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Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages
Spark your creativity and keep yourself organized with the beautiful pages and easy-to-follow instructions of Creative Journaling .
With 52 projects , from crafting colorful pages for dot grid, junk, mixed-media, and travel journals to making your own washi tape, tabs, and paper, you’ll soon have the best-looking journals around.
Author Renee Day of the popular Instagram @thediyday takes you on an artistic adventure, guiding you with step-by-step photos and instruction , as you learn how to incorporate amazing DIY ideas into your daily planning! You’ll learn to work with a variety of materials—acrylic paint, brush pens, stencils, stamps, 3D gloss gel, scrap paper, and more—as you personalize your stuff , making things uniquely you.
Going beyond basic tools, this stunning book offers tips, tricks, and creative ways to transform journals and hardcover books into treasured keepsakes ,
Even if you have a limited amount of time or supplies, you can create eye-catching journal layouts. It’s time to get creative!
With 52 projects , from crafting colorful pages for dot grid, junk, mixed-media, and travel journals to making your own washi tape, tabs, and paper, you’ll soon have the best-looking journals around.
Author Renee Day of the popular Instagram @thediyday takes you on an artistic adventure, guiding you with step-by-step photos and instruction , as you learn how to incorporate amazing DIY ideas into your daily planning! You’ll learn to work with a variety of materials—acrylic paint, brush pens, stencils, stamps, 3D gloss gel, scrap paper, and more—as you personalize your stuff , making things uniquely you.
Going beyond basic tools, this stunning book offers tips, tricks, and creative ways to transform journals and hardcover books into treasured keepsakes ,
Even if you have a limited amount of time or supplies, you can create eye-catching journal layouts. It’s time to get creative!
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
7 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Renee Day
4 books7 followersRenee Day is the creator of The DIY DAY, a creative blog dedicated to sharing do-it-yourself crafts with easy to follow step-by-step instructions. Her unique video style on Instagram has garnered millions of views and she's been fortunate to work with many successful businesses.
Whether it's calligraphy, paper-crafts, stamping, mixed-media, crocheting, or journaling, Renee loves to craft. When she's not crafting she can be found spending time with her husband Jim and their dog Cinco.
Aside from crafting, Renee holds a master of science degree in Counseling/Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a bachelor of art degree in Sociology. She previously counseled recovering addicts using art therapy as her therapeutic approach.
Renee was born and raised in Southern California and currently lives in Michigan, via Texas.
Whether it's calligraphy, paper-crafts, stamping, mixed-media, crocheting, or journaling, Renee loves to craft. When she's not crafting she can be found spending time with her husband Jim and their dog Cinco.
Aside from crafting, Renee holds a master of science degree in Counseling/Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a bachelor of art degree in Sociology. She previously counseled recovering addicts using art therapy as her therapeutic approach.
Renee was born and raised in Southern California and currently lives in Michigan, via Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
December 24, 2024
الكتاب كويس ف المجمل ومليان صور بالخطوات ل journaling وًjunk journaling وبعدين mixed media
هصور الكتاب من جوا ع انستجرام 👇
@mai.designer92
هصور الكتاب من جوا ع انستجرام 👇
@mai.designer92
January 5, 2020
This was a great book, particularly if you're a beginner art journaler. I especially enjoyed the chapters with more in-depth and crafty ways to journal.
I keep telling myself I'm going to start art journaling, or at least journal with a crafty lean to it, but I have yet to do it. Maybe this hyper-relevant guide will be just the nudge I need.
I took a star off because although the handwriting/fonts/scripts in the book were absolutely amazing, we weren't really given instructions as to how to achieve those great results in our own journals. I want handwriting that perfect dammit!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I keep telling myself I'm going to start art journaling, or at least journal with a crafty lean to it, but I have yet to do it. Maybe this hyper-relevant guide will be just the nudge I need.
I took a star off because although the handwriting/fonts/scripts in the book were absolutely amazing, we weren't really given instructions as to how to achieve those great results in our own journals. I want handwriting that perfect dammit!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2019
This book has some great ideas for journaling as I was hoping it would. I enjoy journaling using a dot grid book where I keep a calendar with events, appointments, special occasions, and important notes along with general ideas and happenings. I also use it for keeping up with my Goodreads book challenge. I wanted some ideas to spruce it up. It is a fun thing just for me, a way to create. Creative Journaling has some ideas for creating calendars, special events pages with dates including birthdays and anniversaries, etc. Renee Day has given not only ideas but step by step instructions to achieve your own special creation. She gives a list of different supplies to use, including a lot of ideas for on hand materials. She has included sections for creating junk, mixed media books, and travel pages using old books or other options of materials. While I mainly focused on the ideas for dot grid journaling, there are lots of great ideas that can be used for different projects. I am considering buying this book so that I will have it on hand for future creations.
I received a complimentary ARC from Rock Point and Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
I received a complimentary ARC from Rock Point and Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
November 17, 2019
I was sent an ARC this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
I have been journalling for over a year now and find it one of the most stress relieving and relaxing hobbies I've found beside reading of course!
This book is jam packed with amazing creative journalling ideas for everyone and shows step by step instructions on how to achieve that look/page/idea.
This has given me some amazing ideas to add to my journal and covers different journal types too such as junk journalling and travel journalling.
This is such an amazing book for any journalling fan, newby or pro.
I have been journalling for over a year now and find it one of the most stress relieving and relaxing hobbies I've found beside reading of course!
This book is jam packed with amazing creative journalling ideas for everyone and shows step by step instructions on how to achieve that look/page/idea.
This has given me some amazing ideas to add to my journal and covers different journal types too such as junk journalling and travel journalling.
This is such an amazing book for any journalling fan, newby or pro.
November 20, 2019
As someone who loves bullet journaling and making altered books, I really enjoyed this book of creative journaling ideas. The first half are all bullet journal ideas, with some wonderfully creative spreads that are fairly simple with a nice impact. For each one, Day goes into step by step directions on how to do them yourself. Most require only simple tools, though she does use quite a few stencils (you can also freehand those, but they won't be as precise). You can easily replicate most of her bullet journal designs with a ruler, stencils, a pencil and some colorful pens, washi tape and a brief amount of time. I would have liked even more of these, as my favorite part of any bullet journal book is seeing as many examples of creative spreads as possible. I tend to do all of my drawing freehand and would have loved some examples of simple freehand spreads to try, too. That said, stencils do make it easy to do great spreads with any artistic level.
The second half of the book is what she calls junk journaling but she also calls altered books. I've been doing altered books for about 14 years and her version is far more fiddly than mine. She has you remove all the pages and just use the hardcover spine as a sort of holder, and then glue in inserted pages that you've bound. I have always just used unloved/ruined old hardcover books as the materials themselves and done designs right over the pages (usually removing some of the pages since the added things glued in and such add a lot of thickness to the book). I like doing it this way as it reminds me of my favorite Native American art style, ledger art, where people on the reservations would use old pages from ledgers that they bartered for as canvas since they had no access to paper or any other type of canvas. The ledger pages underneath become part of the finished work, just as with altered books you can use the text, photos or other elements of the original page to create the finished page.
In any case, her junk journal ideas were mostly very complicated with a lot of supplies and time needed. Some were quite nice, but I prefer doing a simpler, cheaper, faster kind of art for altered books. I didn't end up caring much for that half of the book.
Despite that, I still highly recommend the book for those who love creative journaling. If you like making your journals artistic, this will give you some great inspiration.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
The second half of the book is what she calls junk journaling but she also calls altered books. I've been doing altered books for about 14 years and her version is far more fiddly than mine. She has you remove all the pages and just use the hardcover spine as a sort of holder, and then glue in inserted pages that you've bound. I have always just used unloved/ruined old hardcover books as the materials themselves and done designs right over the pages (usually removing some of the pages since the added things glued in and such add a lot of thickness to the book). I like doing it this way as it reminds me of my favorite Native American art style, ledger art, where people on the reservations would use old pages from ledgers that they bartered for as canvas since they had no access to paper or any other type of canvas. The ledger pages underneath become part of the finished work, just as with altered books you can use the text, photos or other elements of the original page to create the finished page.
In any case, her junk journal ideas were mostly very complicated with a lot of supplies and time needed. Some were quite nice, but I prefer doing a simpler, cheaper, faster kind of art for altered books. I didn't end up caring much for that half of the book.
Despite that, I still highly recommend the book for those who love creative journaling. If you like making your journals artistic, this will give you some great inspiration.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
December 18, 2019
This big book of journaling contains lots of colourful designs, styles, layouts, and complete sample pages. The perfect amount of words in the description. You can flip through it like a magazine if you want, or read what interests you more closely. It covers a variety of topics, including working with binding pages, using mixed medias, and creating accessories (e.g. cute ribbon flag paper clips).
I think this is perfect for someone planning to start their next bullet journal. It’s full of inspirations to fill your notebooks with cute, eye-pleasing pages.
I think this is perfect for someone planning to start their next bullet journal. It’s full of inspirations to fill your notebooks with cute, eye-pleasing pages.
December 25, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Creative Journaling by Renee Day is a tutorial guide with illustrations for bullet journaling. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback format.
The instruction and tutorials here are easy to follow and the book is accessible and appealing. The introductory chapters (~8% of the content) cover general ideas, materials, and techniques. The following chapters give overviews over specific types of journals (dot grid, junk journaling aka altered book multi-media, mixed media, travel journaling, and more). The book also includes a fairly comprehensive resources list for further reading and learning.
The author's writing style is encouraging and positive. One thing she said really stuck with me:
This is 100% me. This book has so many nice short 1-2 page suggestions and tutorials to vary the look and use of the pages with inks, washi tape, different layouts and more. I found a lot of inspiration here to use in my own journals with which I'm becoming braver and more confident. Mostly, I'm having a blast actually learning and *using* my journals.
Five stars. This would be a superlative choice for a journaling friend, especially bundled with some gorgeous washi tape and pens/markers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Creative Journaling by Renee Day is a tutorial guide with illustrations for bullet journaling. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback format.
The instruction and tutorials here are easy to follow and the book is accessible and appealing. The introductory chapters (~8% of the content) cover general ideas, materials, and techniques. The following chapters give overviews over specific types of journals (dot grid, junk journaling aka altered book multi-media, mixed media, travel journaling, and more). The book also includes a fairly comprehensive resources list for further reading and learning.
The author's writing style is encouraging and positive. One thing she said really stuck with me:
As a kid, I’d collect journals but would never use them in fear of ruining them. After my collection started to grow, I would use my least favorite journal from the bunch first while keeping my favorites in mint condition.
This is 100% me. This book has so many nice short 1-2 page suggestions and tutorials to vary the look and use of the pages with inks, washi tape, different layouts and more. I found a lot of inspiration here to use in my own journals with which I'm becoming braver and more confident. Mostly, I'm having a blast actually learning and *using* my journals.
Five stars. This would be a superlative choice for a journaling friend, especially bundled with some gorgeous washi tape and pens/markers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 18, 2019
I received a copy from Quarto Publishing Group and Rock Point through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve loved arts and crafts since I was a small child, and I’ve always found journaling fun, so I love combining the two with my bullet journal. When I saw this book, I thought it sounded like a cool resource for new techniques to use on my bullet journal. What I didn’t expect was to come out wanting to make junk journals. I’m going to have so much fun!
Renee Day covers a lot of information, which makes this a good resource for anyone who is thinking about combining art with any form of journaling. Renee also gives an informative description of what each type of media is and how to make them. These descriptions are also applied to the different art techniques and cool ideas that she includes for things that one can do in each type of journal. If you’re one who likes to have a supply list clearly laid out, you’re going to love reading this book.
There are so many cool ideas and inspiring things throughout this book. There’s also a variety of pictures and clear instructions, which makes it great for anyone who has never tried any of the cool art projects and journal spreads listed. I also like that each spread and art project is broken up into sections based on what type of journal one will be working with. Of course, it can all be mixed and matched based on one’s personal needs and the direction they want to go with their journal, but I thought it was pretty cool.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and I will be using some of the techniques on my bullet journal. There are so many neat things in this book that it’s hard not to get inspired!
I’ve loved arts and crafts since I was a small child, and I’ve always found journaling fun, so I love combining the two with my bullet journal. When I saw this book, I thought it sounded like a cool resource for new techniques to use on my bullet journal. What I didn’t expect was to come out wanting to make junk journals. I’m going to have so much fun!
Renee Day covers a lot of information, which makes this a good resource for anyone who is thinking about combining art with any form of journaling. Renee also gives an informative description of what each type of media is and how to make them. These descriptions are also applied to the different art techniques and cool ideas that she includes for things that one can do in each type of journal. If you’re one who likes to have a supply list clearly laid out, you’re going to love reading this book.
There are so many cool ideas and inspiring things throughout this book. There’s also a variety of pictures and clear instructions, which makes it great for anyone who has never tried any of the cool art projects and journal spreads listed. I also like that each spread and art project is broken up into sections based on what type of journal one will be working with. Of course, it can all be mixed and matched based on one’s personal needs and the direction they want to go with their journal, but I thought it was pretty cool.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and I will be using some of the techniques on my bullet journal. There are so many neat things in this book that it’s hard not to get inspired!
December 8, 2019
If, like me, you look at the amazing journal pages on sites such as Pinterest and realise you are never going to be able to achieve anything close to them then this book is for you! It starts with basic designs and if you can work with a ruler and some washi tape you can make your own designs and be proud of them.
Gradually more experience is needed but whether you work through the book or dip and delve your confidence will grow and so will your artistic talents. There are some specialised pieces of equipment needed for certain projects, but nothing you can't find on the internet and they are mixed with everyday items we all have lying around waiting to be reused. There was nothing that I felt I couldn't source or attempt in this book and I expect my efforts to vastly improve as I produce pages I thought were beyond me.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try journaling but finds it all a bit daunting, I think this book will help you to surprise yourself.
Gradually more experience is needed but whether you work through the book or dip and delve your confidence will grow and so will your artistic talents. There are some specialised pieces of equipment needed for certain projects, but nothing you can't find on the internet and they are mixed with everyday items we all have lying around waiting to be reused. There was nothing that I felt I couldn't source or attempt in this book and I expect my efforts to vastly improve as I produce pages I thought were beyond me.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try journaling but finds it all a bit daunting, I think this book will help you to surprise yourself.
December 15, 2019
Like a lovely journey through Instagram hashtags, except without the mistakenly tagged ripped guys with motorcycles. (Wait, what?)
In all seriousness, this is a gorgeous book. One of the things I love about dot journaling is how versatile it is, and how open to newbies. If you see a thing you like, you can just do it, and it's not that hard. I also like that artistic talent in the traditional sense isn't a requirement, only that you try stuff and see what works best for you.
That being said, I really enjoyed how this book combined really detailed how-tos with a variety of techniques from extreme lo-tech to multi-step fanciness. It's filled with beautiful photographs and stuffed with ideas - many of which I would never have thought of, and I bookmarked a whole bunch of spread how-to pages. A bujo addition that I will definitely be making to my small collection of books once it's released.
In all seriousness, this is a gorgeous book. One of the things I love about dot journaling is how versatile it is, and how open to newbies. If you see a thing you like, you can just do it, and it's not that hard. I also like that artistic talent in the traditional sense isn't a requirement, only that you try stuff and see what works best for you.
That being said, I really enjoyed how this book combined really detailed how-tos with a variety of techniques from extreme lo-tech to multi-step fanciness. It's filled with beautiful photographs and stuffed with ideas - many of which I would never have thought of, and I bookmarked a whole bunch of spread how-to pages. A bujo addition that I will definitely be making to my small collection of books once it's released.
January 14, 2020
Creative Journaling by Renee Day
What a delightful book filled with ideas this turned out being. I just sent the information to my artistic sister who does altered book round-robins with friends knowing there are tips and tricks she will love to see and use in future projects. This book has so so much information that I enjoyed glimpsing through and when I finished reading I thought, “I would LOVE to have this book to refer to in the future. The trick is going to be finding a hard copy to have and open up on my art table so I can enjoy trying one or more of the ideas while working on my own projects in the future.
What I liked:
* The illustrations – easy to follow with great ideas to implement those ideas
* New ideas I have not tried or even seen before
* Easy to follow examples
* Use of easily found objects to make extraordinary pages in a journal
* New ideas for journals that I have not thought of.
What I didn’t like:
* Knowing I won’t be able to find this book locally and will have to special order it to have it on my art shelf
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Rockpoint Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
What a delightful book filled with ideas this turned out being. I just sent the information to my artistic sister who does altered book round-robins with friends knowing there are tips and tricks she will love to see and use in future projects. This book has so so much information that I enjoyed glimpsing through and when I finished reading I thought, “I would LOVE to have this book to refer to in the future. The trick is going to be finding a hard copy to have and open up on my art table so I can enjoy trying one or more of the ideas while working on my own projects in the future.
What I liked:
* The illustrations – easy to follow with great ideas to implement those ideas
* New ideas I have not tried or even seen before
* Easy to follow examples
* Use of easily found objects to make extraordinary pages in a journal
* New ideas for journals that I have not thought of.
What I didn’t like:
* Knowing I won’t be able to find this book locally and will have to special order it to have it on my art shelf
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Rockpoint Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
November 24, 2019
I got a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own
This was a very fun book. I'm really into bullet journaling so when I saw a copy of this book I decided to give it a go. This book is full of ideas but not only it focuses on the dot grid notebook but it also includes different spreads for different types of journals. I believe this is a great book for people looking to create new pages in their journals or that want to try creating a junk journal, travel journal, etc. The ideas are presented step by step with full explanations and they are really easy to follow.
I would totally recommend this book for anyone looking to be more creative in their journey of journaling.
This was a very fun book. I'm really into bullet journaling so when I saw a copy of this book I decided to give it a go. This book is full of ideas but not only it focuses on the dot grid notebook but it also includes different spreads for different types of journals. I believe this is a great book for people looking to create new pages in their journals or that want to try creating a junk journal, travel journal, etc. The ideas are presented step by step with full explanations and they are really easy to follow.
I would totally recommend this book for anyone looking to be more creative in their journey of journaling.
November 13, 2019
This was such a great book! A little more than an overview but less than an in-depth how to. This book has everything from making your own washi tape to making your own planner from scratch. I think the book did a great job with explaining how to do each project in an easy to follow way. I think this book would work for those just starting out as well as those seasoned in creating journaling. I even found some stuff that I didn't know about and I have been journaling for ages.
August 29, 2020
If you are interested in upping your journaling game, then search no further. Creative Journaling is the book for you. Browsing through the pages of this book is sure to get your creative juices flowing. You will be introduced to various materials and techniques. The step-by-step instructions and the full-color photos are well done and inspirational.
My favorite section was about mixed-media journaling. I love this creative concept! The possibilities are endless. The combining of colors, textures and words could also be used to create awesome, unique framable art and bookmarks.
Within the pages of this lovely book, you will find many suggestions of what to journal, along with creative, unique ways to organize and record your thoughts, lists, activities, goals and challenges. Enjoy!
My favorite section was about mixed-media journaling. I love this creative concept! The possibilities are endless. The combining of colors, textures and words could also be used to create awesome, unique framable art and bookmarks.
Within the pages of this lovely book, you will find many suggestions of what to journal, along with creative, unique ways to organize and record your thoughts, lists, activities, goals and challenges. Enjoy!
December 3, 2019
I love this! I bought a really nice planner to keep for this year (2020) and this gives me some great ideas for it. It also helped me find the confidence to just do it and stop letting my journals collect dust because I'm guilty of that too. I'm so ready.
April 27, 2020
Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day is exactly what the title states: a superbly creative and fun guide to journaling!
Creative Journaling is a high quality piece, and the images are immediately recognisable as Renee Day’s. They would all fit perfectly onto her Instagram feed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some had been lifted from it.
My favourite layout within the book is definitely the ‘Easiest Reusable Weekly Layout’; this would be such a good time and space saver. Essentially, the key to this layout is to craft your weekly layout with sticky notes and then use a smaller sticky tab at the bottom to list the date the calendar begins on. Day uses a very simple example, but I think it would be fun to invest some time into the design so that you can enjoy it for the month ahead.
I’m planning to give this reusable layout a go in my January set up, but I’ll be combining it with my monthly overview. My monthly overview will act as the base and then I’ll layer the sticky notes on top. This way I can plan the weeks and if things change I don’t have to worry about being messy or running out of space, I can just change out the note.
A couple of the ideas in the early sections of Creative Journaling have been on the likes of Pinterest forever, but for the most part, Day puts her own spin onto them and makes them accessible; there’s nothing worse than seeing an intimidating design with no tutorial. Day is quite literally here to save the day though! Her tutorials are easy to follow as there’s both a text explanation and an image for every step.
Moving on to a later section where Day explores different kinds of journals, I found the junk journal to resonate with me; I love keeping mementos, yet I never know what to do with them. If I give it a go, I plan to have mine be more of a postcard appreciation journal than a junk journal though. It would be wonderful to collate my collective and house them in a creative piece that I can enjoy.
I hope that this book encourages people to give journaling a go and to realise that there is absolutely no right or wrong way to go about it. With that in mind, I am surprised that there’s no official hashtag for Insta so that we can see how people utilise her ideas.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*
Creative Journaling is a high quality piece, and the images are immediately recognisable as Renee Day’s. They would all fit perfectly onto her Instagram feed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some had been lifted from it.
My favourite layout within the book is definitely the ‘Easiest Reusable Weekly Layout’; this would be such a good time and space saver. Essentially, the key to this layout is to craft your weekly layout with sticky notes and then use a smaller sticky tab at the bottom to list the date the calendar begins on. Day uses a very simple example, but I think it would be fun to invest some time into the design so that you can enjoy it for the month ahead.
I’m planning to give this reusable layout a go in my January set up, but I’ll be combining it with my monthly overview. My monthly overview will act as the base and then I’ll layer the sticky notes on top. This way I can plan the weeks and if things change I don’t have to worry about being messy or running out of space, I can just change out the note.
A couple of the ideas in the early sections of Creative Journaling have been on the likes of Pinterest forever, but for the most part, Day puts her own spin onto them and makes them accessible; there’s nothing worse than seeing an intimidating design with no tutorial. Day is quite literally here to save the day though! Her tutorials are easy to follow as there’s both a text explanation and an image for every step.
Moving on to a later section where Day explores different kinds of journals, I found the junk journal to resonate with me; I love keeping mementos, yet I never know what to do with them. If I give it a go, I plan to have mine be more of a postcard appreciation journal than a junk journal though. It would be wonderful to collate my collective and house them in a creative piece that I can enjoy.
I hope that this book encourages people to give journaling a go and to realise that there is absolutely no right or wrong way to go about it. With that in mind, I am surprised that there’s no official hashtag for Insta so that we can see how people utilise her ideas.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*
August 15, 2020
Creative Journaling by Renee Day divides into four main sections: dot grid pages, junk journals, mixed-media projects, and travel records. I gave this book a complete read-through in a few days. Each project includes step-by-step photos of the process, plus a completed example photo. I loved this format! It makes it so much easier for me when I can see something in-process, not just the finished project. Now, about each part:
Dot grid journaling stands as the first and largest section of Creative Journaling. I have seen beautiful dot grid pages on social media, but they always seemed too difficult to create myself. However, the author’s clear and easy to follow instructions made the projects feel doable. Planners and scheduling projects dominate this section, but other projects such a reusable meal plan layout and a gratitude log add a little variety.
Junk journaling (aka an altered book project) is new-to-me. This section looked fun, but seemed more complicated to do and I haven’t tried any of the projects yet.
My favorite section of Creative Journaling was the mixed-media journaling. This section is mostly about creating page layouts and there are so many projects in this section that I want to try: the tissue paper layout, the hot glue layout, etc! They look so pretty!
The traveling section contained gorgeous projects with precise and clear instructions. However, I don’t travel so it was not applicable to me.
The last section, DIY accessories and papers, offers some very cute and fun projects. My daughters and I tried out the Shaving Cream Paper project and we had a blast! It was messy, but so much fun. The papers turned out beautifully. (See photos) This section is, in my opinion, more kid friendly. Most of the prior sections are teen or adult level, but things like yarn tassel paper clips and stained paper towel paper are projects they can do and enjoy!
In conclusion, I am very pleased with Creative Journaling: A Guide to over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day! The girls and I are looking forward to doing more projects from this book! Five stars!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product via the Amazon Vine program. All opinions in this review are my own.
Dot grid journaling stands as the first and largest section of Creative Journaling. I have seen beautiful dot grid pages on social media, but they always seemed too difficult to create myself. However, the author’s clear and easy to follow instructions made the projects feel doable. Planners and scheduling projects dominate this section, but other projects such a reusable meal plan layout and a gratitude log add a little variety.
Junk journaling (aka an altered book project) is new-to-me. This section looked fun, but seemed more complicated to do and I haven’t tried any of the projects yet.
My favorite section of Creative Journaling was the mixed-media journaling. This section is mostly about creating page layouts and there are so many projects in this section that I want to try: the tissue paper layout, the hot glue layout, etc! They look so pretty!
The traveling section contained gorgeous projects with precise and clear instructions. However, I don’t travel so it was not applicable to me.
The last section, DIY accessories and papers, offers some very cute and fun projects. My daughters and I tried out the Shaving Cream Paper project and we had a blast! It was messy, but so much fun. The papers turned out beautifully. (See photos) This section is, in my opinion, more kid friendly. Most of the prior sections are teen or adult level, but things like yarn tassel paper clips and stained paper towel paper are projects they can do and enjoy!
In conclusion, I am very pleased with Creative Journaling: A Guide to over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day! The girls and I are looking forward to doing more projects from this book! Five stars!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product via the Amazon Vine program. All opinions in this review are my own.
January 6, 2020
I love art journaling and have several so I was so excited to read this book! Although, this is more of a beginners book to different techniques for journaling it was still very appealing to me. I really enjoyed that they defined everything so even if you are a novice to it you really can learn how to do it and are not expected to know anything going into it. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this creative book.
January 31, 2023
This is a nice quality introductory book for various types of journaling - bullet, junk, mixed media, and travel journaling. The book is very colorful and filled with photographs and examples. It provides a lot of visual guidance and inspiration, but has more breadth than depth and feels not very cohesive.
August 26, 2022
Some nifty ideas
December 28, 2019
Creative Journaling is a guide to layouts for bullet journals (called dot grid journaling here), junk journals (when you use left over ticket stubs, pages from books and so on to make a journal), mixed-media journals (when you use paint, hot glue guns, and other things to make an artistic journal), and travel journals (making pockets to put tickets and so on).
I use a bullet journal, but I hadn't seen how to set up any of the others, and so this book gives you clear instructions for how to set up all of these, and make it your creatively.
I enjoyed the different layouts for the bullet journal, as that's what I will probably mostly take away from it, although the travel journal is something I've always wanted to do, so seeing the suggestions here, hopefully I'll be inspired to make something next time I'm planning on travelling!
Lots of clear instructions and lovely photos, along with a list of resources and explanations! This is a great introduction to journaling!
Creative Journaling was published on 14th January 2020, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!
You can follow Renee Day on Instagram, or through her website.
If you're interested in other resources for Bullet Journaling, have a look at my review of The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll.
If you're inspired to do crafty things, then have a look at Crafting Cute: Polymer Clay the Kawaii Way by Dani Banani.
You can also visit The Handmade Fair with me!
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Quarto Knows (the publishers) for this book.
Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!
I use a bullet journal, but I hadn't seen how to set up any of the others, and so this book gives you clear instructions for how to set up all of these, and make it your creatively.
I enjoyed the different layouts for the bullet journal, as that's what I will probably mostly take away from it, although the travel journal is something I've always wanted to do, so seeing the suggestions here, hopefully I'll be inspired to make something next time I'm planning on travelling!
Lots of clear instructions and lovely photos, along with a list of resources and explanations! This is a great introduction to journaling!
Creative Journaling was published on 14th January 2020, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!
You can follow Renee Day on Instagram, or through her website.
If you're interested in other resources for Bullet Journaling, have a look at my review of The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll.
If you're inspired to do crafty things, then have a look at Crafting Cute: Polymer Clay the Kawaii Way by Dani Banani.
You can also visit The Handmade Fair with me!
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Quarto Knows (the publishers) for this book.
Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!
November 15, 2019
If, like me, you used to hate to write in your journals, because they were so beautiful, then this is the book for you.
The main theme is that there are no rules or regulations as to how you use your journal - each one is as different as you are. Instead, you are encourage to be free to use the journal as a form of self-expression.
"Art journalling (a form of art therapy) is a powerful form of expression when words just won't do."
This book covers everything from:
* Dot Grid Journals, where you can draw boxes and shapes using the dot grid lines and have great fun with washi tape. One great tip is to keep the last pages free so that you can test if a new pen or paint or stencil bleeds through the paper onto the other side of the page. If you are worried about messing up your lovely book, experiment with layouts and design using pencil and then go over your design with a fine-tip pen.
* Junk Journals. Collate and curate your old pieces of junk instead of throwing them away to create a collage of your life at this moment in time. For example. Old concert tickets, birthday cards and buttons.
* Travel Journals. Capture your emotions, experiences and collections of images in one place.
* DIY Accessories and Papers. There are some stunning art papers and paint accessories available for anyone to use to decorate their journals, even if you have no artistic talent or experience.
Recommended for anyone interested in creating a unique personal journal.
The main theme is that there are no rules or regulations as to how you use your journal - each one is as different as you are. Instead, you are encourage to be free to use the journal as a form of self-expression.
"Art journalling (a form of art therapy) is a powerful form of expression when words just won't do."
This book covers everything from:
* Dot Grid Journals, where you can draw boxes and shapes using the dot grid lines and have great fun with washi tape. One great tip is to keep the last pages free so that you can test if a new pen or paint or stencil bleeds through the paper onto the other side of the page. If you are worried about messing up your lovely book, experiment with layouts and design using pencil and then go over your design with a fine-tip pen.
* Junk Journals. Collate and curate your old pieces of junk instead of throwing them away to create a collage of your life at this moment in time. For example. Old concert tickets, birthday cards and buttons.
* Travel Journals. Capture your emotions, experiences and collections of images in one place.
* DIY Accessories and Papers. There are some stunning art papers and paint accessories available for anyone to use to decorate their journals, even if you have no artistic talent or experience.
Recommended for anyone interested in creating a unique personal journal.
August 29, 2020
I'm just starting a career as an illustrator (at the age of fifty-four!) and am turning what was just a hobby into something more. Having lots to learn, I have been seeking out the needed information in books. What is good about Creative Journaling is that it holds information for readers on several levels, whether you are doing your journaling for others to see or just to more fully express yourself. I have been journaling ever since I was a child and somewhere along the line discovered I was doodling in my diary margins.
With this book, you can throw the gate open to your creativity and express yourself in the written word, as well as drawings or ... the sky is the limit. Look to this book not merely for its information but its inspiration because ultimately, you have a story to tell and nobody can tell it as uniquely as you.
However, I read this in ebook format and I would recommend you get it in paper format so you are not dealing with downloading or tech issues because it's a "keeper" you will definitely want to refer to several times.
I am grateful to Netgalley,(and the publisher) for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
I hope it was helpful.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee
With this book, you can throw the gate open to your creativity and express yourself in the written word, as well as drawings or ... the sky is the limit. Look to this book not merely for its information but its inspiration because ultimately, you have a story to tell and nobody can tell it as uniquely as you.
However, I read this in ebook format and I would recommend you get it in paper format so you are not dealing with downloading or tech issues because it's a "keeper" you will definitely want to refer to several times.
I am grateful to Netgalley,(and the publisher) for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
I hope it was helpful.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee
May 21, 2023
I'm not one for just sitting down and writing in a journal although over the years I've had intentions to start one. The word "creative" in the title caught my eye because I thought maybe that would help inspire me to both create and write. This book is full of ideas, techniques, tips and advice for not only journals, but also weekly planners. I loved the sections on bookbinding and building your own books. The author definitely shows preference for doing all handwriting and pen designs by hand, which is a throwback to old-school scrapbooking. Using that technique for doing your own weekly planner seems pretty tedious, but I would apply her ideas to other types of journals and books. The mixed media art techniques brought another level or creativity that looks fun to experiment with. Overall, the explanations are easy to understand, and there is a wide variety of techniques explained and demonstrated with clear photos.
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
January 15, 2020
Creative Journaling by Renee Day gives a substantial number of ideas at ways to easily spice up journaling. Many materials are discussed but much of the activities involve simple supplies that do not need a lot of practice to use. That make this book even more attractive in that anyone can use these ideas. With pencils, pens, markers, washi tape and paper being easily found anyone could use the ideas. Also many of the ideas are not complicated.
This journaling guidebook would be great for young people who love to explore and let their creativity come to life especially with junk journaling. Also scrapbookers, since I scrapbook and enjoy card making, I saw many ideas that would crossover using the same materials. I can see me continuing to refer back to this book for ideas.
Like the author I have bought many lovely journals over the years. These ideas give the push needed to now use them. The gratitude log and US map tracker were the first two journaling projects that I tried. Finding the US map stencil was the hardest part.
The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.
This journaling guidebook would be great for young people who love to explore and let their creativity come to life especially with junk journaling. Also scrapbookers, since I scrapbook and enjoy card making, I saw many ideas that would crossover using the same materials. I can see me continuing to refer back to this book for ideas.
Like the author I have bought many lovely journals over the years. These ideas give the push needed to now use them. The gratitude log and US map tracker were the first two journaling projects that I tried. Finding the US map stencil was the hardest part.
The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.
January 19, 2020
This is an excellent book for those looking for inspiration on how to start journaling with plenty of different layout suggests to follow and adapt.
Create Journaling is split into six main sections:
- Introduction, Materials & Techniques
- Dot Grid Journaling
- Junk Journaling
- Mixed-Media Journaling
- Travel Journaling
- DIY Accessories & Papers
Overall there are 56 ideas to try. and comes with plenty of steps and colour photographs for you to follow and make your own journal, using stamps, washi tape, stencils and much more. Alongside the inside of the journal, it also provides ideas on how to make your own cover unique.
At the rear of the book is a resources section which lists the materials used to make each of the types of journal ideas, from pens, inks, washi tape, markers, brush pens and much more. Most of these are easily bought from craft shops.
Whilst its not a mega important page, the copyright page has the dots all over it but they are quite sharp making it hard to read the text.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
Create Journaling is split into six main sections:
- Introduction, Materials & Techniques
- Dot Grid Journaling
- Junk Journaling
- Mixed-Media Journaling
- Travel Journaling
- DIY Accessories & Papers
Overall there are 56 ideas to try. and comes with plenty of steps and colour photographs for you to follow and make your own journal, using stamps, washi tape, stencils and much more. Alongside the inside of the journal, it also provides ideas on how to make your own cover unique.
At the rear of the book is a resources section which lists the materials used to make each of the types of journal ideas, from pens, inks, washi tape, markers, brush pens and much more. Most of these are easily bought from craft shops.
Whilst its not a mega important page, the copyright page has the dots all over it but they are quite sharp making it hard to read the text.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
August 23, 2020
While I'm not a beginner at journaling or to drawing & calligraphy, I did not understand dot journaling or bullet journaling. After over a decade of living rurally with awful satellite for internet, I have really fallen behind everyone else (please oh please petition your representatives for high speed internet in rural areas). I decided to order this book simply due to my joy to create & craft. Much to my delight this book explained dot journaling in detail as well as other journaling like junk journals. Personally, I have found the dot journaling to be the most enjoyable.
The author provides step by step guidance & photos of each step. She also provides a list of materials needed for each project. It has been so fun to see the different uses for washi tape. Adding layers & textures. Using stamps, various types of markers & pens, stencils, etc. If you love crafting & love journaling but aren't great at drawing, this is so much fun. Of course, if you can draw, you can still enjoy this type of journaling, but I feel like it's geared to those of us with a creative streak, but no actual artistic talent (my grandfather, father, & younger sister are all artists, it skipped me for some reason, go figure). I have also loved stickers, stamps, calligraphy, coloring books, pens of all sorts & types, stationary, writing, etc. If you find you are anything at all like this & need a little help (I sincerely hope you aren't in the dark thanks to horrible internet) to get you going, this book is likely to be all you'll need.
Overall, I am more than pleased.
The author provides step by step guidance & photos of each step. She also provides a list of materials needed for each project. It has been so fun to see the different uses for washi tape. Adding layers & textures. Using stamps, various types of markers & pens, stencils, etc. If you love crafting & love journaling but aren't great at drawing, this is so much fun. Of course, if you can draw, you can still enjoy this type of journaling, but I feel like it's geared to those of us with a creative streak, but no actual artistic talent (my grandfather, father, & younger sister are all artists, it skipped me for some reason, go figure). I have also loved stickers, stamps, calligraphy, coloring books, pens of all sorts & types, stationary, writing, etc. If you find you are anything at all like this & need a little help (I sincerely hope you aren't in the dark thanks to horrible internet) to get you going, this book is likely to be all you'll need.
Overall, I am more than pleased.
December 3, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! The author covers dot grid journaling (bullet journaling), junk journaling, mixed-media journaling, travel journaling and even shows a few DIY accessories and papers at the end.
I am not a complete beginner in bullet or travel journaling but this book has so many ideas I want to test right away! I did try junk and mixed-media journaling a couple of years ago but was a bit lost about all the techniques and materials (what do I really need? Do I need a craft room full of stuff to be able to start?). Renee Day gives many tips and tricks, she shows beautiful layouts and explains how to recreate them. I feel so inspired and motivated!
The layout of the book itself is very clean and appealing, the pictures are gorgeous, the directions are easy to follow and short. I really recommend this book to beginners in any of the journaling types showed as well as to anyone who needs inspiration and wants to look at beautiful pictures.
Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am not a complete beginner in bullet or travel journaling but this book has so many ideas I want to test right away! I did try junk and mixed-media journaling a couple of years ago but was a bit lost about all the techniques and materials (what do I really need? Do I need a craft room full of stuff to be able to start?). Renee Day gives many tips and tricks, she shows beautiful layouts and explains how to recreate them. I feel so inspired and motivated!
The layout of the book itself is very clean and appealing, the pictures are gorgeous, the directions are easy to follow and short. I really recommend this book to beginners in any of the journaling types showed as well as to anyone who needs inspiration and wants to look at beautiful pictures.
Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I've been bullet journaling for a while now and the first section of this book dealt with ideas to use in a journal like that - most of which I'd seen before but a few of which I'll be trying.
I'm not particularly artistically blessed, but I do enjoy having a go. For me, the junk (harsh word, I think odds and ends or special papers maybe fits better) journaling and the mixed media section were great for this. Lots of new ideas to me and I'm inspired! A way to put together some artistic layouts that maybe frame a quote or record highlights of a holiday.
The instructions in this book are described in another review as "A little more than an overview but less than an in-depth how to." and I think that's exactly right. I thought it was clear enough to get started in the areas I know nothing about but not so simple I couldn't find things in the section I did have some experience in.
Recommended for those who enjoy journaling, recording their thoughts, diaries and mementos and other things in an visually attractive way.
I'm not particularly artistically blessed, but I do enjoy having a go. For me, the junk (harsh word, I think odds and ends or special papers maybe fits better) journaling and the mixed media section were great for this. Lots of new ideas to me and I'm inspired! A way to put together some artistic layouts that maybe frame a quote or record highlights of a holiday.
The instructions in this book are described in another review as "A little more than an overview but less than an in-depth how to." and I think that's exactly right. I thought it was clear enough to get started in the areas I know nothing about but not so simple I couldn't find things in the section I did have some experience in.
Recommended for those who enjoy journaling, recording their thoughts, diaries and mementos and other things in an visually attractive way.
February 9, 2020
This title offers lots of ways of expressing oneself. After an introductions and chapters on materials and techniques, a umber of projects are detailed. There are sections on Dot Grid Journaling, Junk Jornaling, Mixed Media Journaling and Travel Journaling. The book ends with a section on DIY Accessoreis and Papers. There are 52 projects in all.
The author presents a helpful list of materials to have on hand and suggestions for creative lettering for one's journal pages. There are then colorful example of borders for one's journal. I had never heard of washi tape but see now how it can help to make beautiful, quick journal pages.
My own journal up until now has been quite utilitarian. If yours is as well, perhaps you would like to experiment with adding an artistic statement to your writings, lists, and more. The ideas in this book will definitely yield unique and colorful results.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
The author presents a helpful list of materials to have on hand and suggestions for creative lettering for one's journal pages. There are then colorful example of borders for one's journal. I had never heard of washi tape but see now how it can help to make beautiful, quick journal pages.
My own journal up until now has been quite utilitarian. If yours is as well, perhaps you would like to experiment with adding an artistic statement to your writings, lists, and more. The ideas in this book will definitely yield unique and colorful results.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
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