Summer Fun

It's funny that almost the minute I come back from hiatus, every other thing that pops up in my face is about two very famous people getting a divorce (and forgive me for not naming them, but I'm not inclined to join in the hen party/crow fest.) These were the same two people who got together in properly scandalous fashion back when I started PBW, so it's a little ironic that I've outlasted them. Or may not. The day I retire they'll probably get married again or have a secret baby or something. Well, at least they're not Kardashians.

What have I done that I can talk about . . . I finished quilting the lap quilt I made for my Mom's birthday:



I machine pieced it but hand-quilted it, and battled my aversion to the color yellow in the process. Yellow pretty much won me over, but it was a necessary surrender. Since Mom is spending the winter in Oregon I wanted this to invoke summer and sunshine. The pattern is Atkinson Design's Yellow Brick Road, which uses blocks made by cutting up fat quarters into strips and piecing them in different ways. Very easy to do, with nice results.

I also rehabbed a Victorian-era photo album into an art journal, which was a first for me. Here's how the album looked with its worn and torn velvet covers, and dirty celluloid flowers, before rehab:



This was a delicate challenge, because I had to carefully remove the celluloid before I cleaned the cover. I also made a new binding for it and handstitched it together. Here's how it looked after being cleaned, repaired, and bound with my journal pages:



I loved being able to show on the front some of the original blue velvet used for the covers, which the dirty flowers actually protected for a hundred years or so. Here's a peek inside:



I made all the pages with recycled papers, old calendars and some pages left over from another art journal. It turned out massive but so worth it. I have another old photo album in red velvet that I'm going to rehab in the same way.

Finally my kid and I made our annual summer pilgrimage to the no-kill cat shelter to make a donation and spend some time with the kitties. They really love her:



Even the suspicious ones were cute:



And of course I fell in love (again):



My guy and I have made the difficult decision not to adopt any more cats, as they tend to be very long-lived with us, and we're not getting any younger. We also don't want to introduce an older cat into a household that at present has two very active, nosy dogs. That and we really are dog people. But that just means I can go and visit the shelter whenever I need a feline fix.

So did you all have any creative adventures over the summer? Share your stories in comments.

Journal as Art

The journal entry I wrote yesterday is online (click here to view the .pdf.) The first page is a bit blurry as my journal is bulking up a lot; a thick journal is tough to scan. You can hear a bit about Father's Day with my guy, a request from a friend, a pic of my progress on the black and white market bag and some art experiments.

I definitely put a lot of artwork in my journals. It's a private place where I can express myself without the stress of having anyone else look at my little sketches, paintings and sewing projects. My writing is very public, and I am happy to share it (kind of the point) but my art is quite personal and off-limits. This is how I relax and work on artistic ideas that are just for me. Generally I am not interested in showing it off, getting feedback or inviting anyone else to participate in the process. I know how selfish that sounds, but I need this so I can recharge my batteries, maintain my sense of wonder and have something completely safe from the pinheads of the world. I've found that's really important in my creative life.

We have very little privacy anymore. If we're not being barraged by the internet and social media, we're being pestered on smart phones (well, okay, you guys are. I don't own one.) Advertising is constantly in our face. I can't even watch the weather channel for forecasts anymore because they turn everything into a natural disaster of epic proportions in between commercials for weather-proofing products. A journal is one of those rare places where we can actually have some time, space and peace to think for ourselves.

Unless you have no soul there are things in your heart you want to explore creatively, but you're afraid to, or you don't think they're important enough, or you don't want anyone else to see them. A journal can be a secure vault for these ideas. It can also preserve them for the future. You've seen the sketches I've done in my entries. This week I had enough time to work on them a little, but if I hadn't I could have gone back to the journal. You may also want to let your art percolate a bit more, or refine the idea, before you try it in real life. Think of your journal is your secret art studio, and I bet you'll start filling it with all kinds of amazing creations.

To give you more ideas, here are some pages from a journal I wrote back in 2009 with examples of journaling art:



This seashell construct eventually made its way in my novel Dream Called Time.



A character sketch, and a reminder to myself to get going with the writing. Cheetahs often show up in my journals.



A pretty picture I cut from a magazine, celebrating my love of the color green.



Two little watercolors that I painted just for me.

Tomorrow we'll talk about ways to make interesting covers for your journals.

Recomposition Book #1

Before I get into the details of my first composition book makeover, I should explain the slightly-off weirdness of the pictures I took. On the day I started this project the little video display window on the fancy new Nikon my guy bought me last year stopped working. Basically I had to point the camera and shoot blind, then download the pictures before I knew how they came out. Fortunately Target has a very nice return policy; they took back the camera and gave me a brand-new replacement without a bit of fuss.

Onto the project: for this one I kept it very simple and uber-green by raiding the paper recycling bin for two pieces of the thin cardboard (mine were inserts from two of the wall calendars I bought for this year), a wallpaper border remnant, and a piece of pretty scrapbook paper. I also used a paper trimmer, scissors, a small paintbrush and some washable school glue:



The covers of the composition book are really flimsy card stock, so I needed to reinforce them first. I cut the two cardboard pieces to fit the front and back covers, glued them on, and let the notebook dry overnight (and to keep everything from warping I sandwiched the notebook between two bigger, much heavier books):



I fit the wallpaper border remnant as the outside cover for both the front and back covers, and folded the ends over inside before I glued that on and left it to dry overnight:



I then covered the insides of the front and back covers with pieces of the scrapbooking paper, glued that down, and left that to dry overnight:



Here's the end result:



I liked how elegant the composition book looks now, and it's certainly sturdier. I was especially happy to finally use that wallpaper border remnant, which is one I found when we moved into this house (the previous owner's wife had them decorating the ceilings in practically every room.) I also didn't have to cut the wallpaper to fit; it was the perfect size for the covers.

More recomposition idea linkage:

Dream a Little Bigger has a tutorial here on how to re-cover a composition book.

Ashley Hackshaw has a post here about turning a composition book into an art journal.

Ellison Lane has directions here on how to sew a quilted cover for a composition book.

Momtastic has instructions here on how to give a composition book a chalkboard cover.

Recomposition

One project I started but never finished last year was making over a standard school composition book. I got as far as buying the materials before work dragged me away. It's actually good that I stayed too busy to go back to it, as my initial idea was pretty complicated. While doing some pre-spring cleaning in the office this week I found these two extras:



The composition book, also known as a copy book, study book, student book and a lot of other regional terms, is one of the few things I loved about school. I always had one with me, and they often kept me out of trouble. After using the first couple of pages for schoolwork I would devote the rest of the pages to journaling, short stories and even some sketches. I wouldn't have wasted the first pages except they made excellent camouflage for when the teacher would walk by my desk (which is how they kept me out of trouble.) I still get a warm, fuzzy feeling every time I see one. I think my mom used to buy them for five or ten cents each.

Composition books remain pretty cheap; I always see them at dollar stores, and the two I have here I got on sale at Target last January for fifty cents each. Let's see what I can do with them this week to make them less schoolgirlish and more fun.

Brittle Box Recycled Junk Journal

As my first project for Recycled Journal week I picked an old, clean, colorful box that once held peanut brittle. Mom left it behind after one of her visits, and I saved it because it was pretty and made of laminated card stock, and it reminded me of her (she is a nut for peanut brittle).

Along with the box I pulled a stack of old paper from my recycling bin to use for the pages. I decided to use all different types of paper for the pages to add interest:



I then unfolded the box to how much material I had to work with:



If you want to recycle a food box, the best kind for journals are those that are clean (anything that held a plastic bag inside, like a cereal box, is generally reusable) and match or could be cut down to the book size you want. You also want something that is reasonably sturdy.

For this journal I simply trimmed off the end flaps and folded my paper into pages to fit the dimensions of the box, using the left side panel as the spine. I then stacked four sets of pages (aka my signatures), perforated the folds with an big embroidery needle to create sixteen evenly-spaced holes, and sewed seven sets to the spine area with three strands of embroidery thread in a simple running stitch (which I did in dark green thread so you can see it; normally I'd use thread to match the paper color):



The final result still looks like the original object from the outside:



But when you open the cover, it looks like this:



Any trimmings you create while working can also be recycled; I used the two big end flaps I trimmed off the box to make a bookmark for the journal by gluing them together with a piece of ribbon. Total project time: two hours.

Recycled Journal Week

This week I'm giving myself a creative challenge to make some journals out of stuff I have sitting around the house. First, the stuff:



Why make journals out of three used boxes, an unused/out of date calendar, and a mini-quilt I picked up at a show some years back? For fun, mainly, but also to recycle and repurpose these items into something I'll use (versus simply tossing them in the trash or donating them to a thrift store.) I'll post each project daily, along with pics and notes on what I did in the event any of you want to try the same.

When making journals out of recycled items the best place to start is with the item itself. Look at the dimensions, the material it's made from, and how it might lend itself to becoming a book. Virtually any flat surface can be converted into pages or covers for a journal, but don't limit yourself to cutting things apart and binding them back together. Consider painting them or dyeing them to alter and/or enhance their appearance. Binding can be as simple as stapling your signatures to your cover materials, or if you have thin pages and covers and a sewing machine, you might try stitching your book together. If you've never made a recycled journal and want to watch someone do it, check out these video tutorials at Jennibellie Studio blog.

Stay tuned for updates on my progress and more info on how to make your own recycled journals.

CPSpring

The March/April 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors was so chock full of excellent new ideas for journaling and book making that I've already picked three to try out:

Modern cartes de visite by Gabriela Domville Dondisch: Back in the nineteenth century, people would mount small photos of themselves on cards and use them to share with friends and family or even use them as the next generation of calling cards. Gabriela's short article covers how to simply make some modern versions, which would be a very cool promo item for authors to hand out with their backlist, contact info, appearance schedule, etc. (theme your cards with your genre, and steampunk writers, this project was practically made for you guys.)

My Story to Tell by Kristen Robinson: if you've ever wanted to try to make a mixed-media book or journal, this is the project for you. The artist uses a lot of recycled materials and offers a very simple two-hole binding technique that anyone can manage.

Dip It! by Ann St. Martin Stout: You know those little sample jars of latex paint at the home improvement stores that always tempt you? Okay, maybe it's just me. Anyway, in this article Ann tells you how to use that paint to decorate the spine plus bind a small book, and uses this really cool marbling technique that is also practically a no-brainer.

At the end of the issue there are also five reader challenge winning projects that show you what you might sculpt out of old unwanted books, plus lots of other articles with fun ideas for your art. Definitely recommend checking out this issue.

One-Sheet Journal

For Journaling Week I decided to test-drive Rachelle Panagarry's mini-zine project from the Summer issue of Pages magazine. There is no binding, gluing or any special technique involved except folding, and it's so simple I think anyone can do it.

Here's a slideshow of my first try, along with simple instructions to go with each pic.



1. To make this you'll need a sheet of letter-size paper and a pair of scissors. I used some old printer paper.

2. Fold your paper in half both ways, which divides the paper into four equal sections.

3. Fold the long ends of your paper over so that the ends are even with the center fold, and create eight rectangular sections.

4. Fold your paper by the long ends and cut the center fold up to the next intersecting fold. Stop there.

5. Open and refold your paper the other way (by the short ends) and stand it up like a tent.

6. Take the ends and push them toward the center to form a plus sign with the paper.

7. Place your plus sign down and press flat.

8. Fold over in half.

9. You've got a mini-journal.

10. The reason this project is so cool is that you can unfold your journal once it's finished and copy it (which is why Ms. Panagarry makes hers into little zines to share with friends.) Here's my first picture journal, and the two copies I made for extras:



Some project tips: for best results, match your edges exactly and crease your folds well. If you're making a journal out of something that already has content printed on it, your content should be face-down as you do steps 1-3, then face out from steps 4-8. Do one blank book first to figure out how the pages are oriented (front and back covers are the first two rectangles on the upper left side of the paper, for example. Also, half your pages are upside down to the other half.)

If you want to print something on your paper before you fold it, you might so a black and white version first to make sure you have everything arranged correctly (I didn't size a couple of my pics correctly, so this saved me some color ink.)

The Art of Journals

There is an art to journaling, but there's also an art to making journals. Kristen Evans of FirebirdHouse is reinventing books by hand-making journals, and she's got a wonderful approach. Here you can see an example of her craft; a lovely little hand-stitched pocket journal that fits neatly into a wonderful antique tin box. I recently acquired this one when I discovered FirebirdHouse on Etsy.com via a search for handmade journals, which is something I do all the time.

Sometimes I give these journals away (and I do think handmade journals make excellent gifts, especially for kids) but mainly I buy them for myself. I use journals every day, and my entries are not what you'd call brief. When I can hand-write in them I do, or I'll dictate an entry to the computer, print it out and glue it onto a journal page. My journals serve as my repositories for my photos, sketches, various bits of life ephemera, lists, story ideas -- pretty much anything I can fit into them. I also write letters to some of my writer pals in journal-form. I usually have at least two and often three journals going at once, and I can fill one up in as little as two or three days, so I am constantly in need of new journals.

Because I use so many during the year I've always purchased mass-produced blank books or made my own. Since art journaling became popular, however, I've discovered and come to appreciate the fine art of journal-making, and this resulted in a neat little collection. A journal doesn't have to be arty to be useful, but it adds something to the mix. I know from those I've made myself how much thought and time and care goes into this kind of handwork. Adding my content also makes me feel less like I'm using something to write and more like I'm collaborating with another artist.

Here's one of the more unusual journals in my collection:



This lovely little bundle is a needle-felted wool journal from beautifulplace, and it's absolutely a work of art. Here's a look inside:



I have never seen anything like beautifulplace's enchanting journals; they seem more dream-spun than made.

Because I like unusual journals I often look for something different, like this recent acquisition from LaVerne Johnson at Riverside Studios:



LaVerne took a vintage book, turned down the pages and formed them into pockets, in which you can save all sorts of bits and pieces. Repurposing an old book like this is a terrific way to recycle unwanted things into new art.

In addition to the arty kind I also like very precisely-made journals, and I've yet to find anyone who can turn out a better-made book than Jodi Green at Levigator Press. Her artwork is amazing, her binding is phenomenal, and the corners on her journals are trimmed to perfection. She also frequently uses unusual, recycled papers in her journals so they're always a surprise, and provide interesting spaces in which to write:







Of all the journals I collect I probably invest most often in those that in someway use recycled materials like Jodi's work; I especially love journals made from old books. Here are some examples of those (from left to right, a repurposed Nancy Drew novel journal by Heavensentcrafts, a hand-stitched journal with repurposed book covers by FirebirdHouse and a ring-bound mixed-media journal by LovelyFever):



As I mentioned I make my own journals, too, primarily by recycling or repurposing materials. I like to challenge myself, so I've made journals out of index cards, playing cards, and even a spiral-bound mini notebook. I think my best/most original project was the journal I made by painting the pages of an old book with regular and metallic watercolors:



Prices for handmade journals are generally higher than what you'd pay for the mass-produced variety, and some can be very expensive (leather-bound journals tend to be very pricey), but to me owning something handmade by an independent artist is worth some extra $$$. If you can't afford to invest in one right now, stick around -- at the end of this week I'll be holding a giveaway that will include a handmade journal from one of my favorite artists.

Journaling Week Ten

I have a theme for this week on PBW, and it's all about journals -- types, how to make them, starting one, where to buy them, software, what to put in them, why they're important, etc. You're already riveted, I can tell. Stick with me anyway; I think you'll enjoy it. Meanwhile, let's start off with

Ten Things about Diaries and Journals

Largest? The record for keeping the world's longest (or largest) personal diary might belong to Reverend Robert Shields, who on a whim began one in 1972 and wrote in detail about himself and every day of his life until 1997, when a stroke disabled him. He then turned his opus, which had to be packed up in 91 boxes, over to a university. Exactly how long is it, and is it a good read? Actually it'll be a while before we know. Rev. Shields donated it to the university in 1999 with the stipulation that no words would be counted and it would not be read until 50 years after his death.

Longest Run: Not all journals are personal; some are medical or even scientific, like The Philisophical Transactions of the Royal Society, which has been published continuously since the first issue came out in 1665. Contributors to the journal include some guys who went on to become pretty famous, like Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday and Isaac Newton.

Edited: Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll, aka Charles Dodgson, kept diairies for most of his life. However, since his death some of them have disappeared, and others show signs that pages were deliberately removed. No one knows what happened or who was responsible for this, but scholars think his family should be blamed in what was likely an effort to remove controversial content, possibly relating to his fascination with Alice Liddell, the eleven-year-old inspiration for his famous character. Or maybe Dodgson arranged to have it done for the same reasons? We'll probably never know.

Everyone Has a Copy: With 31 million copies sold in 67 languages, The Diary of a Young Girl, aka The Diary of Anne Frank is often said to be the second-most widely read book in the world (Number one? The Bible.)

Nothing Personal: Artist and all-around Renaissance dude Leonardo da Vinci kept notebook-style journals all his life, and may have produced as much as 80,000 pages of notes, sketches and ideas on art, architecture, anatomy, botany, engineering, inventions, landscapes, mathematics, painting, perspective, philosophy, physiology, proportion, warfare and zoology. Basically Leonardo never met an idea he didn't put in his journal. Yet in all of those that survived, he wrote only two things in them about his personal life -- and both related to the death of his father.

Oldest: Since a number of ancient journals have survived there's a great deal of debate on what is the oldest still in existance. I vote for the diaries that were kept by the Babylonians; they date back to 652 BCE.

Pricey: Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Hammer journal was sold at auction in 1994 for $30,802,500. Who was the buyer? Microsoft's multigazillionaire Bill Gates, who three years later released a digitally scanned version to share it with the rest of the world. Nice going, Bill.

Strangest: In addition to penning and illustrating a 15,145-page single-spaced fantasy fiction manuscript (which was pretty disturbing on its own), reclusive outside artist and author Henry Darger also wrote an eight-volume autobiography entitled The History of My Life. For the first 206 pages Darger actually did write about his childhood before he fell off the wagon, slipped back into his fantasy world and wrote another 4,672 pages of fiction about a tornado he witnessed in 1908, which he called "Sweetie Pie."

The Pepys Code: No doubt you've heard that one of the most historically important diaries ever written belonged to 17th century English businessman Samuel Pepys, who used it to chronicle ten years of his life. The reason this diary is so important is that it provides a first-hand account of what life was like in London during the 1660's. What most people don't know is that Pepys wrote the diary in a type of shorthand of his era called tachygraphy, and before anyone could read what he wrote it had to first be translated into readable English.

Writerly Habit: Many other authors have been devoted journalers; among the more notable are Ray Bradbury, Joan Didion, Franz Kafka, C.S. Lewis, Anaïs Nin, Sylvia Plath, Susan Sontag and Virginia Woolf. Why do authors journal? Maybe Jonathan Franzen, another journal addict, explained it with this quote: I had started keeping a journal, and I was discovering that I didn’t need school in order to experience the misery of appearances.

Image credit: Sergey Nivens/Bigstock.com

Writer Junk Journal

Back in January I promised to show you how I made a trio of small journals out of some ordinary materials -- which I did with a pack of index cards and a deck of playing cards. This month I had the final challenge of making a journal out of this mini spiral-bound notebook:



Which is now a writer junk journal:



To make this journal I first tore out half the pages (more on what I did with them later in the post) and used the remaining pages as foundations for some interesting specimens from my paper recycle bin. I covered each page front and back with old calendar pictures, junk mail, cutouts from magazines, old photos and postcards, trimmings and other discarded bits. I framed each page with some decorative paper tape left over from last year's massive art project and added a few pockets, tags and little envelopes throughout for writing and saving notes.



I didn't plan anything or go with a particular theme, which made it fun to assemble. Once I had the pages refurbished I made a quilted cover for the journal out of a damaged quilt block. I'm still figuring out how I want to fasten it together so for now I just have a strip of muslin tied around it:



As for the pages I tore out, I trimmed off the binding tatters, cut them into strips and chunks of various sizes and tucked them into an envelope I mounted in the back. These will come in handy when I want to write a note about something to add to the pages:



A junk journal can be used for whatever you want to note and save. I think they're a great way to journal small because with the lined pages covered you won't feel pressured to fill them up with writing. You can add a few words or a note to any page, or just tuck something into one of the envelopes. I'm going to use mine for magazine clipping, articles, take-out cookie fortunes and other little things that would otherwise get lost in the shuffle.



This was a good practice project for me, too, as it's the first junk journal I've ever made. Working on this little journal has given me a confidence boost to try my hand at a more ambitious project: transforming this old beauty into . . . well, you'll just have to wait and see.

Index Card Journal

Another of my Journaling Small challenges was to use this ordinary pack of index cards to make an interesting mini journal:



Which I did, and here's how it looks now:



Rather than turn the index cards into a book I decided to keep them in the same physical format and simply enhance their appearance. I also wanted to make this a green project, so I only used what I had on hand to do so. I started with two tea bags and some boiling water; I made a strong batch of tea and immersed the cards in it. Tea staining darkened the blinding white of the index cardstock to various shades of cream and ecru, blurred and lightened the ruled lines on the cards, and created some lovely mottled marks and warping, which all together gave the cards a wonderful antique look.

Tea staining doesn't make the cards tacky, btw, but it does leave a faint odor of tea. If you want to try this method, remember to let the tea cool enough first to work with without scalding your hands or fingers. Also do handle the cards carefully when they're wet as they tend to tear easily. Other options to alter the appearance of index cards would be to apply light washes of watercolor paint or spritzes of diluted food coloring. Those of you who are experienced paper makers are likely familiar with various commercial dyes that would work, too. If you don't mind the white color of the index cards, you might decorate them instead with stickers, cutouts, rub-on transfers or other scrapbooking bits.



Once my stained cards were completely dry I printed out some pages of words (two for every letter of the alphabet, a group of numbers, and the months of the year) in an antique font on cream-colored paper. I cut out and glued one word in a random spot on each index card. These words serve as my writing prompts; whatever I add to the card while journaling should relate somehow to that word. I also left about fifty cards deliberately blank so I can write whatever I like on those.



Once I had the cards finished I unfolded the cardboard holder, covered it with bits of paper and cardstock from my recyclable paper bin, and reassembled it. I added some decorative paper tape to the edges and corner folds to make it a bit more sturdy. The final touch was hot-gluing neat junk like rusty keys, old buttons, string, a little light bulb and an old pen nib to give the base a bit more style and weight. So that I can mark my progress as I use the cards I cut out the picture of a peacock from the top of an empty puzzle box (yes, I even save those to recycle) and made that my journal marker.

I've planned to use my index card journal for writing practice and daily inspiration, but you can always skip the prompts and simply write a journal entry on each card and keep them in date or subject order. Writers might adapt the cards to serve in other ways, like plotting out scenes from your story, creating an index of characters, settings, backstory or whatever you like. Those of you who blog might glue some prompts from a blogging inspiration source and then take a card at random to give you an idea for a new post. Readers, this would be a great way to keep notes on the books you've read, or to simply track titles so you don't accidentally buy second copies; you can create a card for each author, keep them in alphabetical order, and make notes on their books accordingly. Or if you're the plan-ahead sort, you can make up cards for each month of the year and note which new releases you want to read during that month. You can add photos, divider cards, recipes and pretty much anything else you want and can fit in the base to personalize your index card journal, too.

Playing Card Journal

A few weeks back I mentioned in my Journaling Small post that I was going to make some guided journals out of some unusual materials, and for the first I started with these:



I did spend all last year working with cards so I was very comfortable transforming this deck into a little flip journal:



I used a couple of scrap pieces of heavy cardstock as covers, and punched two holes in them as well as all the cards, through which I placed two binder rings. I decorated the cover of the journal with some adhesive lettering and the holes I'd punched out of the cards.



I liked the look of the cards so I didn't try to cover them completely; I alternated paper suitable for writing with some pictures I tore out of an old magazine. All of the additions I made were pasted in with a glue stick. I also thought about adding some pre-printed words to inspire, but once I had it all put together I liked it well enough the way it was. Adding the additional papers and images did make the deck too big to fit back into the box, but the extra bulk allows it to stand on its own so that was a nice bonus.

The binder rings are the clasp-type that open and close easily, so you could add extra pages, cards or other bits to this little journal with no problem. You might get more creative by completely covering the cards completely with images, ruled paper, calendar pages etc. (and this would make a great portable day planner, too.) As to what to write in it, there's only space for a few words so you don't want to go all Tolstoy, but that's the point of journaling small. You could use a journal like this for character names, potential story titles, words you encounter that you want to look up or short quotes you find motivating. For a more guided experience, cover half the pages with random images and the other half with paper you can write on. Then indulge in a bit of creative free association each day by examining one image and then jotting down a few words next to it as to what it makes you think.

Journaling Small

Today is National Handwriting Day, and to do my part to promote the art of writing by hand I thought I'd offer an idea how you can do that . . . in a small way.

While working on my 1000 Cards Project last year I wrote three small journals. One was an ATC-size blank book I found at BAM and wrote in for a week; fitting my handwriting and art on the tiny pages was an interesting challenge. I also made two other, shorter journals by hand; one that I wrote in for a day and the other a collection of ten thoughts about living the creative life.

Now I have much love for big, roomy journals, but those three mini projects did give me a new appreciation for journaling small. Reducing your physical writing space can be a good thing for your focus; when you're working on 2-1/2 X 3-1/2" pages every word really has to count. Although I'm not sure why, it also had the pleasant side effect of making my entries mainly positive - maybe because the space limit didn't give me a lot room to rant.

Working on a smaller scale can be a fast and fun way to explore some non-traditional journal making methods. The little accordian journal I made last year using fake fruit was fun but didn't require a huge chunk of my time. If you'd like an alternative to artist trading cards you might consider making a mini-journal out of index cards, old rolodex cards, or even some playing cards (card sleeves, an index card box, rolodex holder or deck box would serve nicely to hold them all together versus the usual binding and covers.)

Journaling small also makes your project more portable by reducing it to purse- or pocket-size, so you can take it with you on your daily travels. Since you don't have to wrestle with a standard-size book, you might be more inclined to jot down ideas or make a quick sketch on the run. If you want to embellish your pages on the go, use a pencil case or an empty Altoids tin to carry a few art supplies with you.

A small project can help you think outside the journaling box, too. I was fascinated by the shape of this reader challenge silhouette book in the Jan/Feb '13 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors; I'd love to make a little journal like this shaped by its own theme, like love poems in a heart-shaped journal or a quilting diary shaped by my favorite patchwork template. I can also see making a neat photo journal of my pups shaped like a bone or in one of their silhouettes. You can also find ready-made shaped notebooks around if you look; I spotted this rainbow-shaped notebook in the dollar bin at JoAnn, and it would make a great happy thoughts or gratitude mini-journal.

A pocket-size journal might also inspire you to journal more often, which can ease you into a more regular writing routine. Big journals with all those blank pages can be intimidating; a miniature version may prove less stressful. You're not under pressure to fill dozens of empty lines or pages with your thoughts; you can note simply what's most important that day in a few words or one paragraph. Writers, this is great practice for creating premises, hook lines, working out dialogue and other elemental story ideas. Poets can explore and play with short form verse by creating a daily haiku journal. Readers who like to keep track of what books they read and their thoughts about them might find a pocket reading journal easier to update and take along on the next book store excursion.

You can have fun with the artistic challenge of making small journals, too. I picked up a couple card decks, a mini spiral notebook and a pack of index cards, all of which I'm going to try to transform into guided small journals, and if I don't make a hash of it I'll post some pictures of the results.

Finally, for those of you who are fine writing instrument lovers, check out this penmanship contest being held by Fahrney's Pens. You can mail, fax or e-mail your handwritten entry by January 31st, and the winner will score a Pelikan fountain pen worth $348.00.