Nesting Junk Journal: A Spring-Inspired DIY Masterpiece

Welcome, fellow crafters and vintage enthusiasts! We are absolutely thrilled to share another stunning creation from our talented Junk Journal Design Team. This week, we’re diving into the enchanting world of Danielle Robotham’s “Nesting” Junk Journal – a project that beautifully captures the essence of spring, new beginnings, and delicate beauty. Our mission at The Graphics Fairy is to inspire your creative journey, and our Design Team members consistently achieve this by showcasing innovative ways to utilize the vast collection of Vintage Image Bundles available on our Premium Membership Site. Prepare to be thoroughly captivated and inspired by the intricate details and heartwarming theme of this journal.

Before we explore the delightful intricacies of Danielle’s work, make sure you scroll down to the very bottom of the page to catch the full video tour. Seeing this journal in action truly brings its magic to life. Are you ready for a generous dose of crafting inspiration? Without further ado, let’s hand it over to Danielle as she guides us through her incredible project and the story behind it.

The Inspiration Behind the Nesting Journal: Embracing Spring’s Embrace

Hello lovelies, Danielle from Fill A Space here, soon to be Evelyn & Sage! It’s always a pure pleasure to share a new journal project with The Graphics Fairy community. This particular journal, which I’ve lovingly named ‘Nesting,’ was born from the vibrant awakening of spring. As I enjoyed my early morning walks to work, the sudden burst of color and the melodic chorus of birdsong filled me with an undeniable sense of renewal. It felt only natural to channel this fresh energy into a journal that marks the joyous arrival of the season.

Lately, I’ve found myself utterly fascinated by birds’ nests – symbols of comfort, home, and the promise of new life. Like any strong inspiration, I knew I had to weave this captivating theme into one of my journals. With birds most commonly nesting between March and July, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect to embark on this creative endeavor. This journal isn’t just a collection of pages; it’s a celebration of nature’s delicate artistry and the tender beauty of the nesting season.

Crafting the Ring-Bound Structure: Freedom in Design

It had been well over a year since I last created a ring-bound journal, and I’d been eager to revisit this incredibly versatile construction method. The ‘Nesting’ theme, with its organic and somewhat whimsical nature, felt like the perfect match for the loose and adaptable style that a ring-bound journal offers. What I truly adore about this binding technique is its non-restrictive character. It grants you, the creator, immense freedom to rearrange pages, experiment with layouts, and evolve the journal as you go. Similarly, for the end-user, this flexibility means they can effortlessly add, remove, or reposition pages, making it a truly interactive and personalized keepsake. This method allows for a fluid, ever-changing narrative, much like nature itself.

The Enchanting Journal Closure: A Nest of Wonders

I can almost hear you thinking, “Enough about the binding, let’s talk about that show-stopping journal closure!” And you’re absolutely right to be excited. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t my absolute favorite element of the entire journal – both to craft and to admire. The journey of this captivating closure began with a tiny, delicate nest. Although, truthfully, the initial spark came from a larger nest I used as a photo prop, let’s stick with the narrative that it started with this charming mini version – it simply sounds more magical!

Using a blend of natural materials and clay, I meticulously formed this precious nest, envisioning it as the focal point for the journal’s cover. Recognizing that placing it directly on the front might make the journal a bit bulky for practical use, I devised a clever solution: incorporating it into a removable journal band or closure. This thoughtful design ensures both stunning aesthetics and ease of use for anyone interacting with the journal. For those eager to learn how to create this unique feature, stay tuned! I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be releasing an online course this year dedicated to teaching you this very technique. It’s a wonderful way to add a personalized and dimensional touch to your own journals.

Designing the Front Cover: Simple Elegance

In essence, the journal’s front cover maintains a beautiful simplicity, allowing its core elements to truly shine. I deliberately let the delicate doily and the vintage music album background speak for themselves, creating a harmonious backdrop. The only addition, a sweet Blue Bird image, was meticulously fussy-cut from a selection of bird images I had carefully curated from The Graphics Fairy’s extensive collection. This thoughtful placement adds a focal point that is both charming and perfectly aligned with the overall ‘Nesting’ theme, without overwhelming the inherent beauty of the foundational layers. It demonstrates that sometimes, less is indeed more, allowing each chosen element to contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic.

Interactive Elements: Beyond the Pages

Decorative Playing Cards for Journaling

Before we delve deeper into the journal’s interior, I wanted to highlight some charming accompaniment pieces I created: a set of decorative playing cards. Well, “sort of” playing cards, to be precise! I intentionally left their reverse sides blank, transforming them into perfect little journaling spaces. Don’t they just evoke the charm of a vintage deck? I meticulously pieced together these delightful images in Photoshop, drawing from a rich assortment of designs found on both The Graphics Fairy’s Premium and free sites. A consistent pink border ties them all together, creating a cohesive and undeniably cute collection. This process was not only incredibly easy but also immense fun, and I could have easily created all 52 to make a complete deck. Perhaps, dear Patreon supporters, a full deck might just be in the cards for a future project – stay tuned!

Vintage Specimen Cards: A Collector’s Touch

Applying a similar creative principle to the playing cards, I utilized a beautiful blue frame discovered on the Premium site to craft four exquisite specimen cards. Two of these are thoughtfully bound within the journal, while the other two “float” freely, inviting interaction. The creation process was surprisingly straightforward: a simple search on the Premium site using keywords like ‘Blue,’ ‘Eggs,’ ‘Nest,’ and ‘Postcards’ yielded all the inspirational imagery I could ever wish for, all conveniently in one place. These cards add a touch of antique natural history, making the journal feel like a treasured collection of spring’s wonders.

Innovative Techniques and Delightful Details

Printing Directly onto Vintage Book Pages

This next technique holds a special place in my heart, as it harks back to the very first journals I ever created, often featuring bird imagery – a truly full-circle moment! When I was a newcomer to the world of journal making, I indulged in a Graphics Fairy Premium subscription, and let me tell you, their vast catalogue of images absolutely blew my mind. But I digress! To achieve the beautiful effect of printing directly onto vintage book pages, the method is deceptively simple: you just adhere a book page to a standard piece of copy paper using easily removable washi tape. This ensures the book page is stable enough to feed through your printer without damage. The Graphics Fairy boasts an abundance of “backgroundless” images, which are absolutely perfect for this technique, allowing the vintage text or music sheet to show through beautifully, creating a unique layered effect.

The Blue Tits Page: An Effortless Charm

For this charming page, I printed these adorable Blue Tits (yes, with a shrug emoji for certainty!) onto a plain vintage book page. I then layered a delicate lace pocket over the image, creating a sense of depth and texture. The birds appear to be nestled amongst foliage, resulting in a scene that is both incredibly pretty and wonderfully simple. We all need those effortless yet impactful ideas now and then, don’t we? These specific birdies, with their vibrant blue hues, can be found within the ‘Spring Has Sprung’ kit, making them an ideal choice for this seasonal journal.

Bird Egg Frame Pocket: A Touch of Intricacy

Speaking of delightful simplicity with a touch of intricacy, allow me to introduce my bird egg frame. Cute, isn’t it? The Premium site offers a truly lovely selection of bird egg imagery and antique book plates that provided the perfect foundation for this element. I began by printing this beautiful book plate image, then carefully die-cut a frame in its center. This frame was then backed with some plain vintage paper, ensuring I only applied glue to three edges to create a functional pocket. Before adhering these pieces together, I added an extra dose of prettiness by sewing a ruffled sari silk trim around the frame, giving it a soft, textural border. This detail elevates the page, inviting you to tuck in tiny notes or ephemera.

Seasonal ‘Chapter Tabs’: Guiding Through the Year

Circling back to the sheer joy and flexibility of the ring-bound method, I created these unique ‘Chapter Tabs’ – or seasonal dividers, as they could also be called. I simply had to incorporate the beautiful nest imagery in a special, recurring way. I crafted three tabs in total; while they were initially envisioned for the front cover, I ultimately loved the idea of them representing different seasons throughout the journal. Thus, we have one ‘Chapter Tab’ nest for Spring, one for Summer, and one for Autumn – arguably the most visually inspiring seasons, wouldn’t you agree? Each tab serves as a subtle guide through the journal’s unfolding narrative.

To create the lovely 3D effect for these tabs, I printed the first nest image onto vintage ledger paper, then printed the identical nest image onto plain copy paper. I then meticulously fussy-cut the second nest and adhered it with foam tape, giving it a delightful raised dimension. The reverse side of each tab features a beautiful blue end paper printable, adding a touch of coordinated elegance. I sincerely hope that this ‘Nesting’ journal has sparked some inspiration within you to embark on crafting your own delightful, spring-themed goodies and journals. Happy crafting, everyone!

Until next time, take care all!

Nesting Junk Journal Show & Tell Video Tour

Get a closer look at every detail and flip through the pages of this beautiful creation in the full video tour below:

Premium Membership Bundles Used by Danielle:

• Angels Among Us
• Blossom Lane
• Catharina Klein Birds
• Delicate End Papers
• Distressed Papers
• Easter Flora & Fauna
• Forget Me Not
• French Blue & Cream Ephemera
• Spring Has Sprung
• Vintage Postcards

Connect with Danielle:

You can find more of Danielle’s incredible work and connect with her here:

• Danielle’s YouTube Channel
• Danielle’s Etsy Shop
• Danielle’s Patreon

Thank You So Much for sharing your beautiful artistry, Danielle!

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