When people first discover junk journaling, it's easy to be drawn to the most colourful papers, the prettiest embellishments and the latest themed collections. I completely understand the temptation - I still find myself admiring beautiful designs. But over time, I've realised something. The papers I reach for most often aren't always the ones with the boldest patterns. They're the quiet ones. The softly aged pages, faded book papers, worn ledger backgrounds and gentle vintage textures that sit quietly beneath everything else, allowing the story of the page to shine. The Magic of a Good Background Think of a vintage paper as the walls of a cosy room. You notice the paintings, the books and the flowers first, but none of them would feel quite the same without the warm backdrop holding everything together. Journal pages work in much the same way. A softly distressed background gives photographs, pressed flowers, handwritten notes and little pieces of ephemera somewhere to...