Prairie Thistle: Handcrafted Wood Journals

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I have been BIZZY - this is my latest and favorite project - Handcrafted Journals with Wood Covers.

I grew up around wood working tools, my Dad being an avid woodworker. He specializes in making making furniture and cabinetry. I have always loved the smell of wood when it is being cut with a saw. That smell of warm wood - brings memories of childhood. My Dad has filled my mother's house with beautiful Highboys, China Cabinets, Dressers, Cedar Trunks, and occassional tables made from Cherry, Oak, Black Walnut, Red Cedar, and Ash.

One of my favorite things he has made for me is a simple cutting board that I use in the kitchen almost everyday. It's made of Black Walnut and Cherry in alternating strips.

I love to watch Dan make things out of wood and Martin, our in house cabinetry maker make the beautiful fixtures for my shoppe. I wanted to get in on the action and learn to use the tools myself. Why should the boys have all the fun!?

Black Walnut Artist Journal - SOLD

Look at the wood grain of this Black Walnut Journal - isn't it beautiful? I love journals, books, and sketching paper. My love of handicrafts make this project right up my alley.

I have learned how to use a planer - my favorite so far. I love the smell of the wood as it passes through the planer and I love to look at the wood as the rough cut is removed and the wood grain appears with each pass. It's a time consuming process, but so well worth the effort. Oh yeah, and my far the dirtiest as you get saw dust all over you.

Once the wood is planed to satisfaction, the wood boards are cut to size using a table saw. The table saw is the scariest of the wood working tools for me. Once the boards are trimmed to size, the miter saw is used to cut the board into the finished size pieces.

Then I use a router to finish the edges of each board. A sander is used to get the buttery finish and then a drill press is used to make the holes for the binding. Another sanding and then a finish coat is applied.

Oak Artist Journal - SOLD

The paper is cut to fit the journal and the wood journals are hand bound using the Ethiopian binding method. High quality, heavy weight sketching paper is the perfect weight for a field journal, photo album using photo corners, a sketch book, or a book for memoirs. The pages could be decoupaged, dried flowers could be added, etc. for a wonderful art book.

Each wooden journal is made according to the nature of the wood. Instead of cutting the wood to fit the pages, it's vice versa - cutting the paper to fit the wooden cover making each journal one of a kind.