Raise your hand if you feel like you are not artistic (like I do!) I’ve read so many posts in the Journaling Bible Facebook page where people say that they aren’t artistic and don’t know what to do in the Bibles. There is so much beautiful artwork posted on the page that, if I compared myself to them, I would feel so intimidated! I have never felt artistic – when I taught school, my students made fun of my stick figures! I don’t have any art training; I’m a scrapbooker and a paper-crafter, who loves God and His Word and love bringing the words to life in the margins of my Journaling Bible.

Today I thought I’d share some techniques that I’ve used for “illustrating” without drawing in my Journaling. I have used all sorts of products from rub-ons and die-cuts to alphabet stickers!

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I rubbed on this bold heart border from My Mind’s Eye and then colored the hearts in with colored pencil. To add more color to the page, I added a bright flower sticker with a rub on added to the top. These simple things draw my eyes to words I’ve highlighted that mean so much to me.

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This week I read Psalm 23 in my daily reading, and even though I’ve probably read it a hundred times before, this time it meant more than ever, and I was overwhelmed with God’s love and care for me. I decided to stamp on my page to show another way to illustrate these verses. I love this stamp of a little child pulling a wagon. It was too wide to stamp on my page with the wagon the way it was, so I taped that part off and applied the ink pad to just the part of the image I wanted. It’s kind of scary to stamp in your Bible, so I did a couple test images on a scrap of paper to be sure I knew what I was doing.

Then I masked off the child and stamped the little wagon.

I used colored pencils to color it in.

As I read the Psalm again and underlined and highlighted the phrases that meant the most to me, I noticed that it says that the Lord both leads me and follows me with His goodness and mercy. I added the little heart stickers to the wagon and wrote on them with an American Crafts Slick Writer pen that is perfect for writing on shiny surfaces.

I used a variety of letter stickers to add those ideas to the margin. (I got the word “goodness” by cutting two stickers and putting them together. One said good times and the other said happiness.)

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Supplies | Journaling Bible | Here is a similar bible currently in stock | October Afternoon Alpha | Mini Market Alphas | American Crafts Die-Cuts | Open Book Die-Cut | My Mind’s Eye Rub-Ons | Watercolor Pencils 

Even though I can’t draw and can’t do gorgeous original artwork, I love this! It expresses my heart and helps me to focus on truths I want to remember today.

I hope this gives you a few ideas to use in your Bible illustrations – the possibilities are endless!

– Debby

16 Comments
  1. Brandy 9 years ago

    Debby, thank you for sharing this! It’s encouraging to know I’m not the only one that doesn’t consider myself an artist. But I have to say if our heart is in the worship of our art, it’s no different to God than someone that can’t really sing belting out a song to worship and praise Him! I am curious about the Bible you said is in stock (the ESV everyone seems to use is SO hard to find right now!). What I am praying for is that Shanna is working with a publisher to create a bigger, wider-margined, larger-font Bible for Illustrated Faith! How great would that be?!?

    • Author
      illustratedadmin 9 years ago

      Brandy the bible publishers are seeing the HIGH DEMAND we are setting out there and I promise there will be lots of choices soon!

      • Brandy 9 years ago

        That is SO exciting! Shanna I’m so happy to hear this “movement” you began is being noticed by the publishers and they hopefully can fill the need. Thank you SO SO SO much for sharing your gift with the world. And for giving us permission to worship God in this new Illustrated Faith way! I know it has blessed me immensely.

  2. Elaine 9 years ago

    Yes!!! This is so wonderful as, I too, lack in artistic ability. What new adventure awaits!!

    • Author
      illustratedadmin 9 years ago

      WAHOO! I am excited you liked Debby’s post!

  3. Barb 9 years ago

    Great blog post and a good reminder to all of us

  4. Charlene 9 years ago

    Such a great post….so encouraging when you don’t feel like you can do this….but so want to try!

    • Author
      illustratedadmin 9 years ago

      Thank you for your kind words to Debby Charlene!!!

  5. B 9 years ago

    Thank you for sharing! I really appreciate the tip of combining unrelated words/styles to achive what you need!

  6. Kimberly E. 9 years ago

    Yay Debby! This is right up my alley and I am sure quite a few others! I too am not blessed with natural artistic talent…but I can stamp and color and lay down some stickers!! This just shows that you can produce a wonderful page that has great meaning with a few things. I hope you share your pages again!! Blessings!!

  7. debi 9 years ago

    Debby, your pages are beautiful, and you are such a creative inspiration.

    I think it is sad when people do not consider themselves ‘artistic’ because they do not draw or paint. If one has the ability to place colors and objects together in a way that pleases the eye, whether those objects be paint, paper, food, furniture, clothing, etc., it is all a form of artistic expression. I believe we are all only as ‘artistic’ as we give ourselves permission to be.

  8. Cricket Rawlins 9 years ago

    Such wonderful pages Debby! I always enjoy seeing your beautiful work!!

    blessings,

  9. Emily 9 years ago

    You hit the very reason I haven’t started in my Journaling Bible yet! But I tjink I have an idea for today’s sermon now! Thanks!

  10. Karen Luke 9 years ago

    Beautifully created… thank you… I too am just a paper crafter… but I want to use it to express my joy in scripture… thanks again…

    • Author
      illustratedadmin 9 years ago

      Thank you so much Karen!!

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