A Little Black Book Part I

Thanks to Swap-bot I have just discovered Smashbooking and junk journaling. While I already incorporated some of these concepts into my regular scrapbooks, I love the idea of using ordinary things that normally get thrown away as elements in a quick-to-make journal. I have piles of things already that I didn't know what to do with but could no bear to throw away--you know, those odd mementos like party napkins, business cards, and miniature golf score cards! They really build up and take up a surprising amount of space. Hence the junk journal. I am going to start one soon.

But in the meantime, looking at others' altered books and home-made journals made me want to try making one too. I have several ideas I want to try: a dream journal, to record my absolutely bizarre dreams, a book of all of the dates my husband and I have been on (or at least all of the ones we can remember and/or have souvenirs of), and a journal of my obsessions. I say obsessions because, well, I do tend to obsess over things that I like. Every now and then, I discover something that strikes me in a special way and I become...obsessed is just the only word. I have to tell everyone about it and make them like it too. Unfortunately, I am usually the only one who is that enthused and I end up disappointed. I lose sleep because my mind won't stop running on and on about the characters or the rules of the game or whatever.

Previous obsessions have been The Mighty Ducks cartoon show, Clue (the game), Annie (the musical--not the horrible movie adaptations) Jane Austen, Tolkien, and Harry Potter. I still love all of these things, but I no longer feel a burning desire to share that love with the world. Well, not constantly anyway. No, my obsessions now are Black Butler, Doctor Who, Helena Bonham-Carter, Neil Gaiman, Blythe, and Vivienne Westwood...I think that is all of them anyway.

I find my obsessions interesting in a clinical way, though they are sometimes tiresome even for me and always expensive. I think that they are one of the weird things that make me who I am, and rather than try to hide that, I have decided that it is time to explore my obsessiveness.

So I am making a book of obsessions. I will fill it with thoughts, pictures, song lyrics, etc as I try to figure out this aspect of my personality. It is going to be fun!

This whole weird idea popped into my head upon seeing some gorgeous scrapbook paper printed to look like black lace at Michaels. There was something dark and mysterious about it that drew me and the next thing I knew I was buying four sheets. I had already found a $2 chipboard book-making set in their bargain section and I immediately knew I had to use some of this paper to decorate the covers. And then I got a cold.

I am feeling a little better tonight so I finally got started.

First I traced around the covers on the backside of the scrapbook paper and cut them out, marking and punching out the holes for the rings.


Then I covered the chipboard side of the journal covers with a nice, even layer of Mod Podge, using a foam brush. I find it is easier to apply it directly to the covers rather than the paper.



I carefully smoothed the paper onto the chipboard covers, making sure there were no air bubbles, then spread another layer of Mod Podge all over the top.



I have moved it to a cat-and-toddler-free space to dry and will probably get to work some more on it tomorrow night. I can't wait to do the next part!