I've been holding this project back for over 3 months but I decided it was time to share it and get your feedback.
I've made mini books before- my December Daily project from 2011 is an all time favorite of mine.
But this mini about our family road trip from New York to Salt Lake City was a challenge.
Here's a look:
1. A transparent Hambly Screenprints cover with a machine stitched spine
2. Border sewn and gessoed interior pages for an art journal look.
I used brittle vintage travel magazine pages for the inside of my book so I covered most of them with gesso to guard against breaking. The resulting pages are a joy to turn! |
As I quickly found out, hand sewing a couple of stitches to keep the pages together BEFORE you run the whole thing through your machine is a very good idea- especially when working with slippery transparency material.
The mini quickly became an art journal project. Here I'm using a chipboard stencil from Retro Cafe Art. I also tried to make a confetti page with a glassine envelope but the resulting look was down right ugly so I ripped half the envelope off and just left one side. |
Washi tape now covers the holes.
Unlike fabric, paper does not recover from a missed seam.
I no longer worried they would crumble apart and HUGE bonus- it feels great to touch and turn the pages.
I used my Martha Stewart Score Board to make the spine but the material is so thick it resists permanent bending and doesn't close properly.
I used a piece of washi tape to hold the book shut this time but next time I plan to make a little fabric button hook for the closure.
Since it doesn't lie flat I had to hold it while shooting.
Next time, I will use a knife to score a line on the transparency which should get it to lie flat for photos (and reading!)
Here is the back cover- I loved the texture from the stenciled gesso so much I left it mostly blank.
Any tips?
MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle
The mini has very few actual embellishments. I used a pack of October Afternoon die cuts, Hambly camera rub-ons and an arrow from A Flair for Buttons. The compass stencil on the right-hand page is from Prima. Stamps are from Studio Calico, Studio AE and Viva Last Vegas Stamps (which is awesome- check out their website) |
Any tips?
Lots of tape used in this mini. Most of it came from Target and the Recollection's brand sold in Michael's but I also used American Crafts Amy Tangerine tape and Tim Holtz NYC subway tape (FAVE!!!!) |
I'm very glad I pushed my technical limits with this project.
I loved working with gesso even if I had to wait 48 hours for it to dry evenly.
And the final take away? Never be afraid to make mistakes while making what is essentially a "memory" project.
You can always go back and fix those mistakes.
Or you can decide- like I did- that the mistakes are part of your process.
The next book will be better but only because I took so many "risks" with this one.
Halloween cards made with Paper Source die cuts and stamps. (Someone's been having fun at work!) |
MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle
Love this mini and I never knew that you could spray on hambley either - I would've thought that it would rub off!
ReplyDeleteAny advice she says! This is gorgeous I can almost feel all that texture and crinkliness. Beautiful, really, really REALLY beautiful Michelle! Thank you for sharing - I love all the little touches like the window with the heart pins and the white sunburst and just... everything!
ReplyDeleteHow dare you hold out on us for so long! :D
Just wonderful!!! So full of yuminess and memories :) I am glad you decided to share it is a credit to you!!
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me?!?!? You don't need advice! You should be giving it! This ROCKS!!!!! I love EVERYTHING about it! The gesso stenciling, that painted sun ray... the list goes on. LOVE!
ReplyDeleteJust gorgeous, Michelle! I love all of it, the stitching edges are divine, and your description makes me mad that I can't touch it! I wanna FEEL!! Lol! Also, I especially love all the journaling you did. Lola will love looking through that when she is older!
ReplyDeleteLike you need any help! I love this book! Its so full of texture and fun embellishments. I love the burnt orange color on the cover and that coffee cup page looks so cool!
ReplyDeleteGosh there is sooo much to love here!!! Love the starburst and circular elements you have created - awesome. The cards are soooo funky!!! Love all your creations... you rock!!!
ReplyDeleteI so agree. All of the mediums are scary at first, but once you try, it's great! I love how using them gets me to push me to accept the imperfections and roll with the punches! Love how this turned out.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing minis like this. Having it so packed full it probably wouldn't fold flat whatever you did with the spine, but that is part of the charm.
ReplyDeletewow..awesome job!!! found your blog through soaphousemama!
ReplyDeleteYep - totally still in love with this!!!! Thanks for linking up at purple mailbox :)
ReplyDeletePretty darn awesome if you ask me! It's so artsy, full of memories, and OMG the texture! You know I'm a fool for that :)
ReplyDelete