Bible Art Journaling - How to get started!!

Christy: (while chatting on the phone) I keep forgetting to tell you about Bible Art Journaling!
Allison: What's that?? Sounds interesting!!
Christy: People are doing art journaling right inside their Bibles. Google it.
Allison: (Googling) This is soooo cool!! This is so me!!
Christy: I thought you'd like it! And I thought we could do it together... you know the Bible and I know art!!

And that's how it began.

We (Christy Riopel and I) bought journaling Bibles from Amazon (ESV Journaling Bible published by Crossway) and did our very first pages together (above)... Proverbs 3:5... "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and do NOT lean on your own understanding." I can't begin to explain how many times this verse has helped me through my life.

(Prima Bloom Girl stamp designed by Jaime Dougherty who is also an avid Bible Art journaler!!!)

And I can't begin to explain how my heart is captivated by this new obsession!! Imagine... I can combine my faith with my art and recording my thoughts and life lessons all within the pages of one precious Bible!!! And I can even add photos!!!

It's like my entire heart all in one place!!!

And Bible Art Journaling is growing around the world!! Some call it "illustrated faith" or "documented faith" or "creating in faith" (google those!!) and they can't seem to keep the Journaling Bibles in stock!! I think it's because so many of us are finding ourselves driven back into our Bibles in a new and creative way with this!!

So tons of you are asking a TON of questions so I thought I'd answer a few here :)

Q&A about Bible Art Journaling

Q. What sort of Bible do you use for Bible Art Journaling?

Ideally you want a Bible that has "margins" down the side of each page (mine are 2") and slightly thicker pages. The translation is up to you. I bought an ESV Journaling Bible published by Crossway from Amazon. You can also order direct from Crossway or other online Christian book stores. Here is the one I use...

Q. What supplies do you need to get started?

Once you have your Bible, you can honestly begin with just a pencil!! Most also use pencil crayons and gel highlighters and journaling pens that don't bleed through (I like Faber Castell Pitt Pens best and bought a set at Michaels). For this page I took a photo of myself, changed it into a drawing on the computer then replicated it in my Bible using pencils, added the tears (and fake eyelashes cuz I can!) and then journaled. I LOVE it!!!!

For scrapbookers like me, I'm finding a TON of use from my scrapbooking supplies (stamps, inks, gelatos, stickers, rub-ons, stickles, glitter, stencils, etc.) and have developed a new fetish for stamps!! Because I can't usually draw super well, I find stamps are puurrrrfect!!!! Some companies are now even creating stamps just for Bible Art Journaling or illustrating your faith like Stephanie Ackerman's from Unity Stamps :)

Q. Don't paints, inks, colours and pens bleed through to the other side of the thin pages?

Depending on what you are wanting to do with your page, you might want to prep the page with gesso or a clear matte gel first (buy at any art store). This not only seals the page and prevents bleed, but it also allows certain mediums to be better applied, blended and worked with.

I did a video of Christy demonstrating how to use gesso to prepare a page so I will be sure to post that real soon!! It's always better to be able to watch someone else do it and learn that way especially someone as talented as Christy :)

Well I think that's enough for today, but you HAVE TO get the Fall 2015 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine where Christy and I wrote an entire article that has 20 different page samples and explains in even more details how to get started with Bible Art Journaling and illustrating your faith right inside your Bibles!!! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram (click button on top of page) to see more work!!

And if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!!