Inspiration Journal

Trying to tie up loose ends and finish some half-started journals.  Maybe "finish" is the wrong word.  I meant finish as in finish the cover and at least the first page inside.  This is the bonus book from the Full Tilt Boogie class.  It will be filled with all those magazine clippings of decorating ideas, color combinations to dream about, furniture to long for, etc, etc.  I kept the pages fairly plain and neutral, so that whatever is added later is not competing so much.  I see fun in my future!

Book of Bird-Brained Ideas

Here's my Frame Block book I am currently working on.  The covers and first page spread are still in progress, but it's a start.

 I knew I wanted to use the vintage 1913 postcard with the birds on it, which was inside the album when I got it. I even pulled off the 1-cent postage stamp off the back to glue on the front.

I had left over scrapbook paper that didn't make it into a previous book - the paper was already pretty busy with its collage look, so I didn't add a whole lot more to it.
 

 I sewed lace to some muslin and glued that on the spine.

I'll add words to the front cover, and something else to the inside front cover.  Overall, I'm loving this book too!  I could never pick a favorite of all the books we've been making in the Full Tilt Boogie class.

Somebody Stop Me

I'm on a roll I think!  I tackled the Week 3 journal in the Full Tilt Boogie class.  I love the new stitches we learned - much easier than they look.  I picked an old book with a cover I liked.  I assembled a bunch of ledger papers, graph papers, etc., and cut some scrapbook papers to size to use as signature wrappers.  I decided to use some dark blue suede paper for the spine. 

I may have gotten a bit too ambitious. I decided to use both stitches we learned and put them on this book rather than make two books. I made several mistakes along the way. Thank goodness I'm not obsessive about perfection. I am perfectly fine with mistakes creative options.

I have started using my Week 1 journal to make journal entries about all the books I'm making.  Is that obsessive?  Don't answer.  So, I'm making the books, journaling about the books, blogging about the books, dreaming about making more books... I need a nap now.

Afraid to Glue

We are in week three of the Full Tilt Boogie online class.  But before I started the third journal, I wanted to finish the second one. 

I was concerned.  I picked out my cover last week - an old vintage photo album.  This would have a hidden spine, so the cover is used intact.  No problem.  My cover is in good shape (considering the age).  It was no problem to take out the stiff photo pages in the album... they were not even attached anymore.  I cut and tore watercolor paper until I had enough signatures.  I added in some of the old photo pages that came in the album.  I was careful to not overstuff the book, and used less pages than what it looked like I should.  I sewed the signatures together using strips of Tyvek for the tapes.  And it all sat there for a week.  I could not commit to glue.  I was sure it needed more signatures - that spine is pretty wide.  But my signature block was already done, all neat and tidy, sewn together like a Christmas package.  (I also used painted Tyvek to support the spine inside the cover.)

 Today, I made the decision.  I would make four more signatures and sew them to the previously made signature block.  Do or die.  The sewing won't show, so it doesn't matter if it looks sloppy. But it looked fine.  It can be done! 

I glued it in and it worked fine.  The book is resting now, and the glue is drying.  I'm very happy with it.  Now I can move on to the third structure!  Can't wait!

Boogie Book

This is my first journal in the Full Tilt Boogie class.  I used the cover from an old ledger book, and upholstery fabric for the tapes (sewn-on tape design).  Most of the papers are scrapbook papers, with other stuff thrown in.  Even though I've made my own books for years, I still had a couple of major screw-ups... but I decided if I don't tell you what they are, you won't even notice!

The above picture was one of my mistakes.  I wasn't paying attention and ripped my pages while sewing in a signature.  I removed the thread from the pages and put different tapes between the sew holes, where the paper was ripped.  I have to say, I like the "after" better than the "before" pages!

My second mistake was that my thread was on the wrong side of one of my upholstery tapes in one spot.  It happed on about the 3rd signature, but I didn't notice it until I was on tying off the last signature.  I decided to let it go.  I didn't have the patience to take apart the entire signature block and start over.  Bet you can't even tell where it is. 

Onward to journal #2.....