Seashell Junk Journal
Hey, everyone! Gina Testa of Gina Makes It, one of our amazing Junk Journal Design Team Members, created a fabulous Seashell Junk Journal for us this week. As you know, we feature one new Junk Journal project each week created by one of our creative team of artists. Our Design Team Members select from the 100’s of Vintage Image Bundles on our Premium Membership Site, for their creations, in order to show you beautiful ways to use those images. We hope you will be totally inspired by this series!
Therefore, please make sure you check out the video tour at the bottom of the page…please scroll all the way down to see it. Are you ready to be inspired? I will step out of the way and let Gina tell you all about her incredible project…
The journal I created today is my last journal as a Graphics Fairy Design Team member. This past year has been an amazing experience filled with creative growth, new friends and expanded
horizons. I am so sad to see this time end, but in the famous sentiment of Dr. Suess, I am not going to be sad it’s over, but so happy to have been chosen to experience it in the first place!
For my last journal, I decided to create something a little different. All of the journals I made up until this point were future journals for me, but my August 2022 journal is one I created and
finished. It’s documenting a recent trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan over Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I were very surprised to stumble across a plethora of seashells on the shores of Lake Superior, so I collected a few knowing that I was definitely going to incorporate them somehow into a journal. I decided to use them on the cover around the perimeter of a frame
that I printed from The Gilded Age bundle and trimmed. Inside of the frame, I placed a picture that I printed out from our trip and lined the entire circumference of the oval with some brown
raffia.
Before creating my signature, I scoured the Premium Membership site looking for all nautical, lake or sea-themed images and bundles—there are so many to choose from! I printed out
various image and pages from the following kits from the Gilded Age, Twilight on the Lake, La Mer, and Seaside Holiday to use as background pages. I printed these on a cotton linen paper
blend for an old world feel. I also printed out various images from these kits on some matte photo paper to use as page tucks, pockets, and embellishments.
Before I started, I printed out all of the seashell images from She Sells Seashells and fussy cut them. I used this in some variation on almost every page.
I also loved using all of the quotes, cut apart words, and extra pieces found within each bundle. I always rely heavily upon the coordinating bundle pieces to really connect all of the pages.
I ended the journal with a vintage sheet music cover and another beautiful quote. I really loved making this journal and especially loved the ability to really customize a kit using the carefully
curated bundles on the Premium Membership site.
Let’s take a tour of it together:
SEASHELL JUNK JOURNAL SHOW & TELL VIDEO TOUR
Bundles used in this project:
* The Gilded Age
* Twilight on the Lake
* La Mer
* She Sells Seashells
* Seaside Holiday
* Florida Vacation
Find me on YouTube, Etsy and Instagram
Gina
Check out the Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site HERE!
deester says
Great post! My journals sit empty on various tables, beckoning. This is a great incentive to start filling them. Love the seashell/ocean theme, too.
Karen Watson says
Have fun filling up those journals Dianne! 😊
Jacqueline Crawford says
Hi Karen,
I love what you did with this junk journal. I would echo Juanita’s thoughts above as to liking the idea, but not knowing what to do with one once made. I am off to Maine for a week for lakes, and ocean trips and this journal will inspire me to make one of my own when I return. I think it will also make a fantastic memory gift for my adventure partners/sisters (from another mother LOL)!
Beautiful journal; thanks for sharing!
Karen Watson says
I’m so glad you enjoyed Gina’s journal! This will be the perfect idea for your Maine trip… such a beautiful place. Enjoy your vacation!!
JuaSaysHi says
Thank you SO MUCH for doing this! This is actually the very first time that I’ve seen a completed journal! Not gonna lie, until now I really had zero clue how to incorporate a junk journal into real life. I liked looking at them, the ones I’ve seen showcased here for years, but really (I can say in hindsight) I did NOT see the point of it all, so I had no interest in making one.
I mean I totally didn’t get it. Despite vaguely liking the idea, in the end seeing all the others left me cold (past me: “They’re so cool looking, but if I made any, what would I even do with them? They’d just become more clutter.”).
Now, thanks to you, I’m excited to try it, because now I finally see how to work my own things in. Only because of you and yours. Thank you, thank you!
Karen Watson says
Thanks for the great feedback Juanita! I was just saying to Gina that now when people ask what to do with a Junk Journal, that I will point them towards this journal. I’m so glad you had a lightbulb moment with this one! Have fun creating your first journal.
JuaSaysHi says
Thank you, thank you, I will!
Karen Watson says
😊