Blog — collage

I got to the point where I had TONS of paper scraps I was saving for my junk journal, and I figured out a great way to use them up. I glue them onto book pages while watching TV. Then, I have a whole book full of collaged backgrounds ready and waiting (and hidden and protected in a book). Here's how I do it and what I've made with the collaged pages. Step 1 I like to add strips of another book or old music - anything neutral and printed.  Step 2 Then I add some plain texture. I like...

I love to use real junk in my junk journals - you know - that stuff that comes into your house and immediately gets thrown out. And the classic example of junk is the window envelope. They are pretty cool, but they aren't easy to make pretty. The Challenges of the Window Envelope First of all, many of them have writing on them. That's not pretty, so some camouflage is in order. Second, the window itself is hard to decorate around. If you are trying to cover the writing with pretty paper, you have to cut around the window, which...

I have discovered a super fun way to get a jump start on my junk journaling ephemera - I call it the Strip Collage. It's a long thin collage that is SO easy to make. It's perfect for decorating tags, pockets, belly bands, tuck spots - even whole pages. I've made them in lots of colors and it's so great to grab one when I need a quick element for a page. There's something about the narrow workspace that makes it easy to create something beautiful - even if you are new to collaging. Give it a try! The best...

I have some wonderful old magazine and book pages that I want to use in my junk journals. But some of them are so fragile, they'd fall apart if I put them in as is. I've come up with some ways to make good use of these gems. Here are some of my ideas. Make Stickers Small images from old magazines make wonderful stickers. And, once the images have been turned into stickers, they are super sturdy. Here's a link to the inexpensive (and amazing) sticker maker I use. Xyron Sticker Maker Make a Masterboard A masterboard is just a...

When I was just starting this junk journaling /collage thing, I was often overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities there are. Do I use stamping? painting? papers? stickers? The blank page can be a bit intimidating. I started using a 3 step formula for collage that works really well for me. I just mindlessly do these 3 things, and I suddenly have the whole page covered in a neutral background and I have a little frame around it and I find myself ready to create. All of the collages in this blog were started the same way. If you look, you can see...