Harvinaisen Kaunis Elämä: Sweet Vintage Art Journal Cover for Finnabair

Hello friends,

Creating journals feels like creating new worlds. And what comes to the cover… It’s the precious, whispering invitation to step into those worlds. I created an invitation to a sweet, gentle, world, filled with soft wisdom, whispering of broken beauty and hidden strength.

Here’s what I did…

The cover, a plain thick cardboard piece, was approx. 11 cm., and I chose a pile of inspiring material for it: vintage papers and vintage jewellery pieces, 7 Dot Studio paper, lace, and fabric.

First, I covered the cardboard with Moda Tissue paper, using Soft Matte Gel, and primed it twice with white Heavy Gesso. Then, I painted it with acrylic Impasto Snow White paint, and after drying, mixed Impastos Pitch Black and Chocolate Brown for vintage look and painted the edges.

Next step was to layer vintage papers, scrapbook paper, and lace onto the cover. I primed the pieces I chose, with Clear Gesso and then added the brown and black acrylic paint mix onto the edges, to give them more worn-out look. Then I glued everything in place. The heavier pieces like a cardboard frame, I secured in place with Heavy Body Gel.

The final touch was to add the actual, tiny little composition of a swan feather, a silk flower, and a vintage earring, which I glued with Heavy Body Gel. The cover needed something darker for contrast, so I added a (half of a) Rusty Paper Clip.