Preparing traditional process for the new year~

The journal I have now that I'm writing in every morning is almost to it's last page.  I figure it will last me till December 31st and I'm prepared with this journal to being the new year with.  Nothing special it's more about the number of signatures and using up scrap collage papers. 

 I recently cut the thick book board and coated both side with polymer medium, that's why you see the deli paper between them so they don't stick.  The holes are drilled too.  

I use the business paper or if the parchment paper comes in big boxes of 500 and it on sale I'll buy it. I think it's 24 lb. paper and sometimes I go thicker with the 32 lbs. but rarely. Too hard to poke through all the pages to create the holes to stitch together. 

Signatures are folded, the paper I purchase can be folded in half and I make the journal covers 6 x 9 inch. Which works great for the size paper.  No cutting of the paper to fit...though I've done that but more time consuming.  Cradle board for lining up the signatures and poking the holes in the same place each time. No Crocked stitches...LOL

 This is a homemade cradle used to house the signature to have the proper holes poked.  Found a "how to"  some where on line and follow the instruction and there you go~

This is the journal I'm writing in now and I'm on the last signature...was getting a bit panicking... that I didn't have one so that's why I spent the Yesterday making the one you see here the top.

This one has 12 signatures and that means I can write on both side of the paper...120 sheet of paper x 2 =240 pages ready for the pen ink to hit the surface. I think it really means 480 pages to writing on...Put away my Christmas tree yesterday too and when I was up in the attic I saw the boxes of journals I've been stashing...Big fire soon some day...Because only God and I know what is written, my hand writing is so not legible that it looks like a doctor or a different language was written.  Funny thing I've been doing this writing-"Morning Pages since 1998...Julia's book-The Artist Way  was out for about 6 years already and she had a big group in Chicago meeting.....I was on a creative path from way back when....still not sure what this creative path is but so much as been learned and still more on the horizon to be learned...as Long as I'm alive I never want to go stale....

So I'm all over the place with the end of the year thinking and getting geared up for the new, traditional things we each find comforting...As I shared I do have goals but there not like, "in 3 mos...I do this and in 6 mos...I do that...but I seem to follow a cycle thing instead.  Staying open for what flexibility I need with a family and such.  No excuses...cause I do get things done and push the crap out of myself...but I would like to more gentler on myself that's why this year I did the Vision board and worked with it as a stabilizing,  guiding  and visual force. So I lead you all into my Workshop Plug....



The next few days I will be looking through my magazines I've collected for the Vision board I will be doing on New Years Day...I started this last year and Hope to do it again...then one week after this on Jan 7th I will be offering the Creative Vision Board Workshop at Mayslake Peabody Estate... so excited to bring this to you all there...the room is wide open, windows to let the light in  and beautiful with nature all around us..

I have small one signature journal made for everyone that will be attending the workshop.... Opportunity if needed to do some personal writing...I have a limit of 12 space and there is 4 left....would love to have you join us...

Vision Board Flyer..... Here