A whole year ago, in March 2018, I started a junk journal made from random papers that I folded to make pages. Though what is typically called a “junk journal” is not really made from junk (I really hate that term), this junk journal that I assembled last March really is a journal of junk papers. It is so because I’m not using any “valuable” papers, and instead took boring pieces from magazines and even from a Restoration Hardware ordering catalog. The point was that I would create this book of random pages and use it as a gluebook to add other random papers on top of the pages. So it really didn’t matter what was on the original page. Make sense? Probably not.
It’s easier just to show the pictures:
You can see the page from the Restoration Hardware catalog on the right side, opposite the map. RH uses lots of neutral colors which work nicely for me in junk journals. Sometimes I don’t even need to cover over the images on the page and I’ll leave it as is. Above you can see that I’ve only added a scrap of music over the window covering on the RH page. The map page on the left is what got most of my attention.
Next, I’ve got some pages where I used some paints on a plain page to make it interesting. Playing with acrylic paints on scrap paper is a great way to add color. I found the image with the roses and books later on and knew it would work perfectly here. I can always come back in a few months (or a few years) and add something more. That’s what I love about these junk journals. They are never really finished. You can keep adding over time if you want.
Rubber stamps are a fun layer to add over pictures too. I cut the picture of the silver out of a Victoria magazine. There are a lot of good images to be found in that magazine if you can find a copy or two.
My junk journal becomes a gluebook where I can put anything in. I like using leftover scraps from other projects along with pretty images cut out from magazines.
This picture below is of a proper collage using vintage papers.
Lots of times I’m left with tiny scraps sitting on my desk, leftover from another project. I had so many nice pieces left over, I felt like I had to use them somewhere. That’s where this junk journal/gluebook comes in so handily.
Next is a page I made with extra modeling paste and a rubber stamping on a scrap piece of tissue paper.
If you rubber stamp on a piece of tissue paper, you can use matte medium to glue it to your page, and the paper becomes almost translucent. Looking at the architecture image it seems that I stamped that directly on to the page. I didn’t. It’s on tissue paper. The flourishes are made from modeling paste through a stencil.
The covers are from a box that a nice bottle of cognac came in. It’s a good and sturdy box-now-cover. I fixed the pages to the spine using a long-arm stapler. I really didn’t want to take the time to sew the pages in there, but if years go by and I notice that the staples aren’t holding well, I can go ahead and sew the signatures in. For now I will leave it as is.
If you are interested in seeing the video of how I put this together, here it is below. I recently rewatched it and I feel as if I was taking forever to show everything. If you find that is the case, remember that you can change the speed and watch it faster. On the bottom of the screen is usually an icon with a wheel cog. Click that and you should be able to find the speed settings.
How art saved my life
I could sit and watch you create for hours Margarete! What a great way to use your small pieces, however,mine never looks as good as yours! heehee
Thanks so much for taking the time to create the video- much appreciated!
Jackie “)
ps I do get your newsletter,but would love to follow your blog by email. Would you consider adding a link for that?
Thank you, Jackie, for your kind words! I don’t have a feed link set up to have people follow every post from my blog, unfortunately. I’m getting better at regularly posting email with updates of what I’m working on recently. 🙂
I sometimes stamp on the leftover white layers of napkins from my decoupage. Otherwise they go in the fire and I always feel like its such a waste. It’s a great way to ‘stamp’ on a curved surface too!
“Junk” Journal is a pet hate of mine, too, Margarete. Thanks for sharing your techniques and approach to collage. I always find it inspiring.
Thanks for stopping by, Leanda 🙂
I’ve asked others, but they must think I’m being critical. I’m not, though. Can you tell me the purpose of a junk journal please? They’re so pretty and interesting looking, but I can’t imagine journaling on them. Too cluttered of a background to see the words I’d write.
Thank you.
Hi Rosemary! I’m not Margrete, but I am a member of a junk journal group and so I wanted to answer your question. The purpose of a junk journal is to be whatever you want it to be. I know that kind of sounds like a non-answer, but it’s the truth. Some people use them just like a diary. Some people just like to make pretty books to look at. I use mine to keep track of health-related details. I don’t like to write in the book itself, so I make lots of pockets and use journal cards. Hope this answers your question. There are lots of You Tube videos titled “Journal with me” and they show how they use their own personal junk journals. Johanna Clough and Emmi Lou Arts are 2 that I watch regularly
I use a lot of tissue paper and I love modeling paste. I never thought to use it in this way, but I will be ;).
HI Margarete, I’m finding your videos and tutorials so enjoyable to watch and they’re helping me with my new 2021 Collage Weekly Planner. Thanks for your efforts to share them. I have a question if you don’t mind – how do you remove pages from magazines like the large Restoration Hardware one you showed. I am new at this and don’t want to ruin the pages by pulling them out so I’m sure there must be a smarter way to remove them but it hasn’t occurred to me yet 🙂 THANKS!
Hi Linda, To remove magazine pages, I typically use a blade like an Exacto knife and just cut as close to the spine as I can. Magazine pages are pretty thin so it doesn’t take a lot of cutting to get them out cleanly. Hope that helps!
Thanks, just what I needed! 🙂
Super! Have fun with your project 🙂
I’m so glad I found junk journaling. I don’t have a printer and don’t normally spend money on decorative things for a typical scrap book. But, I do have junk mail and a lot of other pretty papers and things I have collected just because I liked them.
My grandchildren, and other children, have graced me with reams of papers that have a stick figure in one corner, or their first attempts at writing their name, or whatever they may draw on a sheet of paper. I adore every one of these gifts, but, didn’t know what to do with them. Most were just ballpoint pen on paper, done while trying to keep them busy.
When I found junk journaling, those pieces of art became pages in my journal. I don’t cover the ‘art’, but, rather, collage around it.
And, that was just the start…
LOL
Thank you!
Su