Tag: Journaling

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General Inspiration Notebooks Tutorial

Head turning headers! Lettering hints and tips for journaling

Let’s explore some simple tips on lettering 📝

Did you know – my first introduction to bookbinding was in a calligraphy book I had as a child? I’ve still got it. I love experimenting with lettering, but I’m just not very neat 😱
Something I struggle with that makes a massive difference to how your lettering looks is consistency. So, when I’m adding a fancy title to a blank journal page, or adding text to a handmade card, there are a few things I find that help.

Use lines to practise getting your letters an even height. You don’t have to have a fancy pen, a ball point will do! Experiment with different styles.

Figure out how much space you want the text to take up. Do you want it in the centre? To the right or left? Pencil the lines in lightly and do a first draft of the letters in pencil, too. 

If you want curved text, draw some curved lines – you can use the bottom of a cup or glass etc., or do it freehand – measuring out a bottom, top and middle line for your letters to sit on.

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Craft Inspiration Paper Tutorial

Trash to treasure: starting a creative junk journal

A handmade journal, surrounded by paper and card scraps, tape, scissors and stationery items, laying on a wooden surface.

Junk journaling is, I think, more of an American term. It’s a bit like scrapbooking, but more relaxed and unstructured; a creative journal where anything goes. Use it for art, words, memories, collages… You can start with a theme in mind or just go with the flow. It’s great for upcycling and using up scraps of paper. All you really need is a blank journal, with pages sturdy enough to take whatever you’re sticking in.

A selection of colourful paper scraps in a white envelope, surrounded by shape punchers, scissors, washi tape, laying on a wooden surface.

Step 1: Collect junk!
Hoard any scraps, labels, or packaging you think is an interesting colour, texture or pattern; or maybe some words or text that stand out to you. If you’re stuck for what you want to create, you can use these as a jumping off point to get you started. I like to use old tea bag packets, magazines, old diary covers, and pages from unwanted tattered books — along with a selection of scissors and shape cutters, Washi tape and stickers.

An open journal shows a page decorated with some text, a paper fox and some paper flowers.

When using text, I tend to see a word or phrase that I like and build the page around that; either by tearing words out, or editing sections to highlight the words I like. Here, I’d come across the word ‘foxes’, so I started from there, adding one of my origami foxes and some cutout flowers. 

An open journal shows a page decorated with various scraps of patterned paper and card, including bits of map and old teabag packets.

More hints & tips: Play around with things on the page before committing by sticking them down. Create layers and textures. Add pencils, pens and paints. Use stickers to stick scraps instead of using glue. Add dried/pressed flowers or leaves.

As you collect and add bits to your journal, it’s a good idea to keep it all together. You can keep smaller bits in an old envelope. Simply tie string or ribbon around the journal, envelope, and any bigger bits and pieces; or, you can create a loop of elastic by sewing the ends together, and use that to slip around everything and keep it all in place.

A journal lays closed on a wooden desk, tied together with an envelope using some purple raffia. It is surrounded by pens and pencils.

You can also create a simple open pocket by cutting the top off an envelope and gluing it onto the inside cover of your notebook.

The back cover of a journal lays open, with a envelope on the inside cover filled with paper and card scraps.
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Handmade leather journals Inspiration Notebooks

Top 5 journal prompts when you’re out of inspiration

Stuck with ideas to fill your notebook?

I’ve previously shared tips on specific journal styles or layouts (bullet journal – travel – diary) but if you’re looking to use your journal on a more casual basis, it can be nice to have some prompts.

TOP TIP: Make a list of ideas at the back of your notebook, to refer to any time you’re stuck.

Check out my previous post on layout ideas to help with setting up the page if you’d like.

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Art Inspiration

Getting started with art journaling: simple ideas and inspiration

An open handmade journal, showing a sketch of a head with long hair, done in pencil and ink. Art supplies surround the journal, on a pale wooden background.

Ahoy there, Journalers!

Whether you want to keep a visual diary, or just have somewhere to practice and progress your skills, an art journal is a great addition to your creative journey. In this post, I’ll give you a few ideas to start you off. The first thing you need is a somewhere for your art! My handmade journals have paper suitable for pencils, pens and some paints; if you missed them, you can check out my previous blogs about that here:

An open handmade notebook with sketches of shells on one page, done in various pens and pencils.

Pencils & pens

Examples of coloured pens, pencils and paints on an open journal page.

Colours & paints

An open handmade journal, with various doodles and random sketches in water colour, pencil and ink.

It’s a good idea to start simple, especially if you’re just beginning your art journey (if you’re like me, you won’t draw, paint or write anything on the first page in case something goes wrong 😂). You can often find drawing challenges and prompts online, which can be useful for experimenting with different styles and subjects (Inktober is underway throughout October, with a drawing prompt for every day).

Some ideas could be:

Still life

Nature

People

Abstract or doodles

Below you can find some helpful tips if you just need a bit of inspiration to set your creative juices flowing.

Magazines: flick through until something catches your eye… draw it!

Alternatively, look around you. What is there that you could try to draw or paint? Something with an interesting shape or engaging colours? Replicate it, or break it into basic shapes for a more abstract look.

An open journal lays on top of an open magazine, showing a drawing of a head and the image it was copied from.
An open handmade journal showing pencil sketches of hands and ears.

Wanting to build on your skills? Setting a goal can be a good way to stay on track (one of mine is get better at drawing hands). Dedicate a whole page to practicing one thing.

Some other ideas: daily sketches, details, different styles, different mediums. Experiment! Doodle! Date your work and look back on your progress. Most of all, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Perfection is overrated 😉

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Handmade leather journals Notebooks Paper Stationery Stationery

Choosing the right pencils & pens for your journaling journey

A handmade journal with origami deer-print paper on the cover and a leather spine.

Should you use pen or pencil for journaling? What’s best to use in your notebook? Whether you want to use your blank pages for writing or drawing, it’s nice to know how your pens and pencils will work with the paper. Let’s take a look, shall we?

The paper used in my journals is 140gsm cartridge paper (it’s been made using upcycled takeaway cups!). This paper is quite sturdy and will take different mediums; pens and pencils, and also some paints (more on that another time). Here, I’ll be looking at some of the different pencils and pens you might be using for writing or drawing in your journal – you’ll be able to see what each of them look like on paper.

Ever wondered what the letters and numbers on pencils mean? Generally, HB is your bog-standard pencil: H = hard, B = blackness. You can get various grades of H & B pencils. With H pencils, the higher the number the harder the pencil, creating a harder, lighter line. When it comes to B, the higher the number the softer the pencil, creating a softer, darker line.
While you normally associate pens with writing, you can use them for drawing too. There are loads of different types of pens; I’ve chosen 3 I think fit best with using in journals.

So, what difference does this all make when it comes to drawing and writing? Here are some simple doodles to give you an idea:

Use H to create hard, clean lines. The fact that they produce lighter, more precise lines makes them good for writing and technical drawings.

B pencils can be used for sketching and adding texture. Because they’re soft, they can be more expressive; it also makes them easier to rub out!

Biros (or ballpoint pens) are best for writing – great for everyday journaling. But you can doodle with them too!

Fineliners are perfect for journaling; you can use them for writing, drawing or doing your layouts.

Dip pens are just that – pens that you dip… into a pot of ink! They’re often used for calligraphy, but you can use them for sketches, too. Using the different angles of the nib means you can create various line widths and strengths. They can take a while to get used to, but are very satisfying to use once you’ve got the hang of it.

An open handmade journal, showing a blank page.

What else would you want to know about the paper quality of a journal or notebook? How about how much it shows through to the other side? As you can see, with the paper I use in my handmade journals, you can hardly see the pencil, while the dip pen and fineliner show through the most.

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journals and notebooks.

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General

Flame on, Lay it out, Geek it up

Ahoy There!

A warm welcome to followers old and new. I’ve been busy stocking my Etsy shop with lovely rescued leather journals and pencil wraps this month and have created some new labels for my shelf space at The Emporium (a Wellingborough based shop full of handmade awesomeness!) – all my products now have more of a library-esque feel, which I love.
But enough about me; let’s just get down to it, shall we?

Have you heard of Little Flame candles? Based in Northamptonshire, this small business started to make these hand-poured candles upon retiring. After many months of research and testing, Little Flame was born. Did you know? Soy wax is non-toxic, clean burning and completely free of animal derived substances! Find them on Insta & Facebook and show a new small business some love.

I don’t know about you, but I love a journal with blank pages. It gives you the freedom to do whatever you want; doodle, write, sketch, list, paint… and if you’d like more structure, you can simply add it in yourself. From creating lines, grids, tables and headers, Pinterest (where else?!) has some great ideas to get you going. Prefer video? Here ya go! In the market for a new journal? Check out this selection over in my Etsy shop.

I’m a huge fan of some beautiful creative lettering. But what’s classed as a font and what’s a typeface –  and what’s the difference? Essentially, the Typeface is the base set of characters (e.g. Arial), the font is a particular set within the typeface (e.g. Arial Regular or Arial Rounded). Want more? Nerd yourself out here. Fancy some creative typeface fun? This book is great!

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