Take A Look Through My Journaling Bible

Bible Journaling Ideas: A Look At My Bible Doodles
This might be one of the toughest posts I've ever written. Why? I think for the same reason I don't like to walk around in tank tops and short shorts. It just reveals too much!

Bible journaling is kind of a personal thing. It's a me-and-God thing. But I also want to share it. Do you ever feel like that? When you make something? Like you want to share it, but you kind of don't at the same time? That's Bible J for me.

Part of the reason I started this blog was to help myself learn new journaling techniques... and then to share them with others.

• I knew it would be messy. 
• I knew I would make mistakes. 
• I knew I had so much to learn! 

But I also knew my mistakes might help others learn, too. So, in the spirit of making mistakes... and learning from them... here's an up-close and personal look into my journaling Bible... the good, the bad and the... aesthetically challenged. Ha ha! Don't judge me too harshly. I'm still learning.

And if you're out there thinking about starting your own journaling Bible, and you're saying, "I'm not an artist! What if I mess up? What if my page turns out messy and ugly and I can't do anything about it?" Just remember, you're in good company! It's okay to fail sometimes. And other times, you might just make something to be proud of!

Some of these are original designs, and others are inspired by things I've seen on Pinterest. Of course, mine never seem to turn out quite like the pretty pins, but that's okay, too.

Enjoy! (*Mistakes and all!)

 This was my first Bible doodle. You can read about it here.

When I was a kid, I memorized the 23rd Psalm. It always made pictures in my mind of a dark valley with a beautiful pasture and stream waiting beyond. I have a similar design for you to print and trace here.

This is my first double-page design. I think I'll do more!

This was done with a printable and washi tape. You can get the printable and read about washi tape here.

 This is me! If I were about 30 pounds lighter and wore dresses. Ha ha ha!

Stick to the margins?
For a long time, I was a stick-to-the-margins kind of girl. Can you tell? But eventually, I brought myself to color more and more on the page. I knew I wanted to, but for some reason it was hard, like maybe covering up the words wasn't okay? But I examined my motives and realized I wasn't trying to cover up God's word. Rather, I was highlighting something that really spoke to me! I still have a study Bible for reading, which gives me freedom to be artistic in my journaling Bible.

I have a lot of designs done with gelatos, but this was my first. You can read more about gelatos here. 

 I really loved this hot air balloon design. You can find it in my Etsy shop.

If you look sideways, you'll see the crown spells a word. :)

This last design is my FAVORITE! It is how I picture heaven... just me and Jesus sitting in a field of flowers and chatting together.

There you have it! I know they're not perfect, but I love being able to open myself up to what God is saying and reflect it back in art, even clumsy art.

Do YOU want to share your Bible J art? Post it on my Facebook page.

Want MORE Bible J Ideas?
Read about How to Draw Simple Flowers.

A Simple Banner You Can Draw Today

You're probably familiar with these words from Song of Solomon 2:4. Maybe you even have a song from Sunday School playing in your head right now. I do! :) Here is a cute little banner you can draw to go along with it!

Materials:
I'm using a Micron Pen and a Faber Castell PITT artist pen big brush, both in black. I'm also using Tanmit brush markers for coloring.

To learn more about these and other items, read my post about Bible Journaling Supplies.

1. Banner
First, we'll draw the banner. Using the big brush marker, draw dashed lines in a curve. Next add sides to begin forming your flags. Then draw an upside down V shape to connect the two sides of each flag. Draw a dot in each of the top corners of the flags. Then using the smaller Micron pen, connect each flag.

2. Flags
Decorate your flags by adding polka dots, stripes, chevrons, etc. I also added a heart to the center flag.

3. Color your flags.
Be careful not to get too close to the black outlines as they may smudge.

4. Shadow
Add a shadow to your banner. Use a light gray marker to draw a shadow beneath the "string" of your banner. Then draw a shadow to the right of each flag and below each flag as shown. I drew my shadow a little too far away, so I went back and connected it to the "string" of the banner. Then I outlined the heart with my PITT brush to make it stand out more.

5. Background Color
Color a background for your words. I tried to create a gradient using pink and peach. If you're coloring in your Bible, this would go in your margin.

6. Draw your words. 

Using the Micron pen, draw the word "His". Then go back and add round dots to the ends of each letter. Next, using your cursive handwriting draw the word "banner". Go back and add thicker lines to each downstroke. To learn more about Handwriting Tips & Tricks, read my post. Repeat this process for the rest of the words as shown. If you've never done this, you can practice on a separate piece of paper before writing in your Bible.

And there you have it! An easy banner to accent your next Bible Journaling project. Have you tried making a banner? Comment below or show off your doodles by connecting with Bible Journaling Ideas on Facebook.

Want more ideas? Check out my post to see what you can do with white crayon in your Bible.