Making & Keeping Creative Journals

Many people find journaling a gratifying pursuit, a way to gain insight, refine observations, or express feelings. Although it really takes no more than a simple blank book to begin, how much more rewarding to the whole creative process to record one's innermost thoughts in a special book invented expressly for that purpose, perhaps geared to reflect a special interest or to chronicle a particular mental journey.

Suzanne Tourtillott's Making & Keeping Creative Journals is a stunning mentor for this process. With lovely photos, articulate text, and good directions, the volume actually functions on three levels: as an exploration of the art of journal keeping, a thorough introduction to basic bookbinding techniques, and a step-by-step guide documenting 15 extraordinary collaborations between book artists and journalers following a specific pursuit. The leather covers of the bird lover's journal, for instance, open into a bird shape, with a place to hold found feathers; the text block becomes a space for writing and drawing. The sculpture journal is an accordian-fold construction that can be closed like a traditional book or displayed as a sculptural object in its own right.

Other creations include journals on the themes of travel, dreams, relocation, and quilting. These highly personal statements are each a work of art, in a book that provides a wellspring of inspiration for experienced crafters seeking ways to stretch their imaginations. --Amy Handy