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!
