e - Spotlight Promotions

from Helen’s desk •
Below: Olivia Bray’s journal pages.
Left: Helen Bradley’s autograph book.
Above: Dawn Solok’s stack of her
hand made journals.
days I write about my feelings… other
days I write a list of ‘to dos’… some
days I stamp out the date, scribble
down some thoughts and walk away.
Whatever the day holds I know that
my daily journalling is a place to
express myself, vent my frustrations,
weigh my options, confess my
insecurities, and be honest.
Journalling has become as regular a
habit as brushing my teeth.”
Nana Campana’s journal stash
includes one she has dubbed her
‘For the sake of memory loss’
journal’. In this she jots down the
events she doesn’t want to forget.
“I sometimes draw or attach pictures
to make the memory more vivid. I am
pretty sure I am not going to lose my
mind anytime soon, but I sure am
preparing for it.”
I love that our journals are a
rich visual and historical record
of our lives. Young Olivia Bray has
been building her collection for
years and she’s only six! Her mum,
Laura, explains that Olivia has been
journalling since she could hold a
pencil. “Olivia has always watched
me work on my journals so, of
course, she wanted to do it too. She
uses spiral bound books and when
she first started she would fill her
journal pages with drawings and
paper scraps and images. As she got
older, she would write a jumble of
letters and numbers and I would joke
that she was taking dictation from
outer space. She’s in first grade now
and simple sentences have replaced
her alien dictation. Teaching her to
journal has given her an outlet for
her emotions and sometimes I’ll see
her scribbling away after she’s been
reprimanded. I am so glad she has
a way to get her emotions out in a
positive way.”
So, next time you’re tempted to
write something down – do it! And if
you’re tempted to type a letter or type
some journalling on the computer,
think about getting out a pen and
paper and hand write it instead – your
great-grand-children will thank you –
one day. •
LINKS
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
www.balzerdesigns.typepad.com
Angie Pedersen
Twitter: @AngiePedersen
GeekCrafts.com
Dawn Sokol
www.dawndsokol.com
Twitter: @dawndsokol
Nana Campana
www.youniquereflections.blogspot.com/
Laura Bray
www.katydiddys.blogspot.com
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Available at local bookshops and
online, these new titles explore and
celebrate the art that is the journal!
The Weekend Crafter:
Books and Journals: 20
Great Weekend Projects
by Constance E Richards
Geared specifically to the beginner,
this book offers a variety of simple
and attractive projects, ranging from a
traditionally bound wedding album to a
trendy ‘jelly bean’ book, all accompanied by
easy-to-follow instructions, colourful, howto
photographs, plus templates.
Publisher: Lark Books. Distributor: Capricorn
Link Australia. RRP AU$12.99.
The Art Journal Workshop
by Traci Bunkers
The beautiful illustrations in this book
break down the entire working process of
journalling with step-by-step photos and
instructions from start to finish. You’ll learn
how to use different media such as paint,
photographs, and collage, while following
journalling prompts and exercises to help
you dig deeper and enrich the process and
experience. You also get a DVD featuring
the author as she creates many of the
journal pages shown throughout the book.
Publisher: Quarry. Distributor: Capricorn Link
Australia. RRP AU$29.99.
Elemental Journal:
Composing Artful
Expressions from Items Cast
Aside by Tammy Kushnir
This book shows you how to craft a wide
variety of journals to hold your secrets or
express your inner thoughts and shows
you new ways to use wood, paper, fabric,
plastic and metal in your art. It includes 15
projects using everything from tree bark to
dismantled photo albums and even tin boxes.
Publisher: North
Light Books.
Distributor:
Capricorn Link
Australia. RRP
AU$29.99
Note: Books
available
all good
bookstores or
check online.
Australian
price guides
given where
possible.
Get Creative Quarterly Autumn 2012 107