I’ve always wanted to make an art journal, but I never knew where to start. As usual, I found just the right inspiration from Michelle to get me started! We have committed to work on our pages “together” on Saturday evenings. (not really together because she lives in England, I live in the US!)
The idea is to use a deck of playing cards for your journal. Then you just make a page every week reflecting whatever topic you want. Michelle is doing a Little Book of Joys, which turning out so adorable! She is so good at this! I’m going to do things that stood out that week that I want to record.
I did some searching on how to do art journals, and found this excellent resource! Check out Anna Denise’s amazing journal pages! I’m not a scrapbooker or a stamper, but I want to be an artist, so my goal is to illustrate and paint on my pages as much as possible.
So far, I have a cover:
To get caught up, I made pages to reflect my first week of the year.
A new year of looking forward, living dreams:
That week, I helped move my aunt MaryAnn into an assisted living room in her retirement community. It reminded me of a cool dorm room, so I did a interior designer-style layout of her room with fun papers in the colors of her furniture and area rug.
This past week, I started a new semester of design and illustration classes, so it will be fun to show some of the projects we will be working on.
In Illustration class, we are working on The Sketchbook Project where we are going to be illustrating a subject we are passionate about all semester long (more on that later). For this journal page, I drew a mini sketchbook with silly thumbnail sketches.
On Friday night, we went to a fun pizza party with new friends I made at school, so I illustrated the food and the mood of the evening.
Here’s what my little art journal looks like so far:
There are always good moments and bummer moments in each day and each week. True to my style, I am going to focus on what was positive and what was important to me. Such a cool way to practice illustrating and journaling!
Terri's Notebook 
Wow…what a treasure this is and will be! I believe you are already an artist…maybe some day you’ll be designing fabric!
Terri it’s so cool – love the theme you are going with an your illustrations are fantastic – I plan on illustrating some of my pages too and it has been so good to see yours. How I wish I could have been with you all Friday night for a few pizza’s and beer.
I’m going to have so much fun following your art-journal journey and seeing some of your ideas – you really are a natural :0)
Um, I kind of love this idea!! How clever to use a deck of cards. I love that you all agreed to “work on it together.” So fun! Can’t wait to see what else you come up with!!!
What a fun way to journal. I envy you taking an illustration class, it sounds like so much fun and what a good way to practice your drawing. Looking forward to seeing your work. I hope to make some journal art quilts this year.
So far I think you are on the right path. Keep it up. Your wonderful at what you do. Your drawings are very good. I like how you can express yourself thru a drawing. I look at your pics you drew and can tell what you were doing. Thats great.
Can’t wait to see what the rest of this school year brings for you!!!
I love them all Terri! I have a bunch of notebooks I sketch in but never really had an art journal and always wanted one. This is definitely inspiring me to get a pack of cards or something like that and start one. 🙂
p.s. My top is coming out pretty wonky. I think I should have started out with something a little more simpler……
I LOVE this! I have artjournal tutorials and things bookmarked all over my computer. They’re always so fun and happy and every time I see one I think “how cool would that be?!” I can’t wait to see how yours turns out over this year!
It looks wonderful and I think it will be a real treasure to look back on as time goes by. There is a free online art journal workshop at the Strathmore journal website. The techniques are new to me so far, so it is kind of interesting to try them.
This is about the cutest idea I’ve ever seen! And you have such a nice start! How creative you are. Good luck this semester!
Hello Terri, this is going to be great and fun project! You are an artist and I’m happy to be able to follow your art-joyrney! Thank you for sharing this wonderful journal!
I lost today with a strange unknown way my buttons from the widgets, so I go to find Blogger’s Quilt Festival from your sidelist.
Have a lovely week! Teje
Hi Terri,
I am glad you have joined in with Michelle with this project. It will be interesting to see the differences.
happy creating.
Bev.xoxox
Good morning Terri! Once again ….. you have inspired me! I am going to buy my pack of cards and make a start, I am glad you asked the question about “how to cove the card” and that you show here your glue stick, I had wondered how it worked.
I love coming to your blog …. I really owe you a lot :0)
Whatever you do today Terri …. have a wonderful (snowy?) day. I read a quote the other day …. “when man freezes water – he makes ice cubes …. when God freezes water – He makes snow flakes … each one different from the other”
Enjoy your winter wonderland and marvel at the Hand of God.
love Val xx Oxfordshire UK
Hi Terri
it is fun to see how each of us is travelling on our journey of art..like how you are illustrating your journey. Some of our students are now taking part, i will start posting those next week
..nice to meet you
sandra