Hello there, @patcoppi.

Thank you for reaching out to the Community. Allow me to help share some insights about creating journal entries (JE). 

When you create a journal entry, you need to select in each distribution line an account from the Chart of Accounts. You can't use a service item for this transaction. 

You can create a check to pay the employee's commission and link it to the project. Let me show you how:

1. At the top right, select the Plus icon.
2. Select Check.
3. From the Payee field, select the employee's name.
4. Under Category details, select the account for the commission in the Category column. 
5. Put a check in the BILLABLE column.
6. In the CUSTOMER/PROJECT column, select the project.
7. Enter other check details.
8. Click Save and close.

I've attached some articles about Projects and journal entry for additional reference: 

• Track income, costs, and profitability by project 
• Invoice customers for project expenses
• Create a journal entry

That should get you back on track. Drop me a comment below if you have any other questions about Projects or JE. I'll be happy to help you out. Have a great day ahead.