Handmade books and so many photos!

Hello there, It's Horace here today to share with you my latest obsession - handmade journals. It seems I'm a bit of an all or nothing bear and once I develop a taste for making something I have to do it to the death. Hence the fact i have a huge pile of handmade journals that I'd need to live to 958 to utilise!!

One of the simplest journals I made is this.... ( excuse my doctbear uniform, I'm in training to be a bearamedic!!)


This journal is so simple it can be made in minutes, you only need folded over A4 card ( I think this works out to American letter size?) and a piece of 12 x 12 patterned paper or coloured card stock. Then it's just a matter of folding the A4 in half, cutting the 12 x 12 card to the size of the folded A4, making two holes in the middle of the Folded booklet and binding it all together, with the patterned paper forming the cover. As you see I'm using this little book for doodling pawposes.

The next book is recycling at its best. I found I had rather a stash of paper bags in my recycling folder. My furry little brain was whirring with the wonder of what to do with them all when I was struck suddenly with the inspawration to make a paper bag book. I assembled my various bags, which were all manner of shapes and sizes....


I taped down the bottoms of the bags....


Made sure my bags were neatly creased with a bone folder ( why ARE these named bone folders? Has anyone ever folded a bone with them????)


I sorted the bags into a semblance of bookishness, decorated some of the bags with patterned paper scraps to blot out the information on them....


One of the paper bags had funky red cord handles, I utilised these and made my book into a handbag style. The great thing about using paper bags as a journal is you already have slots and pockets to add extra journalling, photos and what have you. This could be used as a very handy travel journal with space for the ephemera you collect on your travels.


Next I decided to make a watercolour journal. We are lucky bears, owning a cinch, which made this journal a cinch (ha) to make. I used A4 watercolour paper for the insides, and A4 chipboard, paw decorated, for the covers. I think this is my favourite make so far.


Here are all the extra journals I made, all using up stash or scraps, or even junk such as cereal or coffee boxes. I do love a bit of recycling.


Now I just have to figure out a use for each journal, and actually use them, first though, I feel the urge to make another journal. I think I maybe an addict!!!

With love from the bears