d.i.y: a little book.

Yay more crafts!  So, over the past few months I've been seeing a ton of d.i.y's for "Art Journals," which confused me. When I generally think of art I think of empty sketchbook + a lot of pencils = drawings, not little pieces of paper, photos and random quotes glued into a book.  Like, what's the point?  You put little pictures in a book of things that are pretty and then you draw random things on top them? Is it a scrapbook? I don't know.  I still don't understand.

However, what I do understand is the need for a sketchbook to draw and write random thoughts in.  For the last four years I've had a sketchbook constantly attached to me while I figure out school projects and eventually it became a way to sort out and organize everything else in my life.

And now I miss it. It's been less than a month since school ended but I already feel lost without that part of my life....Cue an entire paragraph about how lost and confused I feel, which is entirely unrelated to this D.I.Y and can be entirely skipped...

So school is done, like actually totally done, and I feel super out of it.  I've been in school since I was two.  I only know how to function on a predetermined schedule, where I know exactly what I need to do to get things done and do well.  I'm comfortable with that environment and being surrounded by a large group of people.  And all those years of school have been leading to this and it feels.....anti-climatic.  My entire life I just assumed you went to school, then university, graduated and then automatically got to join the field that you just finished studying for.  Apparently not.  I know we've been done for less than a month, and I have a job that I enjoy, but it's not in my field. And I've dropped off a ton of applications, and nothing has come up and I can't shake this terrible feeling that this is it, that now that I'm left on my own, it's not going to go anywhere, that it's possible that I could never get a job in a firm and completely fail.  It is the worst possible feeling.  So this is going to be a year of a lot of learning, getting used to a completely different environment...and a lot of applications and phone calls.  Everything has always worked out, and I feel this will too, just not in the timing that I would like...

Anywaaays....back to craft therapy.  I like sketchbooks, and I don't like empty things.  I like looking at pictures and textures and writing things out to get inspiration.  Therefore, this book is the best sketchbook + everything I love all together, and it fits in my bag.

Things you need:

_paper ( I tore some pages out of a half finished sketchbook)

_thin cardboard (like a cereal box, or if you're a nerd, millboard)

_ruler, exacto and gluestick

_tape (I used masking tape, but I've seen other people use painter's tape or Washi tape)

_things to decorate with, like fabric, pretty paper, pictures from magazines, pieces of things you like, pens etc.)

1_ cut your paper down to whatever size you like, I did 4" by 5.5".  Cut two covers out of your cardboard, making them slightly bigger.

2_with the "nice" side of the cardboard facing up place a piece of tape along the long edge with half hanging off.  Flip over so sticky side of tape is up.

3_place one piece of paper on top of tape.

4_flip over and trim tape.  Your first page is done!  To keep adding pages turn the page and follow the previous steps.

5_attach the back cover and your book is assembled!

6_make your book lovely.  I added pretty paper to the front and back and covered the binding with a strip of fabric.

7_add fun things to the inside.

I hope you have a lovely weekend doing lots of creative things! xo.