Little Hand Made Mixed Media Coptic Stitch Journal

Recently I have really been enjoying making books and journals. I am an ardent lover of books, the way they look, the way they feel and smell, and of course what is inside them! I am not a professional book binder by any means  but it is an interest of mine and it seemed like a perfect way to make use of some of the images I have produced.

 I wanted to share this journal with you and show what it looks like inside. The pages were made  from junk mail and scrap paper and I used my hand made stamps, gel prints, drawing and collaging to create the images. The signatures are of differing sizes and the paper inside for journalling on is a mixture of watercolour paper, mixed media paper and lighter paper for writing on.

The journal is 12cm by 14.5 cm. Small enough to carry with you and use when the mood strikes! The signatures are smaller than this and vary in size. I have stitched the coptic stitch with red waxed Irish linen thread.

 The images I have produced are meant to be interacted with as you doodle or draw or write on them. This is a fun journal designed for interaction and collating your thoughts! There are 43 sides with images on including the covers and inside covers. There is also the library card and tiny book which has 16 pages of 80 gsm paper).

There are 14 page sides of mixed media paper, and 16 sides of watercolour paper (which can both be used for wet media), and 92 pages of 80gsm for writing on. This paper is quite light and will need to be written or drawn on with pencil or dry media. It is cream coloured.

Cover is collage and paint with tape on right hand side.
Image is pasted to book binding board.

Spine showing the different sizes of signatures. 

Front view showing how all signatures are not the same size. 

Inside cover, gel print and fabric, right hand page gel print and drawing.

Library card inside pocket, drawn on gel print.

Stamped flower on painted background with fabric added.
Right hand side, collage and painted flowers.
Little tiny hand made book inside pocket. 

Collage on painted backgrounds with drawing.

Collaged gel print on painted background and
collage with drawn and pencil coloured flowers on right hand side.

Collage and painted background.
Right hand side has some smudging which you can develop! 

Stamped bird on gel print background and fabric.

Painted and collaged page with gel print added and drawing.

Pencil coloured flowers on collaged background.
Flower drawn and coloured on collaged gel print background. 

Collaged tree and found text on painted background.

Drawing on painted background.

Butterfly drawn on painted distressed background.
Right hand side, boxes and flower drawn over paint.

Flower drawn on painted background with text
 and scrap paper collaged on to page.

Found image collaged onto painted background and
 drawn onto.

Found text collaged onto painted background with scrap of gelprint.
Right hand page, stamped flowers, painted and decorated
boxes drawn onto page.

Drawing on painted page.

Drawing on collaged gelprint.

Drawing on painted background with small gel print scrap
collaged onto left page.

Flowers drawn  into negative space of painted background.

Same as previous page.

Flowers drawn into negative space of painted background and fabric added along with
 found text.

Bird stamped on painted background.

Flowers drawn in pen
into negative space of painted background.

Stamped distressed flowers on painted and gel
print background. Right hand side gel scrap at bottom of page
 and circles drawn into negative space of painted background.

Distressed stamping on painted background.

Same as previous page.

White flowers drawn on painted background.

Painted background with found text.

Decorated page with paint on distressed background.

Stamped flower on collaged background.
Bird in negative space of gelprint.

Back page drawn plant and leaves with tape on painted background,
 and more tape on right hand side of page.

Showing scale beside a popular penguin.