I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without my journals. Do you journal or keep a notebook? Do you feel the same way? This leather-bound journal was gifted to me by my daughter in 2017 for my birthday. I mostly reserve the pages for special moments and an occasional art spread. I still have many pages left to fill and this past Saturday, I felt compelled to collage and used this journal for the task. The center piece on the left side is a secret pocket where I can tuck in a sheet of my writing.
I have even painted and added mixed media textures to a few of the pages. I don’t work in any particular order in most of my journals, except for my morning journal.
Journals are treasures to cherish. They’re the keepers of your innermost thoughts, memories to cherish, prayers, biblical studies, dreams, and trials you may face. They are your best friend, your confidant.
Be sure to follow out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery, here at Layered Pages!
I’m hosting a unique bookmark swap over at Instagram and I hold ephemera giveaways for our group members. We are currently on our second giveaway and this bundle is filled with so much goodness for crafting!
We are still accepting new members to our group! Our next bookmark swap is in September and we would love to have you join. Be sure to follow the hashtag below, on Instagram, to keep up with the group and to be in the loop with current and upcoming giveaways. We are currently open for US Residents only. More international spots will open soon.
We are swapping 4 bookmarks a piece. You can not only use them for books, but for your journals and notebooks! If you are interested in participating, DM me on Instagram for more information. We would love for you to be part of this group! The hashtag for our swap group: #StephslpBookmarkswap
Stephanie Hopkins
Mixed Media Artist/Abstract Painter/Book Blogger
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
I’m thrilled to be sharing this week’s final 2021 ICAD’s with you. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy, and her challenge has really grown over the years. I enjoyed creating these cards and look forward to sharing more about them soon. Below are the links to the previous posts of this challenge.
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
Day 48
Day 49
Day 50
Day 51
We are getting close to the home stretch of this challenge and I must say I’ve enjoyed it a great deal! I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to store the cards and I usually go with an acid free photo box to store my little creations. Right now, they are sitting in a ceramic basket on my bookshelf. I might keep them there for a while. I love walking by and stopping to take a look at them.
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
Day 41
Day 42
Day 43
It is absolutely wonderful to see the collection of cards I’ve made thus far. I have them sitting pretty on my bookshelf in a ceramic basket. Where is the picture? I’m going to share it on the last post of this challenge. I can’t wait! Like all the previous weeks, I love this week’s cards!
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
I’m currently hosting a unique bookmark swap over at Instagram and I hold giveaways for our group members.
We are still accepting new members to our group! Our next swap is in September and we would love to have you join. Be sure to follow the hashtag below, on Instagram, to keep up with the group and to be in the loop with upcoming giveaways and other fun projects coming soon. We are currently open for US Residents only. More international spots will open soon.
We are swapping 4 bookmarks a piece. You can not only use them for books, but for your journals and notebooks! If you are interested in participating, DM me on Instagram for more information. We would love for you to be part of this group! The hashtag for our swap group: #StephslpBookmarkswap
Stephanie Hopkins
Mixed Media Artist/Abstract Painter/Book Blogger
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson
I journal quite often but I haven’t made a journal specifically for the weekend in ages!
There are many types of these journals and not only in how you make them but what you do with them. Such as, include photos, day trips, parties, walks in nature, what you are reading, movies, gatherings with friends and family and so forth. In my journal, I recorded a few of my activities I did over the weekend and memories that came to my mind.
While I gathered paper to use as my signature, I came across paper with illustrations of people playing baseball and that took me back to when my family, friends and I use to go to the Braves games all the time down in Atlanta. Wonderful memories to look back on. I wrote that down after I included the pages to my journal.
It is not often I journal about food or drink unless it is a special occasion. Well, I had a reason to make a page about tea that a friend sent me in the mail. She had sent the tea to me a few weeks prior but I wanted to wait for a special moment to drink it. This past weekend was a perfect moment.
I love to explore waterfalls and it has been a while since I’ve been to one. I came across this image of a waterfall and it made me long to visit one this fall. What a great image to add to your journal.
My birthday was in June and my brother gave me a gift certificate to Starbucks. I rarely go buy coffee there anymore so that was a special treat. I took my mother along with me and we ordered special drinks and scones. It was a nice outing with her and I was delighted to have the opportunity to journal about it.
One of the activities I did over the weekend was watch a Youtuber make DIY mini envelopes embellishments to make and bunch together and place in journals. What a great idea! You can even use them as tucks and pockets. I decided to make a page using them so I will remember this technique. I’m thinking about including them in all my journals.
How I made the journal:
I had painted a scrap piece of jute a year or so ago and had put it aside. I had forgotten about it until I came across it on Friday and thought it would make a cool journal cover.
I gathered my paper, thread and needle and crated a floating spin for this journal. The reason for this was because if I had sewn into the jute, it would have eventually unraveled. I sewed the signature onto a strong piece of paper-I usually use fabric-and glued it to the jute. Then I took scrap paper and glued it on the sides of that paper to secure it better.
From there, I decorated my pages and made secret pockets for my writing throughout the weekend. Really simple and fun to make. Not all the pages are shown but it is enough for you to get the idea. I hope you enjoyed this post!
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
It is absolutely wonderful to see the collection of cards I’ve made thus far. I have them sitting pretty on my bookshelf in a ceramic basket. Where is the picture? I’m going to share it on the last post of this challenge. I can’t wait! Like all the weeks beforehand, I love this week’s cards! Which one is your favorite?
Day 34: On the day I called, you answered me; you made me bold with strength in my soul. – Psalm 138:3
Day 35: Tropical Dreams-I love the colors of this card! I used green paints for the background and then inked and stamped it. One of the collage elements is a paper towel.
Day 35
Day 36: Crafting is Therapy- As far as the saying goes on the card, I dare say it might depend on the therapist hourly rate and the brand of crafts you buy. That said, the saying fits the bill. You get achievement in crafting.
Day 37: Be Wonderfully You, Everyone Else is Taken
Day 38: Dream Big, Aim High
Day 39: Weekend Dreams-I used some of my new papers to make this card and the last two. I love the simplicity of the collage and the design of the papers.
Day 36
Day 40: All About Eve- A line from one of my favorite American Movie Classics.
Brilliant, witty and sharp tongue dialogue. Stark portrayal of behind the curtain drama.
Bette Davis, brilliant as always. The fake naivete and conniving ways of Eve (Anne Baxter) is so convincing that I had a hard time caring for her in other films she starred in. Sign of a great actor one must say. Love everything about the film.
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Day 40
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
How to make pretty journals made out of trash and leftover or found materials around your home.
Welcome to Layered Page and thank you to those who follow my blog. Today is part three of my mini junk journal series where you will discover ways to use recycled materials to make pretty journals without breaking the bank. It is possible to make pretty journals with junk or recycled materials as I like to call it!
My objective when creating these junk journals is to use old ephemera AKA recycled materials, packaging, scraps of paper that I would otherwise throw out.
In today’s junk journal, I have to admit I used a new material to bind this journal. I wanted to see how Dollar Tree thread held up. I thought the thread would break as soon as I bound and tighten the signatures in the journal. I was shocked it didn’t! So far, it’s held up really well. I’m getting ahead of my self here. Let’s start from the beginning.
I took a cracker jack box to use for my journal. Every time I look at one of those boxes, it takes me back to my childhood. Anyhow, I’ve been wanting to make a denim journal cover for a while now and I had a scrap piece left over from the quilting project. Keep those fabric scraps! The bling on the cover is from an old worn out pair of jeans I kept. It was in no condition to donate to a charity shop and there was no way I was about to throw them away.
The inside of the cover is collage with packaging from the mail. Those are great to keep for your projects.
Signatures in Place
The signatures are made up of junk mail, scraps of construction paper kids use for crafts. I decided to coffee dye those papers to give them an old look and they feel so crinkly! Love it! I will do a post on my coffee dying process soon. Now that the journal is constructed, I will begin decorating and journaling the inside pages.
Be sure to take a look at my Mini Junk Journal: Part I. This post will give you more details in my process of constructing a journal.
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages! Often times, I post my decorated journal pages on Instagram.
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
I have to say that this week’s cards really have touched my heart and I enjoyed creating them. I used a lot of my coffee dyed paper for the collage background and even did a little hand stitching. I take my photos outdoors and some of them may appear a little darker, due to cloudy weather we are having. You can get a better look of the cards at my Instagram.
Day 26
Day 27: We’ve been seeing a lot more rabbits than usual this summer in our neighborhood. I thought this card fitting for the premise. It has been wonderful to see them and glad the next-door neighbor cat has been neglecting is hunting!
Day 28: I love adding quotes and sayings to cards. This would go great in a journal or sent in the mail to a love one or friend. I believe the favorite part of this card is the lace I added.
Day 29
Day 29: Everyone Has Secrets- When creating this card, I didn’t have anything in mind as the layers developed. Isn’t it interesting were art can take you sometimes?
Day 30: The quote on the card comes from the novel Possession by A.S. Byatt. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the story and watched the adaption based on the novel. Making this card tempts me to read the story again.
“Possession is an exhilarating novel of wit and romance, at once an intellectual mystery and triumphant love story. It is the tale of a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets. As they uncover their letters, journals, and poems, and track their movements from London to Yorkshire—from spiritualist séances to the fairy-haunted far west of Brittany—what emerges is an extraordinary counterpoint of passions and ideas.” -Book Description
Day 30
Day 31
Day 31: Housekeeping- I love writing sayings, quotes and poems. I thought I would write a quirky saying about housekeeping.
Day 32: The card below reminds me of one of my favorite childhood stories The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Imagine finding a walled in garden and the only way in that garden is by using a key. The story is charming, mysterious and elements of childhood imagination, adventure and emotions.
Day 32
Day 33: I love the outdoors and I still think on the fond moments of playing outdoors as a child. Those days, we could venture far from home, as long as we were together and home in time for dinner. The adventures we had! The bird and flowers on the card below reminds me of those days. Many great memories to cherish.
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
Layered Pages 