New Moon Coptic Journal

My bookbinding team on Etsy put up a challange to design a book for Halloween. I haven't been working with coptic stitch lately, so I thought a journal would be nice. I pulled out this moon paper and went to work.

 

I started out with 12 gray signatures. Each signature has 10 pages. I stained the edges with cranberry ink.

Then I stitched all the signatures and the covers together using a natural shade of linen thread.

 I stained the outside of the linen thread with the cranberry ink. I choose this new moon inspired paper with the dark tree branches to give it that spookiness and appeal to those twillight fans and zombie lovers.

 Inside I used a crackle paper on the inside cover. I had a spooky tree stamp so I placed it on the first page in the same cranberry ink.

To add another unique element to this new moon journal, I took simular printed paper to the cover and stuck in the center and quarter signatures.

I really enjoyed this challenge, and look forward to creating more journals in the future.

Glorious Gloss Damask Guest Book Album

Simple, tasteful, and elegant
everything a guest book should be for one your wedding day.

Inside this book has stamped pages with the floral swag stamp and black card stock pages for photo.

This particular soft cover guest book album has black gloss embossing that really makes it stand out!

What keeps my book proportioned?

Whenever you buy a commerically made book, you never question if the book is going to retain it's form when you add your photos and other memorabilia.

However, an important factor to know when ordering a book from a craftsman who creates handmade books is how they create their binding.

I, like many other book binders, cut small slivers of card stock and place between the pages in the bindings of my books. These small slivers of card stock are called "spacers".

Spacers build up the binded edge of your book. When you first buy a handcrafted book, you might noticed the binded end of the book is thicker than the outer edge of your book. This is because those spacers are the same thickness as a photograph. Until you place your photographs inside your pages one side will be slightly wider then the other. But, once you place those pictures inside the pages, the good thing is that your book will remain it's proportioned size.

Really, it means you won't have a book that looks like a triangle from the top when your done. I'm sure you've seen those kinds of books before. The pages become thicker than the binding and doesn't hold the books shape so it feathers out at the end.

So that my friends, is why you'll find spacers in all my albums and guest books.

Paperbacks Just Got Bigger

I've been pondering the idea of making some bigger sized paperback guest book albums this past week. The smaller paperbacks (5.5" x 8.5") have been growing in popularity lately. It seems they're being used most often for baby showers, bridal showers, and retirement albums (in place of a card).

Where as the hardbound guest books (small and medium size) are more popular with weddings.

I've had some 8 x 8 paper stacks sitting on my work counter for a few months now and haven't been sure what to do with them. Sometime I cut them down to make the 5.5" x 7.5" albums but got to thinking I'd add a new size and style to the shop this week.

So, I put together this 8" x 8" paperback guest book album.

It's all pretty in pink with it's floral print and glittery highlights.  I used pink signature pages stamped with a floral swag.

 For the photo pages I added yellow card stock (acid and lignin- free) in the back and stamped with this cute flower bouquet stamp.

Then I couldn't help but thinking that stab stitch wasn't going to work for this book. It needed something more feminine, so I used my zutter bind-it-all (affiliate link) and punched the binding holes. then using one inch wide satin pink ribbon I laced the binding and double knotted it with a bow.

It almost reminds me of going to one of those fancy tea parties, all pretty and dressed up and totally girlie.

What do you think, does the size work for the cover style?

Paper Gallery

I've been spending some time over on my website trying to remodel the site and make it easier for you all to navigate. But the main purpose of my site is to allow you to browse all the options of being able to create a book for your special occasion.

Originally, I loaded all my paper choices over on flickr and ran out of space. So, I've moved the paper gallery over onto my website at www.mrschadt.com.  You'll find it under the custom order tab.

I'll try to keep the paper designs updated frequently. But in the meantime, feel free to stop over and browse the paper gallery.

I'm working on getting the custom order form back up on site, but until then please excuse the inconvenience of using the contact page. 

If you have any suggestion on how to make the paper gallery or custom order process more user friendly, I'd love to hear them.

Journaling Idea #4 - A Memorial to Someone You Love

Memorial Day is all about remembering those who have died for our country. We celebrate it by gathering together as a family, honoring those currently in the military, and creating family traditions. However, throughout our lives there is always just that one special person who we'll never forget.

Today's Journal idea is to write a memorial in honor of that special person in your life.  For me it was woman named Joanne, a dear friend, mentor, and co-worker who passed away in 2000 a few months before she would have danced at my wedding. Now, she's dancing in heaven.

Who was that special person who impacted your life? Why? and on what day do you miss them the most?

March Madness Journal Challenge #29

Wow, we're winding down with only one more challenge to go until we finish March!!

Yesterday afternoon I looked out in my backyard and cringed at the family of bunnies that have taken over my back yard. I looked at the gate of my garden and wondered if it hold to keep those critters out of my garden this summer, and remembered the lesson I teach my children most often about sharing....lol...

Today, take out your journals and think abou the last thing you shared with someone. How did it make you feel to share? Did you ever get the thing you shared back or was it a gift you'd rather they didn't return?

What else can you think of today that you could share with others, items, talents, encouragement?

Write it down in your journal.

March Madness Journal Challenge #25

As I was preparing to go to bed for the night I realized I had forgotten today's challenge. Not forgotten really, just gotten distracted with a bunch of other things on my list of needing done today.

So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, write the first thing that comes to mind, or retell that dream you just didn't want to wake up from. :)

See you in the morning.

Mach Madness Journal Challenge #25

Fairy Tales and Castles...

If you could be any fairy tale character who or what would it be?

What would you look like?

What is your happy-ever after ending?

Jot it all down in your journal, you're sure to have quite a tale to tell. :)

March Madness Journal Challenge #19

Today, I'm heading over to my nephews house to lend a hand setting up a nursery. The floor needs finished, and the furniture arranged.

Sometimes we walk into the rooms of our own homes and realize that we're unhappy with the arrangment or daydream of updating and changing things.

Today, open your journal, pick one room in your house and draw a floor plan. Place your furniture, write side notes of wall colors, themes, and things you'd like to do with the room. You can even flip through magazines and paste a few pictures on the opposite page for future reference.

March Madness Journal Challenge # 18

Yesterday I sat catching up on keeping in contact with old friends and friends who needed a little bit of encouragement for their day.

Today, I urge you to do the same thing, except to yourself. Sometimes we run around on our hetic schedules and forget that we too need a little pat on the shoulder, kind word, or sense of accomplishment.

As you pull out your journals, think about what your best friend would say to you on a day that isn't going so well, and write yourself a letter as if it were coming from that friend.

What would that friend say to encourage you?

Write it in your journal, and if you feel like sharing it here, please do. :)

March Madness Journal Challenge #16

Remember back when you wrote your name on the first page of your journal?

As a kid, we'd often be encouraged to expand our vocabulary in elementry school by writing our name at the top of a piece of paper and figuring out how many words we could make using those letters from our name. We couldn't make two letter words, the minium was three. It was great fun and the class often shared some words we thought no one else would have on their list.


Today, write your full name at the top of your journal page and see how many different words you can make from the letters of your name. There's no letter count, so "a", "is" and so forth count. :)

It's okay if you fill the page and have to write on the back too!

Come up with any interesting words?

No cheating! no dictionaries or thesarus to help you. :)

March Madness Journal Challenge #13

It's family fun day again! What better way to engage in family fun than playing games. Unlike last week's journal game challenge, instead of keeping score in your journal - your going to play games right inside your journal.

Find a family member or friend and engage in some good old fashion TIC TAC TOE on a journal page.

Have fun!!

March Madness Journal Challenge #11

This week my son has been learning about famous artist at his preschool. Today, they are learning about Jackson Pollock, an American painter and major figure in the abstract expressionest movement. 

So, in honor of Jackson Pollock, let's open up our journals and create a piece of artwork all our own.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of space, two full pages side by side, don't worry if it means skipping a page in your journal.

Take out paint, markers, crayons, pencils, chalk, or any other art supplies you may have around the house. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Close your eyes if you want to, but scribble, splatter, smear, and draw abstract shapes on your pages.

Make sure when you're finished to leave the pages open until they are dry, especially if you used paint. (you may want to place wax paper beneath your sheets if using paint, otherwise the paint will go through paper and stick to other pages.)

Presto!
Your own Jackson Pollock!

March Madness Journal Challenge #9

They say a cat has nine lives. Being curious creatures, cats often times get themselves in trouble- alot. Perhaps it is because of their curious nature that they are consitantly being given another chance to correct their wrong doings.

There's a tv show on NBC where a man named Earl has a list of people he's done wrong by and goes about fixing and making things right, after coming home from prision.

Today, your conscious is your prision.

Make a list of nine things, people, or instances where you've done wrong and have yet to make them right.

Beside each of those things write how and if you ever intended to "fix" those wrong doings.

You may just have more in common with a cat than you realize. Nine lives?

March Madness Journal Challenge #8

The one part of the Sunday paper that should never be wasted are the comics.

Today, after you're sure everyone is done with that section of the paper, cut out comic strips and blocks of comics to create a collage on your journal page.

You can use glue or tape to attach your comics.

Then using colored pencils, markers, highlighters, or crayons. Color in one thing on each block of the comic strips.

Somewhere on the page write these words: TEEHEE, LOL, ROFL, HAHA.

Next time you're filling blue, flip to this page for a smile.

Japanese Stab Stitching Journal Workshop

Last evening I indulged myself in a workshop for learning how to make a Japanese Stab Stitch Journal. This was the first time this class had been offered at the college where Chad teaches. It was fun and very informative.

We started out learning some basic facts. Like did you know, that in Japan they don't have coil bound note books like we do? That's where Japanese Stab Stitch comes into place. Traditionally, Japanese books, even the notes books, tablets, and journals they use are all bound by a variation of stab stitch technique.

Not only is the technique of book binding decorative and practical, but it's also environmently friendly.

We started out learning the basic Japanese Stab Stitch on a piece of printed cardstock.

As you can see, I mastered this first step pretty well. The knotted end and strands hanging from the sides are considered decorative.

Once we learned the stitch, we moved on to making our own journals. We started out by folding in half our pages for the "signatures" inside our book (double sided pages).

After all the pages were folded, since they precut for us, we moved on to the cover.

The cover of our journals were a choice of decorative fiber based paper.

Centuries ago paper was made from cotton fibers and often when clothing turned to rags it was recycled and turned into paper. This type of paper lasted far longer than the regular tree based pulp papers we use today. Fiber paper is acid free, and most often used for printing resumes.

Acid free paper is meant to last a life time, but resumes change all the time and we print it on acid free paper. ( a little humor from the instructor of the workshop.)

Once I had all my pieces cut it was time to choose from the four different variations of Japanese stab stitches for my jounal's book binding. I choose one called tortouis shell which was much more challenging than the basic.

I took my stitch card template provided at the beginning of class and marked my holes. I clamped the end of my book, opposite of the binding, and used an awl to punch my holes. Some of the students in the workshop used a drill with a brad nail in the end for a bit.

After a few minutes of following a diagram of the correct stitching technique, here is my Japanese stab stitch journal!

It's the perfect size at 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" to keep in my purse to write notes when I need it.

I can't wait to teach my oldest daughter how to sew using the Japanese stab stitch.

The instructor suggested I teach some workshops of my own at the college. It was the second time that day someone had asked me if I was a teacher or suggested I should teach.

Who knows, maybe in the future I will. But for now, I'm just happy being the student.

Coming Soon...March Madness Journal Challenge

Last evening as I sat working on cutting the pages of a new journal I got to thinking. (I know, my husband tells me that can be dangerous - thinking.) March is soon upon us.

It made me think about all the things that happen in the upcoming month, like my son's birthday, Saint Patrick's Day, Tax deadlines, and kite flying. But as I sat putting together a new journal it also made me think about how March is a month that can wind us up and let us go like a spinning top.

March either comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb or visa versa. Some days are windy and cold, some days it may snow, or some days may be spring like and pleasant. This is where I think of the "March Madness" syndrome we can all fall into.

So that's why last night, randomly like a March day, I decided to start the March Madness Journal Challenge. The key of this challenge is do random fun things, on random days to a note book to create your own journal. The goal of this challenge is to relieve stress and have fun with journaling.

Each day you will be given something random to do inside your journal. Then go on for the entire month of March. At the end of the challenge, for those who participate I will be giving away a free prize that I will picture on my website and here on the blog March 1st along with a more detailed guidelines and how this challenge will work.

I'm so excitied! For all of you who tell me all the time that you just don't have time to journal or don't know what to write, I challenge you to get started with me on March 1, 2010.

I will be posting the challenge daily on my blog and website. Be sure to add this site to your dailly RSS feed.

I'm so excited (oops I already said that) for the 1st annual March Maddness Journal Challenge!

Stay tuned... more details yet to come!!

Journaling Idea #2:Create a Sketch Book of Your life.

Last week, I joined up with a valentines swap, and I came across a group swaping journals. I've come across alot of journals swaps in past, mostly handmade journals being swapped by the creators with blank pages inside.

This particluar swap I came across requires you to "Sketch Your Life". For those who would prefer to draw than to write this can be a fun an different approach to journaling.

here are the suggestions the swap makes for sketching your life inside the journal, that you'd share through their swap, or just keep for yourself. 

1.Draw your breakfast. Talk about morning routine.

2.Draw your lunch. talk about who you eat lunch with.

3.Draw your dinner. Talk about your family.

4.Draw something you can't make it through a day without. Tell us why.

5.Draw something from your childhood. What memories do you have with it.

6.Draw what you are doing right now. Tell us about it.

7.Draw your favorite place you've been. Talk about why you enjoy it.

8.Draw a place you've never been but would love to go. Tell us what you would do there.

9.Draw a dessert. Share the recipe

10.Draw your foot. Talk about where they walk.

11.Draw your house, front door or in side you decide- Talk about home

12.Draw your favorite hobby- Why do you enjoy it.

13.Draw your purse, wallet and things inside- what do you carry.

14.Draw something related to your swap partners profile- write a letter to them.

15.Go somewhere new and draw there- What do you see.

16.Draw your favorite smell- Talk about it.

17.Draw five things you can touch from where you are- make a list of 15 things you can see, hear, taste, touch from where you are.

18.Draw a favorite fruit or vegetable. How do you like to eat them.

19.Draw something from a favorite movie- Why did you like the movie.

20.Draw a friend or family member or something that reminds you of them. Write about a memory with them

21.Do a page of doodles or zentangle.

22.What inspires you?

23.Draw a sound

24.Draw something related to a holiday. Write about why you like the holiday, what special traditions do you have.

25.Draw something related to Valentine's Day.

26.What can you see on your tv? What do you like to watch

27.What does the view look like outside of your window?

28.Draw your favorite outfit or piece of an outfit. When do you like to wear it?

29.Draw an animal stuffed or real.

30.Draw something that made you smile today. Why?

31.Draw something you have made.

32.Draw a project you are working on. Share how to make it.

33.Draw something you look forward to.

34.Draw something hot.

35.Draw something cold.

36.Draw why you get up in the morning.
 
 
Having all this prompts to draw, I thought of my oldest daughter, who'd rather draw me a picture than write a letter. I'm excited to share this project with her and see what she comes up with.  I may just make her a blank journal and place these drawing prompts on the pages for her to work on at her leisure. We'll see if I can share the pages when she's done. :)
 
If you'd like to check out this swap or become a part of it, you can find it at:  Sketch Art Journal Swap

Anniversary Book

From the website: Lovingyou.com. Under the "Romantic Ideas for Married Couples" I came along this post
submitted by a woman named Lina.

"For our first month anniversary, I made my husband an Anniversary Book. I bought a blank, red, hardcover journal from a bookstore, and decorated it with a "Happy Anniversary" sticker as the title and a heart on the back cover. Inside, I made a title page (not forgetting to add a mock copyright page) and instructions to the book: every month, he and I would write each other a one-page love letter expressing something wonderful about the other person, whether it was something special they did that month, or whatever. He absolutely loves it, and added his own twist to it: he sneaks the book away when I'm not looking, writes a letter, and leaves the book somewhere in an unexpected surprise location. It's a great way to remind ourselves at least once a month how much we love each other; needless to say, we always look forward to our monthly anniversaries!"

As my 10th Wedding Anniversary is coming up soon, I thought this was a great idea to share.

Many of you who are married with busy jobs, and/or kids would be able to appreciate a Anniversary Book as described by Lina.

Often, my days consist of playing taxi, chef, housekeeper, and mom. Alot of times, I forget I'm a wife. Especially, when my husband is gone all day and when he comes home still has work to do. Our main communication consist of little snippets of emails throughout the day - that is if I have time to read and reply.

I'm thinking, however, an anniversary book just might be the perfect gift to begin a new decade of marriage.