How Creativity Works
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Category Archives: Inspiration
Another Midori Traveller Notebook Knock Off Idea
I wanted to add 2 more journals to my MTNKO. I saw a blog post somewhere, I cna't remember the blog that added a additional pockets to the notebook through the use of a rubber band. I decided to use that idea to add 2 more notebooks. I wanted to have my general idea notebook, a notebook for PioP and another sketchbook. To do this hack you'll need the following:
A medium length thin rubber band or a loop of the elastic you used to make you MTNKO
2 Notebooks
Slide the rubber band through the center of one notebook then the other,so they are attached spine to spine. Slide one notebook under the notebook already in your MTNKO.
Here's a helpful video of the process.
Latest Challenge
The latest Challenge is up on AJ Ning. Head on over and check it out. Lot's of messy fun!
State of the Weekend: An Everything Journal
I was given another glimpse into just how powerful art journaling can be last night. I had an idea for Put it on Paper, something that I had rolled around in my brain once before and pushed off as not possible and not a very good idea at the time, but I’d made note of it in my art journals, made some doodles and wrote it down.
I quickly flipped through the last 2 journals where I knew the info to be, tabbed those pages with a little Post it flag, and then used my iPoo Touch to snap some pics, shelved the books and took the info with me, in my pocket. I sketched out a quick idea in my art journal of what I thought this idea could look like and emailed it to Jane. As I relaxed into bed, I reviewed the pages on my iPoo and made some fresh notes and doodles about the content of the proposal.
How amazing is it that I can carry 4 journal’s worth of info in my pocket? I read somewhere that someone scanned their notebook pages into their computer and used a specific program to make them searchable. How cool is that?
If you have an art only journal consider carrying an everything art journal with you everywhere, it will prove itself to be indispensible in short order. (Check out a variety of pockete sized notebooks for this, or make your own pockeet noteboook using my tutorial here.)
Make it Yourself: Midori Traveler Notebook Knock Off
Make your own version of the Midori Traveler Notebook Knock Off.
Materials you'll need:
- Round Elastic Cord
- 6×9 inch sheet of leather
- Lighter
- Hammer
- 3/32in hole punch
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Exacto Knife
I'm not overly happy with the quality of this video. I'm still working out which video settings to use for upload to youtube.
Chip off the old Midori Traveller
I liked my large sized Midori Traveller Notebook knock off (TNKO) so much I decided to make a pocket sized version to hold a few jotters. Once I made it I realized I could wedge my Canson Blue Book into it and make my art and not taking need marry into one refillable slab of leather. And it works, marvelously, perfectly and addictively. I’ve sketched, journaled and made notes in nothing else* since I made this thing. Oh baby. I took the leather from the first incarnation of the 6×9 inch TNKO and recolored it with artist grade artist paints in a couple of shades of brown. Then impregnated, that sounds dirty, it’s not but it is kinda messy, the leather with cold wax and then straight up bee’s wax and heat. This leather is waterproof and so soft and smooth it’s awesome. I’m pretty amazed at how well it came out. I didn’t know what to expect when I hit it with some wax and light heat, I knew it would take it and take it well but I was shocked to see how well.
I also stitched a pen loop and a pocket into the back, a pocket may end up in the front as well. I’ve started to stuff random things into the pocket- business cards, receipts, stickers and scraps of paper that I acquire throughout my days. Under the elastic my iPoo is comfortable along with a pen. It’s really allowed me to pare down my on the go journaling needs to a journal, a jotter and a pen or 2. I’ve got more to write about concerning pared down journaling and how it’s really opened my mind to possibilities.
Midori Traveler Style Notebook
I've been using a knockoff of the Midori Traveler notebook system for about a year now. I decided to make one for a friend and while I was working on it I tried a few things and really liked how it turned out. I then decided to make myself a new one and a pocket sized version.
I really like how deep and dark the leather is and how supple it's surface is while remaining stiff. I can't wait to put these through the ringer! For the large I used an edge of the hide that had numbers and letters cut into the surface. I buffed a ton of cold wax into the surface, which I used a light iron to heat into the leather, to really deeply impregnate it with the wax
This time instead of punching a hole directly through the center of the cover I made 2 holes, one on either side of the "spine" area. This lets me use a smaller knot and I like how it holds things together.
While I was at it, I figured I'd make myself a strap for my camera. I made it a touch too long but I do like it. The hardest part was finding a heavy duty clasp to hold it to the camera.
Some construction notes: For thelarge notebook I started with a 9×13 inch sheet of leather and then trimmed it once I had the cover constructed. For the small I started with a 6×9 inche sheet of leather, which I again trimmed down excess once I had the elastic installed. In both of mine I'm using my own notebooks but the small would hold any 3.5×5.5 inch notebook, like a Moleskine Cahier, Doane pocket notebook, Bandit Carnet, field notes etc… Any of the small pocket sized notebooks would fit in the small size, and likewise for the large, any 5.5×8.5/9 inch sized notebook would fit.
Q&A on Youtube
Every now and then I get a series of questions on Youtube and Facebook that warrant longer explanations via video. Here are the latest batch. Feel free to ask more art and art journal related questions in the comments.
Versatile Blogger Award X2
Well both Tammy of DaisyYellow and Wendy of LateStartStudio have nominated me for the Versitile Blogger Award. *blush*
So, in no particular order, here are my 15 picks:
- Diana Trout– For her no nonsense and down to earth approach to art journaling, refreshing!
- The Journal Junkies– These guys are up my alley with an approach to art journaling that is fresh and process based.
- Millande– Her videos are lovely and inspiring, check out her seed journal series WOW!
- Traci Bunkers– I love what she does with tradiational photography and with paint, great stuff.
- Jazmin- Sirensidyll I adore what she does in her journals and her approach.
- Tammy of DaisyYellow– Rules smules, I read her daily
- Sketchings & Jottings– Not just one artists work but a collection of great stuff all over the net.
- Doodler's Anonymous– Great inspiration on an irregular basis.
- Sketchbob– Highly creative, his journals inspire me.
- JournalArtista– Paula is amazing and motivating.
- RightBrainPLanner-Follow her on INstagram for some photo goodness
- NoPenIntended– This feeds my addiction love of pens.
- ArtJournaling.ning.com I love to head over and check out all the stuff people add on a daily basis
- CraftyMoira– Moira is a great teacher, writter and full of inspiration, I lvoe her daily face drawings she's been doing.
- Chongolio– Great guy with great advice for art journalers, very inspirational YT videos.
Now 7 things about me:
- I'm from Maine, I grew up on the coast about an hour and a half from Canada.
- I've never been lobster fishing, though I have been on a friend's lobster boat. I also fell off his boat, at the dock, mainly because a friend pushed me off the boat. I feel into the bait grease slick. In case you don't know, lobster bait is rotting fish.
- I'm an adventurous eater but I used to be vegetarian. My college roommate are still shocked when they hear me talk about cooking meat of any kind.
- I'm an accomplished cook, who enjoys complicated recipes.
- I started blogging in 2000. My first blog was done anonymously and thankfully the server it was housed on had a catastrophic failure and burnt to a crisp.
- I have horrible allergies to pollen and dust.
- I've been making art since I could hold a crayon.
3 step portrait of a soldier
This portrait was done in a 3.5*5.5 canson blue book. I started the sketch with a extra fine point fountain pen. This part of the sketch took roughly 5 minutes. I then added the light areas of shadow with gray ink in a Pentel pocket brush pen (PPBP). I added additional layers to create darker areas of shadow before switching over to a Kuretake #8 brush pen with black ink. After that I used sepia colored watercolor to color the background.
You can get a Kuretake #8 brush pen from Jetpens.com for about $13.50 it's a very nice brush pen, though much longer than the PPBP.