NaNoWriMo, how about that book cover...

With me essentialy being a discovery writer, also described as "seat of my pants" writer (in short, a pantser), or a gardener (as opposed to, respectively, an outliner, a planner, or an architect), I'm not entirely sure how I should prepare for the upcoming month.

As I told you last time, I made an inspirational booklet and downloaded Scrivener. Since then I also adapted the highschool workbook for the young writers into a Traveler's Notebook format, so my daughter could take it with her in her TN. That took some time, but was fun to do. They are nice to read and use even if you're not in high school. I made it available in my dropbox folder (you can find the link to the dropbox on my Midori TN free inserts page).

I played a little with Scrivener and, to be honest, I am impressed, so I'm keeping it. Watched some video's about outlining and prepping for NaNoWriMo (for instance Kaytastic's channel for the writing point of view and Ellen Brock's channel for the editor's point of view) and tried to implement some outlining by making chapters and character sheets in Scrivener (some great ones for Scrivener you can find here on Caroline Norrington's site). After which I came to a full stop.

NaNoWriMo, or how to procrastinate on a professional level

Last month I found out about a phenomenon called NaNoWriMo. I thought all month about joining, because I always wanted to write a book. I always figured I would do that someday. By the end of the month I realised, someday was never going to come. I would just have to bite the bullet or give up on the thought. I still was hesitant about writing 50000 words in a month though. So I only really joined on November the third. It has been a bit of an uphill struggle, so far, as I am forever trying to catch up, or so it seems. Yesterday I passed the halfway mark of 25000 words and I am actually really proud of myself and I feel my writing isn’t half bad. So yay to me.

I’m writing this though, not because I started writing a novel, but to show you what I did when I should have been writing my novel, my procrastination results so to speak...

I did not write a book, I made books and lots of them... It seems, I'm starting a collection.

these are all inserts for the Travelers Notebooks. I also made another template for the Midori Travelers Notebook Inserts (regular size).

What I'll be sending out into the world

The last few weeks I've been really busy getting my art journal ready for a Round Robin (or circle journal) I'm participating in. I found myself getting distracted a lot and doing a lot of procrastinating, because actually I'm a bit scared about doing this.

A bit scared, as I've never done anything like this before and very exited, because I think it'll be AWESOME. So I finally finished it and I think it's ready to send on it's journey out into the world.

The round Robin is hosted by Tracy Woodsford (Sojourner) and there are 7 of us making this journey. Tracy asked us to make a journal with room for 15 spreads. Each participant would then do 2 spreads and one would be for the sign in. Obviously I deviated from that, because I'm a rebel.

Haha, no just because I wanted a certain approach to the book  that wasn't going to work with the 15 spreads.

The theme I choose for the book is: "What lies within..." and it has a subtitle, a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.”

In keeping with that theme, I felt the TARDIS* to be a great metaphor for this. I used the River Song book as an example. I also wanted the signatures to be removable, so it would be easy for each participant to work on.

* Time And Relative Dimensions In Space

I took a few progress shot, but mostly forgot to take them. Still, here they are together with some detail shots and a short show and tell video.

Book of books, secret belgian binding with a twist

I finally finished my secret belgian binding book for the swap for the Hinges group. It took me quite a while to finish it. First trying and testing, then working out a concept and when I finally started making the book I ran into several problems. Making me want to cry, but I made it, it's finished and it's ready for shipping =).

I made some progress pics, some detailed shots of the finished book and a video, so you might want to go get a cup of coffee for this =).

Tim and Dotty...

With the end of the month drawing near, I figured today (or yesterday, as I am posting this today) I would finally make the Tim Tag for august, or should I say booklet as I prefer to make books. Don't get me wrong, I like tags as well, I just don't know what to do with them once they are created. Now books I can use and that's why I prefer to make those.

And since it's all about the technique, I guess it's alright. Tim has shown us some fabulous techniques in the past year, but this one has to be my favorite. As per usual I didn't have all the materials he uses in his tutorial.

So I had to be a bit inventive and make do with what I did have.

And while I was busy making one booklet I figured I might as well make two, so I also made one for the Dotty challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show, monday challenges.

Hence the title, Tim and Dotty =). Here are some close up shots of Tim and Dotty.

Secret Belgian binding tutorial

A while back I made a little booklet as a test for a swap. The booklet was bound with the Secret Belgian binding method an I promised to make a tutorial for this binding method.

There are several fabulous written tutorials for this type of binding online, so I won't do that. Instead I made a video tutorial, showing you how to bind your book with the Secret Belgian Binding. I haven't found any other You-Tube videos with this type of binding, so I can't link it to any other videos for reference.

I hope you will find this video tutorial helpful.

I had to break the video up into 3 parts, because it would've become to long otherwise. I did think about cutting parts out, but I guess this works as well.

Just goofing around

Yesterday and today I have actualy realy been goofing around, doing everything and anything and nothing at all. I think because I'm sortoff postponing making the booklet for my next swap for the Hinges group at Milliande's art community for women. We're supposed to make a book with the secret belgian binding.

When I looked it up I was enchanted by it. the binding looks very appealing and intriguing. But I cannot, for the life of me, find any video's of it anywhere. Just some tutorials with photo's....in some foreign language. I lie, some are in english =).

I started a prototype booklet with the binding. Smaller than I want the real thing to be, no theme and not as elaborate.

I kinda like how it turned out and learned quite a bit making it.

Then I thought I would do a video of the making of the book for the swap... and so the stalling began. All kinds of questions popped into my head.

A rusty japanese stab book

When I made my first japanes stab book for a swap, my husband liked it so much that he wanted me to make one for him. So I promised him to make one.

I started working on the book last week when I showed you the covers in my WOYWW post. I finished the book last monday.

As he likes steampunk stuff, I made it rusty and old looking. He's quite pleased with his notebook.

I did take some progress shots, but not very much. So I won't be able to show you exactly what I did to get this look, but I will try and talk through all the steps.

little blue book charms

A while back I posted a picture of some booklets I was working on. Yesterday I finally finished them. Somehow I kept bumping into a wall while making these. So I'm really glad it all came together in the end. 

Two of them are already spoken for. I don't know what to do with the last one yet, but I'm sure it will find a good home as well.

I did make some progress shots while making them so I can show you how I made them.

Very late 12 tags of 2013...not a tag

I know, I am really, really late making the june tag for the 12 tags of 2013. So this will be a really, really short post. I loved the tag Tim made as an inspiration and the techniques he used, butI just couldn't get it together to go and make this tag.

This afternoon it hit me. I just wasn't in the mood to make a tag. I wanted to make books. The feeling of booklets and the fiddling with paper just makes me happy. So I decided to make the cover of a booklet with the techniques Tim showed us.

I didn't have all the products Tim used, so I used substitutes that I thought would work. I did make some progress shots and detail photo's.

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 =).

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...

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.

My first swap

A while back I took part in the altered playing card challenge over at Sandee and Amelie's steampunk challenge blog and I forgot to mention how happy I was when I found out that my altered playing cards were spotlighted at Sandee and Amelie's steampunk challenge blog. Such a lovely surprise =).

These cards brought yet another suprise because after I posted my APC's for the altered playing card challenge over at Sandee and Amelie's steampunk challenge blog, I received lots of sweet messages. Among which there was one message from a lovely, very talented, lady. Her name is Dagmar and you can find her wonderful blog here. Dagmar mentioned in her comment that she would love to add one of the cards to her ATC collection. I was delighted that she liked them so much, so I wrote her a message telling her that I would gladly sent one to her.  She wrote me a lovely message back in which she offered to sent me one of her ATC's in return.

I was over the moon as this was now my very first swap. I love sending gifts, I love surprises and I love getting mail, but...well there allways a but isn't there, I didn't know how to get the ATC to her in one piece. Nor what is common practice when doing a swap.

So I did some research and Dagmar sent me some tips. I found a nice free picture online for the back of the card and a bubble envelope, large enough for the ATC. I was however still afraid it might bend or break in the mail and after thinking a while, I figured I would make a little book to put the ATC in. And since I love making books and trying new things, I made her a little ATC booklet.

I even remembered to make some "making off" shots.

Hearts are often broken by words left unspoken

Last week was a pretty intense week and I haven't been on the internet much. I did however do some art journalling. As my mother was staying with me for the week and she also is learning to art journal, we confiscated the dining room table as a work space. So my house has been rather messy. We had a lot of fun though.

I finally started to alter the book I chose to be my new art journal. First I tore out 2 of every 3 pages, because I didn't want the book to become too thick in the end. I then started to decorate the cover. It isn't finished, but I will do that when I'm done with the book. This way it will be easier to work in and I won't have to be so carefull when working in it.

Some booklets I made

As I started blogging on lifejournal, some posts about booklets were posted there. I finally figured out how to import those posts to blogger, so I posted them here today. I back dated them as not to fill your RSS stream.

• All diferent sizes...
• What to do with all them little books...
• Another little booklet...
• How one thing can lead to another...

Not a lot of posts, realy, so I don't know why it took me so long to get them over to blogger. Not all booklets I made were posted on lifejournal, so today I will post some of the other booklets I made.

Some of the books above can be found in the previous posts, while others have never been posted before.

All booklets are handbound and most are made from tea dyed paper.

Except the TP mini album, which, off course, is made from TP rolls. You can see the (considerable) size difference very well in this picture.

I also made some tiny pictures, 2"-2", so too large to be an inchie and too small to be and ATC...

More practice

I love drawing faces, though I am a bit insecure when it comes to painting them. I really want to get past that and I realise the only way to that is to practice, practice practice. So that's what I've been doing. That and watching youtube video's of people drawing and painting faces.
It's really fun to see how everyone aproaches painting and drawing faces in a different manner. There is not one set way to draw a face. Some start with ovals, some with ovals and circels for the cranium and others start by just drawing the eyes and building the face around them. There are those that take a real mathematical approach and those that just fly by the seats of their pant (that is a correct expression I hope). Any which way, they all get to where they want to be.

I love that. I think I'm going to try all the different methods (or non methods) out there.

So today, when working in my art journal I used the method, start with the eyes and build the face from that. Which actualy came about because I collaged an eye, I found in a magazine, onto the page.

Little book of inspiration

A while back I saw a video from a very inspirational lady in wich she challenged us to create a small key chain booklet, filled with inspirational words for someone. Now I wasn't going to enter the challenge, as I have never posted a video on YouTube before, let alone a video response. She did however allow the entrance to be sent in by email. It's the 1500 subbie and birthday challenge by CreaBoetiek.

The idea has been roaming in the back of my mind ever since. I love making books and booklets and the thought of making an inspirational booklet for someone was very appealing. So, yeah, I did, I made a little keychain booklet. In fact I made two, just in case the first one would go wrong.

In the above picture the keychain part hasn't been attached yet. I did remember to take pictures while making the booklet, so I'll post those first, in the end there will be some more pictures of the finished booklets.

Ready for use

Last night I finished my new art journal. I can now finally start using it. Though I must admit, I cheated a bit and started filling in some backgrounds while I was waiting for various components to dry.

So without further ado, here it is...