After months of traveling from one crafty friend to another, my Friendship Journal has finally made its way home—and it certainly didn’t come back empty!
What began as a journal made from a handful of ordinary paper bags returned wonderfully chunky, overflowing with ribbons and lace, and filled with things I had never seen before. Which, of course, was the whole point.
Each member of our team added her own signature before sending the journal along to its next destination. Now, for the first time, I get to explore everything they created and discover just how much friendship—and creative inspiration—can fit inside a paper bag journal.
It All Started with Some Paper Bags
When we began the Friendship Journals on a Journey project, I decided to make my journal from paper bags.
These weren’t fancy paper bags, either. They were smaller grocery bags from Braum’s that happened to be a great size. I had always wanted to try making a paper bag journal, so when I looked at those bags one day, I decided this was the perfect opportunity.
As I constructed the journal, I intentionally left plenty of room for it to expand. I knew each person would be adding her own signature, although I had no idea at the time just how important that extra space would become.
As the project continued, those signatures grew—and grew!
In some of the other journals, we could hardly squeeze in the final signatures. The last journal I worked on had become so full that the final three signatures had to travel home loose, each tied with ribbon to keep it together. Fortunately, its owner had already heard how quickly her journal was filling and started creating a companion journal cover before it even arrived home.
Somehow, my paper bag construction turned out to be ideal for this particular adventure. Each signature had the space it needed, and the journal simply expanded as more was added. I had planned for some growth, but I certainly didn’t realize when I made it just how well that construction would work!
There may be a lesson here for anyone planning a collaborative journal: Allow more room than you think you’ll need. Creative people can apparently fill any available space—and then some. 😂
Everyone Left a Little Piece of Herself Behind
When I sent my journal out, I asked each person to create her signature in a style she enjoyed. I also hoped they would include things that told me a little about themselves.
I am so glad I did.
As I went through the finished journal, I found family photographs, hometowns, state symbols, personal stories, meaningful places, and all kinds of little details that connected the pages to the person who made them.
That makes this so much more than a journal filled with pretty pages.
Each signature feels like I have a little piece of that friend tucked into my book. Because everyone creates differently, no two sections are alike. That may be one of my favorite things about a project like this.
Oh, That’s a Good Idea!
Of course, while I’m admiring everything my friends made, I’m also doing what all of us creative people do. I’m studying it!
There were so many moments during the reveal when I found myself thinking, “Oh, that’s a good idea!”
I discovered lace pockets, belly bands, corner tucks, tiny file folders, clusters of tags, fabric pull tabs, flip-outs, waterfalls, altered paper clips, stitched details, bits of burlap, vintage papers, and layers upon layers of wonderful texture.
Some of the ideas were wonderfully simple, too. Add a little piece of fabric to something that needs to be pulled from a pocket. Layer lace over burlap. Let a cluster extend beyond the edge of a page. Turn a small piece of paper into a tiny file folder.
None of those ideas has to be complicated to make a page more interesting.
That’s part of the fun of creating with other people. Someone else will almost always think of something you wouldn’t have thought of yourself. Then you see it and wonder why you never thought of it before!
Apparently, I Now Have a Creative Reference Book
As I worked my way through the journal, I realized this isn’t only going to be a treasured keepsake. It is also going to be one fabulous creative reference book.
There are so many ideas tucked into these pages that I know I’ll come back to it again and again. I’ll probably notice things I missed during this first look or rediscover a technique that sparks an idea for an entirely different project.
That happens to us all the time. We see something we created months ago and think, “Oh! I forgot I did that. That was a good idea!”
Maybe we should give ourselves a little more credit for all those good ideas we’ve had along the way.
Now I have an entire journal filled with ideas from several different creative minds. Everyone brought her own supplies, techniques, style, experiences, and way of looking at things.
I don’t think I could have planned a journal with this much variety if I tried. That’s exactly what makes it so interesting.
Just Think How Far These Journals Traveled
During the reveal, we started talking about how far these journals had actually traveled.
It isn’t as simple as measuring the distance from the person who started the journal to the person who eventually sent it home. Each journal followed the entire route from one team member to the next before finally returning to its owner.
That means these journals traveled thousands of miles!
I love thinking about my little paper bag journal making its way from one creative space to another. At each stop, someone opened it, added her own ideas and personality, packed it back up, and sent it along to the next friend.
After all those miles and all those creative hands, it finally came back to me.
Watch My Friendship Journal Reveal
If you would like to see all the wonderful details for yourself, come along with me as I open my completed Friendship Journal and see it all together for the first time.
We’re flipping through each signature, discovering hidden pockets and tucked-away treasures, and looking at all the clever ideas my friends added along the way.
What a Gift of Friendship
When you look at a finished project like this, it’s easy to see the beautiful papers, the lace, the tags, and all the fun little details.
But there is something else tucked into these pages, too.
Time.
Every person who worked in this journal gave me some of hers.
She sat down and thought about what she wanted to create. She chose papers and embellishments. She made pockets, tucked in tags, added personal details, and created something especially for me before sending my journal on its way.
That is what makes the finished journal such a treasure.
It is wonderfully chunky. Things stick out everywhere. Lace, ribbon, and fabric peek out from between the pages. Every signature is different from the one before it, yet somehow they all belong together.
In other words, it came home exactly as a Friendship Journal should.
Thank you to each of my Friendship Journals on a Journey teammates who added her creativity, personality, time, and friendship to these pages. I will treasure this journal—and I have a feeling I will be borrowing a few of your ideas, too!
Have you ever participated in a traveling or collaborative journal project? Or did you spot an idea in my journal that made you think, “Oh, I need to try that!” Leave me a comment and tell me what caught your eye. I would love to hear about it!
Keep the Adventure Going!
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Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures!
Kristie