The Accidental Sketchbook

I didn't plan to have this little sketchbook with birds in it.  In the fantasies in my head, what I really had was a wonderful watercolor sketchbook full of my perfect drawings of birds and nature.

I recently came across this little book I bought ages ago, because I'm a sucker for anything with graph paper.  I was doodling in it with words and birds, and before you could blink, I have myself a bird sketchbook.  It's not the best paper for watercolors, but I like the crinkly sound the pages make once they dry.

This is the original doodle made from looking at a magazine picture.

Playing with pens and markers.

This is what my birds look like if I don't have anything to go by.

From magazine pictures:

Stamp that used to be mine, became Gaye's when I had it in a yard sale, which I now want back.

Scrap paper from Gaye's desk.

From magazine page:

Where I get my inspiration.

This has the potential to be a nice little book. (There is also a 50/50 chance I'll lose interest before the book is half full.)

Making Books

I see I am getting behind on posting again - rest assured when I realized that, I made myself sit in the corner for an hour.  (Never mind that the "corner" contained a comfy reading chair and a cold beverage.)  No good excuse for not posting, just doing stuff and trying to stay cool.

Last week, I made another fun quick trip up the road to friend Gaye's to make books.  It was a dual purpose bookbinding session.  She is teaching at Stampaway in Cincinnati in August, and my job was to help work out the kinks in her class instructions.  I loved making my own "Takin' Care of Business" book.  It's meant as a place to put all those business cards you accumulate over time.  Of course, you can also use the book for ATCs or moo cards, or even photos.  Here are Gaye's samples:

 This is the book I made.  We decided the covers need a big old button to look awesome.

After I got home, it was a few days before I started putting cards and postcards in my book.  It was way harder than I expected.  For one thing, lots of cards have information on both sides, so those need to be hinged with tape.  Some card were postcards and needed accomodation by folding or other tricky means.  Then there is the whole problem of whether to group by color or by type of business, etc.  Frankly, though, I've had a lot of these cards for a long time, and I'm sure the contact information on them is out of date.  But that's not why I kept them anyway. 

I like how it's turning out.  I still have lots to add and pages to fill.  I think there are still openings in Gaye's class, if you are going to Stampaway (her classes are on Friday - info here). 

I've also been playing in a bird sketchbook - I'll share that later...

Number Three

It's been too hot to really go out and do anything, so this weekend I've tried to catch up on some UFOs (unfinished objects).  One of them is to make another postal book, because Gaye made one a few months ago and I wanted to make one too.  I made the cover weeks ago, but finally got some pages sewn in.  It started out with a mailing box - here's before and after.

Various patterns from security envelopes were used on the covers (and I managed to use a lot of my new tapes from Target too).  I used half of an airmail envelope to make a pocket in the back, and inserted a library card. 

The library card has a place for title.  Hmm.  After careful introspection and thoughtful consideration (of about 5 seconds, because I'm nothing if not Thoughtful), I brilliantly proclaimed the title of the book to be Postal Book 3.

And I put a big old 3 on the back cover.

It now joins books 1 and 2. 

And then I had ice cream.