Creative Journal- Christmas Blessings

For this Creative Journal, we found an old book of Christmas stories. I love how the texture of the book stands out when you sponge some ink on it. The book was green with gold trim before I covered it with gesso. It takes a few coats remember.  We did find that if you want a little of the cover to show through, it will wash off with a damp towel.  So make sure you end with a clear coat to lock everything in. You can see the brad on the spine that I used to attach the ribbon markers. Remember when gluing, use a really reliable glue.  I used Tombow mono multi liquid glue. And be sure to check out all the Creative Journal posts for all the tips.

I attached a little envelope inside the back cover to store a bunch of blank date plates to use later. Remember the more layers you add to each page the less room you will have in the book.  So don't worry about backing pictures.

Here you can see where I gesso-ed the pages, then use a texture stamp and a Christmas stamp set to add some life. I plan on adding a couple pictures and maybe glue in a memory from that year that I typed up.  Notice on the side of the book, you can see where I cut pages out by the space it leaves.  I only cut about 5 pages out at a time with an exacto knife. This book would be so fun to look though each year and add to it too!