Category Archives: Books & Journals

Art Journals, Altered books, Junk Journals, Glue Books, Tunnel books, Never-Ending Books and more!

Eight Artists collaborate on Portals to raise awareness about ALS

Eight Artists collaborate on Portals to raise awareness about ALS

It’s been more than a minute since I made a blog post. I’ve pretty much stopped blogging and just post pictures on social media. However, I wanted to share a recent project that I spearheaded.


Portals is a handmade book collaboration with seven other mixed media artists. Ann Sullivan Barnes, Cassie Lynch, Joyce Holmes Shaulis, Lora Mahaffey, Dilys Brundage, Deatria Cameron and Lindy Gligorijevic.

I created the book, index page for each artist to include her bio info and my own two-page spread.
My two page spread in the portals book. Each page has a portal of some sort. Of course, there’s lots of found object rusty goodness as well.

Portals Page by Me- Betsy Skagen
This gorgeous spread is by Dilys Brundage
Ann Sullivan Barnes created these inspirational pages.


I was inspired to start this collaboration because of my dear friend Joan Stookey Harring who was diagnosed with ALS last year. Once the book is completed, I hope we can auction it to raise funds for the fight against ALS.

Cassie Lynch has so much wonderful detail in her pages.

Page by Cassie Lynch


Be sure to follow #portalscollaboration on Facebook to see the book progress as other artists add their work.

Introducing the Art-i-ful Journal

Introducing the Art-i-ful Journal

I made a new journal that was not quite an art journal and not quite a junk journal…so I decided to create a new category…the Art-i-ful Journal!

The Artiful Journal combines some of the best elements of art journals, junk journals and the almost-forgotten trend of altered books. Artiful Journals are bursting at the seams with mixed media art, ephemera, pockets, pull outs and tags. They have more interactive elements than traditional art journals and far too much thought and artistry put in them too be labelled as a junk journal.

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Baby Oh Baby Part 2

Baby Oh Baby Part 2

We are now just days away from a new baby arriving in my family. I am making a little book for my niece, who is the mother-to-be, for her to keep memories of those first precious months.

The book features all sorts of pockets, magnetic flaps and little spaces to store precious photos, mementos and tags to record milestones and memories. On some of the pages I used Gypsy Soul chipboard to create three-dimensional elements and frames. 

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Oh Baby Baby

Oh Baby Baby

There’s a baby arriving in my family next month. Shhh….don’t tell, but I am making a little book for the mother-to-be to keep memories of those precious first months. 

The book will feature all sorts of pockets, fold-outs and teeny little spaces to store precious mementos and tags to record different milestones and memories. I am using some of Gypsy Soul’s wonderful chipboard to add some fun elements.

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Gear up for some Steampunk Field Notes

Gear up for some Steampunk Field Notes

Combining rusty metal and intriguing bits and bots with vintage style paper to create blank books is one of my favorite pastimes.

That’s why I loved making this steampunk art journal.

Held together with a rusty chain and featuring all sorts of bits and bobs, I made this steampunk journal using Eileen’ Hull’s Wrapped Journal Die and Stamperia papers.

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Trick or Mini Book Treat

Trick or Mini Book Treat

I’m not ready for Christmas in July, but since we all know that crafts take preparation time, I can  at least muster Halloween in July (but just barely). 

I am sitting lakeside on vacation this week, so I kept my project short and sweet. You can easily complete this in just one short evening. 

Made with yummy layers!
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The best things come in tiny packages

The best things come in tiny packages

I love making art journals, junk journals and other forms of books. However, embarking on one of these is always a huge time-consuming project…or at least it was until I discovered the joy of making tiny art journals.

It was easy to make a complete journal in an evening. What’s more, the finished project is just so much fun.

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Make a mixed media vintage junk journal

Make a mixed media vintage junk journal

This winter my friend and product designer, Eileen Hull, began a new education team and she was gracious enough to ask me to join it.

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Create your own mixed media elements

Create your own mixed media elements
Create your own mixed media elements

Let’s face it, thousands upon thousands of crafters, myself included, use the same mass-produced decorative elements in their projects. However, there is another option. If you don’t want your art to feature the same materials hordes of other artists are using, you can easily create your own elements. Art-Journal-Embellishments--by-Betsy-Skagen-0037-2

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