A Poetic New Journal

The minute I picked up this old paperback book, I knew I wanted to turn it into a new journal. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color and pattern on the cover.

I filled it with a tan colored cover stock that I've had forever. I used a corner punch to round the corners of each page because I thought it just called for rounded corners.

I glued the book covers to another piece of card stock to give them a bit more weight and rounded those corners too. Then I glued a piece of soft black leather to the covers and bound it all together with some gifted thread using the long stitch. I made a mistake and the pattern on the back cover ended up upside down--oops.
 

I considered cutting out the title to make a window opening for my own title, but then decided to leave it as is. How could you not love that old penguin logo on a book called "The Metaphysical Poets?" Really, what does that mean? I gave myself about ten minutes to figure it out then realized I really didn't need to know in order to just appreciate the graphic beauty of this old book.

I plan to use this as a note taking journal and a place to scribble down whatever is inspiring me at the moment. Who knows--maybe I'll even manage to include a few metaphysical poems.

An Adventure So Big It Needed Its Own Journal

Last month I went on a grand adventure to visit my daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. Even though she’s been living in Thailand for over a year, it was my first trip there. (or anywhere, for that matter.) 
 

 

Before I left, I made a journal and filled it with a variety of papers and bound it with a long stitch binding.

The image on the cover came from an old book I rescued from the landfill.

I packed a small bag of art supplies that included markers, glue sticks, a travel watercolor set, a burnisher, washi tape, a ruler, and a tiny pair of kid’s scissors which was confiscated by security on the way home. 

I journaled every single day and included whatever ephemera I accumulated or found while I was there. 

 

The more I wrote, the easier it became and the more I wanted to write. 

 

I did a good job of estimating and rationing the pages because I ended up filling the book without running out or having too many empty pages.

It truly was a grand adventure, and one that I can relive over and over whenever I page through my journal.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

By the light of the wintery moon, January was filled with plenty of indoor fun.

Sipping tea and altering books.

Painting paper to use in a brand new journal.

Learning a new binding technique.

Journaling.

Watching movies and stitching up bits of fabric.

As I work my way through Jude Hill's Spirit Cloth 101.

And fabric piles up under the coffee table like snow drifts in the driveway.

Adventure Journal #2

A while back, I completed my first adventure journal and blogged about it here. I finally finished up adventure journal #2 which chronicles a weekend visit to DC to visit our son.

The day began with the much anticipated wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I thought it was a big enough event to warrant a mention in the journal. I like the idea of including a bit of history into an adventure journal.

Under the flap I included a list of the essential items needed for a road trip along with a bit of what has become standard road trip dialog.

He drives and I assist with the small, but important, tasks best left to the passenger.

I worked on the journal whenever I could during the weekend, but also made copious notes to help me remember all the details long after the trip.

I incorporated a few photos into the journal that I altered electronically and printed on my home computer.

I also like to incorporate business cards, menus, or napkins from places where we eat. In this case, the restaurant didn't have any of those items available, so I had to find the logo online and draw it myself.

This is what I imagined Lincoln might be thinking about.

That's my son buying train tickets from a very complicated looking vending machine.

This was my husband's reaction upon seeing the Washington monument. Including funny quotes has become a favorite part of these little adventure journals. The memories are priceless.

I got to spend a little time in the Corcoran Art Museum and saw some absolutely fabulous modern art up close and personal.

As it turned out, the weekend began with one historical event and ended with another. Lucky for me I was able to record both of these events along with my own personal memories of these couple of days.

Next up--adventure journal #3 which is still in progress. Stay tuned to find out what I did in Pittsburgh recently.

Collage Book Experiment

Recently, Cloth Paper Scissors magazine hosted a reader challenge to create a mixed media mini-book. The only stipulation was that the size couldn't exceed 6x6x1 inch. Other than that, it was anything goes. I've been having so much fun playing around with the stitched collage post cards that I've been making, that I was inspired to see if I could transfer the technique to a small book.





I created this 24-page book mini-book using manila folders, paper scraps, watercolor, gouache, embroidery floss, beads, and my sewing machine. I finished it and emailed in my photos on the very last day possible. My book wasn't selected as a finalist to be mailed to the magazine and possibly included in a future issue, but I'm happy with my effort just the same for several reasons:

1. I actually finished something! Yep, I took the project from start to finish without getting distracted, bored, or disillusioned with it. It's a radical new concept I'm trying out.

2. I used up a bunch of my scrap paper stash. Not enough to make a dent in the humongous collection, but still....

3. I taught myself how to bind a book using the long stitch binding method.

4. I'm inspired to make more books! I already have a few ideas floating around in my head on how to expand on the collage/stitch process and try out a few more techniques.

This book doesn't really tell a story in the traditional sense, but I like the texture and feel of it. Plus, for me it tells a personal story through my memories of the paper that passes through my life. I may not remember what I ate for lunch today (or even if I ate lunch at all!) but I can remember where almost every scrap in the book came from. I guess you could say this is my version of a crazy quilt in paper/book form.