New Journal Cover Pics

About 3 years ago my in-laws bought me and my hubby some art supplies. We were in South Korea and without knowing the language were at a loss for asking directions to anywhere "specific". We searched and searched everywhere, at the little markets littering the country side at the big malls and shopping districts. Found nothing of what we were looking for. So...they decided to send us what they knew we liked and thus my LOVE for art books started. I have been putting random collages and cut-outs in this book ever since. But it wasn't until this week that my hubby decided to cover his that i also got a tickle in my toes to do the same. It was a scary process for me. Changing the cover, making it a different book. It had 3 different "completed" cover jobs done on it before I stopped and kept one. I could not decide which one I liked best so I kept going over the layers. It started out bright and colorful and ended in this. The true face. I can't beleive that this is THE book that started it all. And all this time I was afraid of it, because of blank cover.

Sparklebluefaery: Day 13- Handmade Book Winner

I WON!   YAY!  I cannot wait to see the book! I am overwhelmed with anticipation!




Handmade Book Winner!

http://sparklebluefaery.blogspot.com/

She has some amazing posts and beautiful artwork!

Joey's Sketch/Music Book

This book is very special to me.

I made it for my older brother. He is a wonderful artist and beautiful musician. He likes to wrap himself deeply in it. So i thought of a way to make it easy to do both no matter where he is. About half the pages are sketch paper and the other half is blank music paper.

(front cover)

Inside the front cover i photocopied a picture from when we were younger.

(and added a little note)

These are the pages I added on the inside.

My brother and I have always had a special bond as children and even as adults. I made him this book because he is always traveling and ALWAYS  has his backpack on his back. I used silver ducktape to reinforce the edges and spine in the event it gets beat up. :) I cannot wait to see what beautiful things end up in this book. I hope he shares with me. Otherwise it might be hard to talk me into making another one   :)

Love you Joey!



New and Old Journals

These are some of the journals that i have been working on with my 5 year old. Kinda like practice for her school journals. We are homeschooling starting in July and I thought it would be good practice for when we start working in her journals. She has wonderful sense of color and placement for a 5 year old. But she is very intense when it comes to something like this. She has to make it look EXACTLY like what she is thinking of or she wont finish it. She gets very upset. LOL I think we need to work on that. But she is perfect in every way. I have always hoped my children would have a love for art as I do. And they both are amazing.

The front cover of our doodle book

The cover of my hubby's sketch book

Hand-drawn by me, help with color goes to my daughter.

(front)

He asked me to make it colorful. :)

(back)

My daughter's practice with collage. She likes eyes. I did the back. She did the front.

Of course I had to tell her what everything said. AFTER she glued it down simply because it was pretty.

Another one we did. I decorated and she did all the gluing.

I enjoy the time I get to work on these. I especially enjoy that I can incorporate her in the process. It is better than a baby book. I will always have these to document her stages. Some pages are super serious. Some are super silly. But no matter the page it is her. Her artwork in MY books. I will always have that to look at and share with people. So, once i get her to sign all the proper release forms i will post some of her beautiful pages.  :)  

Just another day in paradise......

One thing I have noticed about myself through this process is that I am too indecisive when it comes to something that is going to be hanging around for awhile. I have been making LOTS of journals to work with but cant seem to be happy with any of them. Too small, too big, too short, too tall, too thin, too thick...etc. Most of them get passed into the bookshelf, figure i will use them eventually. Some have been passed on to my kids to draw in, one is on its way to becoming a "hand-drawn photo album" as a gift to "Nana" (my mother) I have been spending alot of time MAKING journals and not journaling IN them.  :-)

But I think I have what I want now so the fun begins!

My next daily journal. It still needs some cover work.

This is going to be my travel journal.

 I am making a trip home to see my family next week,

 and needed something smaller to journal in.

I tried my hand in binding with leather. It turned out OK, I think. :)

Next time I might try adding something in the spine for extra support.