My paper crafts and mail art often reflect the things that are attracting me. It's no surprise I'm really loving collage these days. I'm using the technique in almost everything. There's something about the layers. I can't quite figure it out, but I'm exploring it and playing with images.

The process I use is simple. I flip through various magazines, books and ephemera and just pull out images that attract me. I don't think about why they attract me too much at first. I just pull them out and scatter them on my work table. Then I step back and look for patterns. It's amazing what pops out.

Currently, I'm attracted to things that are mystical and romantic. I don't know why, but I'm willing to dig deeper. It's an adventure to let the unconscious be your guide.

Lately, I've been paying attention to things that draw me in and capture my heart. For the past two weeks I've been attracted to a series of videos featuring the paper crafts of a lady named Angie Bunner. She has no social media accounts of her own, but her creations are so beautiful many people share them on their own channels.

For days I could not figure out what it was about her crafts that were attracting me. Everything she did resonated with me. After watching videos over and over, I finally figured it out. Her style reminds me of the French brocante and how I have always loved the light and colors of Paris.

Me in Paris many moons ago. I love the blue and grey colors. Something about it reminds me of oysters. Photo Credit: P. Bright

This realization took me back to my time in France and Paris years ago. It reminded me of how much the French love of pleasure has inspired my life. I decided to take all this further and create my own "junk journal" and see where the process took me.

A junk journal is a hand made journal created with scraps of things you have around the house. Many people give their journals a vintage look by tea or coffee dying the papers. I like this look and experimented with it. First, I started by making a few paper tags. Then I quickly moved on to the journal, itself. It was like it had to be created. I didn't stop until it was done.

This journal took a while to make. I stayed up late for several nights working to complete it. I've included a flip through video of the final product below. I'm happy with the end result, but it was the process that was the most revealing to me. I had forgotten how much I loved France and the things I learned during my time there. Since the completion of the journal, I've been slowly incorporating these learnings back into my life. Starting with cooking and eating with pleasure.

I challenge you to be more mindful of the things that are drawing you in. Explore it. There may be more to it than meets the eye.

Outgoing: Mystical Romance

Creating With Intention: My First Junk Journal