Day 1 - 10 Thirty Days of Gratitude and a Handmade cereal box journal

So a couple of days ago i showed you a little Gratitude journal that I had made out of a box and some cardstock. Today, as part of Louise Gale's 30 days of Gratitude and Effy's Sunday Swoon blog hop, I would love to show you the larger journal I made using a cereal box as a cover. I just love this ready made peep hole in the front cover. This journal was once again inspired by one that Jennibellie made. The link to the you tube video is here.

 First I carefully opened the box at the seams to lay it flat. I kept the flaps on the box until the end so I could use them as little pockets if I wanted to, but also as reinforcement for the outer edges of the cover. I cleaned up the edges where it was stuck together and gave it a good coat of gesso.

After this was dry I painted the background with Jo Sonja paints in Pthalo Blue and Aqua. Don't you just love these two colours together?

I then stenciled Pthalo Blue all over the cover with this lovely new stencil I just bought from Crafters Workshop.

then I laid the stencil in a different direction on the cover and stenciled again with Aqua and white

added a layer of stamping with Black Archival ink and then stenciled on some feathers with Rich Gold paint.

I glued a piece of scrapbook paper on the inside of the cover to reinforce it and the spine,

gathered my papers and made signatures out of them

punched some holes in the signatures and spine, bound with some linen thread coated in beeswax...

and there you have it, a journal made with a cereal box. I doodled around the letters with a Gold Signo pen and a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen as well as outlined the feathers in black Aqualip pen. I just have to add some beads to the dangling thread and I'm ready to use it.

I used various leftover scrapbook papers and various other types of papers that I had in my stash for the inside pages. This is a great way to use up those leftover scraps of paper or patterned paper that you bought ages ago but don't know what to do with now.

 They feel so good in my hand and I can't wait to use them, They are infused with so much positive energy that I know they will be a special keepsake for my thoughts.

So my Sunday Swoon is the feeling I had when I finished these lovely little journals.

I still have to finish some of the pages in my gratitude journal for the 30 days of gratitude so will share those at the end of the month. I'm off on a 10 hike across New Zealand next week so not sure if I can fit my journal in my backpack but I will try my best.

My gratitudes this week are

• firstly for the host of wonderful artists that share so generously on you tube (thanks Jennibellie)
• for my students that have come to all my classes this year. We had our last class for the year on Saturday and it was great. I have some great recipes to share in a future post.
• for the time I am able to spend in my studio with my creative muse
• for my family who unconditionally support my creative endeavours
• for this beautiful place on earth that I live in
• for my friends who I love to bits
• today is Remembrance Day so a huge gratitude for our service men and women, past, present and future. 

 Namaste

Lee