Making & Keeping Creative Journals (Hardcover)

by Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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

From Library Journal
The handwritten journal may seem like an anachronism in our computer-oriented age, but it is still the perfect medium for recording daily activities or indulging in creative expression. Imaginative crafters who want to create their own blank books will find projects here for 15 journals constructed from a variety of materials. A section of basic bookbinding techniques precedes the step-by-step projects for topical journals, such as a quilter's journal with a leather cover and graph-paper pages or the unusual girdle book that hangs from a waist belt. Public libraries will welcome this to their crafts collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579902146
• ISBN-13: 978-1579902148
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #771,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making & Keeping Creative Journals, October 10, 2001

By A Customer

This is a lovely and inspirational book for making interesting journals. I was pleased to see that the projects in this book were fresh--not the same old thing, revisited. The photographs and examples are so beautiful I found myself thinking, "I want to make this one and this one and this one..."

This is probably not the best book for beginning book makers. I would describe myself as an intermediate book maker with several years of experience in binding different types of books. In making the Gardener's Journal, I had some difficulty interpreting some of the illustrations and one of the templates is flat-out wrong; however, these problems did not prevent me from completing the Gardener's journal and the finished product is really beautiful.

Also, some of the bindings and materials suggested are tricky. For example, several journals include leather covers and the instructions seem to gloss over what type of leather to use, how to prepare it, etc. For the less commonly used book binding materials, such as embossed metallic foil and dollhouse nails, a list of suppliers would have been extremely helpful--even if I had to go online to access it.

On the plus side, this is a great book to get ideas on keeping different types of journals: bird watching journals, gardening journals, etc.

Another fresh idea this book provides is the viewpoint of both the journaler and the book maker. The journaler defines the purpose of the journal and the book maker creates a journal to meet that purpose. Very cool.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great - especially if you already know the basics, February 21, 2005

By	merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Making and Keeping Creative Journals (Paperback)

I've only been playing with book making for a little while....took one class at a rubber stamping show and really enjoyed it. I found this book shortly after that and having been using it, along with a few others to teach myself techniques. The pictures throughout the book are inspirational as well. The first chapters talk to things like the materials you'll use in book making (choosing papers, threads, tapes, adhesives) and how to actually do the book making (stitches, how the binding should look, etc). The nice thing here is that the author gives you leeway saying you could substitute this for that etc. Then the rest of the book is focused on creating specific types of journals/books: travel, introspection, confessions, dreams, poetry, grandmothers book, etc. Material lists are given as well as step by step instruction with both hand drawn pictures and photos of specific parts of the book like the binding. The only thing that I had a little trouble with was some of the terminology since it was new to me but as with other things, we pick that up as we learn. I think this is an excellent book for someone who has the basics under their belt or who has made a book to two before. For the beginner it's a book you can easily grow into, just need some patience. The results are well worth it.

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars pick a subject, any subject, May 24, 2005

By	Rev. Dr. Dave (Emeryville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making and Keeping Creative Journals (Paperback)

i write this as an experienced amateur book maker and keeper of a "creative" journal.

i think the author bit off more than she could chew. the book purports to tell you both how to keep a journal and how to make one of your own. the initial part about how to keep a journal is thin and insubstantial and focuses almost exclusively on writing [not a bad thing, but there are other ways to journal].

the two major sections of the book focus on basic book making and descriptions of collaborative projects between book artists and journal keepers. the book making instructions are incomplete and confusing, even for experience book makers. the diagrams are very confusing and poorly labled. the collaborative projects include some great books, but the idea that you can replicate these projects from the scant instructions provided is laughable. i wish there had been more photos of these books.

the text reads like an undergraduate term paper with too many exclamation points. the only redeeming features are the pictures of the collaborative projects. there are better books out there if you want to learn to keep or need inspiration for keeping a creative journal, or if you want to learn book making. this book does neither.