Colour Blast by Bee Arty: CHIT CHAT mini journal

Join me today as I create a mini journal utilising the ‘Chit Chat’ collection designed by Tanya Froud as well as incorporating other bits and pieces from other Bee Arty Collections and using ephemera from my own stash. This project allows you the freedom to create a mini journal that suits your own situation …. ENJOY!

JOURNAL BOOK construction

Chit Chat collection kit

Chit Chat scrapbooking paper collection

50mm wide Kraft adhesive book tape (Officeworks)

Xpress it 50mm wide double-sided tape

Paper cutter

Gridlock stencil

Black Archival Stamp Pad

We all have lots of cardstock from various paper collections left over in our stash. Today we are going to cut up several sheets of cardstock to create a mini art journal that can be used for any number of purposes. With this project anything goes, and you can include as many pages as you need for the desired purpose of the journal. Also, an opportunity to use up all the left-over ephemera you have lying around is perfect for decorating the pages of the journal and photos can be added to finish off.

You can decide how many pages will suit your particular needs, up to 10-12 folded sheets is very doable if using 50mm wide tape for binding.

For the sample journal made here I cut 12”x12” cardstock sheets in half to make a 6”x6” (folded) journal book.

Another option could be to sheets into 3 to make a 4”x6” journal (landscape view).

Open View of journal below

Steps for assembling the mini journal

a. Determine the number of pages you want in your journal. One piece of 12” cardstock will yield 2 - 6” square height pages.

b. Use paper cutter to cut each piece of cardstock into 2 horizontally.

c. Fold each page in half to form a ‘booklet’, use boning tool along fold line.

d. Sort each single ‘booklet’ into required order

e. Continually check the book pages are facing correctly … pencil mark the word top and back when you decide which way the paper will sit when bounded together.

f. Cut and secure double side tape to the back off one ‘booklet’, be sure to place tape as close as possible to the edges (DO NOT REMOVE the top protective film just yet.

g. Pick up next ‘booklet’, remove one of the protective film layers from first ‘booklet’, be sure to line up carefully before pressing down properly. Remove other protective film pieces and press down in turn.

h. Repeat steps ‘F’ and ‘G’ until all ‘booklet’ pages … IMPORTANT: be sure to check the spines of each booklet line up exactly so the journal doesn’t fan out.

i. Once all booklets are adhered together cut off a piece of Kraft book tape, place along the spine of the journal book to bind all the pages together. A second layer can be adhered along the spine if desired but not necessary.

Your journal book is now ready for adding lots of cool elements such as Stencils, Stamps then add bits of papers and ephemera from your stash to decorate your new Art Journal.

The following images provide some inspiration for decorating your own mini journal using bits and pieces from your own stash.

Together