Japanese stab book - wisdom book

A while back I told you I was working on a japanese stab book. I finally finished the book this week. The book was made as part of a swap for the Hinges group at Milliande's art community for women.

Every month there is a prompt and a theme to make a book. This month the idea was to make a japanese stab binding book with quotes. As I wanted to make a book with a japanese stab binding for some time now, I decided to join in the swap.

So I looked in awe at all sorts of beautiful binding patterns and figures, but decided to go with the simplest form of binding for my little booklet. Especially since it was for a swap. In hindsight I'm so glad I did, because binding it proved to be a bit of a challenge, as you can see in the video I made.

So here's my little book. I didn't make many progress pics, but i'll try and explain what I did to make this booklet. In the video you can watch me struggle with the binding =).

WOYWW 212 and winner birthday giveaway

It's time again for yet another workdesk hop all around the world. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go and check out Julia's blog, Stamping Ground and she'll explain it all to you. From there you can also visit all other participating workdesks.

My workdesk this week is a rather funny one, as I'm getting to grips with making youtube video's .

On the desk you can see the journal page I was filming. Which I finished right in time to post the video and the page here.

First things first. Last week I posted a birthday giveaway and I promised to let my daughter draw a winner from among the comments, both here and on Youtube.

Summer of Color - Week three

Yesterday I was playing with some new sprays and embossing with a new stamp. I made a page I was realy pleased with. As it turns out the colors I used were the colors from this weeks artists choise for the Summer of Color 3. So since I like the page and the colors match this weeks colors, I will be able to submit  my entry for this week really early =).

The above images are scans and It would appear that my scanner is not big enough for this booklet, because the edges are snipped off. Not much though. I forgot to make progress pics but I do have some detail photo's to show you.

Permanent Gelatine plate made with Gelatin leaves

By special request a quick blogpost with the recipe to make a permanent gelatin plate with gelatin leaves, in stead of powdered gelatin.

I got the original recipe from Lindsay, The Frugal Crafter, but since the powdered gelatine isn't easy to come by here in the netherlands, I adjusted her recipe to use the materials I could find here easy. I also found another great blogpost by Shaz in Oz, she doesn't use alcohol, but substitutes it with sugar. When I made my plate I couldn't find her post anymore, so I used Lindsay's recipe as a starting point. I'm glad I have since found it again.

Here is Linsay's recipe:

• 6 Tablespoons geletin (7 packets)
• 1 1/2 Cups water 
• 1 Cup Alcohol (70% isoprophal)
• 1/2 cup glycerin 

As I posted last wednesday in my WOYWW post, I did get it to work with the leaf gelatine and I promised to post the recipe.

I first started to do some research on the internet, but couldn't find anything that told me exactly how to convert it. Then I figured I would just wing it, as it isn't an exact science. 

I calculated the volume Lindsay had and converted it al to the metric system and wound up with the amount in ml. I converted the comparative amounts of alcohol and glycerine and compared the lot with the gelatine recipe on the back of my package.

Summer of color, week two: Hot pink and orange

I finally done with the journal page for the summer of color, week two. This weeks chosen colors were Hot Pink and Orange. I think it's a gorgeous color combination. I loved dressing up my baby girl in these colors, when she was youger. She's now 16 and won't take any advice from me. Which, of course, is how it should be =).

I love painting with these colors, but somehow this page has been giving me a headache and it took a while for me to wrap my head around what it was that was bugging me and finish the page.

"Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground." - Theodore Roosevelt.

Instead of telling you a realy long story, maybe I should let the progress pictures tell the story for me.

WOYWW 211

Just a quick post today, showing you yesterdays workdesk, since it is time for another WOYWW over at Julia's Stamping Ground.

As yesterday was my birthday, I didn't do very much, but enjoy the weather and play a little with my newly made Gelatine plate.

Krafty birthday and giveaway

Tomorrow is my birthday (well, by the time this is posted it'll be today...) and as I understand it, it is customary to do a giveaway for your birthday here in this crafty blogland =). Since I do like to give presents, I thought I would join in the fun. So, being in book making mode, I made a little booklet for you.

This journal has been made with a huge junk mail envelope, some kraft paper bags from when I was in Paris,   scrap papers with a movie theme (can't remember the paper line) and cardstock. I added an Eifel tower keychain embellishment, bought when I was in Paris and several other things. I will add some more bits and bobs that might be nice for the crafty winner of the birthday giveaway.

To be entered in the drawing, just leave a comment stating that you would like to be entered in the drawing. You don't have to become a follower, only if you realy like what you see here =). There is a youtube video with a flip through of the booklet and when you leave me a comment there you'll be entered twice in the drawing. You can find the link at the end of this post.

Here are some flip through photo's of the booklet.

5 little booklets...

Yup, that's right, 5 little booklets and 9 more in the making. What was I thinking...

With the school hollidays coming up and lot's of birthdays, I wanted to make some journals to either tuck in my handbag while on the road, or give as a cute little present.

I saw some youtube video's with the cutest little booklets. One was a doodle book - journal from Michelle Mooney, thepaperaddiction on YouTube. Made completely from envelopes. I tried this last week, but as I only had white envelopes and not the nice brown colored ones she uses, I tea dyed some junk envelopes.

Then I saw some realy cute file folder mini booklets made with a mini file folder and just some random papers in them. I fell completely in love with these. You can see some great examples at RoxPaperScissors and Yolanda's Crafty Channel on Youtube.

As I just got the File Tabs Sizzix on the edge die, I thought I would do something with that as well.

So I've spent my weekend collecting, cutting and folding papers, all sorts of papers...

The sea is only... - art journal page

I'm participating in the Summer of Color. Where this year the colors to be used on your projects are chosen by the participating artists. This week, week one, the colors are Citron Green and Turqoise. Two of my favorite colors.

Here's my entry for this week:

“The sea is only the embodiment of a
supernatural and wonderful existence.
It is nothing but love and emotion;
it is the ‘Living Infinite...”
― Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

I remembered to make some progress pics and of course some detail shots, so this is a rather picture heavy post =).

WOYWW 210

It's time for yet another What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, #210 already, over at Julia's Stamping Ground. Time does fly these days. If you want to know what this is all about, just hop on over to her blog and she'll explain it all to you.

My desk is still a mess from making the book cover for my art journal while simultaniously working on a journal page for The Summer of Color, Week One. Who has time to clean up, right?
So I'll just show you a tiny part of my desk this time, a sneek peek at my journal page and some of the things I'll be using on the page.

I have now come to this stage in the page where there are some parts of the page that I realy like. I find this to be the most difficult part, because you know it's not done, but going forward could go either way.
Here is one of the parts that I realy like in this page. Followed by some Lovely ATC's from the WOYWW4 swap.

Mixed Media Book Cover for art journals

Next week is my birthday and my mother is coming to stay with me again for a good part of the week. I'm looking forward to the mess we will be making while crafting together. So far I have made three art journal booklets for her with a pamphlet stitch. Each made with 5 folio's.

For next week I want to make her a book cover so she can bind the 3 signatures together in a book. It will have to be something she can decorate herself and I want the signatures to be removable, so it's easier to work in the booklets.

I saw a blogpost and youtube video's from Paula Phillips (JournalArtista, Mixed Media mini books) where she did just what I was looking for. An easy to make bookcover with removable signatures. Go check her out, her booklets and journal pages are beautiful and inspiring, I started playing a bit with this idea and made a test cover for my own pamphlet booklets.

I didn't make progress pics, because I got rather caught up in the process of making this. I learned a lot while doing it and there are several things I will do differently when I make the cover for my mother. I will try and remember to make progress shots when I make that one, just let me know if you would like a tutorial on that.

I do, however, have some close up shots for you.

Home, a safe haven - art journal page

The theme for the month june over at Art journal journey is to reflect on the term "Home". For me home is the place where my loved ones are, my 2 kids, husband and 4 cats. It's a safe haven, a place of warmth and kindness.

My home used to be in Limburg, the Netherlands and it's hills are never far from my thoughts. I even created "hills" in my garden to remind me of them in the middle of the flat fields I live in today. Although, I suppose, the dikes in the polder could be considered as some sort of hill.

Someday I may go back to Limburg, but for now I'm happy where I am. Pottering away in my garden and my little craft corner. My little hiding place.

I made this page on a background that was used for cleaning of stencils and left over paints.
I'm afraid I didn't make any progress pics, but here are some close ups.

WOYWW 209

It's time again for yet another What's on your workdesk wednesday over at Julia's Stamping ground. My workdesk seems to be an ever growing chaos of bits and pieces.

On my workdesk you can see the ATC I received from the lovely Nikki C.

Here's a close up of the ATC and talking tag she sent me and some journal pages I've been working on.

Mix It Monthly - Picasso meets vintage

Last week I didn't do very much in my art journal. I did start a page on sunday evening. Continued with it on monday and then put it all away. Didn't touch it all again till thursday when I remembered the challenge over at Mix It Monthly for may/june. The prompt was yellow vintage girl goes Picasso. This sparked something with me and I went looking for some picasso inspiration and some vintage inspiration. Fliddled around a bit with that and ended up with this.

Which is not at all how I started the page.

ATC's for WOYWW4 swap

As I didn't finish the ATC's for the WOYWW4 swap in time to post them on the day itself, I promised to show them when I finished them. I finished them on thursday and yesterday I put them in envelopes and sent them of to their recipients.

I also made some cardholders to go with them, to prevent them getting damaged in the mail.