put a bird on it

Recently I was commissioned for a journal by Ashley back in my home state of Texas. I love commissions because I get to personalize the journal for the client's specific tastes and personality while still keeping my own artistic vision in the mix as well. It can be a challenge and is quite nerve-wracking waiting to hear if the book's new owner loves it as much as I did, but they always do and the experience is more like giving a gift to a friend by the time it is all said and done.

Ashley was a good sport in answering my 101 get-to-know-you questions that more than anything gave me a feeling for her likes and dislikes as well as her interests and aspirations that I hoped to somehow magically conjure up and impart into the pages of her journal before she ever laid pen or brush to it.

It is easy to get carried away with selecting and arranging the perfect combination of papers for each journal (my favorite part of the process). By the time I was able to force myself to stop, I had 8 fat signatures for almost 2 hulking inches of journaling bliss. You can see why it is sometimes hard to let these babies go!

 

So many wonderful papers! Hand-painted and stamped, wallpaper, transparencies, graph and leger paper. Thick and luxurious watercolor paper, cut to size file folders, hand-picked security envelopes. Many of these I've been collecting for years just for such a special occasion.

Whatever journal I'm working on now is always my favorite, but somehow an extra big chunk of my heart was left in this beauty. It is probably my favorite journal I've ever made--including the ones I've made for myself. So much love and attention is put into every detail of each journal I make that I can't help love them like children. And as difficult as it sometimes is to ship them off to their new homes, knowing a bit more about where they are going and what adventure awaits them makes the leaving a little sweeter.

If you would like to have your very own custom art journal, email or convo me via my Etsy shop. It takes a little more patience, but is well worth the wait. If you just don't think you can wait longer than a few days to start your next journaling adventure (believe me, I know how it is), just check out the journals already in my Etsy shop anxiously awaiting their own inner transformation. Each one is just as painstakingly and loving crafted as if I had you in mind!

Comments

[melissa]

amazing job!

[Lynette (NZ)]

I can see why you loved it so. It is beautiful and inspires me too.

[Leiah]

Good idea sewing together scraps of paper like that! I love the look of zig-zag stitches, and seeing it used like this reminds me of how much I'd like a new sewing machine that actually has that stitch setting! Nice work

[Ashley Brown]

I just saw this and I can't believe I made it on your blog! LoL. I LOVE MY JOURNAL. In fact, I am inboxing you to request another! :)
Thank you so much. You, my friend, are AMAZING!