For the past couple of weeks I have been working through the scraps left over from the workshop I led on 30th August at Shepherds Dene Retreat House. I have now completed one of the journals I made on the day with them and made a video talking through it.
As I find it almost impossible due to the cramped conditions in my art room to set up my camera and tripod to record me flipping through a journal, I took photos of each page and made a PowerPoint presentation with a recorded explanation of each page.
Here it is on YouTube:
I worked on the pages in almost a random manner so that in effect I was working on multiple pages on any one session. For example, this morning I did the finishing touches by adding the embroidery thread to all but the first page (which already had some on) and I did all the stencilling plus mark making with paint and tubes.
This is one of the pages with 3 strand embroidery thread. It started to split as I glued it on and I liked the effect so I enjoyed using a sharp instrument teasing it apart. Much more interesting than a single thicker thread. One of those happy accidents that lead to a new technique. New to me, that is.
The page in some ways looks unfinished, but it is finished enough for me, which is the case for a few of the pages. There was lots of positive feedback, which did indeed make my heart sing! I read it out on the video, which I hope you will watch.
The front cover uses decorative tape that I bought from a well known shop that sells a variety of books, toys and crafting materials at very low cost. I was disappointed with the lack of stickiness of the tape. I have had to glue it down at several places.
In a way I wish I had thought more carefully about the front cover. I just got on with using the left over flyers working in a quickly and intuitively. I regret the choice of image that shows through the address window, but what is done is done. And I am very happy with the overall results of the journal. I will be able to look through it with fond memories of a great workshop day. I hope it will be the first of many junk journalling workshops.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 