The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful

by Gwen Diehn

“Diehn opens up a new dimension—the artist’s vision of visual memories. Consider this a superscript above all other entries.”—Booklist. “Encourages those who hesitate to start in on the pristine pages of a nicely bound blank book.... Lively and interesting illustrations make this a good selection for public library collections.”—Library Journal.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Journaling, Crafts, Reference, Creative, Journal

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2002

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I didn't think this was quite as good as her later book, The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages, but I still liked it enough to order a copy through Thrift Books. I felt that this book really showed the scrapbooking roots of art journaling and, in fact, at the time (2002), the term "art journaling" doesn't seem to have been in use, based on Diehn's discussion about what such illustrated journals should be called.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

At anytime, I have 3 journals going. My goal is to chronicle not only events for future reference but create a beautiful and accurate history of what my life is like as I see it through my eyes and experiences. This is a good but pricey resource I would recommend, but only if you have a coupon or can get it used. I can say it's defiitely improved my journals.

[Rekesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been keeping a journal since I was a teenager. In addition to writing in my journal, I enjoy reading books about journaling techniques as well as published diaries and journals. I was delighted to find The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful by Gwen Diehn on the library shelves. Diehn, an art teacher, encourages readers to go beyond the written aspects of journaling to explore visual elements. Diehn starts the book by giving readers a guide to choosing appropriate materials for a visual journal project. She provides a supply list of basic materials that can be used to customize journals and blank books. In addition, Diehn talks about the history of visual elements in books and journals that included medieval illuminated manuscripts and Japanese pillow books. Furthermore, Diehn introduces the reader to a variety of visual elements that can be used to modify books and journals. These visual elements include stamps, ribbon, beading, cloth and labels. Moreover, Diehn encourages the reader to use a variety of techniques that incorporate paints, inks, charcoal, and collage to create beautiful journal pages. Diehn includes instructions with variations for each of the techniques she describes. Additionally, each page of the book features a beautiful photograph of a modified journal or book from Diehn’s collection. After reading The Decorated Page, I am inspired to create my own visual journal.

Review written for Newport News Public Library System's Books and Beyond Newsletter in 2005. Revised in 2014.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love journals. I do a lot of this kind of journaling with my kids (and when I was growing up) for homeschool and family vacations. We fill them with drawings, observations, photos, leaves & flowers... we've even glued in dirt!

This book has lots of ideas for enhancing the aesthetics of your journals. It suggests art techniques and supplies for home and the road, and has layout ideas as well. I love looking at the sample pages from artists' real journals.

[bookyeti · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Decorated Page — an inspiring and amply illustrated forerunner to her most recent work, The Decorated Journal — author and artist Gwen Diehn effortlessly motivates the flowing of creative juices with regards visual journaling (complementing descriptive text with visual art), beautifying and personalizing journals, scrapbooks, and albums as a form of artistic expression.

Diehn’s The Decorated Page, attests that she is not only adroit at binding and embellishing beautiful books, also finds her niche in writing them. From the first page onward, it is evident that the author, who teaches journal-creation itself as an art form, takes great pride in sharing the details of her creative knowledge and experience, as much as she enjoys putting them to use.

Each cleverly laid-out colourful pages include easy-to-grasp instructions and suggestions, which build gradually on the preceding pages, allowing the reader to progressively observe how the core pieces of the project fit together and visualize the finished product. It is literally brimming with beautiful samples of uniquely decorated journals and albums utilizing different materials, equipment, mediums and techniques, that will be sure to inspire even the most hesitant of artists and journal keepers.

The Decorated Page incorporates the use of various contemporary materials such as watercolour, pastels, coloured pencils, crayons, liquid acrylics, ink, and more, along with a vast array of techniques to get the most out of your materials. Also helpful are Diehn’s detailed and practical comparisons of various types/weight of paper, varieties of adhesives, and brushes. Other design suggestions include the use of cut-outs, copier transfers, gouache, collage, colour washes, stamping, etc., to enhance the beauty and interest of your journal. The author touches upon dry/wet processes, use of transparencies and drop shadows to add an interesting dimension to the journal’s pages.

As was the case in The Decorated Journal, Diehn generously offers her readers an additional comprehensive workshop-in-a-book with The Decorated Page — a great companion to its predecessor, which will be sure to delight journal enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice or “journal veteran”, an occasional journal reader/writer or an avid daily archivist, this book will prove to be a treasure trove of inspiration and imaginative ideas.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've kept journals since I was a little girl (I can go back and read my first impressions on getting glasses, back when I was eight), and recently I've started making and selling notebooks. The Decorated Page has some great ideas for enhancing the notebooks I sell, and outlines many art techniques that fit well inside the pages of a book. I'd recommend it to other journal enthusiasts, or to aspiring writers and artists looking for ways to get unstuck and conquer those blank white expanses of empty pages.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Inspiring to look at. However, it is daunting for those of us who are short on time and money, yet we would like to express ourselves in a visually creative manner.

[Vincenento · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pin iPhone 11 bị chai cần thay thế gấp, thay đúng cách để đảm bảo an toàn cho máy
Pin là một phần không thể thiếu trong hệ thống hoạt động của điện thoại di động, đặc biệt là với những thiết bị hiện đại như iPhone 11. Tuy nhiên, việc pin có thể trở nên chai và mất hiệu suất sau một thời gian sử dụng là điều không tránh khỏi. Để giải quyết vấn đề này, việc thay Pin iPhone 11 là một giải pháp hữu ích mà chúng ta cần tìm hiểu và thực hiện một cách kỹ lưỡng.

Nguyên nhân pin iPhone 11 bị chai
Pin iPhone 11 bị chai có thể xuất phát từ nhiều nguyên nhân khác nhau. Dưới đây là một số nguyên nhân phổ biến:

Việc sạc pin không đúng cách, như sạc quá nhiều lần liên tục mà không để cho pin được "nghỉ ngơi", hoặc sạc qua đêm, có thể gây ra tình trạng chai pin.
Thời gian sử dụng lâu dài, pin càng mất đi khả năng lưu trữ năng lượng, dẫn đến hiện tượng chai.
Nhiệt độ cao, hoặc thậm chí là nhiệt độ quá thấp cũng có thể ảnh hưởng đến tuổi thọ và hiệu suất của pin, gây ra tình trạng chai.


Cách thay thế pin iPhone 11 đúng cách
Việc thay thế pin đúng cách không chỉ giúp máy hoạt động mạnh mẽ hơn mà còn tăng tuổi thọ cho thiết bị. Hãy luôn lưu ý các bước và nguyên tắc khi thực hiện việc thay thế pin để bảo vệ chiếc iPhone 11 của bạn. Dưới đây là các bước thực hiện thay pin iPhone 11 bạn cần làm theo:

Chuẩn bị dụng cụ cần thiết
Trước tiên, bạn cần chuẩn bị các dụng cụ cần thiết như pin mới, bộ dụng cụ tháo vỏ máy, và hướng dẫn sử dụng.

Tháo vỏ máy
Sau khi có đủ dụng cụ, bạn tiến hành tháo vỏ máy theo hướng dẫn chi tiết từ nhà sản xuất hoặc các video hướng dẫn trực tuyến. Đảm bảo tháo vỏ máy một cách cẩn thận để tránh gây hỏng hóc cho các linh kiện bên trong.



Thay thế pin
Khi đã tháo vỏ máy, bạn có thể tiến hành thay thế pin bằng cách rút pin cũ ra khỏi khe cắm và lắp pin mới vào chính xác vị trí.

Lắp đặt lại vỏ máy
Sau khi thay thế pin, hãy lắp đặt lại vỏ máy một cách cẩn thận và chắc chắn. Đảm bảo tất cả các bu lông và khóa vỏ được thắt chặt để tránh rò rỉ nước và bụi bẩn vào bên trong.

Kết luận
Khi pin của điện thoại đang trên bờ vực cạn kiệt, việc thay thế cấp tốc trở nên cực kỳ quan trọng. Điều này đặc biệt đúng khi bạn đang ở trong "tình huống khẩn cấp" và cần phải nhanh chóng tìm ra một cửa hàng điện thoại gần nhất. Bằng cách tuân thủ các hướng dẫn từ nhà sản xuất và chọn một cửa hàng điện thoại đáng tin cậy, bạn sẽ có thể thực hiện việc thay pin một cách an toàn và hiệu quả, đảm bảo rằng thiết bị của bạn vẫn hoạt động tốt mà không gặp phải các vấn đề tiềm ẩn.

[Mycala · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subtitle reads Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful. Okay. I get it that these are personal art journals and they aren't meant for other audiences. (At least I think so?) That said, I did not see one single "beautiful" layout. There are some good renderings, but almost every page looks like it was slapped together with no thought as to the design even with the layout guides, which I found fascinating. There are so much better layouts that would fit the mandala or grid or diagonal layout designs. Again, if this is meant to be an art journal to play in or experiment with, but "albums made simply beautiful" just doesn't fit. Maybe it's just that these particular styles aren't my cup of tea, I don't know. As mentioned in other reviews, there are techniques to try and a bit of discussion on art supplies.

It was a solid "it's ok" two stars. Nothing in here inspired me to rush to my art table and start creating.

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it is a little intimidating for a beginning crafter because of all the recommended tools and art theory (given the author's art background), the author does a fantastic job of making it all understandable. I like the way the author portrays journaling as a mindfulness experience and offers concrete methods and examples depending on the creator's goals.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, some advanced techniques and techniques that require specific acrylic mediums though.

[Bonnie Arriola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice variety of ideas.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excited to journal more!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I unearthed this book amongst a few boxes I had never unpacked from our last move (I know, I know, over three years is a long time not to unpack, but such has been our lives since then). I was convicted by an early hypothesis of the author/artist: that most people have several empty journals lying about, in which they have been too blocked to enter the marvels originally imagined when it was purchased or made by hand. How many do I have? Too many to list here, but I immediately went to my bookshelf, selected one of the "family" of blank journals gathered there, and began putting together my supplies. My initial "spill" (another word for brainstorm) of ideas to include is made, I have a plethora of new art supplies to explore, and I am pleased to discover specific repurposes for the myriad supplies I already possess. I am ready to begin. The author/artist in me is aching to spill onto the page. Maybe this time she will. >^..^<

p.s. Great tips for the journaler to ask herself (my paraphrases of big ideas in the book):
If sketching: What actually do I see? (What is its general shape? What does this shape remind me of? How much of it do I want to draw?)
If designing the page(s): Does the material/information lend itself to columns, grids, diagonals, mandalas, or organic shapes?
If embellishing: What objects/materials ignite the emotions I felt when I chose to record this experience in my journal?

p.p.s. Remember the maxim Occam's Razor: "What can be done with fewer is done in vain with more."

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old (now) but still very good primer on journals and journaling. Gwen Diehn includes all the basics you'll need to know to start keeping your own journal: there's plenty of information on the materials needed, including what will make your work archival; tips on modifying a book and cover to suit your needs, as well as on preparing backgrounds; then suggestions on design and layout. Diehn also takes the reader step by step through 10 sample pages tackling different issues with varied techniques.

Many other books have been published since that provide a lot more material on techniques for art journaling in more depth but I think this is one of the better ones I've seen for beginners or people who've until now mostly kept text journals and would like to make the leap into more challenging art journaling. Diehn makes it seem so easy!

I didn't find a copy that I thought was affordable with overseas postage so I was glad to find out that a new edition will be available in April - The Complete Decorated Journal: A Compendium of Journaling Techniques is being published as one volume with another Diehn book The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages. That sounds like real value for money.

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was inspired to branch out in my journaling. I am not new to the habit, in fact, I have 3-4 journals going on differing subjects all at the same time. Art, Nature or Travel journal I've heard of; Altered books, Blank books, and the like I was familiar with. I guess what caught my eye and made me check the book out, was the variety, diversity with-in one book to cover so many design styles. Variety is my thing, I love variety! Maybe I'm finally at a point in my life to embrace it more; help it flourish, rather than shy away from such diversity because I haven't done things "that" way. It's time; time for me to get back to my watercoloring and sketching and marry them to my staple of journaling. I'm excited to start! I just found oil-pastels, rough mesh (originally for latch-hook which I recognized from childhood), stamps, and ribbon at a local thrift store. I think I'm ready to begin down a "new" path.

[Heuristicate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the ideas that are in this book. I read it again because travel journaling is one of my goals for this year. I found it very inspiring and well thought out. There are multiple real life example of every thing that she writes about. There are also a large number of step by step instructions that even those who are new to art journaling can follow. The photos and text is also inspiring enough that I think even those who are experienced would enjoy this book. The list of materials at the beginning of the book was a bit daunting but I think that most people should have fairly easy access to them. I plan on spending this weekend preparing a bunch of pages of my journal which I think shows how accessible the process seems.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure, with a process as personal as journaling, how to make a book about it. This book was a little bit of instructions on technique, but the author, like me, didn't want to instruct too much-- most of them were more like permissions than instructions. You have permission to do things this way. You have permission to sketch, whether or not you think it's any good. A few of the reminders-- the impact of certain layouts from a graphic design perspective, etc-- were interesting. Overall mostly just inspiration, a book form of what you can find on pinterest or art journal blogs.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot! The pictures drew me in, making me wish I had a fraction of the various journalists' talents. Did the book inspire me? Yes! But this is so far removed from my text-only journaling attempts that I'm suffering from a combination of "I don't know where to start" and "I'm going to ruin it if I try it." Even if you never try these ideas and techniques, looking at the book is a joy in itself.

[Mimmy5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a note to myself about highlight of the book.

Supply list p 27-29
Techniques:
Removing pages p 35
Preparing pages p 54-68

Layouts p 69-88 (full, bleeds, borders, grids, mandalas, columns, diagonals, organic shapes, cutouts & add-ons)

*** Occam's razor ***

Writing journal:
Work small
Starting collection of thoughts
Make list
Describe
Witness
Listen
Collecting and pleasure

10 sample pages at the end of the book

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that will probably inspire people who are new to illustrated journaling, but there wasn't anything particularly new for me here. THe thing I did like about it is that the author advocates plain and simple art supplies. So many journaling and scrapbooking "how-to" books seem to depend upon a lot of expensive and hard to find materials. This one doesn't.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book - it's a great resource volume, perfect for inspirations, and seems geared so as not to be too overwhelming for the beginner yet still meaty enough for the advanced journaller. And it's a gorgeous book to hold - well designed and full of eye candy. I'll be adding this one to my library.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an inveterate diarist and journaller with a collection of books on the topic, thus is is my favourite art journalling book. The techniques and ideas are suitable for the inexperienced artist and don't require exotic equipment or material. The book itself is beautifully produced with plenty of inspiring examples for the beginning and advanced art journaller alike.

[Sawyer Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful" by Gwen Diehn is a delightful and inspiring book that guides readers through the creative and artistic world of journaling, scrapbooking, and album-making. This book is a treasure trove of ideas and techniques for those interested in turning everyday moments and memories into beautifully decorated and personalized pages.

[Ammaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book has inspired me to keep my journals in a whole new way by posting photos, drawing sketches and such, not just by writing everything down as usual. This certainly makes my fond memories come to life. Absolutely love it.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It inspired me to make more of my journal and do all the arty things I always wanted but was affraid to start.

If you like book art, journalling, altered art and being creative then this is an excellent book to inspire.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another keeper on my scrapbooking shelf. This one covers a wide range of media and gives plenty of inspiration as well as advice. A bit tricky to find but worth it.

For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_15047...

[Sheila Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely inspiring. The author’s passion and creativity made me want to create something new every time I picked this book to work on a few more pages. I read this slowly so that I could practice and now my journal is more engaging thanks to the ideas I found in this lovely book.

[Blackeyedcrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

good suggestions

[Tammy Powley]

If you like bookart, such as altred-books, art journals, even scrapbooks, then you'll love this beautiful book. It's got some how-to as well as a little bookart history as well.