Vintage Circus Junk Journal
Hey, everyone! Henriette van Mierlo, one of our amazing NEW Junk Journal Design Team Members, created a fabulous Vintage Circus 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 Henriette introduce herself, and tell you all about her lovely project…
Hi everyone! I’m Henriëtte van Mierlo from The Netherlands and I’m very excited to share my first junk journal as a design team member for The Graphics Fairy. I’ve started making junk journals about two years ago and I’m hooked ever since. I’ve made all kinds of different themed journals but I think I like vintage style the most. For my first Graphics Fairy project I decided to make a vintage circus themed journal. The thought about making a circus themed journal has been on my mind for some time now and when I saw the Graphics Fairy awesome vintage circus bundles I decided to go for it.
I started with making the cover by cutting two pieces 9×6 inches of thick cardstock and a piece of 9×2 inches for the spine. Then I joined the pieces together using masking tape. Next I covered the cardstock with fabrics. The fabrics I used on the front are from a vintage fabric sample book I found at a local thrift store. This sample book had just the right patterned and colored fabrics in it that I needed for a vintage circus look.
The inside of the journal is covered with purple velour fabric and two purple checkered fabric pockets. I attached gold book corners to protect the journal and to give it a nice finished look and also punched an eyelet through the spine for the handmade tassel. The decoration of the cover I did after all signatures were sewn in.
I gathered all my papers. I used all kinds of genuine old papers and tea dyed copy paper. In Photoshop, I layered The Graphics Fairy circus background papers and images from the Dazzling Circus and Vintage circus bundles to create pages to add in the three signatures. Before sewing in the signatures I attached all the fabric tabs and lace trims on the paper and did some stenciling.
After all three signatures are sewn in the fun part starts. Adding all the pockets, tags, journaling cards and ephemera pieces. On The Graphics Fairy premium membership site but also on the public domain site I found many circus themed images like animals and photo’s of circus folks. There are sheets with journal cards and collage sheets with wonders of the circus. I used them all throughout the journal alongside some other (free) images I found on internet.
On the fabric tabs I attached bulb pins with circus themed charms and colorful beads.
And last I decorated the front of the journal. The image with the elephant I made in Photoshop and then printed on fabric. The elephant is from the Dazzling circus bundle and the text is from the Vintage circus bundle.
I tried to create circus curtains using red fabrics, gold tread and red lace.
To finish I made a tassel from all kinds of laces and threads I had in my stash and attached it to the spine.
VINTAGE CIRCUS JUNK JOURNAL SHOW & TELL VIDEO TOUR
Let’s take a tour of it together:
Bundles used:
- Dazzling Circus
- Vintage Circus
- Digi People Photos
- Le Chien Dogs
- Instant Ancestors
This Journal is available in my Etsy shop.
I hope I have inspired you with my first Graphics Fairy junk journal!
Hugs,
Henriette
Check out the Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site HERE!
Carolyn Watson says
I love your circus theme journal! I noted that you said you used masking tape. If you use regular masking tape that is not acid free it will eventually deteriorate and turn loose leaving a mess behind. This happens quicker than you might think! I am an artist and we never use masking tape to frame and mat our paintings for that reason. I think there is an acid free masking tape that might be better.
Karen Watson says
We’re glad you enjoyed Henriette’s charming journal! Thanks for the great tip about the acid free masking tape!
Lori Alden Holuta says
That circus journal is wonderful and inspiring! I am slowly planning some journals to make – but first I need to go through our memento trunk and sort ticket stubs and other paper mementos into categories. I’d like to theme my journals around my real memories. I won’t glue the items down, but instead will rely on pockets and any clever hold-in-place tricks I can muster. I think these would be very fun as part of our family history library.
Karen Watson says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it Lori! That’s wonderful that you have saved those memento’s to use in your journal, that will make it more special for sure! Great idea about the pockets, to preserve those special pieces.
Dianne says
This is a fabulous journal. Unique and unusual theme. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your talent.
Karen Watson says
We’re so glad you enjoyed Henriette’s Journal Diane!
Cynthia Henry says
Thank you so much! My grandaughter has asked me for a junk journal. I have been going over girly jourals for her (ones more feminine), and have been unable to feel comfortable with any I found. But the circus journal is the ONE I’ve been searching for! (She collects clowns, and what better is there than the circus for clowns! So thank=you very much! She will love the circus theme!
Karen Watson says
We’re so glad you were inspired by Henriette’s Circus journal Cynthia! I’m sure she will love the one you make for her!