Making Time For Making

These lovely words have been rattling around in my head, waiting to be added to the altered book, since Danielle at Blessed Serendipity shared them on her blog quite some time ago.  You can find her more recently on Instagram @blessedserendipity.
Thank you for the inspiration Danielle!

And Then There Were None

 You know I have been counting down the pages to finish my never-ending altered book project and I am finally done.  I am saying good-bye to what has become an old friend but also looking forward to the next one.  I suppose people who do real jounaling probably feel the same way when one is ending and they are starting the next one.  This is not the last page in the book but seemed like a fitting quote for the final page to make.

 I showed the whole book a long time ago but took a few photos to document how it turned out.

 Is it any wonder I kept worrying about it bursting!  I am really pretty amazed it held up to all the handling.

 There are 52 pages and 103 quote collages.

I scolded myself throughout for doing the cover first because it is dimensional so it was frequently in my way.  That said, I am tempted to do the same thing next time because it is kind of motivating to have an attractive starting place.  They say you have to suffer to make great art.  Maybe you have to be inconvenienced to make mediocre art - haha! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

You Are Right!

There is some TV commercial that keeps repeating this Henry Ford quote lately and the words are so true so I added them to the altered quote book project.
Let's all think we CAN!

The Comfort Of An Old Friend

I added two more quotes to the altered book this week.  I am amazed this thing does not just split open but there are only four empty pages left and I will stop pushing it's limit.  I have been working on this project for so long that it feels like an old friend when I open it up. Finishing it is starting to feel a little bittersweet, like reaching the last chapter in an especially good book.  You want to know how it ends but you hate for it to be over.

Some Wisdom In The Altered Book

 This is a pretty simple page, just printed on patterned tissue paper and bordered with washi tapes.  It is a LOT of words, really good words, so I intentionally used a frilly font so you have to work a little to read it.

This is what it says:
"To live content with small means...
To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion...
To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich...
To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...
To listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart...
To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never...
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common...
... this is to be my symphony."
William Henry Channing
Not a lot I can add to that!

Good Words

I took some play time over the weekend and added a new page to the altered quote book project.  The page on the left is new and the one of the right was made a long time ago.  Quotes are one of my favorite things on Pinterest.  I have more accumulated on my "Good Words" board than I might ever have time!

Quote Book Pages

I haven't worked in the altered quote book in a while so I took a time-out tonight to finish up a coupe of pages that have been languishing. I'm down to just 10 more to have the book finished - WooHoo!  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT start with a book with so many pages!
I was raised that you don't talk about religion or politics in polite company but #dearcongress.  Just sayin'.

Things I Wonder About

 I was looking at my buttons and got to wondering why the holes are so BIG in old underwear buttons.  Apparently I don't have enough to think about because I spent about an hour surfing around the Internet searching for an answer. 
As near as I can discover, strips of twill tape were sewn on the garment and then threaded through the holes to tie on the buttons so they could be removed for laundering. I guess they didn't hold up well to lye soap and going through the wringer.  That answer still isn't making a lot of sense to me.  I understand not wanting to damage them but if you were going to the trouble of sewing on the twill tape then why wouldn't you just use that to tie the garment shut and not bother with the buttons at all??  Does anyone know or has anyone seen a picture of the button ON a garment?  Sheesh, the things I wonder about!

Yes, I'm still playing in the altered book.  The page on the right was made several years ago and the one on the left was made last night.  I did use some of that pretty new ribbon to make a border around it.  Funny how something as simple as a new spool of ribbon can spark an idea.  I love it when things like that happen!

More Quote Book Pages

Still working on the quote book.  I love the quote on the left and used to use it as the tag line on my emails.  Ideas are like that for me, I need to act on them right away, before they slip away.
A while back I said I thought I was nearly finished altering this book and ready to move on to the next one - WRONG!  I went through the book, removing pages and gluing pages together and found I actually have 40, count 'em FOURTY, more pages to fill.  If you are thinking of making an altered book, choose one that isn't too thick!  Even with that many pages left I'm still feeling like I'm getting close and kind of motivated to finish it. That is a good thing since play time in the altered book absolutely improves my outlook!

 I made a quick stop at Michael's to pick up some glitter on my way home from work and they had a big rack of pretty ribbons on sale for $1 each.  I had to pick up a few, just because who could resist?  I think some will become borders for some new pages in the quote book.

Hoochie-Koochie Altered Book Page

You all know how I operate by now.  Every now and then I just have to take some time to play and the altered book project is always a willing playmate. 
The page on the right is the very last page in the book.  No, that doesn't mean I'm finished!  I work in it randomly so when it is finished there won't be pages that are too similar right next to each other.  You know how easy it is to get in a rut.  It is very close, though.  The book is so fat that someday very soon I will have to call it done and cut out the remaining blank pages.
I already have my next book picked out.  A little thinner this time and the title is 'Try And Stop Me". 8+)