Love Letters

Handmade journals, just for fun!

I'm going to show you some photos I took of a handmade journal I made recently, using pretty much all recycled or reused paper... old ledger pages, tracing paper, pages out of nicely done paper samples, pages out of old bicycle catalogs, graph paper, old day planner pages I'd never used, some watercolor paper, and even some paper called TerraSkin (which I'll post about soon), etc... I cut all the paper by hand (why I didn't use a paper cutter is really a good question), and then followed instructions for how to glue a book binding I found on the net.  I found all sorts of great diy videos on youtube!  One I especially liked is done by Charmaine Martinez, click here to see her video.

Instructions for how to make a hard covered journal can be found at the Curiously Crafty blog.

Front cover, cut from paper sample from French Paper Co.

Back cover from same French Paper Co. sample

View of journal from above...

Close up view... page on left from bike catalog, page on right from French Paper Co. sample

graph paper on left, bike catalog page on right...

more paper cut up and ready to be assembled into a book...

I haven't started to write in this book yet, but I anticipate having fun with colored markers, metalic markers, watercolor pencils, rubber stamps, etc.  I plan to make my next journal using only high quality watercolor paper &/or the TerraSkin paper, which really isn't paper at all!

It really doesn't matter what you choose to use, if you decide to experiment and make your own customized journal, just make sure to have fun!  The possibilities are truly endless!  

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING FUN!!!

 

Crossroads...

I am unwittingly at a major crossroads in my life and I am sending out a request for positive energy from my friends and supporters in the "blogosphere"... I've been interviewing for a new position at the hospital, and I really, really, really want this job... I'm SO hopeful that I've been able to come across well in the interviews, with honesty and integrity and grace... during what can be a very intimidating experience!  

This is the front of the thank you note I made... since yesterday was Valentine's Day, I went out on a limb and used a heart on the front of this card.  I've always sent handwritten thank you notes after an interview, and this time I made my own card to send.  I sure hope the recipient likes it!  

Final Sketchbook Project 2012 covers, etc.

This is the final edition of the front cover of my Sketchbook Project 2012 book... I love the "Choose authenticity" arrow and I love the white strip down the right hand side that is embossed with "MADE WITH LOVE"... it's cut out of a Neenah paper give away piece from last year's XPEDX paper show.  I put a little Golden Titan Buff acrylic paint, mixed with a little bit of iridescent gold over the white so it wasn't quite so stark.

This is the back cover... I love the hand and the heart...

Here's a couple of close up sections of other pages I hadn't posted previously...

So what have you been up to that's fun and different from your usual work?