Third of Tropical Edition

I saw a quilt with the same fabric and it looked awesome, so I had to have a journal of the same. I used grey waxed thread for binding and off-white card stock for the first page of the signatures. Surprisingly I got this done before the New Year!!

I heart Shrinky Dinks!!

Look at this awesome family banner I made from Shrinky Dinks today! I was so shocked at how much it actually shrunk! It was so fun it had me brainstorming for hours at the possibilities. I hung the banner on my fridge with some cool mini-clothespin magnets. I forgot how much butt this stuff kicks. :D

Second of Tropical Edition

I inadvertently made a journal using BSU colors. I really liked the bright orange in this exotic print, and even got some orange waxed thread to use, too. I think I should take this down to the humanitarian bowl and see how much a bronco fan would pay for it. Auction it off in the parking lot. Maybe even see if I could start selling them in the Bronco shop on campus. :)

First of Tropical edition

The first in a trio I've titled the Tropical edition. The fabric I used for each of them is so exotic looking I basically had no choice. Anyway, I used a turquoise blue waxed thread to sew this journal, and tan card stock for the first page of every signature. Really fun to make!

Bookbinding Marathon

All finished in the same day! Whew! A personal record for me. I think I can relax until after Thanksgiving now.

Frog and Pear mini notebooks

Made as gifts for my kids' teachers.

Puppy with a scarf journal

I just finished this custom order for a girl who loves dogs. I have a phobia of dogs actually, because I was chased off a small cliff as a kid by a Doberman, which resulted in a broken elbow. Anyway...I am slowly overcoming the fear and am 90% ready to get a dog for my kids. I think this little dude is the coolest!

Funktastic Journal

Very fun to look at and hold, sorta hard to describe. I liked this fabric and wanted to make a book out of it, but I'm not sure what it reminds me of...if you have any ideas let me know. I've been eating too much sugar today, so maybe after the effects wear off I'll be more smarterer. yeah...

Herb Journal

For a gardener, perhaps. I used textured dark blue cardstock for the end pages that look really cool on the spine with flecks of red here and there. It took forever to make because I was also watching Netflix episodes of Chuck while stitching it together. This journal is way fun to hold. Really mellow fabric and understated grooviness.

Flaming guitar journal

I used sparkling red felt for the flames on this guitar, unfortunately they kinda got hidden behind the strings. Custom made for a girl guitarist. :)

Autumn Journal

Made for Kiri, my sis, who requested a fall journal. Hope she likes it! :)

Blue journal and Bee journal

Two journals I recently commissioned. Really fun to make.

Business cards woo-hoo!

A fabric shop, The Country Quilter, has invited me to advertise my books there!! I took some samples in to show the owner and she ordered one on the spot! She liked that all the fabric I use is from her shop. So I made up some Mini-cards at Moo.com. I used the Melissa Crowley, Naturally, design on one side (in the picture you can see one of seven designs) and then my info. on the other. I also made a mini journal as an example to put up there, too(it's 2x2 1/2 in.). I hope I can get some sales. One of the customers that was shopping that day ordered one, too. Needless to say, it was a major ego boost. Thanks Karen!!

Henna Journal

The design on this fabric totally reminded me of those supercool Henna tattoos. I liked the mix of colors a lot, too. I hand stitched in nine signatures of paper with multi-colored card stock for the first page. I finally used my brown waxed thread to bind. Fun to make and fun to touch!

Flower garden Journal

I lovelovelove this imported Japanese fabric and am really happy with how this journal turned out. I love grey, too, and finally got to use grey card stock and eyelets. I hand stitched a watering can felt patch for the front.

Cinema journal

For the movie lover in your life. I used a lot of black and white for this one. The signatures all have black card stock as the first page and then snow white heavy drawing paper for the rest. I hand stitched a vintage projector of felt for the front. This was really fun to make.

The photographers journal

This is a custom order for someone that loves photography. I tried to imagine the colors that photography bring to mind. The red stands for the darkroom and then black and white for film. I hand stitched a mini camera patch for the front. I hope she likes it!

Brick and lime

Another handbound book that I finished today. The bonsai tree patch was added at the last minute. I really don't know if it works or not...

Lamby lamb

Hand-stitched, super soft, and cute!

Ahhh, summer

So, I've been doing an awful lot of playing with the kids and not so much book binding this month. Yes, we made a "balloon land" wading pool, which was basically 100 water balloons (filled by yours truly, thank you very much) floating in a wading pool, which was fun to walk through, and then you get to smash them later. But I did manage to sew three books in the last little while, which I will be writing more about after the patches are made. Anyway, summer is winding down and I will get back to the proverbial grindstone sooner or later. Tchau!

Walnut Vinyl Journal (Vegan)

I attempted another long stitch journal. This time I hand sewed some blue felt to a piece of vinyl to make it a bit thicker. It turned out super soft and fun to hold. I added six signatures of 70# blank paper inside. A vintage button holds it together. :D

Summer bouquet

Classic mini notebook style, flowers of felt and random embroidery. Fun to make!

Kitty mascot

Aranzi Aronzo pattern from The Cute Book. Made as a gift...

Puppy in a red scarf mini notebook

Cute!

Spring blossoms journal

I just love pink and green together (peach and green, too, for that matter). It was great to use green in a journal, period. I used a light green fabric for the end pages and a forest green card stock for the first page of all seven signatures. I used a different stitch on the binding that I thought turned out pretty cool, although the paper looks a lot shabbier than it should where I was stitching. I hope to use this stitch again with better paper. I got this fabric in Montana...it will always remind me of my sisters and how alike yet strikingly different we all are. :)

Jellyfish fields mini notebook

Here's my version of jellyfish fields made of felt and embroidery. I'm not sure it's possible in this medium...they just look sorta wrong, not as wispy and fragile that I was going for. Anyway, it was fun to make. :)

Montana

My sisters and I went to Montana for Memorial day weekend. It was a blast! Look how beautiful it is there! I had so much fun...

Japanese Bonsai mini notebook

I copied the bonsai I've been nurturing for eight years onto a patch. I love that little tree. This patch is made of felt and has embroidered leaves. Mini notebook made of stiffened felt with black fabric end pages. I am somewhat obsessed with Japanese culture lately. I would move there if I could...