My Grocery Bag Journals

Before I talk about the paper bag journals, I'd like to thank all of you who sent comments regarding the lost of my cat, Ethel. It meant a lot to me that you took time to send your sympathies...THANK YOU so much.

This has been a crazy week, so not much work has gone on in the Nest. I did manage to make three collages on Wednesday. I will show them to you on Sunday. One day last week, I made a couple of 'grocery bag journals' and had so much fun making them, I thought I show them to you today. As I'm not really qualified to teach you how to make journals, if you Google "paper bag journals" you can find all kinds of instruction....then you, too, will be having all kinds of fun.

First, you must have a paper grocery bag. Around where I live they are hard to find, so I guess they will be another thing I end up 'collecting.' I made two journals. Now, you should probably be told that I wanted to make LOTS more than two, but I did not have the time to 'play' and make more. I think they could very well be addictive. And, if you have kids around...well, more's the better, you can all play together. (The second photo is the back of the large journal and the third photo is the back of the small journal!)

Here's the two I made...the large one is approximately 6" x 8" and the small one is 4" x 5." So cute!!! I brushed on a bit of gesso, a bit of paint, and then used paper napkins, some paper flowers from Michael's, a copy of a button card, then drew on leaves and a tree with a permanent pen. Oh, and I also used a hot fix crystal in the center of each flower. Just for fun.
After they were finished, I brushed on a couple coats of gel medium. I used a linen thread and sewed the pages together using a running stitch, first stitching one way, then back the other way..which makes a nice line of stitching on the outside. You could use any kind of thread or yarn. (I punched the holes using a screw punch, but it made holes in my self-healing rubber mat, which I did not like, so next time will use an awl.)

So much fun....so little expense involved...addictive....a perfectly FUN thing to do!! Hope you enjoy seeing my cute little paper books. Have a great weekend!!!! And, take care, pat

PS....I learned how to use the paper napkins from my friend Sharon. Try them....you'll have fun too.