The main advantage of this style is that pages are refillable, and the journal has more longevity, and can be used again once the pages have been replaced. I also like to think that the replaceable nature of the pages helps overcome the reluctance one often has to begin writing or sketching in a beautiful journal for fear of 'spoiling' it.
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| Chunky Raven Leather Journal with Black Paper by silverwillowstar |
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| Nevermore Raven Journal Notebook | by KandysKeepsakes |
This particular journal was influenced firstly by Edgar Allan Poe, whose work I have dipped in and out of regularly in the past, particularly 'The Raven', which seems to have inspired a number of wonderful book designs, (see above) and a number of Treasuries on Etsy. The 'bird on a branch' image was placed under a glass cabochon, and anchored firmly in the bottom right hand corner of the slightly padded front cover.
As so often happens when creating new designs, the ideas I had in my head (the same ones which kept me awake at night) didn't translate into reality quite as I had wished. The original intention was to create a detachable brooch, influenced by the wonderfully inspiring 'Gothic Jewellery' by Harriet Smith, with pieces of black linen and lace forming a 'dead corsage' within which I was going to place the cabochon. When I actually got around to doing it, I wasn't happy with the result. It worked wonderfully as a brooch in its own right, but on the book, it just didn't work. So I placed the cabochon on its own on the cover, and now I actually quite like the simplicity of the look.
Inside the book, I've lined the boards with some faded blue and grey vintage-style patterned paper, and added a handy pocket in matching paper for the inside back page.
I'm planning to make more journals in this post-binding style, so I'll keep you posted for any updates.
Have a great week!
