When Things Go Sideways: Making My Own Journal for the 100 Day Project

This year, I have been sketching in regular sketchbooks and while I loved the process, something in me was craving something different. Something a little messier. A little more me. I wanted a variety of papers, more of a mixed media feel.

I just wanted to create in something I had made with my own hands.

So I decided to try Coptic binding.

I gathered two old book covers, some random papers, watercolor paper, and got to work. This did not go as planned. 😄

My paper wasn’t quite the right quality, and my thread was too thin, which made it really hard to see the stitching as I worked. I was disappointed.

But here’s where the fun began.

Instead of scrapping the whole thing, I added fabric over the stitched spine to camouflage it, and tucked some embroidery scraps onto the front cover. Suddenly it had this wonderful, scrappy, one-of-a-kind charm that a perfect book never could have had.

And then… the accident.

I had set the journal down on my desk and tossed a piece of fabric over it while tidying up. What I didn’t notice was that one end of that fabric had landed in my watercolor water cup. Overnight, the water crept up through the fabric and seeped right into the front cover of my journal, leaving a water stain I simply cannot remove.

My first reaction? Ugh.

My second reaction? Oh wait… it looks like an old vintage book cover.

And now? I kind of love it. ❤️

It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it?

You start with a vision, things go sideways, and somewhere in the middle of the mess you find something better than what you planned. That little journal — with its camouflaged stitching, its embroidery scraps, and its accidental water stain — feels more like ME than any perfectly bound sketchbook ever could. 🎉

If you would like to see a quick video flip, check it out HERE on my Instagram.

Day 51:

Floral thumbnails with watercolor and pen.

Day 52:

Apple sketches for Day 52. I did the pencil sketches and the pages looked so plain I had to add some colorful ones, too. 🍎🍏

Days 53 & 54:

Hand lotion and toothbrush sketches with pen and watercolor. 🪥

Day 55:

Carrot sketches with pen, watercolor and colored pencils. 🥕

Day 56:

Lemons and limes in my new handmade sketchbook with pen, watercolor and colored pencils. 🍋‍🟩🍋

Day 57:

Botanicals in a glass jar with pen, watercolor and colored pencils. 🌿

Day 58:

Roots with pen, watercolor and colored pencils. 🌿

Day 59:

Quick sketch play with crayons, pencils, watercolor and markers with Nathalia Velásquez @puapualena via her Patreon live session.

Day 60:

Quick sketch play with crayons, pencils, watercolor and markers with Nathalia Velásquez @puapualena via her Patreon live session.

INSPIRATION AND TOOLS

📝 Nathalia Velásquez: Check out Nathalia’s Patreon for lots of sketching inspiration. During her live sessions, I have really enjoyed the timed sketching. It is challenging but fun to limit yourself to short sketching times. See her Youtube and Instagram for lots of inspiration.

Pens I Used:
Sailor Fude Fountain Pen 55 Degree Nib
Uni Pen 0.03 in a set
Uni Pen 0.2 in a set
Copic Multiliner .05 in a set

Curious to see what happens next?

I’m sharing all 100 days in one place. 👇🏻

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

The 100 Day Project Companion

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Notice, Reflect and Stay Connected

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