Chinese Take Out?

On a cloudy Sunday in-between storms it's good to keep busy at the art table :)

A while back I had seen a cool tutorial on making small journals using a chopstick as the journal's spine...and I knew I just had to try it!

These small journals have 32 pages and they measure about 4.5 inches by 9 inches...you make the journal the height of the chopstick. I used a piece of heavy weight scrapbook paper for the covers and the inside pages are 32-pound copy paper.

It's a great little journal to keep on your nightstand for jotting down thoughts and ideas!

Loving It

Wow, the first day of my month long contest had a great turn out! I've 'met' some very groovy new readers - and I love YOUR blogs.

This is the FUN part for me....I am being turned on to new blogs I would have never found if not for this. We are making connections all over the world from the comfort of our own home. How cool is that?!

Please tell your friends about my contest and send them over for a visit.

The journal "A Little Bird Told Me" has sold ....and it will make its way to Los Angeles, California where its pages will be filled with ART and WORDS and all sorts of magic :)

Speaking of magic. I think we might go to Disneyland tomorrow for an early celebration of my 57th birthday (on May 5th). My FIRST visit to Disneyland was in 1957!!!!!

Let The Game Begin!

In a few minutes here on the west coast in southern California it will be May 1st!

And that means THE CONTEST begins.

All you need to do is visit and leave me a comment during the month of May.

On the last day of the month all the names of those of you who comment will be put into a basket and ONE name will be drawn.

The winner receives a hand bound Coptic stitch journal made by me!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
* one entry per person each month *

Art Journals

A 'heads-up' for those who do visual journals - using collage, acrylic's, etc., my upcoming journals are going to have 140# index cardstock -- this paper takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'...you will LOVE it. My 'art-sister' Linda turned me on to this paper who learned about it from Kelly and let me tell you ....it rocks!
I have been re-stocking some supplies and will be back to journal making this weekend :)

Out Of Chaos...

...journals will come forth!
Sometime on Monday I will be posting 2 or 3 handbound one-of-a-kind journals which will be available for purchase.
If you would like to be notified when I post them send me an email:
jolene@bellakarma.com
Please put JOURNALS in the subject line.

I found my thrill...

On Blueberry.................Island :)

I practiced on yet another handbound journal today. Nice quiet way to spend a Sunday...the winds were too strong for a walk along the beach -- and I am not fond of chewing sand :)

Roaming around a used bookstore one day I picked up this authentic 1950's copy of The Bobbsey Twins! Anyone who grew up in the same era as I did will remember them!
The inside pages were less than desirable -- but I knew I could UPCYCLE the covers!
I love a journal that feels 'lived in' already -- no need to be fussing and fretting about scuffing the cover - this one is genuine VINTAGE! I of course being a germaphobic have sanitized it completely!!

I have 14 sections of 5 leaves each, alternating between a 65# white sketching paper and 24# blue all purpose copy paper.
The Coptic stitch is done with natural waxed linen thread imported from Belfast.

One Pill Makes You Smaller

Small Alice

Handbound Journal

My second Coptic stitch journal. Covers measure 5 1/8" x 3".

******************************************
::::News Flash:::::
Tonight I will be blogging about the tragic excitment on our beach yesterday!

Stitch Like An Egyptian

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!
And finally I have some photos of proof of what I have been involved in learning.

I became obsessed with the idea of handcrafting my own line of journals. They needed to be a journal that would please the average journal writer, and the artist...or one who does visual journaling. I needed a journal that would lie completely FLAT when writing or drawing in it.

So, this quest took me back to ancient Egypt. Of course.
It was back in the 3rd and 4th Centuries when the Copt's - who were Egyptian Christians- developed this bookmaking concept come to be known as the "Coptic stitch"

And it was a bear to learn. Well, for one who is 'needle and thread impaired' such as I.
I had wonderful help along the way. My sister-friend-neighbor, Kimber, showed me some sewing basics, my daughter displayed a tremendous amount of patience with me- even though I KNOW she was sick of hearing the words 'coptic stitch', my soul-sista's - Linda and Ellen encouraged me daily to keep on truckin', and absolute strangers around the nation offered tutorials and suggestions.

So, here is my first successful journal. It is the beginning. I have found my passion. And I will soon be offering my one-of-a-kind coptic stitch journals for sale.