What's more fun than making your own good book? And every bit of it is recycled or upcycled! This handmade journal began with a bit of denim, an image from decorator fabric sample, and vintage linens. And I added a few experimental things like the fiber bead at the bottom of the roses and the wrapped and beaded cord couched along the spine.
There's so much texture happening on the cover, that it needed to continue on the pages inside. That's where a video by Kristen Robinson came in. You can see a preview clip of it here. Kristen showed how to use the vellum liners from cereal and cracker packages to make wonderfully crinkly and transparent pages for a journal! What fun this was to make.
Things are embedded in the pages by pressing them between two layers, using a non-stick pressing sheet to protect the iron. Then some stitching and paint are added before binding the pages into the book.
Even interesting little thread nests can be included. You can see the brown and white twine I chose to bind the book in this center spread.
The doily just begged to be included and I like how it looks when seeing through various layers.
Ledger paper and sheet music along with the hearts give this book a vintage feel. And the painted areas can be used for journaling. I haven't tried writing on the pages yet (for some reason I tend not to write in my journals), but Kristen says that permanent markers like a Sharpie or paint pens will work well. I wish you could hear the sound when picking up the book or turning the pages- it's so crackly and inviting!
The back of the book needs texture, too, so here is another decorator fabric sample with some embroidery on it. The lace wrap is a vintage piece of crochet that will be used as a closure. It's not stitched in place yet, and will need a button attached at the front for easy opening and closing.
Well as you can see, cracker packaging now occupies some space in my sewing room. No wonder it gets so full of a strange assortment of supplies!
6 comments:
Nancy,lovely journal! you added yet another layer of interest ..sound! to your textile ventures, brilliant.I must look at them again!!
If I am judging this book by it's cover...I'd say WONDERFUL! How cool, Nancy!!! What a great job you've done!!!
I had hoped to get here before Earth Hour, but I got caught up in a project I am working on. I am totally impressed with this journal and went back several times to reread the exact materials and process. I truly need to try this. I adore your choice to make this using those cereal and cracker liners. This is truly amazing. I wish I ate more of both. Thank you for sharing this technique. I am quite sure I will try this technique at least once during my 22 days of recycling.
Like you, I tend to not write in the books I create. I prefer to gift mine to my friends. Again, thanks for this great post and beautiful journal.
What a lovely and interesting book Nancy. The recycled cracker/cereal liners for pages - wow! Thanks for sharing ♡
I love your book and bird on the cover. Cool idea to use cereal wrappers. Not sure I would like the crinkly noise, that is not what I look for in a book, but still it might be fun to use some in my next book for added interest. Making books is fun but I don't use all mine and have given plenty away. Even if the receivers don't use theirs I think they still seem to like them. I'm sure your receivers treasure the hand made books you have given them. I took a class from Rae Missigman and she had us use a cereal bag as the beginnings of a purse-like project. More like a flat bag that might hold pencils or something. It was fun.
Nancy this journal you have created is Divine! I love the textures and unusual bits you have included. Creative Upcycled Bliss...<3
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