it’s getting messy around here. paper is flying. guerilla book making at its finest is taking place, with me at the helm.
i wasn’t planning to cover up these fantastic book covers.
but i did. i slathered them in glue and stuck paper on top.
i sewed several plain sheets of the josef frank wallpaper in as pages. i’ll probably leave the design alone, but add writing/drawing/collage to the back.
there are many foldouts.
i knew i would need a closure of some sort because this is a BIG sketchbook/travel journal and it will get fatter. the cardboard covers were so easy to punch through with my trusty japanese screw punch. i remember thinking it was expensive when i bought it, but i have used it a zillion times and never once replaced any of the tips. they are sharp as ever.
all swedish wallpaper on the cover from boråstapeter by way of ingrid. they are sweden’s oldest wallpaper company.
the red dotted paper came from my last trip to scandinavia, it is norwegian. very thick with a rough texture.
it’s quite possibly the plainest travel journal i’ve ever made. i used a coptic stitch and a case binding. i bumbled my way through the process and needed some duct tape to clean up some rough edges. as i’ve said before, i need a travel journal that can be tossed out a train window and caught by a daredevil speeding by in the sidecar of a motorcycle. like that. STURDY.
when it came time to attach the button i had a good team of advisors.
as a consequence of winging it and not measuring, some of the pages extend beyond the covers.
precision & accuracy are not my forte.
i’ll find some delectable label to add to the front once i arrive in sweden. once i figure out which art supplies i’ll travel with i’ll show you! probably just a small case of watercolors, a few gouache, and a few good pens. i’m travelling light.
i’ll also do a flip through on my IG once i’m ready to hit the road so you can get a good idea of what it looks like BEFORE it gets filled up. capiche?
i’ll be adding some lettering to the spine before i go.
speaking of travel journals do you know josé naranja ?
with his permission, i’d like to show you some of his notebooks. prepare to be amazed.
he is terribly clever. if you read some of his posts you’ll see why. i particularly enjoyed the one about his proposal for improving the barcelona skyline.
josé’s notebooks are deceptively tiny. i don’t know how he crams so much interestingness onto a page. i like the way he separates some of his text into columns. in a way it reminds me of the way judy wise keeps her visual journals. such attention to detail!
i do love a well-developed sense of humor.
this pic is from his instagram feed, which i just started following. i imagine he is a continual source of delight for his mother!
Thank you for sharing Jose to us. Swooning over his pages. So tiny and amazing!
Your blog is a constant source of inspiration!!! I laugh, I delight in the pictures, and the “winging it”, I love your sense of humor (I hear some people don’t have one, they don’t know what they are missing!). Your advisors make me think of my dinosaurs I colored with spray paint various funky shades, but I never thought to ask them their opinion…
Thank you for your continuing blog pictures sharing journal cats and drinks!
Kristi,
I havent heard of the pens. They sound v. interesting & potentially exciting. Will investigate. Thanks for letting me know!
I so enjoy coming here and how you keep opening my my wider and wider! I just love learning and your ideas are wonderful, even if it may take me forever to get to apply some of them! I am so excited for your trip! Yaaay, your book is looking pretty awesome!
OMG! THis post about Jose is so amazing!
No, I did not know about him, and yes, I am impressed!
Always something new that YOU are teaching us, yes?
Have fun (lots of it) with your trip-to-Sweden plans, you clever girl, you!
Happy Travels!
I feel almost like I am packing for my OWN trip to Norway! I am so excited! Let me just get my toothbrush….Mary Ann, have you heard of Posca Paint Pens? They are acrylic paint pens from Japan which are truly amazing! I learned about them in an on line art class I’ve been taking. The colors are beautiful, they don’t leak like many other paint pens, they are so totally portable (like having paint but sans brush and H20). You can order them from Amazon. I can’t wait for “our” trip!
jen,
there’s a little hinge in there that keeps the paper from tearing. imagine the 2 covers and then in the middle a separate little piece of cardboard for the spine… I’m also using wallpaper that has an almost vinyl feel to it. super strong and not in the least bit delicate. as for the modpodge i use a TON and everything stays in place.
mine definitely has some “wrong” qualities to it, but it works for me and is VERY sturdy.
Love this. And loving Sketchbookery which I’m trying to pace myself on right now (failing). You’re such an inspiration Mary Ann – thanks. Are you just mod podging a decorative paper over the spine like that? Do you ever find issues with the constant open/closing? I love how this looks but concerned I’d do it wrong!
Enjoy your trip – can’t wait to see your sketches!
Travel journal looking good! I mean seriously good! I so enjoy your posts because you always include photos of your work in progress. And then there’s your wonderful sense of humor. Oh, and did I say that I love to look at your photos of Moss Cottage? Nope, I’m not gonna do the Judy Wise style of journaling but it looks good as does the work of Jose Aranja. I really need to look at my bookmaking instructions from the 2 online courses I purchased from you: Remains of the Day and another one that I can’t find on my computer at the moment. I best see if I can find my login info before you travel to Sweden in case I have old information. Sounds like a plan to me.
Having fun along with you!
Simply delicious. I’ve always been a sucker for the black, white and red color scheme. Enjoy your trip!
The duct tape on this new journal is perfect – it adds a nice “tough” contrast to the more refined papers = perfect! Can’t wait to see how you fill it.
Just for your language acquisition Capiche = förstå in Swedish!
Sometimes you just gotta show off your Swedish language skills.
Recently a friend told me about an interior decorator that has a bunch of discontinued wallpaper books in her basement that she will give away for the asking. Your post motivated me to get my act together and pick up a few.
I can tell you have a great team of advisers at your beck and call. I’d value their opinion as well. Loving your new travel journal. That red polka dot paper is to die for. I love it. This journal looks incredibly inviting and I am thinking of sneaking in and hiding within it’s pages…I know it is a crazy idea but I thrive on crazy ideas so I’m givin it a shot, tiz the only way I will ever get to Sweden. I’m looking forward to you journey abroad once again as always.
You keep introducing me to new and amazing people, José Aranja! Oh, my!! I like your new Journal and can’t wait to see it filled with all kinds of MAM goodness.
I like your very astute team of advisors, Mary Ann!
Love every bit of this…
Ilove the excitement of getting ready o leave. And making a travel journal is even better. Happy traveling!