Recycled Journal Pages

During January, I have been taking part in an online workshop run by Pam Carriker in conjunction with Strathmore.

I am yet to lay my hands on a Strathmore Visual Journal, so for this workshop I used the last page in my Altered Book Art Journal.

The aim of the workshop was to take copies of old journal pages to create something new. I used printed copies of the front of my art journal, a journal page background (created for a Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade, with the colour altered before printing) & my whimsy Paper Daisy.


Week 1
So with all the elements assembled, the printed background was torn into strips, then I journalled on the back of each strip.

This was my planned layout.


The pages had already been coated in clear Gesso, with two found words protected with drawing gum. To finish preparing the pages, I added a light coat of diluted white acrylic paint, to tone down the printed words.


I added the journal strips, clouds & flower to the page & coated them with a mixture of clear gesso & a touch of white acrylic paint.


The original printed girl did not survive the wash of gesso, as the printer ink bled out, so I removed her & replaced her with a copy of the original line drawing.

Week 2
I started to add shading (using a dark brown watercolour pencil) & colour using oil pastels.


I also revealed the two found words ... Creative Art



A gesso wash caused all kinds of problems with the watercolour running, so I re-coloured with oil pastels, this time using blue.


I purchased a charcoal pencil to help with the shading, alas this also caused a complete mess.

I needed to rescue the project (again) & take some time out!

Week 3

This week I have added more colour & texture using Stickles (Silver), Distress Stickles (broken china), Perfect Pearls (Pewter) & Liquid Pearls (White Opal).


I used a graphite pencil to empathise the fine detail.


My girl is now looking a little gothic.


I love the texture, although this was not part of Pam's lesson. Guess I was nervous about adding acrylic paint to an already delicate project.


The light catches the glitter particles & bounces off the opal liquid pearls.


I added four more flowers to add visual interest to the piece.


Week 4

This week was about adding doodles & details.


My creative theme for January is Refresh, so I added copies of word definitions & a quotation.

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye,
to restore it & render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward"

Margaret Fairless Barber