Vintage Writer's mini album, journal, portfolio

 As a writer, I always need a notebook to jot down my ideas. plot strategies and sometimes entire paragraph's and every writer likes something really special to put their hopefully future published ideas.
So I chose to make a sort of vintage writer's portfolio which can serve as both journal and photo album. The cover using a brown and ivory paper sports the perfect typewriter magnet up oin the corner and a Graphic 45 typewriter tag is attached as well. To the side is a fussy cut vintage fountain pen and a mini mini book I made. I couldn't find any small books so decided to make one. the title says pages de journal (journal pages) and it has a a cover that looks like leather but is really handmade mulberry paper over a metallic copper card stock used as book board. and inside there are 12 small ivory linen pages. the book opens and can be written in, and closes with a metal wire clasp, as does the portfolio although the metal wire is twisted steel and bronze wire.
I made this journal using the instructions offered by Steffogal1 on her expert you tube video for her "super cute and fast journal. I used papers, materials, ephemera, pigment inks and techniques from Graphic 45, 7 Gypsies, Tim Holtz, Prima, K&Company, and Recollections.
Inside the 12 pages of this 7 by 3 inch portfolio, you'll find to do lists, many pockets, envelopes and a library card holder, and tucked inside are lots of photomats and tags to use for notes, even a handmade bookmarker.

On the first inside page, I added a smash to do list over a brown cardstock background. A lower border of metallic copper card stock which I embossed with my Tim Holtz cogs and gears folder and then cut with the Tim Holtz pennant edge die. Inside the border I tucked a tag I made with vintage vellum newspaper with news and advertising for London events.  Every writer, needs to keep up with the news!  How many novels are written just at the inspiration of some headline or even tiny footnote?
On the third page, I attached an enveloiped and tag I made from K&Company julianne paper stack.  the handwritten paper was perfect.  I then added a seal of a griffin with some deep red sealing wax. and a jaunty top hat in the corner shows our writer is one his way to hunt for inspiration.

The third page has a silver metallic folder with a ocket watch as a reminder that time is of the essence as Arthur Conan Doyle would have Holmes say, and tucked in the pocket is a bookmarker I made with another vintage s style Tim Holtz embossing folder.
The fourth page has another journlaing spot with a typewriter, reminding nay to be author that they must write, writer, write! A book page by Grapohic 45 tucked into a lower border emphasizes the sentiment.

The fifth page boasts a number of Graphic 45 cards and tags from both the Communique as well as the Botanicabella collections.  An elaborate Victorian  advertising for tthe best fountain pens is tucked into a corner pocket and an illuminated book page is tucked further back.
On the sixth page, I used a tag from a tag pad from K&Company's Halloween tag pad, covered the words, "witches brew" with a pen nib illustration and added a pocket at the bottom which holds the title page of a thesaurus, as important to a writer as Watson was to Holmes! A Smash sticky note with a pencil, is another reminder.

   On the seventh page, a border holds a tag I made, and a metallic copper photomat and behind is a larger metllic silver photomat - because each author should have photos of their characters if he chooses to base them on real people - which I must confess I do, or at least an amalgamation of real people. which IAs inspiration there are Victorian advertising cards, a vintage newspaper list of news and events, scraps of handwritten letters, old advertising and document cards. 
Now the 8th page is tricky, for here you'll find a fold out envelope pocket holding a photomat with a smash lightbulb sticky note on it as well as lavishly leather covered book illustration.  And below is a secret pocket made from a tag designed by Debbe Anne Parent owner of Vintage Garden Ephemera. When you turn the page you discover the envelop folds out bearing an true vintage label (not a reproduction) advertising spiriteaux from France, because as many writers know liquid inspiration is one of the cures for white page fever.

And then as you turn the page you discover the back of the eyeglass tag is a pocket accented with and embossed border and an arrow reminder to look to the next page. And tucked inside the pocket is a black photomat.  
The final page sports a library holder marked with an"Urgent" sicker, since as we all know it's time to finally submit that manuscript to a publisher b y the agreed upon and all important deadline!  Before computers, emails and the internet, the tedious process must be undertaken by hand, printing, packaging and sealing a writer's child, his most important document up until that moment in his life which he must then mail, with insurance and document information because heaven forbid it never reaches the editor's transom.  I have to say, the old methods of submitting a book to some publisher in New York or London was such a nerve wracking ritual and I do believe its important for every writer to go through such a character-building initiation - because when they receive that acceptance letter - the joy is so much the more intense, thanks to all the pain and waiting suffered beforehand. 

Fun Steampunk boudoir journal

Once again, I made a boudoir journal using the directions offered by Steffogal1 super cute and  fast journal. Since I'm an avid steampunk participant, working on a steampunk book and having appeared on authors and art panels at Steampunk Cons, I'm always looking for new ways to create using the steampunk/Victorian theme. Since my main character Cecilia is a frisky and curious character - always looking for something to get into, i w3anted to highlight the more flirtatious and playful parts of her personality in this little 71/2 X 31/2 journal.  
This was so much fun to make, touching on both the steampunk and Victorian aspects of my steampunk novel in progress, Orchidelirium.  I often find that producing art is a good way to help flesh out scenes and chapters for my novel.   And since I mentioned before, like the Victorian, I love the idea of recycling advertising illustrations in art so this one has a lot of Trader Joe's illustrations - they are just too cool to leave in the ad flyers or throw in the trash.  I stayed with a muted color scheme in keeping with the Victorian era and of course added a pallet of browns to emphasize the steampunk element.  For the background pages and pockets, I used papers from K& Company's Julianne and Vintage Garden paper stacks, as well as some stock Recollections papers from Michael';s and A.C. Moore.

 In addition I used materials, flowers, ephemera, and techniques from 7 Gypsies, Graphic 45, Tim Holtz, Ranger Inks, Recollections, Prima and K&Company. Once again I've added lots of pockets and tags where I can tuck away notes about Cecila's character development or plot ideas. And there are photo mats where I can add photos of miniatures of some of the sketches I'm doing of my characters.  And of course, had a blast adding feathers and bling to each page.

On the first page, I used a Julianne paper from K&Company then added a corseted steampunk woman  as the main illustration.  I love the steampunk twist the Graphic 45 designers did on the Victorian corseted woman making her appear as if she just left the Upper Air Market, a wheel of streets, something like a steampunk version of Montemarte, which is suspended high above ground where rogues, dealers and thieves meet at the cabarets and in the shops selling rare black market merchandise.
However, Cecilia, as botanist at Kew Gardens, she   is just as much a Victorian lady who has a great deal of fun flirting with the men, although she's committed to Nicholas, a rather unconventional inventor.
The reason I love making these books so much is because they remind me of the Griffin and Sabine series where art and letters tells the mysterious story of the two main characters and actually holding the letters makes the reader feel as if they do are there - in the story living it out.
On the first page, we have the carriage ready to take her off on an adventure and here she has plenty of room to jot down new acquaintances, addresses, titles of musics, names of music she likes and of course any new botanicals she might come across.  And of course, she loves to tuck away invitations to the theater, or those new fangled moving pictures, appointment cards with her designer and that new photographer with his fancy camera, as well as invitations to picnics, teas, dances or tennis.  And lets not forget a gentleman's calling card - there's always a place to slip one in to keep safe.
On the second page, she's recorded illustrations drawn by that wonderful new artist in the area of her rowing on the Thames and enjoying tennis with Nicholas when she can steal him away from his laboratory and workshops.
On the third and fourth page, she loves to recall that wonderful party, where everyone took turns displaying a talent, reading poetry, singing, playing the piano or acting out a hilarious skit - one young man even performed magic tricks!  Cecilia displayed two of the new floral additions to the greenhouse - a rare and potent poppy and a newly discovered rose, discovered growing wild on a side of a hangar just outside of London in Staines where they build airships of all things!  but how she discovered this is a long  and dangerous story, indeed.
And then as we come to the end of the day, Cecilla reflects and unwinds, steps out of her corset into a loose fitting cotton work dress and goes into the greenhouse to choose flowers for the arrangements she'll make for tomorrow's festivities.