Anyway thought I would just quickly share my journals - as you can see above no.11 (I know it looks a bit like 22) is now finished, and the blue journal no.12 is all pristine and just waiting to be worked in. I LOVE starting a new one, it seems full of possibility somehow - I don't date my pages but I do
write the start date in the inside cover, and later add the date I finish.
Below is a quick snapshot of some of the pages in no.11 - its interesting to see how my style changes and develops as I look back over them.
And here below is the finished no.10 and no.11 all ready to go ... that was back in March. I seem to fill about two journals a year, but am not counting or setting myself any standards.
These books are Pink Pig journals, nothing fancy - the pages are 8 x 8" and I glue two together for strength. The paper isn't watercolour standard or anything like that, since I gesso every page first and throw a lot of mixed media layers at them it really would be a waste of the best paper.
I decorate each new book individually when I can see that I'm getting near the end of the current one, so there is always one waiting. I add ribbons and tie on charms etc., but not too many to begin with because it can make working in the book a bit awkward. I add more decorations when the journal is finished and they make quite a show up on my shelf with their decorated spines and numbered labels.
Life is a bit more exciting than I really want it to be right now. I'm still grieving a number of losses this past year, we're in the middle of Himself's cancer treatment and the roller-coaster and steep learning curve which that involves, while at the same time trying to downsize a 4 bed house plus studio into a two bed flat plus studio plus balcony. Retirement and move is planned for early November - it will be such a wrench to leave our church and the very special people in it, but it is undoubtedly time to put our own needs first.
