Send help: Have we entered the UGLY STAGE? Junk journal realness!

We’ve hit that moment - yep, the “please let this be the ugly stage” phase. But don’t panic! It’s all part of the creative magic. Let’s push through the mess and turn chaos into art, one layer at a time!

Today, we’re adding another layer to our technique by gluing down some snippets. Then, we’ll carefully remove all the ephemera pieces to reveal the pages underneath—and hopefully add some visual interest to the ephemera itself in the process!

Looking for unique snippets to print at home and add instant charm to your journal pages? 

Look no further! These printable snippets from my shop are full of vintage flair, perfect textures, and creative possibilities. A must-have for every junk journal lover!

Organizing the ephemera into categories & papering the backs

In this video, we're bringing order to the chaos! I’ll show you how I sort the ephemera for my POPPY FIELD AVENUE junk journal into categories and give those plain backs a glow-up using my coffee-dyed collage paper. Let’s make every piece beautiful—front and back!

Here's how I made my coffee-dyed collage paper which I used for backing my ephemera!

Let's make an ENVELOPE POCKET FLIP THINGY using our hoarded treasures!

Let’s put those hoarded bits and pieces to good use! In this video, we’re creating an envelope pocket flip thingy - perfect for showcasing your layered treasures. Urban sketch meets vintage letter charm with every flip and fold!

TO COOL TO COVER? TRY THIS! REMOVABLE COLLAGE MAGIC! 

That background turned out way too cool to hide - so we’re making a removable collage! In this video, I’ll show you how to add layered interest without losing your favorite background. Repositionable, creative, and fun!

Ever dreamed of DESIGNING YOUR OWN FABRIC? Let’s explore it together!

In this video, I’m taking my first (slightly chaotic) steps into the world of fabric design—and you’re totally invited to come along for the ride! Whether you’re dreaming of designing fabric too or just here for the laughs and inspiration, let’s see what happens when creativity meets curiosity (and maybe a little caffeine).⁠

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Bonus: I’ve found a game changer for transferring paper prints to fabric—and yes, it actually works!⁠⁠

HOW TO BUILD A JUNK JOURNAL COVER FROM SCRATCH!

In this video, we’re starting from zero and building the entire journal cover base—step by step! I’ll show you how I construct it from scratch so it’s sturdy, beautiful, and ready for everything we’ll add later.

MIXED MEDIA COVER WITH POPPIES: artful play with stencils, paste & embossing

Now that our cover base is ready, it’s time to play! In this video, I dive into a mixed media poppy experiment—layering texture, color, embossing glaze and creativity straight onto the journal cover. Inspired by the wild charm of POPPY FIELD AVENUE, this is where the magic (and the mess) happens!

HIDDEN SPINE BINDING - YES, YOU CAN! My tricks on how to sew signatures in!

In this video, we’re bringing the POPPY FIELD AVENUE journal to life by sewing the signatures into the cover using a hidden spine technique. It’s neat, sturdy, and gives your journal a clean, professional look—perfect for keeping the focus on your beautiful pages! Never tried a hidden spine before? Then this video is perfect for you—I’ll show you all my tricks to make it easy!

How to make TRANSPARENT SHAKER POCKETS with an accidental twist!

Want to add some playful shakety-shake magic to your journal? In this video, I’ll show you how to make transparent shaker pockets—with a fun, accidental twist that turned out even better than planned! Perfect for adding sparkle, movement, tiny letters and a unique touch to your POPPY FIELD AVENUE journal.

How to make LAYERED POPPY FLOWERS! 

In this video, we’re crafting beautiful layered poppy flowers—perfect for adding dimension, texture, and a touch of urban-vintage charm to your journal pages. I’ll show you step by step how to build these delicate flowers, making them the ultimate highlight for your junk journal projects!

PAGE TABS WITH ENVELOPES & HIDDEN NOTES

This video isn’t just about making page tabs with envelopes and hidden notes - it’s also about embracing the beauty of wonkiness! Surprise yourself by letting go of perfectionism and discovering the joy in imperfection.

For the page tab bases I've used a few elements from these ephemera packs: