Just Finished an Altered Journal for Family Member

Hi! I just finished a great blank journal for my brother-in-law! He loves the out-of-doors, camping, and taught biology. So adding elements of plants, etc. is what the book includes. I started with an

old receipe book that I covered with papers representing stones in water, burlap, and also torn pieces of wallpaper samples with plants. Before covering the book, I created a peek-through so that I could add a saying in the window on the front endpaper on the right. After covering the book, I used a square of black plastic screen to make the view more interesting through the square I cutout. I also added pockets inside to hold memorabilia. On those pages I used a brown ink to give it a weathered look and added rubber stamping of plants and flowers. I also did hole-punching at the top and bottom of the pockets which were then laced with a white cording. I noticed that the book had sections of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter receipes and so I used the title pages as dividers for the book for journaling, separating the sections with a tag that extents beyond the book page as a tab for each section. I cut out pages in each section about an inch from the binding and then added blank linen paper pages for journaling by glueing each linen page between two cut pages.

In the back of the book, I added another set of pockets in a vertical formation across two pages with eyelets to secure them in place. This adds another area for keeping memorabilia. Because of the option to keep memorabilia in certain pages I decided to use a length of jute threaded through an eyelet on the edge of the front and back covers that allows the user to tie the jute in a bow to secure those pieces in the book that might be placed in the pockets. Above on the right is an open section of the book showing the pockets and the tabs. What do you think?

Back from Vegas with $$$$$$

Well, I have more money for craft supplies..yeah! I came back with my original money plus! So, I am energized to create again and plan on some altered books that could be unique to the buyer. I would design the pages, but the buyer could add pictures and text to make it unique to them. What do you think?

Thanks for those who are following. Would love to have more followers and have some interaction with you all. Let me know your thoughts!

Happy Crafting,
Gregg

August 2, 2009-@Mandalay Bay in Vegas

Well, we arrive yesterday around 9 a.m, but our suite wasn't ready. So we stored our bags and then went out site-seeing. It was very hot at even that time of day. I think before they called us that our suite was ready, we had gone to the Luxor, Excalibur, and some of Mandalay Bay. One colleague traveling with us had not been here for 20 years and so she was like a "kid at the fair", wanting to see and do everything. I did win over $300 yesterday on the slots. I guess I have the knack for it.
As we went through stores, etc., I always look to see what's selling and get inspiration from other arts who have created "crafty" things. I found many things that I might incorporate in my own art. Even in the bathroom of a restaurant in Mandalay Bay, I found wall stamped with sponge stamps that gave I ideas for future things to create. My mind does not rest when it comes to finding creative ways to present art. Maybe crazy, but I am "built" that way.

Well, I' up early on this Monday, just as I always am every morning, because of my lumbar problem. Wish I could sleep in, but did go to bed about 7:30 p.m. Vegas time...so I had really been up many hours longer than I would have been at home. Still, it's a great time with me being up by myself to think about art and all my pursuits. I did bring one of my crafting book treasures with me called, Paper Crafts & Stamp It! : Treasury of Tips & Tricks by the same people who do the magazine. So it is a collaboration of ideas from many people. Great book! It covers cards, altered books, tags, and more. It's a good one to have in your crafting library.

Back to the things I see here: Even the carpets in the room and halls have been done with designs that could be transferred to other craft techniques. The halls have carpets with a ginko pattern and the carpets in the suite have a coral pattern. The art on the walls are a combination of photography and those with a painterly approach (as in the foyer paintings) So there is plenty to look at for inspiration as is wherever I go. It's crazy, but I can look at a non-descript pattern on a wall and see objects, people, etc. within the design. That may not make sense to some, but I've always done that since very young.

Well, I will keep you posted. I did find a box shape here (that the soap came in) that I plan to copy and develop into a shape I can use for some of my art. My cutout cards have now a special box that they come in. I need to post that on my site along with the card cutouts for people to see. It just gives the cards a nice home for housing them and could also be used after the cards are gone for some other purpose.

Take care and craft away!
Gregg

Saturday, August 1, 2009-Pack'in for Vegas!

Well, today I leave with friends to fly out to Vegas for some "time away". Maybe, I'll win big--ha! Actually, I enjoy all the landscaping in and around the strip, which gives me ideas for my paper flowers and any other art I might produce. I'm working on some altered books at this point in time that go beyond those I've already created. It's exciting to create! Love it.

My idea for one of my books is of an old album from the late 1800's found by one of my brothers that had been left in an apartment. There was no way to contact anyone, because the renters left no info, etc. So my brother thought I'd appreciate the album. It was filled with pressed flowers, pictures through the years in the form of those cabinet cards, mainly. I plan to use most of them in the original album, but give it some "sparkle" and arrange pictures in different ways with pockets and other forms to present them. I'm thinking of calling it, "Lost Faces"...since it is a collection of a family from the past with many pictures not having any labels on the back.

I may post it on my store for sale after finishing. Also thought of possibly creating an album such that the buyer could put their own pictures in from the past in and around the art I would have on the page. Ideas, ideas ideas...right?

Well, thanks for those who have become followers. Spread the word if you feel it, for more to join in. Let me know, too, your thoughts about my blog. I'd love to interact.

Take care...and see you after the 7th when I return from Vegas..

Gregg