Washi Tape Journal

I have a new love...and it is called Washi Tape.
Everyone crafty and not are using Washi Tape for anything and everything right now. I have seen some stunning art, amazing scrapbook pages, and even a Washi wall.

The only problem with Washi, is it can be stinkin' expensive. Like $5 a roll, expensive! Holy Cats! I can't afford that!

Lucky for me, last month I found a company called Downtown Tape, and I bought their tape for 1.99 per roll. Woot! Cheap Washi Tape! I only bought 8 rolls since I am 1) on a budget, and 2)  because I could have seriously bought the whole store!

Since, I have had 8 beautiful rolls just sitting on my desk, I decided it was time that I pick what I was gonna Washi first! (Hrmm, that kinda works well as a verb)

My next door neighbor had a birthday coming up, so I decided I would start small with a card. 

This is what I came up with:

Well, since I loved the card so much I decided I needed to make a journal. What for? I don't know, and I don't care as long as it is pretty! :)

I have many blank journal/sketchbooks at home.
(It may be a fetish, I will be sure to look into that)
So I grabbed a 8.5" by 6" kraft board-book sketch journal I picked up at Hobby Lobby a few months ago. 

Since it was a kraft color, I decided to paint the outside with a white paint wash. At this point I also realized that the band or holder on the journal was not going to work out, so I cut it off.

 

Then I used my Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Peacock Feathers and inked the edges of the pages to give it a neat look.

Then I grabbed 6 different Washi tapes and went to town sticking them at an angle on the book

After I was done sticking down the tape on the front and the back, I added a layer of Mod Podge to make sure everything sticks for good.

There was a ribbon holder in the book, and it was a yellow color that did not go with my theme, so I dyed that purple with some more distress stains.

Next, I took some plain and pre-colored flowers from my large stash recolored them, and glued those to the top of the journal. I then added some Hero Arts Pearls to the centers of the flowers to finish it all off.

Now I have a nifty journal to sketch all my new layouts in, or to keep track of all my new must try Pinterest projects, or to doodle in! ;) Oh who cares, it is pretty and that is all that matters to me!

Thanks for stopping!

Ash