I love working in a handbound or altered book for Art Journaling, it’s awesome for so many reasons. But also, I’ve found working on loose pages gives me something else. I even named it A Favorite Method of Art Journaling a while back. And it can be, even though I like to bind them together eventually to create the art journal thing. Because if not bound together all you have are loose papers floating around (everywhere on my desk and drawers) and I don’t like that. There is already enough piles of paper in my life.
I like order in my creative chaos! And oh, how I strive towards that.
And of course something happens when to separately created pages come together. Something new is created, again. Almost like when you make a diptych, huh?
These are spreads from the first personal Smart journal I made, called Volume 1. I will show more from this and the following volume soon, but thought I’d start with a few of the pages I’ve already talked about. Click the links to read more about individual pages. Like the right page above, Pussy Girl, that totally reminded me of how much I love when girl power is peeking through in my art!
Some of you might recognize the pages, because I blogged them as “loose pages” a while back too. They are all about me of course, as most art journal pages tend to be; take your pills and I’m not strange. I talked a bit about the process of each page in those earlier post, and welcome any comments you have.
Love your attitude in combination with another self portrait.
I’ve bound the pages together myself, with my ring binder machine. I use a sturdy cardstock, covered in pretty papers patchwork style, to make it into a protected book. Don’t pin or re-blog these (or any of my images), thanks. These pages feel very raw and personal for some reason, but I still wanted to share them with you guys. If you want a spiral bound square journal of your own, check out smart journals for sale on Etsy!
I’m kind of in love with browsing through the pages of this journal.
Is that strange?
Love them like that, all bound together.
Hanna, that’s not strange! I haven’t checked out all the links, but your links are like new windows, so I’ll be doing that after I comment. I am loving doing loose page journaling, and I’m doing a collaborative with another artist. It’s so great to have the freedom of the loose page, but afterward, I just want to put them together. Even if they don’t make sense together. She says she will be binding them afterward. As for all my postcards, I am definitely going to do what you’ve done, and put them together with big rings. I love looking through them, and through my collage workbook. Even when we make the pages ourselves, it’s funny how you can see even more in them when you look again.
Have a good weekend.
No, not strange at all! I love going through my art journals too, especially the ones I haven’t looked in for a while. They give me all kinds of ideas or remind me of the moments I was making them. I love your journalpages and these smart journals of yours are very cool!
I can see that you have put much of your SELF in these pages and they are quite marvelous. Nice to have them bound and kept in volumes…Like you I like to work pretty loose on pages – maybe because I am a lefty and find it hard to work in something hard bound. I always choose a spiral journal or make a loose stitched one that will lay flat. Love your “pussy” spread – that says it all !!! xox
Oh, I love thes very personel pages. It’s nice to have them bound in a book. I tend to work on lose pages. But this is far nicer. And… What a stunning cat!
Hi Hanna…You always amaze me, you have so much going on! I love coming here and finding out what you are doing next. I’ve been considering starting at the halfway point of the year and doing a collage a day…I will call it “never too late to start” collages for the rest of the year…haha! Not a bad idea. I like your loose pages that you bind later…makes me rethink my dislike of spiral bound journals :)
Cheers,
Mary
Ja, det blir extra fint sådär tillsammans!
Great pages. Love the layering, especially the goggle glasses on the flower and the two frames page.
I’m in LOVE with the left side of the second picture from the top. So beautiful.
i love these! you have such a cohesive voice through all your art – i’m not sure if i bound loose pages they’d look so good together. well done! what kind of spiral-binder do you use? i’d love to get one, but they all seem so expensive!
I’ve never worked on loose pages and then bound them together into an art journal. It is something to keep in mind, though. Makes me wonder how the process of art journaling will feel different…if at all.
I’ve done many journals & collages but somehow never thought of the idea of making the pages then binding them. Love it! I just took apart a small journal. I’m going to work on it as “loose pages” then put it back together.