Category: Handmade Books

Bullet and Dot-Grid Journals

4/2/2019

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE DOT GRID JOURNALS (or Bullet Journals as they are more-widely known)

Why do I love these journals so much? Because you can actually write in a STRAIGHT LINE. Or create a layout that has grids that are the SAME SIZE. Or for creating my planner. Or for doing lettering. Or for drawing things to scale. THEY ARE WONDERFUL

We offer SEVERAL different ones here at the store.. and they vary in size, paper thickness, and design

Check out the ones we currently have in stock!!

Because we have carried Dot-Grid journals for awhile now.. I can tell you they vary quite a bit.

I LOVE the Traveler Journals from Pentalic.

The cover is soft and flexible but is durable.
There is a book mark
Pocket at the back for storage of papers or flyers
AND you can even do watercolor on this paper!! I mean, I don't recommend saturating your paper in water, but if you use a Waterbrush you will have the perfect amount of liquid to do watercolor without warping the paper.

There are also these next Dot-Grid Journals that have the BEST DESIGNS on the front!!

Just look at the cactus one!!

Ring-bound journal great for laying flat do do layouts

I also LOVE the leaf design!!

Includes book mark
Bright-white paper with darker dots so they are easier to see for making layouts

Check out how FUN this gold one is!!!

Elastic Band for holding Journal closed

This soft-cover Dot-Grid is fun and spunky!!

Soft Cover great for quick sketches
Folds flat for drawing layouts

This hard cover Purple one is bright and funky!!

Includes bookmark
Folds flat for drawing layouts
Hardcover is more durable over time

There are also these handmade books from India!

3 sections in each book include graph paper, blank pages, AND dot-grids! Great for ALL SORTS of layouts!
Hardcover made with paper made from recycled cotton fibers
Elastic Band to hold the book closed
Pocket at the back to hold flyers or other paper findings

Now, there are SO MANY THINGS you can put in your dot-grid or bullet journal... and I have had a lot of fun coming up with ideas over the last couple years!!

I LOVE to have fun writing and doodling in my dot-grid journal... and the pens I use the most are the Slicci pens (for fine line work) and the Glaze Pens (for thicker lines)

Here are some of the things I put in my dot-grid journal...

You can doodle little frames and incorporate cute paper clips!!

I used the Slicci Pen to make tiny little numbers for my year-at-a-glance and used Washi Tape to make it more fun!!

I LOVE dot-grids SPECIFICALLY for my month-at-a-glance layouts because I wanted all the boxes to be the SAME SIZE!

I love to also include a mini-month at the bottom of my month-at-a-glance.. the Slicci Pen is GREAT for jotting down all the tiny little numbers in a small space

I also LOVE to use the Taylored Expressions Clearly Planned stamps in my dot-grid notebooks because they are SO FUN and their fonts are just wonderful

I also wanted to think about OTHER THINGS that I wanted to reference quickly... and I realized I actually had a LOT I wanted to keep track of!!

Such as, books I wanted to read:

Podcasts I wanted to listen to...

(I even incorporated scrapbook papers to make the sections MORE FUN!)

Movies I wanted to watch...

What to have for dinner....

Where to eat out for dinner...

Breakfast joints and coffee...

Traveling...

And of course Addresses and Birthdays...

I also LOVE to use Washi Tape!!

This is ADORABLE Mushroom Washi Tape is from Alexandra Renke designs and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

Now, I also started a SECOND dot-grid journal to track outfit ideas...

I don't know about all of YOU but sometimes I feel like I have "Nothing to Wear!" ... when in reality I have TONS of clothes.

So I started doodling and sketching my outfits in a dot-grid notebook... making it much easier to find a fun outfit to wear without getting stressed out...

I always LOVE looking through other people's journals and sketch books... and I always wanted to make one of my own!!

I found that I was more passionate, and less self-critical, when I was sketching something for MYSELF to use!!

And, it was fun to draw the outfits I LOVED the most!!

Dot-Grid Notebooks are SO MUCH FUN to have, collect, and fill with ideas...

Do you have a dot-grid/bullet journal you have filled with art/ideas or created your own graph or planner? WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE!!!

Stop by to see us 7 days a week to get inspired..

See you soon!!
360-647-9663

Accordion Book Tutorial, Wedding/Anniversary

12/30/2018

For MANY years, we have been creating our own Accordion Books using products we carry here at the store!!

Check out this Tutorial on how to make your VERY OWN Accordion Book!

For this book, I chose a BEAUTIFUL Black/Gold/White color palette and this paper line from Simple Stories, 2018 and this sheet from ColorPlay from their Hello New Year line

You will need:

3 or 4 sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper
2 sheets of 12" x 12" Chipboard (Kraft color)
4 sheets of black card stock (or other solid color)
3 to 4 sheets of other solid card stock to layer with (I chose a Stardream Gold Leaf and an Ivory card stock with a fleck in it)
Gold Ink Pad
Ranger Ink Blending Tool
Paper cutter
Score board
Scissors
Double-sided tape, mounting tape, and pop-dots
Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
1 yard of ribbon (I chose a black satin ribbon)
Die-cuts, stamps, or other sentiments that you like

To make the Accordion Book:

Start by first taking the 2 pieces of Chipboard and cutting the pieces down to size using a paper cutter. You will need 6 pieces of chipboard that each measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Then, using the Ranger Ink Blending Tool and a Gold Ink Pad, ink the edges of each piece of chipboard

Next, take a piece of the Stardream Gold Leaf colored card stock and cut it up to get 5 pieces that measure 2" x 5 1/2"

Score each piece of the card stock at 1" so the pieces will each fold in half lengthwise

Then, use Double-Sided Tape to adhere the "hinges" to the pieces of chipboard MAKING SURE to alternate sides that the hinge is adhered so that the book creates the "Accordion" look

When you lay it flat on the counter it should look like this:

Next, cut your pieces of black card stock so that they create nice pages for your chipboard base. You will need a total of 12 pieces that each measure 4 1/4" x 6 1/4"

On the BACK page, adhere the piece of Black Satin Ribbon to the Kraft Chipboard piece using Double-Sided Tape. THEN lay down the last piece of black card stock and adhere it in place so the ribbon is secure.

Then, use decorative and patterned card stock to decorate the book!!!

Once you decorate ONE SIDE, flip the book over and decorate the OTHER SIDE!!

The front of the book can be as basic or as exciting as you'd like!! REMEMBER that the front of the book will be the page that opens up LIKE A BOOK. You don't want your Accordion Book to be backwards!!

We used these BEAUTIFUL die-cuts to decorate the front of the book!! Since this will be a wedding or Anniversary themed book, I used the Mr. and Mrs. die-cut from Impression Obsession and this Mini-Frame Circle from Jeanine's Art

I love having a nice, big sentiment at the back of the book.. and this "Pop, Fizz, Clink" cut-out from the patterned paper is just PERFECT!!

I also used these fun heart die-cuts to use in the book... The Hearts and Flourish Heart are both from Impression Obsession. I cut them out of Glitter Paper and the Stardream Gold Leaf color of card stock

I used both the inside cut-out of the Flourish Heart so I had embellishments for 2 pages!!

As you can see... with an Accordion Book, you can open it like a book page-by-page OR lay it out on the counter for all to see!!

Stop by to see it in person!! Accordion Books are not only FUN TO MAKE they also make a great gift idea!!! Great for Anniversaries or a Wedding... or even for displaying Graduation Photos!!

Stop by to get inspired to build your very own Accordion Book today!!

See you soon!
360-647-9663

Altered Books

11/16/2018

It can be really fun to create art inside a book!! If you love to collect old books, you may be familiar with the aesthetic of holding, opening, and smelling an old book.. there is just something special about it.

This week for Demo, Bekah was the demonstrator! She showed some ideas for altering books and shared her take.. what wonderful ideas!!

There are SO MANY different concepts to consider when you alter a book... Here are some ideas!!

Use an X-acto Knife and a cutting mat to create unique cuts into old pages... back the final page with a solid piece of decorative paper to create a nice focal point. You can add findings to hide throughout your book... like hidden keys or old stamps or fun pieces of art you may have collected..

You can also take an old canvas book and tear open the front of the canvas and add in handmade papers!!!

Pictured below, you can see how the book is torn open in the middle with textured paper added. Then, add ink to bring out the texture and add in a Dragon Eye. In the sample below, you can see the molten-lava looking medium.. that is hot glue with Composition Gold Leaf applied to the hot glue... what a cool effect!!

Sometimes in old books there might be water stains... in this idea you can see how we used the water stains to start a doodle!! Just go where your mind takes you... add in collage and decorative papers to make the journal more expressive of your ideas!!

You can re-cover your old books to make them look WAY more exciting!!

Add Charms or Metal findings!!
Create new and unusual bookmarks!
Add decorative and handmade papers to make your book more fun!!

You can use inks to colorize backgrounds and then use an X-acto Knife to cut out designs and overlay them so you can see the ink behind it...

Doodle on your book pages and then use an X-acto Knife to cut out your designs!! Use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to glue layers of paper together to add dimension to your altered book..

Now, I have to share this AMAZING idea that Bekah came up with!!

Bekah has used powerful female figures to inspire her art recently.. and her ideas are just AMAZING!!

She used the book I Am Malala and traced the cover of the book onto tracing paper

Then, Bekah used the tracing to create bold areas to lay out where she would be cutting her book

Using her design on tracing paper, Bekah created a stencil from a sheet of Acetate.

In the SAME BOOK that she took the portrait design from, she created her Altered Book.

She traced out areas with a pencil. She then glued some pages together with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive and used an X-acto Knife to cut out the chunks of paper where she traced.

Then, Bekah took Nuvo Blending Sponges and added ink to the page behind the portrait. She applied Distress Ink, Walnut Stain ink to the entire page.

When the page is turned, the portrait really stands out!!

Next, Bekah took the same stencil and Nuvo Mousse. She used 3 colors of Mousse: Aubergine (purple), Black Ash (grey), and Toasted Almond (ivory).

To make a skin tone, she used her palette knife on a silicone craft mat and added a few particles of Jupiter Color Burst and a TINY BIT of Toasted Almond Nuvo Mousse. The ivory tones of the Toasted Almond Mousse mixed with the orange tones of the Jupiter Color Burst make a beautiful skin tone.

Then Bekah used the Aubergine for Malala's scarf and the Black Ash for her hair and eyes.

She used the same book as the cutting above, just used a different grouping of pages farther in the book

I love how Bekah used the same theme for her art as the book.. it really just ties it all together!!

What beautiful and clever ideas, Bekah!!

Next week is Thanksgiving, we will have NO DEMO!!
Join us for the following week's Demo as we explore the world of Paper Lanterns!!

Mini Book Ideas with Wendy!

10/7/2018

We have been SO BUSY here at the store this week!! But that doesn't keep us from being creative!!

Last week, Wendy was the demonstrator for Demo and she showed us SEVERAL fun ideas for making miniature books!!

Check out this idea!! Wendy cut out a little Match Box from our die-cut machine here at the store.. Then, she created a SUPER TINY STITCHED BOOK and fit it inside!!! I love how she used this decorative Handmade Paper as well

HOW CUTE!!

Or check out this idea... just some folds and a few cuts from a piece of 8 1/2 x 11" piece of text weight paper and you have a quick MINI BOOK!!

When I saw this idea I FELL IN LOVE IMMEDIATELY!!

It looks a bit like a caterpillar!!

And, I love how the little hinges are ALSO CIRCLES!

This concept is pretty fun too... a set of wooden tags can be turned into a little book with minimal effort!!

Stop by the store to get inspired!!

Don't forget to join us for Demo on Wednesdays from Noon to 1pm! The next Demo theme will be Quilling Ideas! Come by and learn something new :-)

A Sneak Peek at some Classes...

11/7/2017

We offer SO MANY wonderful classes at our store! Our instructors come from a variety of backgrounds so our class options are always fun and a little different!!

One of our instructors is our very own Wendy Schwartz! This Quarter she taught SEVERAL fun classes and I was lucky enough to snap a few photos..

This first grouping is from back when Wendy was teaching the Metal Madness Class.. gosh these were GREAT CREATIONS!!!

This was SUCH a fun class!!! The students got to play with all sorts of different kinds of metals.. thin sheet metal, Composition Metal (aka Gold Leafing), metallic Pebeo Paints, new Maid-O-Metal Sheets, and copper wires and threads!

After some instruction on how to manipulate some of the metals using flame, how to adhere the Gold Leafing using Sizing, and how to weave the wire and metal... the students got to play!! I was SO IMPRESSED by what they created!!

The photos were just a few of the samples I got to see.. These students were VERY creative!!

Wendy encouraged the students to use a variety of tools, stencils, and their hands to create such stunning pieces of art!!

One of the other classes I got to see the "set-up" for was Wendy's Gel-Plate Class..

Sadly, I did not get any photos of the actual *action* of the class.. but I DID get to capture these amazing photos of WENDY'S COLLECTION of prints!!

All I have to say is WOW!!!!!!

During the class, Wendy instructed students on how to create Monoprints using the Gel Plates.

Using a Brayer, Acrylic Paints, stencils and their *imagination* they were able to create their very own prints!

Once the students made their own collection of prints, they then came back for the second half of the class.. and got to CREATE A PIECE OF ART using the prints they just made!!!

If you haven't seen it, here is a picture of the one Wendy made!!

This last weekend, Wendy taught her final class of the Quarter, the Piano Hinge Book!!

And I will tell you.. I LOVED what these gals created!!!

First, Wendy had them create covers for their books. Some used the Gel Plate and others used the Shaving Cream Marbling technique!!

The Piano Hinge Book is actually bound using Skewers!!

Wendy showed the students how to weave the book and make the pages.. IT WAS WONDERFUL!

Wendy gave each of the students bits and pieces to even make a *mini* Piano Hinge Book!! If you take a look at the little red book in the above photos, you will see that the marbled paper is one of the Handmade Papers we currently carry at the store!

We still have a couple classes left on the schedule!! Stop in to see us and take a look! We are open 7 days a week!

A new Class Schedule comes out every Quarter, so keep your eye out in the New Year for our next Class List!!

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Bullet and Dot-Grid Journals

Accordion Book Tutorial, Wedding/Anniversary

Altered Books

Mini Book Ideas with Wendy!

A Sneak Peek at some Classes...

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Bullet and Dot-Grid Journals

Accordion Book Tutorial, Wedding/Anniversary

Altered Books

Mini Book Ideas with Wendy!

A Sneak Peek at some Classes...

Stampadoodle'sBlogAll the newest stuff

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Categories

Stampadoodle's
Blog
All the newest stuff