That’s one reason I’m starting out in a prefab volume. Eventually I’d love to make my own, but I know as a beginner I’d become absolutely paralyzed trying to pick stuff out, and also then not want to cover any of it up 
. Plus, I wanted an excuse to get one of those Ex Libris books, so it’s kind of a two birds–one stone thing.
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I totally understand about being overwhelmed with choices. For me, I make a stack of papers and then winnow it down as I decide on size of book and purpose of book. I have a certain “recipe” that I follow for signatures and it works for me. Generally I like to add a bit of everything and I constantly rip out pages before, during and after sewing/binding.
You’ll find what works for you, especially after your 4th book!
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This is my finished book from this weekend’s Bookmaker Collective class taught by Deedee Catron.
I bought the basic kit which included one of Um Wow Studio Book Bones kit, spines, vintage papers, and some of her washi tape.
It was called “Noted Confidential “ because there is a small accordion book attached to the front cover.
It has 4 signatures of about 6 folios each, I mostly used what was sent but I added a few of my own papers.
I used packing tape on the spine that I stenciled with black paint.
This was a fun class and it will be fun to fill the journal up with some of my vintage photos and ephemera.
I totally recommend the book bones - made sewing up the book so fast and easy. I ordered the larger one 6” x 9” for my Fodder Notebook. The one pictured above is 3” by 4”.
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@Smmarrt I love this book. I think keeping a restricted colour palatte really makes it work and the ink(?) coffee(?) splatters are wonderful
This is simply beautiful. I love the way you printed the spine.
I love your little book! I keep thinking about looking into the bookmaker collective classes but then remember all of the other classes I’m currently doing. Maybe after the new year.
Did your book bones have a strong smell (I think from the laser cutter)? I’m making my fodder keeper with them and while convenient, I can still smell them several days after taking them out of the package.
Yes, coffee dyed.
There’s only one more Bookmaker class in December - it’s for 12 smaller books that can be used as planners or ? and taught by Andrea Chebleu herself. They talked about next year and so far, there are no plans to continue the series.
The book bones for this project were small and I did wipe off the sides with a baby wipe so no odor to me. But I’ll let you know when the larger set arrives - this week, I hope. She did mention the ash but not the smell when she talked about her laser cutter and the process for making the bones. I do think that if I need a second Fodder Keeper, I’ll just make one myself with cardboard from the back of a pad of paper or an old book.
I did art journaling on the cover of a reclaimed art-book-turned-into-art-journal, sent to Kwality in the Positive Affirmations Swap. I tore out a bunch of pages so there would be room to bulk up the remaining pages, and then gessoed over most of them. It was a wonderfully made, large book with a magnetic fold-over cover, so it needed new life. Front flap:
Dimensional shapes were from the Asheville meetup, Gypsy Soul lasercuts, I think provided by Missing Willow or cackle. With the flap open:
Back cover:
And the cover fully opened up:
Materials used: laser-cut shapes, spray paint, black and white gessos, sandpaper, clear tar medium, color-shifting mica powder, clear sparkly paint, pens, markers, craft paints, stencils, random objects as stamps, paper scraps, pencil, metallic sticker strips
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Oooh so much texture!!
that cover is gorgeouos!
Absolutely beautiful. I love the colors and the big/little circles. Great sentiment too!
Thanks! I’m really liking how finger-painting a circle with gesso creates a full moon effect on a dark background. It wasn’t planned, but I do expect to do it again. 
I should have mentioned, I started with a solid black background, and it was going to become my art journal, but I just couldn’t get inspired for what to put on it, color-wise. Then I got partnered with Kwality and saw her color palette interests and then everything fell into place, because it was meant for her!
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This cover is luscious. Those colors in the background, the layers of texture and color… It feels rich. Definitely a “do epic sh!t” book 
Laid down some writing over a previously made background last night. I’m really happy with the effect, even if I accidentally left out part of the lyric I was using 
.
Part of me wants to do something else with it, but I don’t know what, so it’s done for now.
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It needs circles…I like circles, white or black.
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I say keep it as it is; even though they’re words with meaning, I like that the strokes of the letters fill the page and serve as a new layer of visual interest whether or not they’re read. As you have it right now, you have a lot of options for putting something on top later (whether circles or a line drawing or new words in different size/font or whatever) that wouldn’t obscure the words or make the page too busy. If you want to emphasize the lyrics themselves and make them the focal point, it might be good to outline the letters, or just put in some lines that separate the letters that blend together. But that’s if you want to smack the viewer in the face with those words. Leaving the page how it is pushes the viewer to engage with the page more and create their own interpretation, I think. No option is wrong, it just depends on what feels right for you!
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I was shooting for somewhere between focal quote and totally unreadable, ehich I think worked 
. My current thoughts are adding something in a contrasting script either between the lines or over top (but maybe running the opposite direction). But I don’t have any firm ideas of what that should be, so I’m happy to let it sit unless/until I have a flash of inspiration.
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This is gorgeous!
I’m thinking about signing up for the December Bookmaker Collective. I know you’ve done a few of them, would you recommend it? Are they somewhat interactive with conversation and ideas or mainly instruction and lots of heads down work?