Tea and Roses Junk Journal
Hey, everyone! Ingrid Carlsen of Karatootie, one of our amazing new Junk Journal Design Team Members, created a fabulous Tea and Roses 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 Ingrid tell you all about her incredible project…
Welcome back! I’m Ingrid Carlsen and today I am sharing a new journal that I made for the Graphics Fairy design team. In case you’re new and haven’t heard of the Graphics Fairy Premium Site, it is not only a place where you can find beautiful images for your next journal; but a feast for your eyes. You can browse for images by searching through perfectly crafted bundles or individual images. You can also search using keywords to find that perfect design element for your next masterpiece!
Ok, first things first, whenever I log into the premium site, I am quite literally like a kid in a candy shop going through the isles, smelling all of the sweet aromas, and seeing the gorgeous colors that fill the sweet shop! Skimming through the pages (and I mean PAGES) of designs I am in pure bliss! But you can probably already tell that by the number of designs I use in each project! This
journal weighs a ton and is practically bursting at the seams. I printed on 24lb copy paper for my background pages, and cardstock for my ephemera, and a few of my background pages were printed on newsprint. Ok so let’s get started!
My cover is made from a vintage hardback book cover. I added a canvas spine that I finished off with some vintage lace fabric and a vintage doily. Cutting up a book and adding a new spine, can give it flexibility and more room…to add plenty of embellishments of course!
Similarly to my last journal, I was drawn to the sweet and dainty lilac, and blush pinks. To pay homage to the beautiful images, I mixed up some of my Daniel Smith watercolors and made some
swatches and drew up some rose buds to coordinate.
This spread is definitely one of my favorites. The greens and pinks compliment each other so well! Although it is highly embellished, there are plenty of pockets to add your own notes. The image on the left is actually disguising an envelope that would make a perfect spot to add some secret journaling!
I think that the watercolors compliment the beautiful vintage images and give them an ethereal feel. This also allows the images to shine. A simple swatch is a perfect element that you can add to a journal page to give it texture and interest.
These fun and magical fairies were too beautiful to not use. They are so ornate and fancy that they will dress up any page. Here, I folded a kraft envelope in half and embellished it with a fairy and
topped it off with some vintage trim. Although the trim isn’t above the fairy’s head it still mimics a beautiful crown.
Another way that you can add a whimsical touch to your journal is by adding a lot of different textures of paper. Distressing them by folding over the edges takes this cluster to the next level. Don’t
forget to add different types of papers for an even more eclectic feel. Do you find your style to be more ornate or minimalistic? Would you try your hand at the other?
You can never go wrong by adding a vintage element like a fabric or lace to elevate printables, it will give your journal both authenticity and charm. Use it on the side as a page marker or add some to a pin for a more whimsical feel.
I encourage you to look outside the box when you are picking out printables for your next journal. Although the bundles are perfectly crafted to coordinate, there are a lot of other images or bundles that will also harmonize and compliment with each other. I hope that you are inspired to create something beautiful and maybe try out one of these techniques!
Take a tour of the journal here:
TEA AND ROSES JUNK JOURNAL SHOW & TELL VIDEO TOUR
Premium site bundles used:
A Rose is a Rose Stickers
Parisian Pinks
Bird Shapes
Parisian Pinks Butterflies
1700s sheet music
French Attic Ephemera
Ephemera Collection
Birds Botanicals
Favorite Things
French Attic Ephemera
French Paperie Collection
Wildflower Field Guide
Pastel Wallpaper
Jane Austen Embroidery
Mini French Ephemera
Pastel Advertising
Mini Ephemera
Delicate Butterflies
Tea Party
Favorite Things
Follow Ingrid’s Etsy shop
Follow Ingrid on Instagram
Follow Ingrid on YouTube
Thanks,
Ingrid
Check out the Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site HERE!
Diane says
I have a question: How do I explain to people what a junk journal is and why they might want to make one. How do you use it and what is the purpose? The same question for just a regular journal. I know that people use them to jot notes, memories or maybe like a diary. But, I just wanted to see what your explanation would be. I would love to have a class on this type of art in a senior community, but, I do not know how to explain it. Thank you in advance.
Karen Watson says
Hi Diane, No problem, you are not the first person to ask that! We actually have a post that explains it all here https://thegraphicsfairy.com/what-is-a-junk-journal/ You will also see a video, within the post, for a “Seashell Junk Journal” that many people have said really gave them a lightbulb moment when they watched it, as it’s a tour of a journal that has been completed and personalized by the owner, who used it for her vacation memories. I hope that helps!