handmade notebooks | Julie Dawn Designs

May 29, 2022

Collaged Journal Covers

There are a couple of things that I really love when it comes to journal making – one is the chance to combine fabric with paper and the other is the chance to collage.

Collage was how I first got started in art. To be honest, I don’t draw well. I can sketch, but it takes me forever so that is how I started with collage. I realized that I could make a flower, for example, out of paper scraps far easier than I could draw or paint one.

Now I found a way to use collage in my journals. I make these adorable, one signature journals that have a fabric base which is then covered in a decorative scrapbook paper or other decorative card stock type of paper and then I build a collage on top of that for the front cover.

These are relatively quick to make compared to some of my other journals and it’s also a great way to use up fabrics that I can’t really use for covers or something else.

It’s really hard to pick which one is my favorite and I’m also happy to report that all of these journals were sold at the recent Craft Guild Spring Show.

Until next time….

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018

Faux Leather Travelers Journals With a Twist

I was fortunate enough to be gifted some very nice faux leather fabric samples a while back. At first I wasn’t sure what to do with them, until I came across a journal in a craft store that give me an idea of how to put them to use. This is one of the first ones I made.

I recently decided that it was time to make a few more. After sewing the covers together, I decided that I wanted to do something besides a plain cover, so I decided to create some vignettes on each one.

Here is how they turned out.

faux leather travelers journals — Faux Leather Travelers Journals

To say I love them is indeed an understatement!

April 28, 2018

Faux Leather Travelers Journal

A while ago, I received several smaller faux leather upholstery fabric samples. During one of my many trips to my local craft store, I came upon a small travelers journal they were selling for $10. It was made of really cheap plastic that mimicked leather and had two notebooks made from kraft paper and one folder also made from kraft paper. All of these were held inside by very thin, cheap elastic. I purchased it, took it home and made a much better version of it.

I really love the size. It’s more compact than the other travelers journals I make. I have this fabric in lots of other great colors, so I will definitely be making more just like it.

January 22, 2018April 27, 2018

Ripped & Stitched

I took an online workshop from Roben Marie called “Ripped and Stitched.” In it, we learned to make a journal from strips of fabric previously used for wiping off brushes and cleaning up paint.

The fabric created from this is quite beautiful.

handmade travelers journal — Travelers Journal made from painted fabric strips

I made a different type of journal than was taught in the workshop, but the technique is quite versatile, so you could make a variety of journal types with it.

The inside is full of handmade notebooks and a hand painted envelopes for stashing treasures.

I ended up liking this one so much that I made another one for myself!

September 26, 2017

Coffee Dyed Paper

One of my favorite things about the Internet is that it allows me to connect with like-minded artist from all over the globe. One of my favorite book artists is Liz Constable and I’m very fortunate to have received her new book “DIY Notebooks made easy”.

In it she describes how she creates the amazing paper she uses in her notebooks, so I just had to give it a try.

coffee dyed paper — Dyeing Paper in Coffee

The longer the paper sits in the coffee, the darker it gets.

drying dyed paper — Paper drying with cookie cutter shapes on top

If you place things on the paper while it’s drying, the area under them will be lighter. It looks like I finally found a use for all those cookie cutters I bought years ago and never used.

coffee dyed papers — Stack of dry papers

Here is a stack of the finished product. They smell as amazing as they look!

liz constable's book — DIY Notebooks made easy

To learn more about this technique, as well as how to make some amazing notebooks, head over to www.bookartstudios.co.nz and order a copy of DIY Notebooks made easy.