Regular Composition Books turned Beautiful Journal Books!

Hello Everybody!  Happy Friday!

I hope everybody got their composition book!  Now are you ready to play?

First get out your paints!

Here is my plain o' book...

Now I am applying paint.  This is the first time I used white.  I used a tan color before.

Time for a 2nd coat!

I didn't like the way the white turn out in its entirety.  So I could have put a 3rd coat on...but really I am ready to decorate!  So here is what my book looks like now.

This is the best part!  Decorating!  I used Mod Podge.  I tried to used regular Elmer's (as you see in the background), and it was just a little thick.  The Mod Podge comes out sorta fast, and I wasn't waiting!  I applied the Mod Podge with a foam makeup applicator.  I think they are cheaper than other applicators.  I have put chalk on projects with them as well.  Depending on what you are working on, you can also cut them in half to make them go a little further.

K&C Company--this is one of my favorites--die cut pieces are pictured below.  If you want the specific line, email or leave a comment because I would need to look it up.  These are definitely going on my book!

I don't care for how the paint turned out.  But it needed to be painted either way.  I also painted the edges.  Here I started putting the papers down.  I am going for a shabby chic theme so I don't know how this may finish.  I went to my scrap box and pulled papers that reflected the theme I wanted. 

What is so fun about this project is that if you want it to be Halloween..get out the orange and black.  If you want different kinds of butterflies, go for it!  You are only restricted by your creativity!

I cut the pink paper with decorative edged scissors but in the end it didn't matter.  How you lay down your papers does matter.  If I really wanted the edge to show, I would've need to lay it down last.  Also, if you use a vellum or handmade paper it can show what paper is overlapping.  You may not want that.

The watering can is floating around because I love it!  And don't want to lose it :)

So I added the grey and white which is Making Memories.  Then I added the light green at the top.  There is a yellow piece and then the silver hearted handmade paper.  If you look close you can see the green and grey papers peaking from behind the white handmade paper.    It's ok.  But next time I will be a little more thoughtful and probably put that underneath the heavier papers.

I added a square above the MM grey and white paper.  And I added a saying from the K&C Company die cuts at the bottom.

I am liking how this is starting to come together.  I paint the edges white.  I didn't bring the paper to the edge.  I don't know why, I just didn't.  By painting the edge white, you don't notice where the paper stops, and it looks finished.

So what kinds of things are you going to put on your book?  I started with this Jenni Bowlin rub-on.  I used my bone folder to apply the rub-on.  Many times they come with popsicle sticks, and those are great to use, too.

Then I was in the zone and didn't take any more photos until I was done.  But here is what I did:

Stamped a brown bird case that says "fly" on a light brown patterned paper and put it over the decorative square. 

Took 2 birds from the die-cut collection and put them above the bird house.

Added the butterfly on the left using pop dots so it is hovering.

Wrote 2011 on a pink ticket and placed it on the right corner.

Added 3 felt buttons in the middle.

Added a saying along the grey and white paper.

Added a velvetish flower at the bottom of the handmade paper.

Glued down my vintage watering can.

Glued down a few circle die-cuts.

Basically, the front cover is done.

I painted the back outside panel.  I may or may not embellish it further.  And I will paint both insides of the book.

Unfortunately, I was a little sloppy when I painted the front cover of my book.  I got paint on the first page.  So I trimmed off the painted part (luckily just along the edge) with decorative scissors.

I used a pink ink pad to highlight the cut and the edge of the first page.  It makes a nice gentle decoration.  If you are giving this to someone, this is a great dedication page to them.  You could put in a picture of the two of you and write a sweet message.  Sign your art work also!  And don't forget the date!

Here are a couple of other books I have done.  These both have corresponding inside pages that were done.  I didn't do the back pages probably because I was keeping them.  So I'm sorry I don't have finished images of that.  But you could paint it, put one piece of paper that fits and write "The End" on it (or use stamps, stickers, die-cuts, etc.) 

This is my creative journal.  I use it a good bit.  There is the occasional grocery list in there too.  The green trim is beat up because of my cat :)

The inside.  This is just one sheet of paper.  They are not different recipes, but you could do that if you wanted!

This is a question book and our answers.  When we go on long trips we have questions like, "If you could live anywhere--where would it be?"  And we put our name, date and answer down. 

The inside.  The owl is a stamped image cut out.

 I hope that you have enjoyed this project!  Until next time!