I just bound a new book using coptic stitch like my art journal, really like how it came out, especially the inside papers full of splatters. It’ll be my lifebook, you could say it’s like an art journal but I prefer to keep things separate. For me this lifebook will be about things I’ve done and things I want to do, art will take second place. But now you’re wondering why did I decided to make a lifebook?


When I saw Malavika’s post about having a lifebook I quickly became inspired to make my own. I thought about what to put on it, how to prepare the pages, I felt overwhelmed. But I realized, why I’m being so serious about it? Why do I’ve to try to make it perfect? So I decided to just do it and not think about anything else. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up and try to do everything perfectly and end up not doing nothing. It’s weird right? I’m so excited to do a project and make my best to do it perfectly. What usually happens? Sometimes wanting to make it so perfect I lose sight of everything and end up not wanting to complete the project. Is it just me or it happens to you too?

So what happens when I’m a broke college student and you need a new journal? You make one yourself! Actually it was one of summer goals but I wasn’t thinking in doing it since my classes start next Monday. In reality lots of these goals weren’t accomplished, most of them lack of money but I don’t have any problems with that. There are so many other things that I did this Summer and never planned that were equally awesome, so no regrets!
Anyway the reason I’m posting today is to show off my new journal. I love it! I painted the cover (actually thinking about doing a tutorial about it soon) and I can’t wait to start writing. I wanted a new journal because I want to challenge myself to write 30 days in a row. Will you be interested that every week I post how this challenge has been? Please let me know I think it’d be good to write it on my blog, it’ll give me more motivation to finish it!

Here’s me with it, the photograph is a little bit out of focus…

I’ve been wanting to bind a journal for quite some time, I’ve made plans and plans but I never had the opportunity to finish one, it’s always missing time or material. But I decided to give priority to this project and it’s now finished. I cut paper, bookboard and fabric. I covered the bookboard with fabric, punched the pages and everything was sewed with coptic stitch. Tenho andado para encadernar um caderno há já algum tempo, tenho feito planos e planos e nunca tenho tido oportunidade para acabar um, falta sempre algum material ou algum tempo. Mas decidi dar prioridade a este projecto e está acabado. Cortei folhas, cartão e tecido. O cartão foi coberto com tecido, as folhas furadas e tudo cosido depois com o ponto copta.

I already bound a journal before but it was not very good, this one is better, but it’s not perfect yet: Já tinha encadernado um caderno antes mas não tinha ficado nada de especial, embora este tenha alguns defeitos:

But I’m very happy with what I did I’m really proud of it and I’m already planning in doing another one soon. Ah and by the way, here’s a photo of the first journal I bound, it was made with draft paper, nothing special but at the time I was really happy with the result even thought it was far from perfect. Mas estou muito contente com aquilo que fiz Estou bastante orgulhosa e já estou a planear fazer outro brevemente. Ah e já agora fica aqui uma foto do primeiro caderno que fiz, feito com papel rascunho, nada de especial mas na altura fiquei felicíssima com o resultado embora imperfeito.