Just a little peek at my post over at the PaperArtsy Blog today. The theme is ripped, torn and burnt. I won’t tell you which one I chose so you will have to go look. I don’t have a lot of time for chit chat today because I have a lot to do. Saturdays’ in December always seem to be busy busy busy.
Don’t you just love saying finally in a sentence. It is a indication that the thing you want most or have been waiting for has come.
I have mentioned several times over the last year that hubby is getting laid off from his job in December. ( I can barely believe December is less than a month away) I never thought he would have a hard time finding a job because (it’s brag time) my honey is a genius! He is so good at numbers and measurements. He is a mechanical engineer so numbers and such are right up his alley. We have known for over a year that he was going to need a job but so many things have happened in our lives over the last year and a half to make this somewhat stressful time, very stressful. It has been a learning process. We have learned to be patient with each other, to manage our money more wisely and we have learned to wait on God. And trust that He will take care of us. And I just wanted to let you all know that God has come through again for our family and has met our needs! And I am so thankful to Him for providing my husband with a great new job that he can start after the new year! My hubby FINALLY has a job! I know many of you have prayed for us and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for remembering us in your prayers!
So with that said, I finally completed my Steampunk Art Journal.
Creating The Binding
To be honest, I thought I would never complete this art journal. A few of you asked about binding due to the bulky size. Let’s just say it was stressful finding a method that would allow me to show off all the pages with out them being crammed together. This art journal was the bulkiest journal I ever made. The binding was about 3 inches thick and the open side was another inch taller than that!! The perfect binding solution for the bulk was a Expandable Binding. I am loving this method and would definitely use it again. I think it would have worked a lot better if I have bound the journal first or as I went instead of waiting until the end but hopefully I can learn from my indecision and mistake. I found this method in a Youtube tutorial which unfortunately I cannot credit because I didn’t save it.
Update: I found the tutorial that inspired my expandable binding. Watch the Youtube video below by TracyTreasure24
The Covers
The covers are reworked from a old project which you can view HERE. I didn’t change a whole lot of the front cover but I think the small changes are significant to the look I was aiming for.
The background is stenciled using Tim Holtz Masks and Distress ink. I layered a few die cut gears, added some fiber and a mixed media tag. Lastly, I splattered some black ink and gesso. I LOVE splatters!
As you can see the back cover is the same as the front, minus the gear masks and the embellishments.
If you missed any of the inside pages to this journal they are linked below.
I am over at the PaperArtsy blog today sharing a DIY Christmas gift bag. The holidays are approaching quickly and this project is perfect for those last minute packaging ideas.
I love beautiful packaging. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to DIY Packaging. But then I start to think of the unwrapping process and how all that hard work usually ends up in the trash. Quite disappointing for those of us who make wrapping a gift an artistic expression. The great thing about gift bags is they are reusable. Not to mention that they can be really expensive at the Hallmark store. The kraft bag I used for this project was found at the dollar store. And get this…it came in packs of TWO! Not only is it unique to you but it also comes saves you a lot of money!