Making Books

There's making books... and then there's making books about making books! 

I haven't mentioned before about the photo books I ordered.  In the latter part of last year, I had a coupon for a free book through Shutterfly and I decided to make a book for my friend Gaye for Christmas, with pictures of all the cool things she has given me as gifts over the years as well as some of her other art.  Back when we first met, there was no such thing as digital photography for the average person, and neither of us has much of a record of what we exchanged. 

I was determined to stick to the guidelines for the "free" book (number of pages, size, etc.) and only be out the cost of postage.  But, of course, in the long run, just before I hit the "order" button, my inner self said, why don't you order two copies, so you have one for yourself.  So, "free" is relative at this point!  I was pleased with the books when they came, and actually gave it to Gaye well before Christmas because I just could not wait for her to see it. That's her 8x8 book on the right, with a couple of page spreads following.

Last month, I had another book coupon and decided to make a book with pictures of some of the books I've made. I ended up calling it Volume I because it only has books through around 2011.  My book is 8 x 11 and is the one on the left in the top picture.  The cover shows close-up detail of one of my journal pages. Below are a couple of page spreads.

Overall, I found Shutterfly pretty easy to navigate.  There were many options for page layouts, and it is easy to move pictures around to see what you like best.  I know there are other companies that make photobooks, but I have not used them and can't compare.

 

So basically, Shutterfly gets a fairly good grade.  That is, unless you include the Mystery of the Missing Package.  Just before Christmas, I ordered some cards using photos from a family gathering.  Because, yes, I had a coupon.  One thing about Shutterfly, once you order, you constantly get new discount offers.  I knew that because of Christmas and New Year holidays, my order might be delayed a little.  But, each day when I checked the tracking number, I became more confused.  At one point, the package seemed to be bouncing back and forth between Atlanta and Memphis a lot.  Pretty ironic, since all the people I planned to mail the cards to live just a short drive from Memphis. So close, yet so far...

 

After 10 days, they consider it a lost order.  I was impressed with how quickly they resubmitted my order and got it to me, along with an upgrade in cardstock that I didn't even ask for. Kudos to a business that makes things right.  But their shipping... hmmm, not sure why that turned into a problem.

 

Will I use them again?  Probably.  You know, when I have a coupon...

 

Gifting Ideas

I mentioned in the last post that I helped my friend Gaye celebrate her birthday (late as it was).  I thought I'd show one of the gifts I made for her, and some fun tags that are easy to make.

This is a zippered pouch for her politically incorrect smoking sticks
 :-)
I used olive green fabric to try to match her latest handmade purse/backpack  This really doesn't have a front or back because both sides are fun to look at (if I do say so myself!)

At the last minute, I decided these gifts needed some tags.  These were done fairly quickly, using purchased tags with mostly washi tapes and stamping.

Happy Monday everyone!

Metal Books

Yesterday was a good day.  The sun was shining, snow was melting.  And I had a fun visit with friend Gaye up the road,  We finally got around to celebrating her birthday.  The celebration was delayed by weather, illness, and all that annoying stuff in life!

I got to see the samples she is working on for her classes at Artiscape in Ohio just a few weeks away.  Her little metal books are just adorable.  She is constantly tinkering with techniques and discovering new ways to do things.

She is also teaching this fun little leather book.

Wish I was going to this art gathering, as they always have good classes.  Info about Artiscape can be found HERE.

Winter Fatigue

I just couldn't help myself.  I know I can post only so many pictures of my snow and ice covered deck before it gets boring. I'm making a montage for myself of what it looks like each day - snow, ice, snow on ice, more snow, some melting, more snow... etc. 

But I admit I am suffering from winter fatigue.  I think we've been spoiled in this area over the past few years with mild winters and little snow. 

Then I read the comment on the last post, left by a local fabric artist.  Dye the snow?  Hmmm... my mind immediately went to stencils and sprays!  It was too cold to spend much time outside (with no coat and houseshoes, juggling camera, stencil, cardboard, and spray).  I tried to stencil in some green leaves next to a dead branch on my deck that has been covered in snow.  I used Dylusions spray ink since it is water soluble (which is why detail quickly becomes lost).  Tried to use the cardboard to prevent overspray, but the wind blew the spray under the cardboard anyway. 

And there you have it.  I know spring is on the way because I see green vines and leaves!  I checked on it this morning, but it is already covered in another layer of snow, so I don't know how well Dylusions holds up long term on the snow.

Icicle Legs

The good news is, the rain came and washed away some of the snow.

The bad news is, the rain left a coating of ice on everything.  Temperatures are going down, down, down, so the ice won't melt anytime soon.

I think Jack Frost is sitting on my roof.  Because I see his skinny little icicle legs hanging down from my gutter!

Lots of people have more ice and colder temperature than I do, so I don't want to whine too much.  Stay warm everyone!

Magic Number

Counting the days.....

 

Stencil Vortex

On a cold, blustery day, with a snow squall that has snow blowing sideways, what on earth would make an otherwise sane person get out of a warm bed, take a gamble that the roads will be at least halfway decent to drive on, and head out for an adventure?

A workshop with Mary Beth Shaw, that's what. 

Mary Beth is AKA Stencil Girl.  Imagine having a table piled with her stencils, all for you to play with.

We spent a couple of hours making background papers with stencils, paints and all kinds of tools and techniques.  By the time I remembered to take pictures of peoples' work, most had packed them away, but I did quickly snap these made by my table mates, Gaye M and Debby R.  Beautiful!

This is one of Mary Beth's journal page spreads where she used papers like we made.  It was very inspiring to flip through her journal.

Fun, fun day.  And I learned something else on the road today... no matter how bitterly cold it is, a dog's just gotta stick his head out the window! He was actually licking the air trying to catch snowflakes.  Silly dogs!

On the Grid

Sometimes you hear people talk about being "off the grid"... you know, living a self-sufficient life, not dependent on technology, out of the mainstream.  While those are admirable goals, I'm a grid kind of gal.  As in grid paper, or graph paper.  If it has grids on it, I'm in.  I cannot resist buying any kind of grid paper when I cross paths with it.  If it's not for my writing or art or letter practice, it will be cut up for book pages. 

I use a grid steno pad at work where I keep notes throughout the day.  My writing journal is a 5 x 7 journal that came from the office supply store.  These will hold one or two years worth, and I snapped up a few last year when they were in the sale bin. 

One of my favorite online classes I took last year was the Big Grid Journal with Martha Lever. (It was journal #3 in her Lollapalooza journal series.)  At the time of the class, I did a couple of pages in mine, but since I had so many other journals going at that time, I put it aside to use for this year.  I did this cover page with pan pastels, with stamping on top.  I also tried the technique of putting a stencil over the pastel and using an eraser to remove some of the color.

I love this picture and it will be a reminder to me to "live in the front row" this year.  I don't remember where I got the picture.  It may have been on a Pinterest site or someone's blog.  I try to keep track of those things, but I sometimes forget.

I just love that the two ladies in the front are having the time of their lives.  Pity the two in the third row, who look like they are absolutely miserable.

So this year, resolve to live in the front row!!

Looking Ahead

Happy New Year, fellow citizens of the world (and beyond, if that applies)!

I always feel optimistic on the first day of a new year.  It occurred to me that I always hear people say "I'm glad to see the old year end."  I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "I wish this year would not end."  So we'll see how this one goes.  I predict it will have its ups and downs, its sparkling moments and its share of sad events. It is called life. 

So we look ahead, full of optimism.

I didn't take many pictures at the family Christmas gathering last month, but most of them were of the little kids wearing silly glasses.  Appropriate for the looking ahead theme!

I don't make resolutions - seems like setting myself up for failure.  But I do like to keep achievable goals in my head.  A lot of them carry over from year to year, like being more organized, simplifying life, eating better, ... the usual.  This year, I am really focusing on making things in my life flow better.  Flow.  Not a word I had thought much about until I read a blog post by Teesha Moore called "Magical Life".  The part about Flow really inspired me.  You can read her post here.  Powerful words. 

So, whatever your plans are for 2014, may it be the best year yet!! 

Christmas Wallet

Here's a fun folded paper wallet to make, in case you need a secret place to stash your Christmas money, Christmas list, or coupons.  It also holds credit cards or would make a nice holder for a gift card you are giving someone (put the card in one side and a note in the other side).

I first saw this several months ago, but looked up the instructions again to try it with gift wrap paper.  The two below are wrapping paper.  That paper is a little too thin and probably would not last too long under heavy use.  The directions call for a 12 x 12 inch piece of paper, and scrapbook paper is a good weight to use.

The ones below were made quite some time ago.  The one on the left is scrapbook paper (single sided), and it is always in my purse, unfolded, with that week's coupons that I cut out of the sale papers.  The folded one on the right is made with Arches text wove art paper which had been the victim of a previous stencil spray/walnut ink paint session.  It was very hard to fold such thick paper into the wallet, but it is definitely sturdy.  I think Tyvek would be a great paper to use, but I haven't tried it. None of these have embellishments or closures, but those would be fun to add too. 

There are probably several places with the instructions, but the one I used is from Paper Source.  (Click here for instructions.)  When trying the find the link again, I discovered a lot of projects on their blog and web page how-to links.  So many projects, so little time....

Happy wallet-making!

The skies are safe

Rest assured, traveling public.  Your security agents are working to keep you safe and they do mean business.

In case you did not see this in the news, they recently disarmed a flying passenger.  It could have been a tragedy had they not acted swiftly. 

Here, read it for yourself, as per an article by Andrew Johnson... Dateline: St. Louis, Missouri.

TSA agents in St. Louis, Missouri, disarmed Rooster Monkburn, a cowboy sock monkey, of his two-inch toy gun after a woman brought the stuffed monkey through security. Agents said that it posed a threat because it could be confused for a real gun.... Phyllis May, who was flying back to her home in Washington state, has a small business selling sock monkeys.  She was also questioned for bringing the sewing supplies she uses to make the stuffed animals in her carry-on bag.  TSA agents told her they would have to confiscate the miniature firearm and call the police [although local TV reported they never actually called the police]. May's sewing supplies were ultimately returned to her. "Rooser Monkburn has been disarmed so I'm sure everyone on the plane was safe," May quipped.  "I understand [the TSA agent] was doing her job, but at some point doesn't common sense prevail?" May had named the disarmed monkey Rooster Monkburn after Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne's character in the film True Grit.

If you see this character, beware. I know I'm going to be careful about wearing my sock monkey slippers from now on.  That is all.

Deep Freeze

It's hard to believe, but a couple of days ago, my lilac bush thought it was spring because it was so warm.  It was trying its best to put forth some buds.  Today, totally different story.  Said buds are encased in ice.

As is just about everything else.

It's not as bad here as it is some places.  Only a couple of inches of snow, but with a quarter inch of ice underneath and possibly more to come tomorrow.  It's a good time to stay indoors, get out the telephoto lens, and annoy the birds.

The blue jays usually fly away when they see me at the window, but I guess when it's this cold and you fought off all your blue jay friends for the prime spot on the suet feeder, nothing else matters.

Stay warm and safe everyone!

It's in the Details

I have a lot of rubber stamps that may look pretty shabby to some people.  But they are stamps from my early days of stamping, when I would mount rubber images on anything that was even half-way workable.  These pictured are my favorite Merry Christmas and Happy New Year stamps, from a company called Leavenworth Jackson (remember her?).  The script is beautifully done, and I have used them over and over.  I could re-mount them on a nicer piece of wood (after all, I did eventually purchase a band saw and sander just for cutting wood for stamps).  Or I could put them on some of the modern cling mount cushion and use them with an acrylic mount.  But to tell the truth, these stamps are so nostalgic for me, just the way they are.  I could find them in the drawer with my eyes closed, because I know one is on a round cork, and one is on a round piece of scrap wood. 

These days, I buy a mix of stamps - unmounted rubber if its available, mounted stamps if I like it and it's right there in front of me, and cling mount if that's all it comes in.

Recently, I ordered a stamp from a company that is an oldie but a goodie - Meer Image.  It's one of those small stamp companies that has been around forever,  plodding away, doing what they do.  The recent email introduced a new compass design.  There was a discount to pre-order it.  I love compasses, and this one was really nice.  So I ordered it.  In the past, most of what I have bought from Meer Image has been unmounted.  I had forgotten what it's like to hold quality in my hand. 

And this is quality you just don't see anymore.  The image is a great design.  The wood is nicely finished.  Steven's initials are on the stamp.  The company name is burned (?) into the wood. (I assume it is burned, as it reminds me of watching them burn the logo into the Louisville Slugger baseball bats at the local museum and factory.) The red rubber is finely detailed and stamps perfectly.  Quality all the way.  Even the paper it was packed in was a piece of drawing paper from one of Steven's figure drawing sessions.  It made me feel special just opening the package!  

There are still some businesses and companies that produce a quality product, but it's sad that something like this stands out to me, rather than being the norm.

 

At any rate, I will really enjoy using this compass.  I won't lose my way with this one!!