Dragonflies and Dreams Journal

It has been a while since I made one of my journals and this one has been made by remodelling another one. I had some more ideas I wanted to incorporate into this one. No art is really ever finished, is it?

 I have included hand painted pages, gel print paper, digital printed tags and bookmarks, stamping and ephemera, amongst other things. I have stitched 5 signatures ( not all have the same number of pages in them) to make a coptic stitch journal. 

There are 20 pages altogether, 28 coloured sides, plus front and back covers made of board, and 12 sides of blank paper (which is heavy print paper). The front cover is an original collage stuck onto binder's board. Some of the pages are lumpy and bumpy as they have several layers of paper stuck on them. It all adds to the texture of the book. 

The journal is approx 13.5 cm by 18.5 cm, (or approximately 5 1/4 inches by 7 1/4in). 

I have stitched the coptic stitch with natural coloured waxed Irish linen thread.

There are some inserts such as printed bookmark included. Some of the pages have components which lift up so you can write on the back. 

This is what it looks like inside.

The dragonfly page lifts up to reveal some flowers underneath.

The dragonfly page lifts up to reveal old envelope. Left page has been collaged with painted image and gel print paper.

Painted and stamped page on the left, Collage on right. the leaves are painted. 

Pages painted and stamped. Bookmark attached by paperclip.

Painted page on left, gel print and metallic leaf stuck onto leaf. Original bird tag clipped on to page.
Blank pages.

Painted and stamped.

Painted and stamped gel prints.Original fern tag.

Stencilled over paint and gel print. Collage on right page. Original bookmark. 

Stencilling, gel prints and tape transfer on left. Original bookmark.

Gel prints and stamping. 

Left image collaged, drawn and painted flower. Right hand page gel print and original butterfly card. Can slip paper under left side image.

Painted pages. Left bottom holds small paper which has been cut to let image of flower be seen.

Painted pages, gel prints and stamping. Bookmark lifts up on left side, can slip paper into bottom of left page.

Painted pages.

Painted pages, painted card, gel print on right. Flower image can be lifted up. 

Gel print with original bookmark on left and library card in envelope on right. 

I hope you enjoy looking at the images. As usual the copyright remains with me and images may not be used without permission.