Scripture Journaling Artistically: Tim Holtz Inspiration

I have a hard time making layouts in my scripture journal that is all writing based. I am so used to working with pictures from scrapbooking that the transition is difficult. I can make simple pages that look great artistic wise but they don't hold alot of information. Or I can have a page with a ton of information, but its not very pretty. So finding a balance is tricky and I thought I would share new tools and techniques I have been learning for anyone else trying to have an artistic journal that is also filled with lots of writing and information.


This is an insert I made for my Topic Scripture Journal page on Faith. I used alot of supplies and inspiration from Tim Holtz designs. The hardest part is just having all the supplies. When you have that, the things you can make are endless. 


Supplies Needed:


Cardstock Paper or Tag of any size (My paper was completely white when I started)
Craft Sheet- This thing is so awesome I love it!
Distress Inks of any colors (I used Broken China, Black Soot, and Vintage Photo)
Ink Blending Tool
Spray bottle with water (He has a mister but any sprayer will do)
Grungeboard (I used the angel wings and Crown)
Distress Crackle Paint (I used Auntiqued Linen)
Gold Paint or Glitter Glue
Stamps (I used a clock stencil I found at my craft store)
Perfect Pearls
Micron Black pen
Light box
Heat It Craft Tool (I just use my blowdryer)
Any other embellishments (I used Prima Flowers WOOD CLOCKS) Just remember if its for a journal to keep them more flat and not too chunky.


How to Do it: (All embellishments can be replaced with your own)


1. I followed this video tutorial from Tim Holtz to learn how to ink up my paper to be blue. (He shows you how to do it within the first 3.5 minutes of the video).





2. I then went around the edge inking using Vintage Photo Ink and the blending tool. (Starting on your craft mat make little circles and slowly move onto the sides of your paper).
3. Blow it with heat tool or hair dryer for a few minutes. (Must be dry before you apply the perfect pearls.)
4. Stamp Clock image onto background using stamp or stencil and Black Soot Ink.
5. Go over it using Perfect Pearls- the white powder. How to do this is also shown in the video above. My pictures don't really show how it looks because you need to see it in person. So watch the video to get an idea.
6. Trace the quote onto the paper using a Micron pen and lightbox. I used the fonts, Pea Devon Caps, Arial, and Scriptina.
7. Take grungeboard wings and crown. I painted my wings using the crackle paint. I used gold paint or gold glitter glue to paint the crown. And glue grungeboard onto paper. 
8. Glue wood clock on top of grungeboard.


It looks like a lot of work but it takes just a few minutes to do. And it is super crazy fun. And super forgiving. Since I gave this one away I had to make another one for my book and adding all the additional information I had on the topic made it a little more awkward but it ended up like this:

Imagine if you just did a quote journal based on these inserts and techniques. It could be so beautiful. Using the same technique and supplies but just using a different stamp made this:

I plan to use this when I get to the tree of life. Its hard to see from the picture but I used glitter glue to make raised bumps for the fruit. I used perfect pearls copper and white on the tree which you also can't see. Oh and green ink too for the grass. I also used this to make some invites and it took me maybe an hour or two to make over a dozen. Its super fast and fun. 

One thing I haven't been able to find is wrinkle free paper. There is some out there I know, but I haven't found it yet. I just have to let mine flatten in a book for a bit when I am done.

Has anyone else come up with some artistic ways to balance art and information in there journals? I'd love to hear about it.

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Scripture Journals Tutorial: Part 1

This is a series of posts that I am sooo excited to share with you. I feel very passionate about it because it has CHANGED MY LIFE. I recently came across the idea of making scripture journals from Shannon at The Red Headed Hostess blog and I have spent the last few months creating my own through trial and error. I want to share with you what I've done in hopes of helping you feel enthusiastic and excited about studying scriptures. It's no longer a chore for me. It's my favorite part of my day and I want it to be yours too.
It doesn't matter what religion you are. If you study the Bible, Book of Mormon, or any scripture you can apply this idea to your studying. The best part about this is that you can be as simple, straightforward, and logical as you want, or you can get as artsy and creative as you want. Wherever you are in the crafty spectrum and have time and patience for YOU CAN DO THIS. The important thing to remember is to make this yours. Do what works for you.

Why keep a scripture journal? 
Here are a few reasons:

"We often leave the most precious personal direction of the spirit unheard because we do not record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when the Lord chooses to direct us." -Elder Richard G. Scott

"I've found, as I'm sure you have, that when you are trying to learn from the spirit, it's important to make a note so it will not be forgotten. The more you not only hear but abide by what you've been told, the more the Lord will give to you. It will come more and more rapidly and you will begin to hear and feel those impressions of the Spirit more quickly than you have previously done." -Elder Gene R. Cook

"The prompting that goes unresponded to may not be repeated. Writing down what we have been prompted with is vital. A special thought can lost later in the day through the rough and tumble of life. God should not, and may not, choose to repeat the prompting if we assign what is given such a low priority as to put it aside." -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

In the few short months that I have started my scripture journals, the knowledge that I have learned and retained is more than I have learned about in years of just reading a chapter a day (which is how I used to "study").

My main reason for doing scripture journals is to give them to my children as a family heirloom after I am gone or when they are old enough to appreciate them. As Shannon said (I'm paraphrasing)- it's a way to keep teaching my children after I am gone. 

I give full credit to Shannon at her blog for this idea and I thank her for all the work she put into sharing her journals. I want to help spread the word to more readers because its worth sharing if it helps people grow spiritually.

Materials Needed:

1. First you have to pick some journals. This is important. You want to find some that is the right size, enough to hold lots of information, will function the way you want it to, and look the way you want it to. If you plan to keep it simple, pick a lined journal that you can do lots of writing in that has thick pages so your ink won't bleed through. I planned to be more artsy and wanted to decorate my covers using scrapbooking supplies so I bought a coptic journal kit from Etsy. When it is all done I will bind it so that it will open and lay flat.This may be a little more extreme but for me this is my creative outlet so I needed a blank canvas. Any journal will work. The way I have mine set up is I have TWO journals. One that is for chapter by chapter study and another is for Topic based study. They can be referenced to each other.
2. Also get a good ballpoint pen that won't bleed through pages, or leave puddles of ink that will smudge and make a mess.
3. OPTIONAL: Colored pencils, glue stick, scissors, scrapbooking supplies (paper, stickers) art supplies

What do you put inside?

This depends on you and your style. This is not a daily record of your personal thoughts like a diary. This is a record of what you have been learning during your scripture study. This means a record of quotes you want to remember, promptings, stories, talks, word definitions, scriptures you looked up, etc. I have created templates that you can download in the store that are an easy way to get started quickly.

Some of my pages are purely artistic in nature. Others hold pictures that I love. Others are journal entries with my personal insights from a story, others are character analysis on the people I have been reading about.

But getting it all organized is the tough part. Here is a post from Shannon that talks about how to set one up. 

I Have Been Born of Goodly Parents

I will post some additional tutorials and ideas on creating these journals. I highly recommend checking out the following sites for additional inspiration and tutorials:

• Here is my pinboard that I keep for my scripture journals if you want to follow that. It lists sites, talks, quotes, etc. that I plan to put in my journal somehow or art supplies I plan to use.
• The Red Headed Hostess- she even has some journals you can purchase that are already set up and ready to go (I bought a set and they are really great for outlining how to study). She is the main source for all my inspiration so you should really check her site out. I want to be her when I grow up.
• Here is a sheet you can download with some ideas from Dana Cockrum that was also taken from The Red Headed Hostess. 

I hope you find this as fun and uplifting as I do. Enjoy!

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Matchbox Shrines

I love making art out of found objects. There is nothing so satisfying as taking something that is not worth anything and turning it into something beautiful or fun. Lately I have been making little shrines out of matchboxes. You can get a package of ten matchboxes at Wally World for less than a dollar. Add a little paper, glue and paint and make something more than the sum of its parts.   

These are fun to make for your friends- you can put a pair of earrings or some candies in one for a sweet little gift. I like to make them wearable, because that is how I roll:

You can add a pin or a even make a necklace:

I used old earrings and added broken jewelry pieces to this one.

Another fun application is to make a wallet sized picture frame:

More fun:

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