Handmade Journals
The first release of handmade journals in our shop is definitely the most intimidating for me. These have been on my heart for a couple years and were inspired by the book of Hosea, verses 16 and 21:
“Therefore, I will allure her now;
Hosea 2:16
I will lead her into the wilderness and speak persuasively to her.”
This verse became the inspiration for the first two journals that I have lovingly declared as the “winter collection”. There is something about this season that calls to my soul. Staying indoors with good books, hot tea or cinnamon honey coffee, a few cozy blankets, and my family, is where I find myself to be the most content. This is also the season when I seem to feel the most “allured” and called into a wilderness of sorts. In January, we are closing out the Christmas season and preparing for Lent. It is a wonderful time of reflection and year after year, the season when I have really found God speaking to me. Winter is where I feel myself being “reknit” after the chaos of December.
“I will betroth you to me forever:
Hosea 2: 21-22
I will betroth you to me with justice and with judgement,
with loyalty and compassion;
I will betroth you to me with fidelity,
and you shall know the Lord.”
Would there be any better way to come out of winter, out of Lent, and move into the Easter season than being “betrothed” to the Lord? What a love story.
The journals are 8.5 inches x 5.5 inches, have handmade paper covers, and 32 pages (counting each half of a full page, front to back). I did not make the cover paper, but sourced it from another creator and each cover has the most beautiful deckle edges that look hand torn. I then found a durable drawing paper (safe for both wet and dry media) for the inside and tore each page by hand to mimic the deckle edges of the covers. This paper is meant for writing, sketching, colored pencils, even some paints. I recommend a small paint test in the back page before painting, just to ensure no bleed-through. The designs are a combination of printing and hand stamping (both in black ink which adds an incredible contrast to the white paper) and each journal is stitched together with a waxed gun metal gray thread. The back of the journal includes a small stamp of our logo as well.
The beauty in these journals is the “aged” looked of the deckle edges, the contrasting colors, and the imperfections in the cover pages. Handmade paper is gorgeous and includes plenty of unique details like tiny little fibers. Sometimes it is hard to dive in to a new journal for fear of making mistakes but handmade journals are meant to be imperfect so don’t be afraid to make that first mark.
Prayer journaling has been the most impactful element of my faith journey. I am most comfortable with the written word and find that sharing my thoughts on paper, directly with God, allows me to dump out all my fears, hopes, and questions without over-analyzing. It also gives me the ability to go back and witness all the incredible ways that God continues to move through my life, either by answering prayers or telling me to just “be still”. (Psalm 46)
You can find these designs in our Etsy shop and more designs will be released as the inspiration flows. If you have a favorite verse that you’d love to see us create into a prayer journal, please send a message through our contact us page so that we can consider it for future designs.
All in His time, not mine.
Catina Marie
