Finally Crafting Again!

Hello all! I can not believe it has been so long since I have updated.

I now have another new job. This one is full time with benefits! I am happier now and my schedule is settling down so I can be creative again.

I'm not sure where I saw a post about old Readers Digest books but seeing all those cool covers made me NEED to go find myself a collection!

Aren't these yummy?

I know the people in the 2nd hand store thought I was crazy. I kept taking off the dust covers and looking at the book and picking or putting back. I could care less what the books were about, I just wanted the beautiful covers to display or use for art.

I did find out that if you like these florally wall paper type you have to find books published before the early 60's. The later ones are more modern or (gasp) plain!

I got mine for .25 each.

Some of them have pretty illustrations you can use too but not to much.

I'm starting a mixed media project and am digging into the stash I bought last summer. Look at these beautiful women. I can not wait to use them. I'll be scanning them first because I want to be able to use the images again.

I also love the backs. Look at the cool type styles, post marks and stamps.

It's hard to believe the post office may become a thing of the past.

I know many of you are saying "Oh, they will save it". But I didn't think I would see the need for a Portrait Photographer and actual hard copy images become less wanted. Images on our phones and computers are more common which leaves photographers a hard time to make a living selling our images. People don't understand paying for our creativity.
Sorry I got on my soapbox but it is hard to see your livelihood dissolve with technology. I'm just glad I enjoyed reading historical stories and have seen this happen over and over and can change and move on. Which is why I am taking an on line art course to get back on track.

This one cracks me up. How short can we be?

I bought myself an online class with Jennifer Rizzo with my Christmas money.

http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

It is called Creatively Made. I am slowly moving along. The following is my attempt to do the 1st project. A mixed media journal. I choose to pick my theme as "Trust Your Journey" because a friend gave me a bracelet with this on it to remind us of the crazy journey we have been on the last year and how we have persevered.

I put this pocket watch fob on to see how it would look and it got stuck. So...it became my clasp. I was lucky to find a cool cufflink to put on the back cover to attach the chain to.

As in everything I do, everything just seems to fall into place.

Inside pages I'll add thoughts and artwork to.

I got some of my grandmothers old school books. This is an illustrations from one of them. It reminds me of her. And we have come across several photos of the cows they had when my Mom was a child. They took a lot of photos of their animals. Cows, pigs, horses and chickens. They put the kids with them I guess to make it legit, LOL! On one, my Aunt is in front of a cow, the name Maggie is on the bottom. I asked my other Aunt who this child Maggie was? She laughed and said "That is the cow!" I guess they figured everyone (even 89 years later) would know who the child was.

Anyway, I had to add this since I am living in her home and this is part of my journey.

More awesome illustrations from books and music magizines I have from her. All of these are from the late 1800's. My heart just skips a beat when I think about the fact that my ephermia is personal stuff from my history.

Inside back cover

Back cover

The cufflink closure.

Well I think I made up for the 1 month lack of post in this one post.

I hope you stayed with me.

Have a great week and I will try to post next Sat. after my Etsy team meeting. I'll be jazzed up then.