Creative things

I haven't been blogging at all, much less about what I'm doing creatively...well, that's about to change! While watching CraftTV the other day I saw a video about altering a book in a way that uses it as a picture frame. I thought, what a GREAT idea...especially for those people in my life that are avid readers. Here is what I made for my dad for his birthday. The pictures are kind of blurry and I apologize, but didn't realize that until after I mailed the book out and couldn't retake the pics. Now my Dad loves westerns and has probably read every Louis LaMour and Zane Grey book out there. Thanks to my stepmom I had a copy of the three of us (from like 1987) where we were dressed up kind of like hillbillies and thought "this would go GREAT in a old western novel. I immediately thought "wouldn't it be great if I could find a Zane Grey novel?! I went to the Goodwill and guess what I found? A Zane Grey novel for $2.49!!! (The books have to be hardcover or the technique doesn't work.) Anyway...I thought PERFECT!!! So this is what I ended up with...

Okay, maybe it's not very modest to toot your own horn, but I think it turned out sooooo cool! And my Dad loved it. It wasn't difficult at all. I printed the picture in a size that would fit on the cover, then traced it on the back of the cover. I then cut the hole a 1/4 inch smaller all the way around to give it a border for the picture to be attached to. I inked the edges of the "window" so that you couldn't see the bare book board and to give it kind of an aged looked. Then I taped the picture onto the back of the cover and covered the back of the cover with appropriate paper. He thought it was so cool and even took it to work with him to show his friends! He has actually read the book before but because of the way you do this, none of the book itself is damaged and he plans on reading it again! It was quick, easy and cheap to make! I have some plans for Christmas presents using this technique.

I hope to be sharing more photos of techniques and even some videos soon. I'm trying to get back into the groove of blogging....it's tough for me sometimes, just to find the time. But I enjoy sharing so I hope I can get back to it.

God bless and go make something beautiful!!