Champion Book for Girls - journal and page

This girl's annual is circa 1940

I've been busy beyond belief this week, prepping then teaching a class at the Gerrards Cross Summer School. This year, I taught a recycled, upcycled journal where we used vintage book boards - and also an eclectic mix of vintage papers in differing sizes. Which makes for a different journal every time!

Side view showing stitch detail

So I thought you might like to see one in detail! This book is circa 1930s, a child's annual with board covers. The papers were really brittle, yellowed and actually crumbling, so I didn't feel at all guilty about cutting the boards away and completely re-binding.

Showing the mix of papers: different sizes, different types, including text, sheet music etc.

This one has tapes made from Grunge Paper, which I've painted and then applied gilt cream. I've sewn over the tapes, and then fixed them to the cover boards with little ties of embroidery silk.

I'm already addicted - I have made 5 in the last two weeks!

Animal Tales - another little journal. I'll be changing the title here I think.

And I promise I'll be posting more pix very shortly.

My 'I hate my hairdresser' journal page. The face is a cutout from a magazine, which I've then gone in and over-painted, drawn back into, etc. The lettering is by hand, using a fine paintbrush.

I've been so busy I've not been able to find time to get to the hairdresser (I'm booked in tomorrow, hurrah) so I thought you'd like to see a journal page I've done in the style of Teesha Moore, re a disastrous 'do' I had some months ago. Which went to prove it doesn't matter how much you pay, there's still no guarantee you'll look like a human being when they've finished, lol.  This time, I went home, ate a lot of chocolate and cried! My husband said, as he has a few times before, 'Never mind, pet, it'll grow...'