Matte who?

Art journaling was my passion just before diving into Bible journaling (or journaling in my Bible).  While learning about art journaling and all the sorts of mediums, I began using lots of matte decoupage and matte gel medium to glue and seal my projects and pages.  They are, both, wonderful products.  The gel is just more thick than the decoupage.

Well, I got to wondering....could I actually use decoupage as a sealer for my Bible pages.  So I took the risk and tried it on the very first page of scripture in the Bible, Genesis 1!  I applied a thin layer of my favorite matte decoupage, Aleen's, to the entire page and dried it with my heat gun.  When I do this, I always put a piece of parchment paper under the page to prevent the next page from gluing to the page I am sealing.  Then, I colored around the edges with some up & up watercolor gel crayons and Crayola Twistable Slick Sticks.  These work much like gelatos and are much more affordable.  They just aren't as high of a quality and don't come in the variety of colors.  This part of the process takes more experimentation and is just a matter of artist interpretation.  I really like the gold Slick Stick color because you can add just a couple scribbles of it and it will add a slight shimmer to the area where you "paint" it. 
After drying with the heat gun I added some number stickers from Mambi to label each of the days of the Creation.  The pages is still a little crumpled looking, but it will smooth out a little while the pages are closed and under the weight of the Bible itself.  It's a simple page, but I like it.   Trust your instincts and try something new!

Sticker Bible

People have been sticking things in their Bibles since they were first bound in books.  At least I would think so.  I have known some mothers who put pictures throughout the pages of their Bibles.  I have placed printed verses in their perspective places.  Of course, there are bookmarks and ribbons. 

But, what about stickers?  Why couldn't we plaster our Bibles with stickers?  My children and I decorated a, less than beautiful, Bible a couple of years ago.  This is our verse finder Bible.  I marked dozens upon dozens of verses throughout this Bible for quick reference when we needed a little help with discipline or emotional needs or parenting or whatever life brings.  Some would gasp if they saw this Bible, but we love it.  We use it often and it sits out on the shelf for ready use.  It's not our every day reading or carry to church Bible.  We have plenty of those for each of the six members of the family.  At last count, we had at least 26 Bibles in our home.  That doesn't count the e-Bibles on our phones or tablets.

When a piece of scripture moves me; my first inclination is to write or make something to explain that thought or emotion.  Sometimes that involves paint or pens, but it may also include some premade craft items like stickers.  If it helps me to explain what I am feeling or sensing from the Holy Spirit, then I am all for it.  God created us.  He's in the business of creating things.

I like alphabet stickers, journaling stickers and premade faith stickers.  I am still experimenting with the print labels.  My printer is new and my learning curve is enormous.  Clear labels are great because you can still see through if the label happens to cover the print in your Bible.   Avery makes several different sizes and shapes of clear labels.  I have picked up some awesome faith stickers at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.  You can find something in most craft stores.  Create something beautiful in your Bible today.