Christmas In July

No, wait...

it's not July, it just feels like it outside.

In fact, it's August.  The last day of August.

So here's the new post title...

Christmas on the last day of August, just mere hours away from September, though outside it feels like July.

Regardless of the heat,

I have a fun holiday tutorial in the latest issue of Somerset Holidays & Celebrations.

If you can look past the lengthy "materials and tools" list and despite the many steps

(with lots of drying time in between)

it is actually quite an easy project.

And the options for the little scenes on top are endless.

Like when I did these way back here.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know.  I would love to see a picture of it.

*********

I want to thank you all.

I have felt the love and it greatly warmed my heart.

I hope I am able to return the favor if you ever find yourself in the center of a storm.

My love to you all.

Storms On the Horizon

I have had a few storms sitting on my horizon.

Big storms.

Possibly life altering storms.

Some have been there for quite awhile, waiting to roll in at full force.

I suppose I knew it would happen sooner or later.

I have yet to decide if it is best to fare one storm at a time or have multiple storms hit me all at once in one fail swoop.

I suppose it really just depends on the storms themselves...

their type, their force, their duration.

What I do know, and I know this with every fiber of my being, is that I get to choose how I react to them; both during their frenzied passage through my world, as well as after they have died down. 

I hope I am always able to have enough strength afterwards to see the significance of the storm.

To learn from it.  To grow from it.

To be better for it.

I can see a few more out there.

I know some might blow themselves out before reaching me and others might not.

But right now, I am ready for a little sunshine.

Journal No. 3

I'm still in Full Tilt Boogie mode.

If you know me well then you know that this class has to be really good, because I haven't walked away from it with the projects only half completed.

I just keep steaming forward not wanting to stop.

This is part one of week 3/journal 3.

This was another book I had been saving for a specific project...

a writing journal.

Though I'm an avid list maker, I've never been one to keep a journal for my inner most thoughts and feelings.

(Which may partly be the cause of what my Farmboy likes to call my "solar flares" of emotion.)

So I had been saving this book for this purpose and it seemed like just the right time to create it.

The reason I wanted to use this specific book for my writing journal is because it is white.

Lovely, clean, soothing white.

And lord knows, if I'm going to dump the whirlwind of thought and emotion from my heart and head into this book, I'm going to need a little soothing and surrounding calm as I do it.

So again, with that in mind, I chose the fabric (aqua and chocolate brown) and the papers inside (all soft colored scrapbook papers) for the same reason.

The binding stitch for this journal is really great.

And I figured out a way to dress it up a bit with some itty bitty buttons.

So very happy with it.

*********

While I'm talking of Mary Ann, it would be really great of you if you could send a warm thought and/or prayer her way, as she has recently lost her beloved Buck Moss.

Maybe even leave a comforting note for her over at her place if you have the time.

Thank you.

Ask and the Universe Will Provide

I don't do a lot of online shopping and around here I have a hard time finding antique, celluloide photo albums.

When I do find them, they are usually priced around $60 to $70.

Call me a tight-wad, but I have a hard time paying that much for something I'm going to tear apart.

The other day I got it into my head that I really, really wanted to use a photo album for my next journal.

And I'd already used the only one I had.

(Which I'm still having SO much fun playing in)

So when my brother called me the day before last to ask me to meet him for breakfast the next morning, I decided that afterward I would stop into an antique mall that I hadn't been into in awhile.

On the drive over I used my mighty brain waves and visualized a pretty, little photo album sitting in the store- in decent condition, just the right size and just the right price.

And low and behold, there it was sitting locked up in a cabinet waiting for me to find.

I sure love it when things work out!

I Was Starting To Think It Wouldn't Happen

Have you ever had a great idea, gathered the supplies needed and then sat down to begin, but once ready it just didn't feel right?  I mean, you haven't even started yet, but you know this isn't going to be what you want it to be.

This happened to me months and months ago.  So I walked away from it.  When I pulled it all back out and changed up a few ideas, it still didn't feel right.

I seriously don't even know how many times I went down this path with this one project.

And now the idea is not even remotely like the original.  But I do think it's going to be great now.

Sometimes all it takes is patience.

Two Spell Books and A Guide to Italian Architecture

The second half of Sunday was spent making Journal Two of the Full Tilt Boogie class.

In fact I made two journals on Sunday and another one last night.

(spell book no. 1)

Journal Two has a hidden binding, but I decided not to use the bead string again.  I used embroidery floss this time.

I still haven't gone out to get some waxed linen nor ordered any.  Should probably get on that seeing as how this book binding will be a regular activity for me.

In the first spell book I attached a ratty, velvet strip to the inside of the spine to create a bookmark.

(spell book no. 2)

My second spell book had a dark green cover, so I painted it black.  I think I'll put something around the spine or on the front cover, as well as add a closure ribbon.

I think I may leave the inside as it is, for a special something later on, but the first one I am super excited to fill "Practical Magic" like.

(a guide to italian architecture ~ journal no. 3)

This journal was meant to happen.  Quite a few years ago, I bought this book to make an altered book/kind of scrapbook that would house all the architecture photos we took while in Italy.  Obviously I never got around to it.  Creating my own book block for it has totally spurred me forward with this project though.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to leave the cover as is or gussie it up a bit.

Hmmm, what do you think I should do with it?