An Altered Journal

I found this great journal in a dollar store........where everything was not a dollar but multiples of a dollar. I bought several......the quality was great & so was the price. I added them to my stash......some day I would alter them.

A few weeks ago, that some day became reality. I was thinking of writing a journal again.....something I've done off & on since a college writing class....so I pulled this pink one out of my stash.

It would never do like this! Definitely not me!

It had a classic art print glued to the area that's not pink. I peeled it off. I'll add a stamped image or maybe some embossed metal.

........so I started adding color with Aged Mahogany Distress ink...

I started applying it with a piece of Cut n Dry foam from the ink pad. Way too slow........I wasn't getting anywhere. The paper on the cover was so absorbent. Then I used the ink right from the re-inker applied to the Cut N Dry foam. That worked.....lots of color but a little too bright!

I wanted it to be darker so I added Walnut Stain. I mixed it with water in a Mini Mister & sprayed on a light mist. I also applied Walnut Stain & Antique Linen with the foam until I liked the color.


I wasn't going to color the paper on the inside of the cover.........well inky fingers left a few smudges. An incentive for creativity.........how to cover up the smudges. I took the coil & journal pages out.


Then I started stamping........I used this stamp set by Tim Holtz called Slight Alterations. First I stamped the dotted image in the corners using Anitque Linen. Next, I stamped the more solid image using Distress Aged Mahogany to cover the whole inside. Lastly, I stamped the scratches with Walnut Stain. I misted it all with Anitque Linen mixed with water in a Mini Mister to set the ink into the paper, add color & blur the stamping.
It's beginning to look pretty old, don't you think? Exactly what I want!

Next.........a title for the cover out of embossed metal.


First, I cut a cardboard frame to size to fit the blank space on the cover. I laid out my title using Grungeboard letters over some drywall mending mesh all stuck to lightweight chipboard.

Then, I ran it through my Wizard with craft metal.......it embossed beautifully!

I used some of my metal tools to refine the edges around the letters.

I used lightweight spackle to fill in the back of the letters so they won't dent or crush easily. I didn't leave the Grungeboard letters in place. I have those to use on another project.......they just served as a mold.

I folded the metal under to finish all the edges. The embossed title was great but not the color.......way too bright for my vintage looking journal.


Time for black acrylic paint, alcohol inks.......and many applications of color. What a change, huh?

Now it looks more aged........ I added a clear satin spray to protect the color from rubbing off. (Caution: solvent based sprays can change the alcohol inks.) I also sprayed the journal with the same clear finish to protect it.

I added a piece of cotton twill for a marker......it was red until I added Walnut Stain & Aged Mahogany to change the color. Not a permanent color.....water will make it bleed........okay for my journal as long it doesn't get wet. The "listen" charm is from Tim Holtz Ideaology as well as the tiny pins & chain with fastener. I fastened the marker to the coil behind the paper pages.

......the finished journal.......
Whew! That was a long project!

Almost too nice to write in it!!!

Smiles.........