A new tradition

Our son in law became a citizen of Canada a month ago so we are adding a new family tradition - Canada Day!  This year we visited the Steinbach Mennonite Museum.

Happy Birthday, Canada!  This is a two fisted kind of day!

I had kept all three grand kiddies Sunday night so mama and papa could get the new barbecue all ready for the celebration.

It is also the youngest's birthday this week and big brother was all about demonstrating how the present works. lol

We spent the morning on rides and touring the heritage village.  

It was the above photo that made me remember that I want to explore doors and windows. I quickly changed to my sepia colour setting and tried to make up for the lost time but the party members were already anticipating the food and waiting to try the new barbeque. A great day, a tasty day!

Looking through my Altered Books

I luv books and reading so it was inevitable that I stumble onto altered books.  I must admit that it does take a bit of an oomph to actually tear a page and begin the process as I think I should read and keep them all.  lol

I started with a pretty good book- The Encyclopedia of Quilt Blocks.  It is patchwork blocks and I thought it would be a good base for the story of my life.  That is just too big and intimidating a subject for a first book.  So I stalled.

Then Elizabeth offered a tutorial on Altered Books and I jumped at starting over.  So I have three now!  lol

The first lessons were about general techniques and supplies so I practiced those in Gulliver's Travels.  It'll be a reference and practice book.

An early lesson was on making a niche and I decided to do that in my biggest book, the life story one.  We made it at the start, covered it on a later lesson and I'll be putting the finishing touches on it as I finish up.

I choose leaves as my theme and had found a smaller 'encyclopedia' from a the kids section at the thrift store.  I didn't realize how much stuff I'd be packing into this great project.  I am running out of room.  :)

This lesson was doors and windows and Elizabeth gave a lot of great ideas but I hadn't space for them all.

 The opaque paper I used as the niche cover was too opaque and I forgot to paint the page but had already glued it so I had to put the window in before painting.  Sheesh,  I'm messy.

But mistakes are only opportunities to be creative so I have my thinking cap on for fixing this.

I had some clear cellophane and that works great.

But I was so intent on positioning one side I forgot about the other.  lol

It all works out in the end.

Then I got some beautiful leaf glassine paper.  It, too, is pretty hard to see through.  But I couldn't not use it.

I had also to find a place to fit it in and so it isn't really a window as it isn't enclosed on 4 sides nor cut out.  I did try to get something appropriate to be behind it.  But it works for me!

The next lesson is on embellished edges and I am quite excited as I have leaf beads!  Now to find an edge to put them on!  I also found another great leaf page to incorporate in my book.  More creative puzzles to solve!  Meanwhile, I do enjoy looking through my altered book.

Altered Book

I somehow have gotten out of sync with my AB posts.  

 It might be the distractions!

Somehow I was thinking Elizabeth at The Altered Book Lover had us on pockets.  I had a wax paper envelope that I put leaves into.  I sprayed some of the coloured cardboard leaves various colours and put them into the envelope. 

I particularly like the idea of sewing the pockets on.  I also want to put more pockets in my calendar journal to hold ephemera and tags that will have info and events. This is a stamped coffee filter, used but dry! 

So my Leaf book has a pocket on the inside cover.  I tried to make it with some room and not just flat to the page.  I am realizing I am needing to start to pull this book together;  hence the circles.

 Then I made a tip in for the summer section and made a pocket from a paper doily that  had been used as a stencil.  The background is scrapbook paper with a decoupaged image and I added a bit of cotton lace, a flower sticker and some stamping to the doily pocket. I'll put tags in which will probably hold flowers with leaves in their stems.

I then got busy on a folded page.  This needed 3 pages which I don't have in the leaf book so I made this in another altered book which is 'Just Me'.

The right and left pages were painted and then stamped with circles to coordinate with the centre which has scrap booking paper on it and is folded and glued down.  I punched 2 small holes for buttons which hold a clear circle from a cd package.  I used a paint pen to add something to the clear circle.

This 2 page spread will detail my non existent exercise program!  ha!

I have post it notes throughout the leaf book.  We do have an over view of the lessons so that must explain why I had been making a window.  ???

That is for an upcoming class so now I am really confused! lol

But I am learning lots and certainly enjoying this Altered Book tutorial.