm going to bind it. Even I've got the staples in here. But let me just show you one of my other journals. This one has more pages. So I might be all right with this one, because it doesn't have so many pages, but I find with this you can see that because of the bulk that starts to build up with all the extra paper that have glued onto the pages of the staples have kind of come away. And this book is starting to fall apart. So I'm going to find this a swell, but so I don't want this to happen to this one, so I am going to find it. But as this is optional Andi, um, you might not want to do it. I'm going to create an extra video. I'm just showing you how I'm binding this. So this video well, I'm doing now is just going to be about, um, about the cover on this. Fine. Um, now, at this point, I've just created the video where I am showing how to eso a bind. The art journal. So if you want to find out how I did that. Then you can watch the next video if you don't, uh, plan on binding your journal on just leaving it as it is. And it might be just fine, because I think this would actually really be fine because it hasn't got so many pages in there. Then, um, you know, you don't have to watch the next video. It'll okay? I think First of all, I'm going to quickly cut off paper. That is kind of sticking out here. Um, I did say that I was thinking about using fabric for the spine. I've got it here. But when I had it all out, Andi. But when I tried it on, I realized that I actually didn't like the idea. But I'm going to show you anyway, So my idea awas to just have kind of this over the spine. I wanted to go with a color that was kind of neutral on might remind you a little bit. You know, when you've got hardbound books, you would have possibly something like that on this bit of fabric just came. It's kind of a linen fabric. And he came from a skirt I no longer wear but we're like the fabric, but I'm I'm not really sure that I'm not going to use any fabric on here. If you were going to do it, I would definitely use a PV a glue. Or if you've got any fabric glue to do it and not the prince stick or the grew stick for this Onda. Um, yeah, and then just, uh, glued on. But we'll just stick to paper. Andi, I've bean looking at different kinds of paper, but I think everyone to go for my favorite color. So there we are, back with my favorite Connor like a, um, wrapping paper craft paper brown. So four Just go to that. I'm going to reuse this envelope. So just, uh, let's have a look. There was there was also this envelope because I quite like three idea of having the stample. No, but I think I might add this detail to the cover later. So just do Listen, it's just have a look. How long would have to be is actually exactly this length. So I think what I might do is just use this fold, fold it over, and then just determine how wide and her long This needs to be. Just use this as it ISS. I might leave it hanging over a little bit because I could always trim made Robin at being too short. So I used a pencil to just make a mark. But here on, then it only needs, really I only need to cover it up too there. But I think I'm going to make it a bit, a bit long, cut a bit wider. So this was so it could just be they're or even wider than that. They would cover it up to here. I think I might just go for this just for that. Okay, So this is where we owe. And then I wanted to cover it up Teoh about that on this overseas, this line helps me. I'm just kind of making pencil mark where I need to cut it on. Then I'll use I just use my craft knife. Andi, the ruler to cut it. You could if you have not a craft knife and a ruler, I mean can use your view teen or, uh um paid the kata. Uh oh, you know, over the perhaps scissors. And just line up your marks created a nice pencil lines. You know where you need Teoh cats? You got a nice straight line there. I just cut this with, perhaps is is I'll give it some extra bit of space at the top because and it couldn't work . Summit. If you've watched my how to make his groupers note for class, then this will be very familiar to you. And you could probably just skip this part because I've got a spine band on that one as well, don't I? So I'll just group just picked you on 1/2 off. Um oh, my Yeah. Spying brand Onda. If you have a piece of paper that isn't folded, I would recommend forwarding it in half first, because it's so much easier to know exactly where the middle is. And it's just so much easier to glue it on because I can just align the spine with the today with the middle of of the fold. Just put it down. I could see the little, uh, it's if embroidery flows, okay. I mean, just add some glued to this side before I trim the top on the bottom bit of paper that's sticking out. I'm waiting for it to dry. Uh, it's almost finished. I think I might be tented Teoh. Possibly are the label, But what I really like about the spine. But I can kind of likes fright a date on it and say Kind of like a date of where I start. When I started using it on, I could even give it a number. Or, you know, my art journal, number one. I could put the month on their not only the day, but right out a month. Something I quite like the idea of having an art journal where your cover is part of the art journey as well. I always go back and add something to it. Now we just have a look. But if I wanted to do something with this bitch, okay, maybe just add a little bit. See, this is just something where you can just play around with you'll, uh, feel gentle cover. Um, I don't know. Her might just use the Stam, but some point, or even if you know, if I had a label, I could have the stamp somewhere, but I think at the moment I quite like it as it is. So I will keep this for, um Oh, go keep this little bits or something I might use in my journal. So just for now, I'm going to wait for everything to dry, and then I'm going to trim off all the extra bits of paper on then more or less. Our Journal Out Journal is ready. I'm going to show you a quick way of how he can. Um, storks have collected little bits and pieces that you might want to use in your journal. Or let's say, if you are working on something, but you haven't quite finished it. But you've got little bits and pieces of paper that you would like to add to it. And rather than losing them somewhere, how you can keep them in the Journal. 12. Binding the Art Journal: So in this video, I'm going to show you how I find the mixed media notebooks or, in general, how I bind notebooks. Eso but I'm going to use is a needle that is, I think it's a darning needle. It's not a special book binding needle, but it's a bit thicker, and also the eye is bigger, which helps if you want to put some, uh, this is embroidery floss. But if you've got something that is thicker because you wouldn't be able to use a sewing machine thread, of course, so I would recommend embroidery floss. Or if you have any book binding, right, we just usually kind of waxed linen thread. Then this was just something I left over. I was the right size, but I would generally go about twice the height off your book, and then I tend to just give a little bit extra, um, then to poke the holes I've gotten all, but you could use something like, Um, sometimes you get those really thick needles that might work with. They look a little bit like pins used for sewing, but are thicker. Or maybe it's some tap might work or should work as long as the spine. Isn't you sick on? Then? I've got the yellow pages and they're really useful for bookbinding purposes. So I can really recommend you hold on to them, because what I'm doing, I need to find the center off the book, which is trickier to find because we've kind of blue paper everywhere. So if you've got trouble finding the middle off your book, I suppose the best way would be to count your pages. Then you stick your book spine into the groove off the Yellow Pages. I'm going to make five holes in this one. I'm just going to eyeball it. I'm going to poke one in the middle. Yeah, I can see it's really going nice nicely through the book, on Into the Groove, off the Yellow Pages, The Yellow Pages Because that paper is so thin it's cut really soft on. They look really well, then I go about sent to meet on behalf. I suppose like an inch from the top. I met Broken Hole and then I do the same at the bottom on. Then I'm going to poke a ho chi look in between the lower hole on the middle hole, which I would say roughly, but here and then I'm going to do the same at the top. So between the top hole on the middle holes so that somewhere here they Ugo Okay, next I'm going to grab my thread. Andi, our embroidery floss on my needle, and I'm starting in the middle whole. Andi, um, I'm going to cover. As you know, I'm going to cover the spine. So we're going to to cover the threads on the outside with the spine cover, um, so that at this point you would have to decide whether you wanted the ends of the threat to be on the outside on the inside. I think I'll just go for the inside and I'm just going through the middle hole. And then I can What? My way either up, down, some pulling through the threat until I just leave. I know about five cents meat a bit more than five centimeters there. That's enough. To tie or not. You have to find my middle again, and then I'm going into the next hole up. This is not the best pattern Teoh have when you're trying to find the holes basic case, I'm going through that going back outside, on into the top hole. Are you trying to keep the threads quite tight without pulling out of the end thread? And then I'm making my way back down. So I'm going back into the middle hole at the top. Also, when you're poking your needle through, make sure that you don't poke your fingers because even though it's a blunt point, you know it can be painful. Then I need to go back through the middle hole. Mm, I'm just put it through on then I'm making my way down. Do you? Actually, it's really, really nice. Now I'm considering I should have maybe left that feature on the outside drawl and cover it with the fat break so you could do either is if you wanted to go ahead on kind of do something similar to what I'm doing. He could instead of hiding the binding, you could leave it as an extra future. Please go back in through this whole again, put it through, and then you go back down. Oh, back towards the middle. And so at this point, I've got I've got the end. Fred's Andi, um This is the middle hole and I'm going to take my needle and I'm going underneath this thread appear on. Then I can tie a double knot on the binding. It's done. I hope this wasn't too fast. Just I didn't want to spend too much time on this because thinking the sewing is optional. But you find that this was too fast then I'm very happy to, you know, do another video where I'm doing it more slowly. But you can always re watch this video. Thanks, you know. Okay, so this is what it looks on the inside. Andi with this is what it's look looks like on the outside on dso the notebook is bound and notebook out. Journalist bound on Now I'm going back two covering the spine. But you know that this part is in the video where I'm doing the whole spine 13. Art Journal Flip Through: 14. Class Project: Hello again. Thank you so much for joining me in my class. I really hope you enjoyed this class and I really hurt. But I've inspired you to create your own mixed media art journal. I would absolutely love to see what you are going to create. So please make sure that you upload a photograph off your finished journal or journal in progress in toothy Project section because that's all you need to do for your project. You could do it step by step. Marriage. I mean that you could show us the brochure before you get started, maybe. Sure. The bits of paper that you're going to use or you can just take a photograph off your finished art journal Or so If you would like to tag me on social media, if you're sharing your art journal, that would be absolutely amazing. I would love to see that. So please feel free to do that as well. I am planning on creating a class where I'm going to have various mixed media prompts on. I will be using thea Out journal I've created for this class. So if you would like to get informed about this class and maybe one of the other classes that I'm going to publish. Then make sure that you follow me because then you will automatically get a notification. So again, thank you so much for taking my class. And I can't wait to see your mixed Media art journal.