The pattern or texture was started with a layer full of white .
Not much time was spent on this image, perhaps but a few minutes.
With the exception of creating the label.
This was a simple and quick render.
The idea I had was to try and replicate this familiar looking book quickly and most of all it's pattern.
First Solid Noise
then Difference Clouds
and Threshold
to arrive at this final look.



There must be other ways of making this pattern?
Feel free to create your own "quick",
or not so quick, .GIMP composition book replica,
and tell us how you arrived at your pattern.
Good Luck and Happy Gimping!

Nice one sallyanne!

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Here I created a more detailed composition book.
Using just Solid Noise on a black layer.



Scaled down the layer and copied to clipboard and this to fill the layer.



Then Threshold to create that familiar looking pattern.



Here's the final render and the xcf file.