Antiquaria Journal Club | Week Eighteen

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.

Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have

lighted the flame within us.”

Albert Schweitzer

Hey there Journal Gang! We’ve been reveling in the warming days and extra sunlight over this past week - have you? Spending more time outside has been so nice, and much needed. As we enter a new week, we’re appreciating the outlet of our journals more than ever. Journaling is an excellent way to process thoughts and emotions. In times of many changes and uncertainty, such as these, self-reflection and expression are vital to coping and adapting to new situations. 2020 is turning out to be an interesting year so far, indeed.

A core part of being a human is the depth, complexity and value of our relationships with one another. The human spirit needs to connect, and as social beings, we require that to thrive! In times of hardship and uncertainty, our friends, families and connection with society as a whole can build us up, give us strength and help us navigate through uncharted territory. That’s why this week, we want to spend some time reflecting on what we love most about the people we love most.

Who are your friends and family? What traits do they have that you admire, respect and adore? Why? What does family mean to you? Even though we may not be able to gather physically in these times, we can still nurture those connections through appreciation and hey, maybe even some good old fashioned snail mail! What better way to brighten someone’s day and let them know you’re thinking of them from afar, than with a sweet sentiment popping up in their mailbox? Compassion and emotional support contribute to a sense of well-being and provide strength on even the most difficult of days.

So write all about it, send some snail mail, shoot a quick text, call those you love - and tell them why they are awesome! We’re wishing you all the health and happiness.

All the very best and Happy Journaling,
xoxo
The Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Week Ten

“Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight.”

John Ruskin

Hey there Journal Gang! This week we’re shaking things up a bit with a different take on the prompt; a ‘blue’ perspective!
It’s tempting to feel intimidated by something a little more open-ended, but don’t worry! That’s part of what makes this week’s prompt extra magical - you interpret it in absolutely ANY way that feels right to you in the moment.

As fellow humans we largely understand the world around us through our visual comprehension. Colors deeply resonate with us on an emotional level and each hue is associated with a number of traits. Red. Yellow. Green. Blue. You probably envision certain moods and scenes by just reading the words! We tie colors to our feelings and see them in our dreams.

This week we’re giving blue some love, and redefining what it means to have the blues!
Blue, in all its forms, is a complex, enduring and beloved color. Sensitive, serine, strong and soothing; from pale and dreamy to steadfast and deep - its beauty is undeniable. It’s experienced on many levels and in many ways. It also happens to be Pantone’s color of the year for 2020 - ’Classic Blue’!


There are endless angles from which to approach a color theme. Let’s think about some of them! Through the lens of:

via unsplash

Emotions
How do various shade of blue make you feel? What personal associations do you have with this lovely range of color? Do you like to write poetry? You could go that route with your color theme week!

via unsplash

Thoughts
Feeling more reflective? Researching color psychology is fascinating. Not only can it give you personal insight, but it’s enlightening and very helpful with many types of creative work, including art and design! Win-win.



Inspiration
Cards, calligraphy, paints, ink, paper, fashion, textiles, interior design, jewelry, art…Try collaging or illustrating your very favorite blues from whatever inspires you most!

via unsplash

Nature
Nature’s beauty knows no bounds. Seriously. Skies, seas, gems and minerals flowers, berries, flora and fauna. Did you know blue is actually one of the rarest colors found in nature? And it still seems to be all around us!
Are you excited to get started? Which shade of blue inspires you most, and why? We can’t wait for all the dreamy hues this week!







All the very best, and Happy Journaling!


xoxo,
The Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | The Blank Page, Vol. 3

Hey Journal Club friends! It's Friday, and this esteemed day of the week is about to get even better..with a NEW Volume of The Blank Page! Today we'll be featuring Antiquaria Journal Club member Kim Lamberth. Her journal is really lovely, and it was a treat to read her responses. Always so insightful to see how other artists engage in a creative process. We know you're going to love her work too! So without further ado, let's dive into Kim's journaling experience!

Kim Lamberth

Journal

Stillman & Birn,  Zeta Series 7.5"x7.5"

Journaling Type

Art

Toolkit

Watercolor, pens, ink, parallel pens, brush pens, Inktense watercolor pencils, folded pen

What is your primary goal in keeping a journal?

I started art journaling a couple of years ago as a way to document my days and as a tangible way to practice sketching, watercolor and calligraphy/lettering.  I fell in love with the process of journaling and even though I am not always consistent day to day, I seem to come back to it when I need an outline for my creativity. We all have a story that is worth documenting, even if it's just for ourselves. 

How do you approach the blank page?

I almost always start by putting the date on the page. It's my way of getting past the "blank page" and overcoming the initial fear. While I rarely have a plan, I follow the path that the page seems to take on it's own. It seems to be the best way for me to capture what a particular day really feels like. The feel of the page is as important as the visual picture.

Do you use a certain paper or page style? What do you like about it? 

I typically use either Watercolor paper or Mixed Media paper. The square journal that I am using now is the first in the Zeta Series by Stillman & Birn that I have used. It has a smooth extra heavyweight paper that holds watercolor well without buckling.  It has been a change from the Beta Series that I have been using which has a little more tooth to the paper. I'm still learning how to get the most out of it, but so far I like it. It's easier on the fineliner pens and I love the square format.

What is your favorite journaling tool and why?

I love the Molowtow Blackliner pens because the tips hold up really well. But my #1 go to tool is always watercolor.  I have a small, travel sized empty case and half pans that I filled them with my own color palette. Earth tones are definitely my colors of choice, but I also like to pull pinks in to the mix, as well as anything sparkly! I travel a lot for my job and watercolors and pens go with me everywhere. Portability is important to me.

What drew you to the type of journal you chose to keep? (art, bullet, reflective, etc)

Art journaling gives me the opportunity to capture the colors in my world on paper and really bring them to life.  I love color in art, even though I tend to use it selectively. I like to play with monochromatic themes as well as other combinations.  Using complementary colors with a splash of a contrasting color makes the page pop, in my eyes.

Do you prefer to write at a particular time of day or place? Why?

Typically the evening are my art time. I wish I could create early in the morning before heading out the door, but I tend to be more of a night owl.

What do you love about journaling? 

Documenting my story is really what I love about it the most. Going back through past pages brings that particular event or day back to life for me. 

Do you consider journaling therapeutic? If so, why?

Yes! Journaling has a calming effect on me.  When I am having a creative block, journaling gives me the opportunity to go back to what I know or even to try something new.  It is truly risk-free because no one else has to see it, but because there is no stress behind creating it, usually the page turns out to be sharable. 

What is the most challenging aspect of journaling for you?

Writing my own words in my journal has been a long process for me. When I first started, I mainly sketched and painted, but I have grown more accustomed to putting my thoughts and feelings down on the page.

How has the way you’ve journaled changed over time? (If you’ve seen a progression so far)  In the beginning, my journals were filled with quotes or simple sketches. Now I tend to pull something that was meaningful out of the day/event and include it.  I love plants and flowers, so things found in nature will always be included.



How has journaling benefitted you?
My day is always better when I am making something and journaling has been a good way to do so. The Journal Club prompts have given me new ways to look journaling and I have loved following along with the prompts. 

Changing the world, one journal entry at a a time. 

We want to extend a warm thank you to Kim for being a featured member in our interview series! We look forward to what the future brings and can't wait to see what else you all create!



Happy Journaling!
xoxo,

The Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Week Eight

“Our intention creates our reality.”

Wayne Dyer

It's official, friends: A brand new year and the dawn of a whole new decade is upon us! We've had a wonderful week reflecting on all the bright, sparkling moments of 2019 and we hope you have too! It’s amazing how much goodness can happen in just ONE short year, right? To see all of our very favorite memories coalescing in our notebooks summons all of the positive emotions from those events. So sweet. What were your top highlights over the past 12 months? We can’t wait to see them!

Our prompt last week was setting the stage in our hearts and minds for this week’s prompt and subject: Intentions. Fresh from reflecting with gratitude on our past year’s experiences, it’s the perfect time to recenter and create an internal space for your intentions for this year. So, what are intentions exactly?

We’ve all heard of New Year’s resolutions, and most of us have personal experience with them! Defining your intentions is very much along similar lines. A resolution tends to be a more singular and broad statement, which is all good, unless it feels too daunting! Maybe you want to do something, but aren’t exactly sure how to get there. Intentions have a sense of versatility and layers. They too can be solid and concrete, but living intentionally can be translated and scaled in many ways. Essentially, intentions can act as larger resolutions, as small stepping stones to reach your big goals - or both! Pretty cool, right??

For example, you could set an intention for your week, day, or even how you’d like an hour long meeting to go. On a larger scale, it could be envisioning what you want your life to look like over the next year and beyond. Defining these for the year can help you assess how to break it down into smaller ways to fulfill your goals!

Maybe you’d love to start your own business, or travel to a country you’ve always wanted to visit (like Spain!), or start a family. Maybe you want to attain a habit of mindfulness, focus on your internal world and spiritual health, organize your living space, or perhaps your focus is living with intention financially and saving money. So, whether your goals and intentions relate to tangible or abstract subjects, just the act of setting the goals and intentions (writing them in your journal!) takes you another step closer to making your dream come alive!

So, this year, we hope you get to go to that country, start that business, meet new friends, try that new hobby (or finish a current project! Guilty as charged, here!), find peace or anything else you have your heart set on. We believe in you!! We’re excited to spend some time creating that new reality, starting with our journal pages.



All the best, and until next time, Happy Journaling!!

xoxo
The Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Week Two

It’s officially WEEK TWO of Journal Club! Yay!

We hope you had a stellar experience getting into the swing of things with last week’s prompt!! Seeing everyone's page spreads has been so exciting and inspiring! Taking the time to reflect upon the highlights of our daily lives over the past week has really reinforced all of the wonderful things about even the most average of days - and the fact that there are SO many things to be grateful for. Seriously, when we think about it, the list goes on and on!

As we enter this week of bountiful Thanksgiving celebrations here in the US, we’d like to take some time to further reflect upon those things large and small that we’re most thankful for! From gorgeous sunsets (there have been so many here lately!) to having a loving, supportive family, and everything in-between.

Perhaps some of your highlights from the past week can act as inspiration and serve as a reminder of what’s most important in your life. Holidays can be super hectic and busy, so we invite you to (in between servings of pumpkin pie!) allow yourself some moments to reflect and simply soak it all in.

We are so looking forward to continuing the journey with all of you! This has been such a great experience so far, and we are GRATEFUL for the community of journaling enthusiasts and everyone that supports us along the way in this life - there’s another thing for the list! Wishing everyone a wonderful week of rest, time with family, friends, feasting and journaling!

Happy Journaling, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

xo

Emma, Bailey and the Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Week One Team Update

Week One is well underway and we hope that you're enjoying the process so far. I know that we sure are! It's been fun to see what everyone in our studio is working on...as well as what Y'ALL are working on!

Before we get to our team member's plans, we wanted to share a couple more helpful tips that have come up this week in the process of diving into our journals...

➺What do you do with the first page??

Usually....SKIP IT! Why? Because journaling is a process and you never know exactly what the journal will end up being. Will it encompass one week or one year? Will it include plans or just thoughts?

If you don't know, then there isn't harm in moving to another page to begin. It can also be fun to skip around - there is NO rule that it has to go in page order!

The first page could end up being a table of contents, a manifesto a summary...or anything else you want! So just skip it right now and we'll circle back!!

➺I want to improve my layout (something is just not quite right) but have trouble seeing where I need to fill in.

The easiest way to "see" your work for design evaluation is to take a photo of it. Luckily, these days taking and viewing a photo is a 2 second process on our phones! Maybe this little trick will be JUST the ticket to helping you finish your page off so you can move onto next week's with confidence.

BTW, this trick works for calligraphy or design as well ;)

Bailey's Plan:

Journal - Midori Traveler's Notebook (watercolor insert)
Journaling Type - Art Journal
Toolkit - Watercolor palette, Calligraphy Pen & Ink, Micron (.01), Stickers, Washi tapes, Rubber Stamps
How it's going - "So far so good! Once I got past making a mark on my page, everything started coming together. I am really liking the way that it's turning out so far! It's kinda addictive and I'm so excited to finish this spread and make more!"

Emma's Plan:

Journal - Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Journaling Type - Art Journaling
Toolkit - Paint and Pencil
How it's going - "I'm still staring down the blank page..."

Sarah's Plan:

Journal - Midori Travel Notebook (watercolor paper and dot grid inserts)

Journaling Type - Art Journal - Primary, Bullet Tracker - Secondary
Toolkit - Collage (printed and painted media), Stickers, Washi tape, LePens, Acrylic Paint, Pencil
How it’s going - "I’ve really enjoyed infusing different elements together to start creating a personality for my first spreads. I’m learning what works best as I go and am find that journaling is a wonderful opportunity to take a few minutes to channel some creative energy. It’s so fun to see the page coming together." 

Grace's Plan:

Journal - Visual Journal by Strathmore

Journaling Type - Art Journal

Toolkit - Charcoal (vine, compressed, pencil), Dot paper, Washi, Le pens, Stickers

How it’s going - "It’s going better than expected! I’ve always struggled with the blank page, but I feel like having prompts and something to help get me started is making it easier. It has been awesome getting back into using charcoal and I’m excited to start using other mediums I’m not familiar with. There is no pressure which I think is the best part!"

Katie's Plan:

Journal - Paper Source Brand blank journal

Journaling Type - Art/reflective journaling style

Toolkit - Le pen, fountain pen, pencil, acrylic paint, washi tape

How it's going - "It's exciting to start, hard to know if it will stay looking this way or transition into something totally new! I've been craving more of an artistic outlet lately so I'm excited to use this as motivational and reflective time to help bring that into my every day life even if it's just a few moments a day."

We are so excited to continue on with our journaling and we hope this week has gone well for all of you! Please tag us if you share your creations, @antiquariadesign #antiquariajournalclub 

See you Monday with next week's prompt!

Happy Journaling,

Emma, Bailey and the Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Week One!

Are you READY!? WE SURE ARE!

It's WEEK ONE (yay!) and this week our prompt focuses on recording the BEST part of your day. Days seem to fly by SO fast (ahem, where has 2019 gone?) that we wanted to start by recognizing the good in the every day however large or small.

This could be your first cup of coffee in the morning, the way the sunrise looked or a job promotion. It could be written or drawn or painted. It could be expressed with poetry or jotted down in a planner. It's up to you!

Don't worry if you're short on time this week (or every week for that matter), these prompts really do lend themselves to simple answers by design. But if you have the time or desire, they can easily be expanded upon as well.

It's week one and we know that starting is definitely the hardest part...making that first mark, word or plan can seem overwhelming. We're all here to support one another and enjoy the process!

We're looking forward to creating with you all! We will be back later this week sharing our team's journal plans with you and an update on how it's going for us so far this week. It will be so fun to see everyone's different ideas and interpretations in their journals! 

Happy Journaling!

xo
Emma, Bailey and the Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Before We Dive In...

We don't know about you, but we've had a pretty darn fun week planning and dreaming about our new journal! Maybe you're all set for Monday and raring to go - or - maybe you're still getting your ducks in a row. In either case, we're SO EXCITED that you've decided to join us!

Before Monday rolls around and we kick everything off officially, we wanted to pop in with one last little post about the intentions of the club and some advice about beginning this project...

The Antiquaria Journal Club is meant to help facilitate your journaling journey. There is no right or wrong here. It's all about the PROCESS, not the product. It is not a competition.

We hope to help make journaling a part of your everyday in order to reap the many benefits that it provides. And in the process we hope that you find inspiration and friends near and far.

Our plan is to post a short prompt each Monday morning. This prompt will usually be very simple so that if you only have 5 minutes per day/week to meditate on it, you can still achieve the practice (we know how life goes). The prompts can also be expanded upon and each week we will give you some additional points to tackle if you so choose.

The prompts are just a jumping off point. If you feel inspired to write or record any additional information in the process - that's WONDERFUL! Maybe one week's prompt will speak to you so much that you'll decide to incorporate it into your daily journaling in an ongoing way. That would be VERY COOL.

We plan to share our own journals as well as our thoughts, trials and tribulations with you along the way. And we would LOVE it if you'd share yours with us too so that we can all learn from each other. You just never know when your exact dilemma will help another person push through theirs.

That being said, it is not a requirement to share anything and we hope to inspire you however you decide to follow along. 😀

We're also hoping to have Journal Club meet up's locally in our downtown Littleton, CO shop. So if you're local - please keep an eye out for that!

A FEW LAST TIPS/ADVICE

➤There are no mistakes.

We know that this is a REALLY HARD one to overcome. Fear of making a mark we don't like inside something as permanent as a notebook can deter many people from ever starting.

What's the solution? Easy! Collage something over it! Or - if you are truly paralyzed by the blankness, start writing your thoughts on loose paper. This can very easily be pasted into a notebook and arranged just how you like it after the fact! Just add a little Washi or stickers and you've got yourself a journal spread!

➤You don't think your handwriting is up to snuff.

This is a super common thought - but we're here to tell you that IT DOESN'T MATTER!

What's the solution? There are a few things that can help you overcome this.
1. Practice your handwriting (if this is something that you'd really like to improve). Hey - the prompts could easily become your penmanship practice! Win-WIN!
2. Type out your thoughts and paste them into your journal. As above, doing some of your writing on other paper (typed, written on loose paper) can be a great option for those who are unsure or lack confidence in their penmanship.
3. Don't sweat it! This is the easiest...Just don't worry about it. Your handwriting is uniquely YOURS and is your own personal mark. Don't be ashamed of this. Roll with it!

➤Be flexible.

Sometimes we have an idea in our mind of what we want to achieve but the result isn't exactly what we expected.

What's the solution?  Be generous with yourself and find the areas where you'd like to grow or change. Maybe you find that what you've chosen is too much of a commitment for your current season of life. That's OKAY! Realize this, regroup and make a new plan instead of simply giving up.

Maybe you find that the notebook you selected isn't ultimately compatible with your tools. Despite that this feels like a huge bummer right out of the gate, try using papers that DO work and pasting into your notebook. Or - get one that works better and use the other for a different purpose.

➤Focus on the process

A final product can be very motivating but the process is what this journey is about. If we only worry about how things are looking or how many pages are "done" then we're missing the point.

What's the solution? Use this journaling project as a way to connect with yourself and your own unique interests and perspective. What's happening in your day to day life. Journaling has a way of grounding us and helping us to process our experience. Lean into THAT. It truly doesn't matter if you get one page done a month or 12. What does matter is that you're enjoying the process and most of all, having fun.

What other journaling hang-ups have stopped you from doing it in the past? We'd love to know!

Well folks...That's it! We're ready to go and STOKED for next week!! Are you?

Til Monday,
xo
Emma, Bailey and the Antiquaria Team

Antiquaria Journal Club | Choosing the PERFECT Notebook

Why give so much thought to the tools and style of journal that you'd like to incorporate first? Well...because PAPER IS FICKLE and OPTIONS ARE VAST. 

In our years of being in the paper industry, we know that some papers are great for writing with ball points and some are great for fountain pens but not watercolors. Some are good for watercolor but not for nibs. Some you can see through and some are totally opaque.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg - there are also a ton of sizes to choose from. Tiny ones that fit in a pocket...all the way up to large format journals larger than your head!

Plus, depending on the style of journal you'd like to make, it can definitely matter what type of notebook you select. Picking a graph paper notebook can make bullet journaling SO MUCH easier. And picking a watercolor paper notebook can really help make using mixed media WAY LESS of a headache.

Does this mean that you can't use that notebook you have laying around. HECK NO! Use what you've got and make it work (more tips on this tomorrow) but if you're able or have the desire to purchase a new one, it's worth considering your tools and journaling style before you decide. Make sure that the tools that you use will work with the paper and that they general way that you want to set it up is supported by what's printed on the paper (ie, blank vs. graph vs. lined).

OUR FAVORITE NOTEBOOKS

➤For Bullet Journaling
Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal

➤For Ballpoint Pens & Collage
Antiquaria Jotter Supreme

➤For Calligraphy (Dip Pen & Ink)
Calligraphy Practice Journal (seriously the BEST paper)

➤For Fountain Pen Lovers
Tomoe River Notebooks

➤For Collage and Mixed Media
Strathmore Visual Art Journals
(It's nice to have a spiral bound book if you plan to do a lot of "pasting in" the notebook. That way, it expands and doesn't warp as much)

➤For Reflective Journaling
Rhodia Webnotebook

➤For Large Format Journaling
(ie you prefer writing or working large and need lots of space on the page)
Life Noblenotes A4

➤For Journal Diversity (incorporating many different paper styles)
Travelers Notebook and Inserts

The notebook (or planner for that matter) that you choose to use is as individual as you are. The ones above are just a FEW suggestions in the endless variety to choose from. We can't wait to see what you choose to use for your upcoming journaling journey!

Well folks, that's it! All of the magic ingredients needed in order to set off on the right foot. We're SUPER excited about starting off next week with our first prompt and getting to share the experience with all of you. Tomorrow we will be back with a few more thoughts before the real fun begins. But until then, we're dying to know...

Exactly what notebook will YOU be using??

xo
Emma, Bailey and the Antiquaria team

SPOTTED: Antiquaria on Styling Paper like a Pro

A couple of months ago, we were having coffee with Camille and started chatting about the art of styling a good paper photo. She asked us to share our advice with her readers and of course we were delighted to. We've learned a lot about styling and photography over the past couple of years mostly from trial and error, studying other people's styling that we love and by working closely with photographer Kelly Lynn James (who has patiently taught us invaluable photography tips).

Today we are sharing what we've learned over at the Camille Styles Blog. Check out the full post here.

photo by Antiquaria

SPOTTED: Abigail + Tim's Art Nouveau Invitation

We are thrilled to share a recent Bespoke project over at Oh So Beautiful Paper today. 

This invitation project was so much fun to create and Abi couldn't have been lovelier to work with.

Check out more photos and details here.

Invitation design by Antiquaria.

©antiquaria 2012

Calligraphy Tutorial | the Capital Letter "N"

Hi there folks! We're back this week with the capital letter "N." We'll be able to keep this one short and sweet since it's so closely related to last week's tutorial for "M." When considering your letter selections in a body of text, you'll want to make sure that your N shape relates to the M that you choose, this way there will be cohesion in your work. So if you have a flourish like in option #1, you use it on the "M" too (like option #1 from the M exemplar last week). Make sense?

We love seeing what you're up to! Tag your practice with #letterschool to show us your progress. And as always…let us know if you have any questions!

Peace, Love and Letters,
Emma & Bailey