Chantal's Travelling Notebook

I loathe the obvious fact that I've started to establish the reputation of being perpetually behind on craft projects.  This is very contrary to my actual personality as I'm generally extremely punctual IRL.  I pride myself for being right on time for pretty much everything.  However, since I opened my shop nearly 3 years ago, back in May 2010, procastinating on little things for hours has turned into days, which morphed into weeks, following months and so on.  Since I began to pursue a fulltime crafty career in addition to DJ-ing and buying/selling/trading records worldwide, I have to admit, that I've really struggled to manage my personal time.  I tend to have less and less of it everyday.  At first I thought it was a phase, but lately it feels more like a chronic affliction.  I find myself racing around nonstop, unable to manage everything I've previously committed to, EVERYDAY!  At present, I am totally overextended.  This Travelling Notebook project is a perfect example.  I committed to it back in the Fall of 2012, although I didn't actually receive the book in my mailbox until Jan 2013.  By that time it was only a vague recollection to me.  Now, nearly 2 months later, I finally completely my page.  The old me would've had this done the day I received it in the mail, most likely because I would've been working on it in the corporate confines of my dull cubicle at Fisher-Price Toy Company (where I worked for 5+ years prior to my current vocation). 

Nevertheless, my page is finally completed.  For the deco/penpal people reading this, Chantal's Travelling Notebook is similar to a large textured deco.  The only difference is that it's managed more like a Round Robin (where the maker, Chantal, tells you who to send it to next) and it's circulated worldwide to any variety of crafters, not necessarily just specific penpals within a specific community.  The guidelines are simple and limitless.  Each participant decorates a page with whatever they like - doodles, writing, painting, stickers, scrapbooking, information about themselves, the things they love, favorite quotes & places, etc.  Once the entire book is full of entries and returned home to Chantal, she is going to auction the book off and donate the proceeds to UNICEF.  I think this project is a great idea and would love the opportunity to participate in more charity based projects. 

I regret that it took me so long to complete my page but hopefully, by the next time I volunteer for another crafty project, I'll have figured out a way to manage my "free time" more wisely.  The irony of this experience is that it only took me a total of about 2 hours to complete my page from start to finish, and they were 2 of the most luxurious and relaxing hours I've spanned in ages.

The book itself is a chunky piece of work.  It measures 8 1/4" x 5 3/4". 

I wanted to make my page as colorful as possible with a variety of textures and themes representating my skills and interests.

So I created a rainbow collage with the color themed stamp sets that I sell in my shop.  In traditional deco fashion, I sprinkled pearly holographic glitter on the stamps and Mod Podged the entire collage.  I combined a varigated crochet chain woven through metallic rainbow rivets and plastic rainbow beads to create the border.  I mounted fabric on cardboard to create my pocket.  I machine stitched my business card to the pocket, machine stitched the pocket to the collage and stuffed my business cards (larger versions of the stamps in the collage) into the pocket. 

Below are some detailed close ups of my work.

 

 

 

I hope this notebook enjoys a beautiful journey on its way home!

Erin Lynn at Belladonna's Ragdoll

Greetings all.  As per usual, I've been away from my virtual desk for far too long.  For the past month plus, I've been on the road, travelling pretty much non-stop.  Now I'm finally back home and getting into my usual groove with no shortage of new stock to process.  So keep your eyes peeled on my shop, brand new items are being listed daily.

In the meantime, I would like to bring a new Etsian to your crafty-eyed attention.  She's one of my most enthusiastic customers and a real sweetheart with a lust for life and passion for crafting.  A young mom herself, Erin Lynn, was inspired to create by her mother, an elementary school teacher.  She's based down in Tallahassee, FL and with the loving assistance of her brother and fiance, she's been adding a fantastic combination of philatelic inspired and beaded creations to her shop on a regular basis.  I really admire her versatility and use of different shapes and textures, especially when using stamps. 

Not only does Erin create finished products ready to wear and ultilize but she also makes and sells her own supplies like handmade stamp beads.

Best of luck to Erin!  Keep up the good work!

To view more items from Erin's shop, click here !