Cicero wrote that "A room without books is like a body without a soul." But what would happen if we took that a step farther, and added some extra 'soul' into a book? Well, my friends, a 'junk journal' would happen! Opening a junk journal is like wandering into a secret passageway, full of wonder and charming surprises... behind any turn of a page, you could find... tiny envelopes with wax seals, handwritten letters on antique parchment... hidden pockets filled with bookmarks... and pages and pages of intricately designed images with room to write in your thoughts, poems, memories, deepest wishes, and wildest dreams!
Creating one of these marvelous tomes adds a whole new dimension of beauty and wonder to the world. And I'm here to share that joyful craft with you. Each kit in my shop can be downloaded and printed out right away so you can create your very own junk journals and paper crafts.
I have an MFA in fine art, so I LOVE creating every little detail. In my junk journal kits, you'll find drawings, paintings, and collages that you won't see anywhere else. I do offer regular size kits in the price ranges people are used to, but most people only have 12-20 pages in their journal kits, and I'm often too inspired to stop at just 20 pages... When I get really into a theme, my MEGA journal kits are born. These usually include over a hundred pages of lovingly designed ingredients, with enough diversity in pages and ephemera for you to make many different junk journals.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY about my MEGA journal kits:
★★★★★
"First of all, this kit is gigantic! I love how the pdfs are individual files based on the content type (envelopes, end papers, decorations, journal pages, etc), it makes hunting for what I want to print easy since the files are such high quality (and big.) Now, the contents of this kit…oh my…unmatched compositions, down to the last page. So gorgeous and worth every penny! So many hours of pleasure ahead while creating with this kit!!!"
- Andrea (about the Dream Journal)
★★★★★
"This file is H-U-G-E, but absolutely worth it. I have't constructed the full journal yet, but I'm blown away by the quality of the images, the uniqueness, and the attention to detail. This diy project is like something out of some fabulous creative magazine . . . that unfortunately doesn't exist, (but if it did, it would be like if "Victoria Magazine," "Daphne's Journal," and "Fiddler's Green: Peculiar Parish Magazine" had a baby). Will definitely buy from this seller gain."
- Carolina (about the Nautical Journal)
★★★★★
"Thank you so much for making this kit! I love I was just looking at the kit I bought and I am flabbergasted at the quality of the items! There are so many great fussy cut images, envelopes and more! The marbleized end papers are so colorful! It's so amazing. My kids are all going to love their gifts this year. I have a lot of book readers in my family and there are pieces and parts from the kit that will be wonderful gifts."
- Michelle (about the Book Lovers Journal Kit)
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
ARE YOU WONDERING WHERE TO BEGIN?
If you'd like to start with a smaller project, try my journal furniture, which lays flat in a book, but has doors and drawers for displaying tiny ephemera. These can be used in journals, cards, and happy mail and are sure to elicit delight upon discovery. If you've never made a junk journal before, I have a step-by-step tutorial to walk you through the basics. If you're an ambitious sort, dive right into a mega junk journal kit! They come with instructions, so they're great for both beginners and experts. You can find all of this using the items menu at the top left of my Etsy shop.
HOW I GOT INTO JUNK JOURNALS
There used to be a beautiful mural in Brooklyn that said "Read More Books!" Every time we walked by it, my sweetheart would jokingly cover my eyes and say, "They don't mean you." When my love of books got out of control, and we started running out of space, I decided it was time to slow down and start designing my own books. I made my first art book in 2016 and was thrilled when it was accepted into the curated bookshop on the second floor of MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) in Manhattan. That gave me the encouragement I needed and I've been gleefully designing physical and digital books and ephemera ever since.
CONNECT
I started this shop during the pandemic so others can download and print out the junk journal supplies, book inserts, and vintage ephemera I design for my own projects. I'll be adding to it constantly and love special requests. Favorite this shop for updates, and join me in the joyful art of journal and book crafting @PegasusPaperCo on Instagram, FB, and Pinterest! Tag your finished projects #PegasusPaperCo to be considered for features and included in giveaways. As those of you on my mailing list know, I love giving away gifts! If you aren't on the list yet, you can join at pegasuspaperco.com. I'm always pleased to virtually meet all of you!
Now that we've been introduced, grab your scissors and come play with me. LET'S MAKE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL!