I love notebooks.
Actually, I love all stationery, but journals have a special place on my stationery shelves.
I love the idea of journals as a collection of thoughts, a place to collate information, for doodles and drawings…but more than that, I love notebooks – just for themselves.

So, when my friend, Tori Batt – Visual Artist, offered to teach me how to make a Coptic stitched journal, I jumped at the opportunity.
I have made many journals and notebooks over the years but had not learned to stitch them properly. Now I can. And there is no stopping me! I love making these art journals.
The process is multi-faceted and time-consuming. It includes cutting and gluing the covers, preparing the artwork and attaching it, coating the covers in a hard drying protective layer (four layers on each side with drying time between each layer) punching the covers, folding the pages, punching the pages, and finally stitching to bind the journal.
There are a lot of steps involved in making these journals. I have put together a 5 minute video of what took me five days to achieve.
I have these journals for sale in the studio or you can message me if you are keen.
They A5 size, have 60 pages of blank white pages and they are selling for $55 each.
Current Art Journals include Owl x1, Falcon x2, Feather x1, Mr Rifleman x1.
I had a lot of fun making these.
Have you made journals?
If so, what is your favourite method, and do you have any tips for me?