I love handmade journals! Any shape, any size, any kind! I love creating them, using them and especially giving them as gifts. Two dear friends have birthdays this month and I wanted to create something extra special for them but was really short on time. I had two blank journals that I purchased several months back and knew with a few minutes of “creative time” they would be perfect for the birthday gifts.

I think they will love receiving the journals as much as I did creating them.

Materials:

• One each 4 ¾ x 6 ¾” black and brown leather look blank journals
• Spellbinders: Media MiXage™ MM1-001 Foil pack; Gilded Life™ GLSB-001 Small Heart Bezel; GLD-001 Heart Die & GLT-002 Vintage Damask, texture plate & small flat charm
• Spellbinders: M-Bossibilities™ embossing folders: E3DS-001; Mediterranean Medallion & E3DS-002 Royal Wings
• Spellbinders, Grand Calibur™ Machine
• 2 pieces 4 ¼ x 5 ½” chip board
• 8” each silver and gold metallic ribbon
• Beacon QuickGrip™ Adhesive
• Sanding block, scissors

Instructions for Black Journal:

Plain Black Journal

1. Place the black foil into the Mediterranean Medallion embossing folder.
2. Run the folder through the Grand Calibur™.
3. Open the folder, leaving the foil on the back part of the folder, sand the foil to achieve the look you desire.
4. Wrap the embossed foil around the piece of chipboard.
5. Attach the wrapped foil piece onto the front of the journal with QuickGrip™
6. adhesive.
7. Open the journal and attach the silver metallic ribbon to the inside of the spine with adhesive.

Embellished Black Journal

Instructions for Brown Journal:

Plain Brown Journal

1. Place the bronze foil into the Royal Wings embossing folder.
2. Run the folder through the Grand Calibur™.
3. Open the folder, leaving the foil on the back part of the folder, sand the foil to achieve the look you desire.
4. Wrap the embossed foil around the piece of chip board.
5. Attach the wrapped foil piece onto the front of the journal with QuickGrip™
6. adhesive.
7. Open the journal and attach the gold metallic ribbon to the inside of the spine
8. with adhesive.
9. Die cut the heart from a scrap of bronze foil. Save the scraps for future projects..
10. Emboss the heart & the scraps with the Vintage Damask texture plate. Sand the heart & scraps.
11. Assemble the heart bezel and attach to the front of the journal with the QuickGrip™ adhesive.

Embellished Brown Journal

We hope you are inspired to create your own handmade journals with metal.  Did you have a favorite?  Tell us which one you liked the best in the comments below…the black or the brown!