Creating: A novel idea!

 I am beginning to think that planning/making journals is my most favourite thing!  Unfortunately I always luv the variety of styles and techniques that are involved which means I haven't learned to edit!  So in my hurry to do the next thing I add way too much and go for the fastest ways and means.

Maybe one day I'll one day be able to write about how I solved this.  In the meantime...

caterinagiglio

mixed media artist

I follow blogger Caterina Giglio  and I saw her tutorial on her travel journal and I was off and running.

From experience, I knew I could NOT over plan but needed fairly blank and interesting but subtle backgrounds for pages.  I chose lots of watercolour paper as I imagined myself sitting at a sidewalk cafe sketching and dabbing away.  Snort!  But just about any paper, napkin, tissue, gift wrap can be used for various reasons.  This cutter from Michael's has a cutting bald and a scoring blade.  Rotary cutter and mat works and a bone folder or dull knife makes a crease (score) for crisp folds.  I am very messy so I really like double sided tape or easy to use glue with small openings.  Glue sticks are great for large pieces and light to medium applications. 

And then I put my foot on the slippery slope.  DING!  I have some French scrap book paper somewhere.  dum de dum DUM!

I am in my happy place.  Making a mess.  Making creative decisions.  Arranging and rearranging.

What harm can inserts and pockets do?  I fix them to the bottom of some pages with two sided sticky tape.  Some are tarted up a bit! ;^)  Inserts are useful and fun and help use up scraps!  Notice the tags!  Lots of opportunity for creativity with left over scraps or manila tags and bits of ribbon or string.

A little stenciling would tie things together.  I used a good quality acrylic paint and a cosmetic sponge.  I have learned to tape things down securely and dab limited amounts on until it looks good.

And then as I spread out all the goodness, Reality handed me my coffee. " Lovely how the back of signature 3 leads into the front of signature four.  What if day 2 happens on day four?  Versailles's gold giltness will not work for the Paris sewer tour."  Now she is overstepping as I don't think that is actually on the agenda but I am now alarmed.  Second cup of coffee. " Does it all fit into the intended book cover?"  pffftttt.  Oh no!  Save everything from the coffee Achoo!

I've created a novel! It needs about a four inch wide piece to stitch the signatures into place.  Doable, but my goodness I do get carried away!   The only thing I'm committed to is the stuck on pockets and my hopes, my dreams, my aspirations.  oops, novel is developing into a tragedy!  I guess book editers have a vital job!

My creative options:

1) Put it all in individual baggies and figure it out when I get back.

2) Let optimism arise and stick with the enlarged plan and sew those signatures to an appropriate spine.

3) Make a new journal; well, maybe just a new cover.

Where is Miss Reality with that third cup of coffee???  vbsigh