How to bind loose journal pages ?

by kari
(victoria, bc canada)

loose pages of art journal

loose pages of art journal

Mixed Media Art Questions for Milliande

Hello Milliande and friends,
Over the years i have journalled in spiral bound notebooks - pages 6"x 9" / 15 x 23mm. In effort to assemble them in date order, i have torn them from the spirals & they are now assembled. i have had to trim some of the paper bits from the edges. i am now trying to figure out how to bind them...

I was told by a local printing shop that if they re-coiled them, that they would have to trim them down even more, which doesn't sit well with me as my stories / art often goes right to the edge.

I hope that some of the wise women in our group would lend some of their insight with me.

Perhaps i will have to sandwich the pages between two pieces of card stock and simply tie it all in a knot?
i will try to attach a photo..
With love and gratitude,
kari

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Mixed Media Art Questions answered by Milliande

Hi Kari

~ an interesting dilemma, by the looks of it your art journal pages are fairly thin so could be quite fragile when trying to rebind or restitch ..

~ there are various coil binders on the market that would be able to recoil them ..including the " Bind it all" which is a art and craft binder..however that would not eliminate your problem of loosing some of the edges ..hmm

~ I would probably create a loose art journal cover with pockets and trim the pages so that the leftover punching does not show and maybe just cover sections of pages that belong together with bookbinders tape ( they come in colors like black, brown, red canvas type etc) ..that will only work for a few pages but might be an option

~ usually when making handbound art journals one creates types of signatures that are sewn or bound together...but those are folded to give a strong edge ... again you could fold the pages but would loose visibility of the text itself ...

~ I will pass this one around see whether anyone else has any clever ideas

hope this helps
...milliande
Mixed Media Artist

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How to bind loose journal pages ?

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Dec 21, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Rebinding old worn journals
by: Anonymous

I con't know how old this post is, this may or may not be helpful..
to rebind a journal where you do not want to lose more of the actual page, find an acid free clear tape... tape straight down the holes with a couple of layers of tape and re-punch in the same area. I have done this for years with other items in notebooks & ring binders... it works well and does not require giving up the width of what is already in the journal/book...
Apr 11, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Let your journal love you back
by: Ceri

Kari's dilemma of a journal falling apart is an interesting one. It shows she's engaging with her own material. It's really important when a book falls apart by being 'loved.'The book should be valued but not just by being tidied up. Sometimes art does its own thing and we have to follow where it might lead. Ask the book what it wants/ needs. You might be surprised with an answer. Don't forget the fantastic technology around us. Parts could be duplicated, woven together, made bigger or smaller and enjoyed all over again. It is very special to give proper value to what we make. That's why this site is so facinating.
Mar 29, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		loose journal pages
by: Brigitte

i am new to art journaling. but was wondering if you could bind your pages at the top. i know it has been suggested already. but the page protectors maybe the way to go. have you been to ingrid dijkers blog she uses 3 ring binders a lot.
http://ingriddijkers.blogspot.com/2010/02/completed-journal.html
she really does beautiful work.
good luck
Mar 24, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Debbie & Kristen
by: kari

Sorry for spelling your name wrong, Kristen - asleep at the wheel...!
Debbie, i appreciate your suggestion too, however there is writing / artwork on each side of the paper. i like the idea of the ribbon work & art work on the card.
Debbie, your last name sounds familiar. Maybe you have family i've met?
i've been too busy with my job and activities (family etc.) after work so i haven't yet met with the shot who will hopefully be re-spiraling it for me. I intent to pick up some transparent bookbinding tape and bring it to the shop and see what they have to say!
I will have the opportunity to make a front cover and back cover for my journal so i am looking forward to that!
Thank you all so much!
Blessings,
~kari in Victoria, BC Canada
Mar 23, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		rebinding?
by: Debbie Kerkhof

Maybe you could try gluing them to card?...one page each side...then you could maybe paint a border on the card around your pages. Then you could eithar have them rebound or punch and thread ribbon or leather thru. You could make a feature of the rebinding? or... find a book that is a little bigger than your pages and paste them into it?
Mar 23, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		to Kirsten
by: Anonymous

Thank you Kirsten for your suggestion. My pages are smaller than the regular acetate covers, so i'd have to cut them all - & they would be too small for a 3 ring binder. Thank you though, Kirsten.
~kari
Mar 22, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Binding loose journal pages
by: Kristen

I wonder if you couldn't just put each page into a clear page protector and put them into a three ring binder? I often do this with magazine articles that I tear out of magazines. It would not only save all of your pages, but would also protect them from being ripped or soiled.
Mar 22, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		tape for loose pages
by: kari

Thank you, Milliande. This week i will make my way through the shops to find a clear tape that works - before i apply it though, i will check in at the couple of shops who do the re-coiling to make sure they won't decline it.
Thank you Milliande, have a great day!
With gratitude,
kari
Mar 22, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Clear Tape
by: milliande

Here in the UK we have something called " magic tape" it is not a bookbinding tape per se ...but might help to strengthened the spine area of the pages a little so you may be able to hole punch them ...

Magic Tape ( or invisible scotch tape) is see through with a sort of milky appearance ... and usually available in stationery supply shops ...

not sure how that would work for you ...just brainstorming :-)

Mar 20, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		binding my loose journal pages
by: kari

Thank you for taking time to help me with your suggestion of trying clear binding tape.
i was actually pondering that also so i shall look into that. If not, i thought that i would ask the local shop (who will insert the spiral for me once i am ready) whether i could place a good quality clear sticky tape on the sides, facing each other of course.
I deeply appreciate your input. Thank you for your graciousness!
~kari
in Victoria, BC Canada
Mar 19, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		loose journal pages
by: Anonymous

Is there such a thing as a clear binding tape? That way you could see everything. Or, you could load your pages into the clear plastic photo covers that come with photo binders. They come in an 8x10 size possibly at a school supply too.
Mar 17, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Loose journal pages
by: kari

Thank you Milliande for taking the time to consider my dilemma! Yes, the pages are quite thin - these note books weren't really made for what i turned them into...!
i wouldn't mind at all if they just cut the holes for the spiral through my pages, but they told me that they would have to cut the "jagged" edges right off, & possibly a bit past. Personally, i am fine with having jagged edges.
Think i will ask at the shop whether i could use the book binding tape.
And i would love it if you shared my dilemma with others for their creative possible solutions.
Many, many thanks,
~kari
Victoria, BC Canada

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Artist Statement

I am intriqued by the notion of universal consciousness and choose to peek closely at the small particles that make up existence.

Human and living form cell biology, the interplay of microcosm and macrocosm, quantumphysics and the spiritual connection to the Self all nurture me with an endless stream of inspiration.

The female form and its nature of being, the beauty of motherhood, viewing the world in fragments rather than wholes and the palpable energy exchange and communication between them are central themes in my artwork.

I enjoy making the invisible visible and creating openended visual artworks that invite the viewer to explore deeper within their own layers of perception.

Contemporary Mixed media art techniques provide a rich playground for my artistic impulses and allow room for an individual approach to the multilayered facets of my artwork.