Gathering Dust

A Tattered Torn "Way Less than Perfect" Journal

A few months ago I went to an estate sale where they wrapped and packed everything for me. 

When I got home and unpacked, I had stacks and stacks of large pieces of wrinkled and folded grayish paper that was just a little bit heavier than copy paper.  My instinct was to throw it in the trash, but I got a snip of inspiration that there might be a project somewhere in that paper. 

I started by tearing the paper into book signature size pages, without worrying about getting even edges or all the same size.

Next, I put the paper in a cake pan and poured tea over it.  After the tea bath, I dried the paper over a heat vent, making it a little crunchy.

My idea for the journal was to make it look worn, faded and a little bit dirty.  To add some background and depth to my pages, I stamped all over them randomly with sepia ink, not worrying about overlapping or smeared ink.

I  used an old file folder for the covers,  a scrap of fabric for the spine and then used twine to tie three signatures through the spine.

Smaller pages are nestled in between larger pages.

The journal is the perfect place to keep bits of ephemera like the round red  thread label, or instructions on how to use your fortune telling Teddy Bear.  The perfect place for the precious little bits of paper that make you smile like...

...a vintage cardboard package that held knitting needles, or a crumbling book spine.

Occasionally, a little color sneaks on to the pages.

The journal isn't quite finished, but a lot of pages have been started. When I find something "special" like a page of embroidery stitch instructions or an old typewritten letter, I glue it down so the next time I find a precious bit of ephemera, I'll have a background already in place for it.

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Crafting Keeps You Sane

My niece gave me a notebook that said "Crafting Keeps You Sane" and after a hectic January at work, I agree more than ever.  I've been working long hours and by the time I get home it's either too dark to take pictures for a blog post, or I'm just too tired.  Doing a little bit of cutting and pasting, coloring, knitting or stitching has given me something fun to look forward to during the long dark evenings of January.

And I've looked forward to getting back to my blog.  I've missed you, my blog friends!

But, not surprisingly, I haven't really finished anything- except I've filled a journal.  A year ago I posted about a beautiful journal that Karla gave me last  year for Christmas.  When I first opened it, I thought- it's too pretty to use, but Karla said "journals are to use"- so I did.

I've noticed a lot of journalers number and date their journals, so I thought I'd do that too- this is No. #1.  I have a lot of little journals, and special "themed" journals- but this worked as my "main" journal.

I tried to add a little variety by adding some non-paper items like a piece of beaded dress trim.

A two page spread with some of my favorite pretties.

These two pages are opposite each other, but they don't really go together... but sometimes that's just how it goes.

Probably my favorite pages because of the "low color" and mix of designs and patterns, and a card made by a friend.

Two page spread made after I fell in love with Tim Holtz Distress Markers.

The purple, green, silver and orange paper behind the Pennsylvania railroad ad was an insert from a 1930's greeting card envelope.  That is the kind of ephemera I just have to save!  The whole spread started with that piece of paper that I had to use.

A mish mash of greens and more work with distress markers.

Karla's Snow White coloring page with fabric roses at the top of the page.

The image on the left is one I've had forever from a 1900s magazine- another one of those things that needed to be saved.  The page on the right is just playing with color- green and orange are a challenge.  Thank goodness for S&H trading stamps.

That's about half of the pages in my journal.  I'll show more in my next post---unless of course, I finish something else, or have some GREAT estate sale find!

Craft Basket Overflow

I haven't posted much lately about what I'm crafting because I don't see to be able to FINISH anything.  So I'm just going to show you my craft basket and what's waiting to be finished.

This pink baby blanket that I've been working on forever....but the ball of yarn is getting smaller, and when it's gone, I'm DONE.

My SIL sent me a bunch of charm packs and mini charm packs, including this Christmas themed one.  These aren't my normal colors, but I couldn't resist playing and arranging them and finally stitching them together by hand.  I've been adding embroidery mixed in with some metallic threads. 
It's another craft project that I'm not sure where it's going to end up, but I'm having fun.

Some stitching and applique on a piece of an old quilt.  I've used a lot of this old quilt.  If you read my blog often, you've probably seen pieces of it before.

A little fabric book made from a hanky.

Lace inside the cover of the book.

A two page spread inside the book.  This book could be considered finished, but I fell like it needs a little something else to make it zingier. 

Does that ever happen to you?  You look at a project, and it seems technically done, but you just feel like you can make it a little bit better.  That's where I'm at with this.

That's kind of where I'm at with this little quilted bag, too.  It's some fabric scraps, buttons and embroidery on a little piece of an old quilt.  Maybe I don't think it's done because I haven't quite figured out what it's for!  Not quite big enough for a glasses case, too hard to use as a make up case or coin purse- maybe I should put my mad money in it!

Also in my craft basket, this collection of floral fabrics.  I don't know what I'm going to do with them, but I'm sure they have great possibilities.

I've been working on pages in my Nature's Blessing journal.  I'll show those in another post.

I do have one finished project- a tote bag made from an old plastic picnic table cloth.  Because it's plastic, you can wipe it down.  It's lined with a vintage cotton pillow case. 

Also in my craft basket, the first of the Harry Potter books.  I've read the first two or three, but I'd like to read them all, so I thought I'd start at the beginning.

Souvenir Postcard Journal Update

Back in October I posted about the postcard journal I'd learned to make in a class taught by Michelle Geller at Handmade U.  I had collaged backgrounds for all the pages, and then my journal got put on the back burner over the holidays.

This winter has given me lots of changes to play with the pages.

The book is made of twenty postcards, which means I have 40 pages to work with.

This was one of the postcards I left "as is"- I didn't collage on top of it.  I liked the horses and carriages next to the railroad car, and I'm fascinated by the lady's watch chain worn at her waist.  I have a few waist buckles, but none with the watch still attached.

A lot of the "pages" are accordion style- I've used washi tape to make pages that fold out, but it also keeps them just a little bit hidden

Like this set of pages on the left...I didn't even realize I had two empty pages in the middle of the book.

Adding a little bit of red to these pages was kind of refreshing.

I've made a couple of other journals in this style, just for practice, but I still have six pages left to finish in this book.

By the way, while I was working on this I listened to a great audio book  All the Light We Cannot See.  Recommended.

 

Lost and Found: My Moleskin Gluebook

I'd heard that Moleskins were the cream of the crop when it came to notebooks, so I picked one up on clearance a couple of years ago.  What I didn't know when I bought it was that it was a calendar, not a blank notebook.

Then I thought, I can work with that- I'll turn it into a gluebook. So, on July 2 2013, I started gluing.  I feel like I should point out that on the very first page, I broke with the definition of a "true" gluebook, which should be made only with glued images- no writing, highlighting or doodles. 

I'm thinking I could also benefit from a lettering class...

Other than adding washi tape to some pages, I pretty much stuck with just scissors and glue when working in the book. 

(The earring in the upper left corner isn't attached, it's just to hold the page down.)

Several months ago, the gluebook disappeared.  It wasn't in any of the usual places I put my projects- which can be just about anywhere in the house except the kitchen.

I looked in drawers, pulled books out from bookshelves, looked under the bed- I thought it was gone, probably tossed out with a stack of papers.

Last week, in my ongoing (and slow) attempt to organize my craft room, I opened up a little suitcase that had a tag that said "Images" and inside was my Moleskin, along with lots of images, a pair of scissors and gluestick.  It looked like my Moleskin was taking a vacation, or I had planned to take it on a vacation.

I was happy to find it, and happy to start gluing again.

A Downton Fabric Book

This fabric book project was from the Affaire at Downton

event way back in May, and I'm just now finishing it.

Even though it's a fabric book, I didn't do any sewing in it.  The tricky thing with a fabric book that you sew in is that you really have to finish the pages before you put the book together. 

If you stitch something to an premade book, the stitching will show through on the other side of the page.  So this is all glue.

This page LOOKS like its been stitched together, but I actually did the stitching on the fabric and then I glued it into the book.

This page has one of my favorite little bits on it.

This old button with a cupid.  I asked my friend Tami the button expert about it, and she said that it's a lithograph that originally had a celluloid cover.  If it still had the cover, I'd probably think it was too nice to use in the book!

I tried to keep my collage elements in the Downton era- give or take 50 years.

But the last page in the book really doesn't really fit.

It's a piece of floral stationary that someone glued little tiny bits of tatting to the center of the flowers.  I think it's sweet and I didn't want to lose it.

If you have little bits and pieces like this that you'd like to add to a journal, check out Karla's journal page swap Nature's Blessings.

You make journal pages, send them to Karla, and she'll swap them out with other people's pages, and turn it into a hardcover bound journal.  The cover features her original artwork, vintage ribbons and millinary. 

And the price is only $30.  That is a steal of a price for an original handmade journal.  I may sound like a late night TV commercial, but I said "Karla, that's crazy, you can't sell a handmade journal that cheap".

If you've thought about making or keeping a journal, so you have a place to doodle, write, keep your secrets or just save pretty little bits and pieces, this is a great opportunity to start.

And if you're already journaling, you know this is a great chance to get a real keepsake book.

(I was not compenstated for this endorsment, I just think this will be a great swap.)

 

Glue Books, Art Journals, Diaries & Doodles

I have a bunch of different books that I play in- cutting, pasting, doodling, drawing and writing.

This is one I've had for a long time-it was a gift.  It's actually a small size lined notebook that had a leather slipcover.  It was very handsome, but I never used it...until I took the leather slip cover off, tore a bunch of pages out and starting gluing stuff in it.

I call it a "glue book" but technically, a glue book is put together with just scissors, paper and glue.  I've done some doodling, lettering and outlining in this.

When you look at the images I've used it, maybe I should call it my bird book.
It's a place where I "save" those little scraps of paper that are too pretty or too special to throw away.

The book is so full that pages have started to fall out.  I've thought about taping them back in, but I kind of like the idea that I've used my book so much that I've almost worn it out.

Another journal I'm working on is my Remains of the Day journal. I made the cover a couple of years ago but it's taken me some time to sew the pages together.

The pages are finally made, but I still want to sew some more "extras" on the pages.

like the bit of ledger paper on the left and the bookmark on the edge of the page on the right.

A third book I've been having fun with is "Art Doodle Love" by Dawn DeVries Sokol. 

It's a paperback book designed to be doodled in.  The paper is nice and heavy, and the pages are full of fun backgrounds and prompts for what to doodle.

The book is small enough (and my purse is big enough) that I can put the book and a few pens and pencils in a plastic bag and bring it with me anywhere I might have a few spare minutes to fill.

Resolutions, Recaps, December Reverb and Word for the Year

If you read blogs much at all, you've probably heard of Project Life, December Daily and other organized, but simplified ways of documenting your memories.

I decided I wanted to play along, and since I like Hope Karney's journaling style so much, I used her prompts to create a Reverb 2013 journal.

Creating the journal was fun.  I papered old book covers and made my 31 pages (one for each day of December) out of a lot of bits and pieces I had on hand. 

For example, for Dec 3, I used this photo of three girls.  Since there wasn't room to write on the photo, I just added an index card as a page behind the picture.

A lot of the pages were bits and pieces I had already put together for other projects but ended up not using.  For example, this bingo card was part of something I made for the Birdsong art event, but ended up not using.

This was a piece of tissue paper that I've had for I don't even know how long, but I had to keep it until I found a place to use it.  This journal was the perfect place.

At first, I tried to find a different font or image for each day of the month.  For example, this was Dec 6.

But I didn't want a lack of fonts to keep me from getting started, so for some pages I just wrote the date.  I can always go back later and replace it with something a little fancier.

I had most of my pages in place and was ready to start journaling on Dec 1, the day of the first prompt.  I even had a brand new pen!

The first prompt:  Did you try anything new in 2013?

...I really put some thought into this, but honestly, I don't remember.  I'm sure I must have tried something, probably several things, but I just can't put my finger on anything.

Second prompt: What was the most memorable gathering you attended (or held) in 2013?

Again, I don't really remember.  Did I even attend any gatherings?

After a few more days of fumbling for answers to the daily prompts, I decided that I am either a socially inept boring loser, or else I just don't remember things the way I used to. 

I'm choosing to go with the latter, which brings me to the idea of a word for the year.  I'd never heard of  picking a word for the year until I read blogs.  Some people pick words like "courage", "truth", or "persevere" - words they'll use to guide  their actions and choices through the year. 

I never thought I needed a word, or I'd use a word- but my experience with the December reverb has made me decide my word for 2014 is going to be "mindfulness"- meaning I want to be aware of how I spend my time.  Not just so I can write things down at the end of the year, but so I can make sure I do keep trying new things, and I do attend gatherings and social events. 

My life is pretty simple, uncomplicated and comfortable.  It's really easy for me to spend most of my days in more or less the same way.  Some accounting, a few auctions and estate sales, a little time in my booth, some crafting and then I start all over again. 

For me mindfulness is going to be an antidote to complacency.  Not that there's anything wrong with complacency, but I think with a little effort I can do better.

My blog posts don't usually have so many words and so few pictures, because I'm rarely this retrospective, but sometimes putting it down in writing does help clarify what you're thinking, and I guess that's what this blog post is about.

Oops...mindfulness only has one "l".

Crafting Stuff...Samplers, Quilting, Knitting,Crafting Dilemmas

I started this stitching around the 4th of July.  My inspiration was a picture of fabric cuffs.  They made me think "band sampler".  Finding the pieces for the bands and then decorating on them was easy. 

But I didn't know how to finish the edges.  I took it with me to Karla's and we figured out a combination of laces.  Karla suggested the black lace accent on the side.  I think that makes things "pop".  But it still needs something else...but I haven't found it yet.

My French General mini-charm pack quilt has taken a turn for the better.  I remember a long time ago when my Mom was showing me some quilting tricks, we bought this clear acrylic stick that is 1/4" wide.  I suppose it has a name, but I don't know what it is.  You use it to draw a 1/4" seam on the back of your fabric. 

(You can see from the gold ink on it that I've also used it as a straight edge when drawing borders on tags.)

It's made a huge difference in keeping my seams straight. Enough of a difference that I've bought more charm packs.

Another thing I like about sewing these little pieces together is that it's a portable craft.

All I need is some fabric, a spool of thread, needle and a scissors in a little baggie in my purse and I can craft almost anywhere.

My other portable craft is the cotton yarn pastel throw I've been working on.

It's an easy pattern- just cast on 25 stitches, knit 40 rows and switch color.  You do that with seven different color yarns.  I'm using cotton yarn, and it feels good- it's a pleasure for my fingers.

You knit seven of these strips, each one starting with a different color but staying with the same color order.  I went from dark pink to pink to light pink to varigated pink etc. Then the strips are joined so the same colors are on the diagonal.

I've done three strips, almost half done.  You know what?  I don't like it.  I like the actual knitting, but I don't like the choppy block look.  So now, the big crafter's dilemma.  Do I finish it?  If I don't, what do I do with it?  If I DO, what do I do with it?  Oh such problems....

 

More Pinnies

I think I've shown this picture on my blog before- I called these little stitched bits "pinnies".  Sew Somerset saw them and asked me do an article about them.

The issue is officially available on Jun 1.  I got a preview copy and it is a good one. The projects are amazing, I'm flattered to be in such good company.

I had another piece- Bird Threads- featured in the Gallery section.

I've kept on making "Pinnies".  They are so easy and (usually) fast to make.

On a different subject, I want to give a shout out to my Dad on his XX birthday.  I don't know if he'd care if I told how old he is, but he wasn't happy when I blabbed his age when I was eight.

Let's just say he's a member of The Greatest Generation, WWII veteran and a retired college math and science teacher.  If you asked him if that was why his kids are smart, he'd say "No, that's because of their mother."

He's also very diplomatic.  Happy Birthday Dad!