This one took a while, which is why I’ve been so quiet lately. I’ve been bizzy, making a mess, getting things done. This was a big project. I decided to paint both the front and back covers this time. Not only that, but there are several layers. Several. It took about a week to complete. It’s quite big - 8 3/4″ W x 11″ L.

As always, photos enlarge when you click them.

close up front cover

back cover

close up back cover

Can be used as a art journal, scrapbook, photo album or whatever you’d like.

Available in my etsy shop now. Or it can be purchased directly through me via Paypal.

DeeDee nominated me for the brillante weblog award. Thank you, DeeDee!! She said that I paint houses that are alive. hm..I’m going to think of that every time I go to paint a new one from now on. The pressure is on!!

The rules of accepting the award:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

You know how I hate to play by the rules, so I’m going to nominate everyone on my links page. So, if your link is there, consider yourself a winner!! Yay!

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The VAST etsy team that I joined last week is having a Christmas in July sale. I hesitated doing it because..well, because it’s rather a large task. I just had a HUGE sale in one of my etsy shops and I put everything on sale. EVERYthing. That was A LOT of editing and the re-editing when the sale was over. Etsy doesn’t make it easy to do this type of thing. But, whatever. I did it anyway. Only five items are on sale, not all. So, if you haven’t taken a look in my shop lately, please do.

1930s COLLAGED NOTEBOOK JOURNAL - I AM GOING TO BE A GROCERY MAN

1930s COLLAGED NOTEBOOK JOURNAL - WHEN WE GROW UP

1930s COLLAGED NOTEBOOK JOURNAL - IN THE SPRING

1930s COLLAGED NOTEBOOK JOURNAL - WHEN I GROW UP I WILL BUILD HOUSES

1930s COLLAGED NOTEBOOK JOURNAL - I AM A KITTEN

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aw! I read this morning that the world’s oldest blogger,  Ollie Riley passed away Saturday. 108 years old, and blogging til the end.

Rest in peace, lady writer.

available in my etsy shop now!!

Newly listed handmade book in my Etsy shop. This is one of the books I made to use in the artistic alchemy workshop I’m taking. I decided to keep one and sell the other one. So, there you have it! Go look!

I’m also added a scrapbook to my shop this morning. It’s not handmade, but it’s brand new! I admit, I don’t really care for the cover. But hey, I have several of these which I have made my own by painting and collaging over the covers. They are perfect for drawing, painting, scrapbooking..whatever it is you do.

I couldn’t decide which one I wanted. I looked at Once Upon The End’s Etsy for about an hour. I kept hopping back and forth between these two books, and simply couldn’t make up my mind which one I liked more.

Suddenly, I thought, why do I have to like one better than the other? I don’t! Yay! So, I bought both of them. I snagged this picture from Cheryl’s blog to show you what they look like. I can’t wait to get them.

Okay, so I started Kira’s Artistic Alchemy Workshop on June 2nd. It’s a workshop about art journaling, and I made a book to use for the class. Well, only thing is, I made it small and now I don’t like how small it is.

So, yesterday I decided to go ahead and make a book the size I will enjoy using. Otherwise, I will go through the entire 6 weeks of the workshop and be unhappy with the book the entire time. It won’t matter if I like the art inside the book. I will be unhappy. ack! I just know how I am.

I prefer square books for my art journal, but I had a bunch of 5.5 x 8.5 covers already cut and prepped with gesso. I like this size okay enough. So, I made one cover, and somehow another one grew out of that one. I don’t know how long I was in my art studio. I completely lost track of time while doing these covers.

You won’t believe this, but now, I have another dilemma. I don’t know which one to use for the workshop. I like both of them. AND..not only that! This morning, I’m rethinking using the smaller square book. The size isn’t bothering me so much today. What the heck is up with me? Maybe I’m just procrastinating? Maybe not being able to decide on a book to use is keeping me from doing the art journaling itself.

hm..

I AM going to make a decision. The next post will reveal which book cover I chose to use. In the meantime, I’m going to coil bound the two new book covers into books. Now, what paper should I put inside the books? hm..

This could be a very long day.

This handmade notebook is 8.5″ long x 5.5″ wide. It is coil bound, and has 55 sheets of green, unlined, 24 lb. paper inside. That means you’ll get 110 pages to write or draw on. The book lies flat, which makes it easy to write in.

The words and image used was cut out of an antique book I had lying around. The front cover has been sealed with gel medium and beeswax, which makes it soft to the touch, and smells wonderful.

I haven’t listed it in my Etsy store yet, so if you want to make me an offer I can’t refuse my email address is katie228 @ gmail.com - be sure to close up the spaces around the @ sign or else the email won’t go through.