Wk. 12, Book 12: The Women's Series Part IV

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I'm on a roll. After last week's  blog, I found yet another old calendar - a classic. Anyone out there remember this remarkable keepsake featuring photos of outstanding African American sheroes? I took out the photos of my favorite writers, singers and poets, and created what i'm calling an "inspiration journal." 

The finished size is 12" x 12". I stapled the calendar pages together, covered the seam with linen ribbon, and added class bubbles on the seam, front and back covers for accent. Lastly, I wrote bios and quotes from the calendar in silver ink on each sheroe's page. This journal works very well as a coffee table book, too.

Okay, your turn. 

Wk. 11, Book 11: The Women's Series Part III

Last week's book had a baby. 

If you have wondered what to do with all those old favorite postcards, calendars, magazine images, and pieces of text you've collected over the years—you know, those boxes of stuff that keep multiplying like Star Trek tribbles—here's your solution:

Create journals for personal use and gifts.  

For example, you can make journals with images from old calendars, similar to the one I made last week. Staple the pages together, cover the seam with ribbons or deco paper, and add embellishments (stones, appliques, etc.) wherever you like. If the opposite sides of your pages are blank, write or affix text. You can also add blank pages in the journal if pages have front/back images.

You can do the same with all those little give-away notepads we've amassed from banks, conferences, and promotional campaigns. For example, I've turned this week's 5" x 3" notepad into a repository of notable quotes from historic female figures. (As a teacher and lecturer, I like to have good quotes within easy, immediate reach.) The photos by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher are from one of my favorite calendars on African women. And as usual, I've added a little bling on the front cover. It's a nifty little piece of utilitarian art that you can make, too. Try it. 

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Wk. 10, Book 10: The Women's Series Part II

This second book in observance of Women's History Month is an answer to the question of what to do with all those calendars and postcards and posters I've collected over the years. Create personal journals out of those treasures--why in the world didn't I think of that before?! Of course, I can't sell these journals, as I don't own the copyrights to the images, but I can certainly recycle the art for personal use.

I first saw the images included in this week's journal in a calendar featuring illustrations of women, which a friend had received for a Christmas gift in 2016. The way the artist weaves tones, textures, pen, ink, gold embossing, watercolors, and lettering into compositions is utterly compelling. I couldn't put the thing down. My friend noticed and sent me the calendar for my birthday earlier this year. How thoughtful. Thanks, Pat.

I chose my favorite illustrations from the calendar, trimmed and stapled the pages together, covered the stapled seam with glitter and lace ribbons, and applied glass beads to the cover. Fortunately, there's no text on the back of the illustrated pages, which allows ample space to write or affix pages of writings, and the heavy weight card stock pages give the journal a certain weight. The finished size is @ 8 1/2" x 10." Another piece for keepsake collection.

Wk. 9, Book 9: The Women's Series Part I

On March 2nd I met 24 delightful fifth grade ladies at the Robert W. Coleman elementary school here in Baltimore. And for a sweet period of time, we created little accordion books of poetry and short-short stories about being queens. We made crowns, too, to celebrate ourselves. 

Actually, they created; I facilitated the experience and made my book later, at home, while still awash with all that love and youthful joy. The folded size is 4 1/4" x 2 7/8" and when opened it's 4 1/4" x 11" with 8 front/back panels. I used the same papers, feathers, appliques, and "jewels" as the girls, plus some additional deco papers and photos of  to make this accordion pop-up book. 

This is the first in a series of books to be made in observance of Women's History Month. What better way to begin than with a group of queens making herstories out of the substance of their young, precious lives. What a keepsake!