Red, Black, & Cream Collage Journal

I love to dabble in arts and crafts of all kinds, but collage is my true love! My art never feels complete without the addition of paper of some type, and I love the mysterious layers and hidden meanings contained in collaged pieces.

Over the years I've gathered a rather large stash of materials including: vintage ephemera, sewing notions, scrapbook papers, and a wide variety of embellishments. When I sit down to create something, I appreciate all this bounty, but it can be a bit overwhelming! To overcome this happy challenge, I like to set a theme for myself. I may choose a particular motif to highlight, limit myself to 3 or 4 types of materials, or my favorite - select a color theme.

For the journal I'm sharing today, I chose one of my favorite color palettes: red, black, and cream. Even with a restricted color theme, the possibilities are still endless! In this journal I've used Citrasolv transfers, ice resin papers, vintage flashcards, sewing pattern tissue, all sorts of papers, buttons, ribbons, and so much more! It's a fun way to use up your stash and create something meaningful to you at the same time.

My other artful passion is creating my own handmade journals. But sometimes I find a special book like the one above that I want to use instead. I loved the nubby texture of this journal that I found at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

And the handmade Lokta paper inside is simply gorgeous! This book was lovingly hand-stitched, and is the perfect foil for my red, black, and cream pages. Next time you're ready to be creative, why not give yourself the challenge of a color scheme or theme that you love? You'll be surprised at how the ideas start to flow when your options have some boundaries!

Make art...be happy!
Kimberly