swaps – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

Farewell to Downton- an art journal swap to say goodbye to our favorite program

By Karla Nathan / February 15, 2016

Soon, Downton Abby will be airing its last episode.

I thought it would be nice to share art journals on the theme as a memento of the show. So, another swap is in order!

This show has touched many hearts and had us all swooning over the sets and costumes. I've attended two Downton themed weekend art events, myself and have another coming up soon. Lord Grantham and his family's story is one that so many of us love to immerse ourselves in.

This photo of one of the sets is my inspiration for the books. Lush, heavy wallpaper, in a soft green, rose silk damask, gilded, white trim, and overall, ornate elegance.

Here are the details of what I'll be including and making the book from for the swap:

Two chipboard, flocked wallpaper covers, lined with antique silk brocade.

On that, a painted and golden glazed frame filled with my painting of the castle itself printed on high quality matte photo paper.

The bottom of the front cover will be trimmed in lace and hand dyed velvet ribbon.

The book will tie shut with hand dyed silk ribbon, anchored in place with a medallion of vintage wallpaper and a sparkling rhinestone cluster.

Pages will be tied in with ribbon accented with bundles of vintage trims and laces, along with a variety of Victorian style charms and a millinery bloom.

Two coloring pages, hand drawn by myself.

The book will be made up of 3 signatures of 3 pieces of card stock. You will send 6, I will supply 3 pages ready for you to finish as you'd like in your own book. This makes a total of 36 pages.

For this swap, you will get one of your own pages in the book. It will be included in the count of the 6 you send in. So, you will send in 5 folded pieces of card stock, embellished on a minimum of 2 sides to swap, plus 1 more of the same for me to add to your own book. You will get 5 swap pages in return along with 3 plain or background pages from me.

I will ship these Priority Mail in padded envelopes.

I have copied vintage stationary and will include this as one of the pages I provide for each book.

This will be a functional journal, for you to use for notes, pictures, doodling, memorabilia, and adding your own favorite images or ideas from the show. So, up to half of the pages created by swappers will be simply finished to allow you space to use in the book. Such as stationery paper, ledger paper, an envelope, lined paper, plain paper, etc. Borders, headers, or decorations can be added, but the page should still be usable for the new owner to fill in for themselves.

(you can scroll down to the end of the post for photos and links to other swaps for examples)

Of course, I'll be using the Good Stuff to create your book, here are a few of the hats I'll be plucking.

The silk fabric is just gorgeous and is very reminiscent of the Crawley's sitting room furniture. The frames I have found to use are in an assortment of shapes and sizes. I will be painting each one white, then glazing it in a metallic gold, to mimic the sitting room trim.

Ahhh, that fabric is going to make a perfect liner. It is sturdy, yet delicate and beautiful. And here is one of the coloring pages I'll be including- my drawing of the Dowager, and some of her noteworthy quotes.

Here is a closeup, so show you some of the detail. Doesn't it make you want to grab your markers and start coloring? If you haven't embraced the Adult Coloring kick, here are some tips that could help you get started and get a finished, arty look on your pages.

Each book will have charms tied to the ribbons along the spine, and I will have a selection of laces and trims to embellish with too.

No two book covers will be exactly the same, since I am using so many vintage elements.

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Here are the guidelines, if you'd like to join:

1-The theme is "FAREWELL TO DOWNTON", any interpretation you'd like- the family, the rooms, the era, gowns- is wide open to your view of what you love and will miss about the show. And keep in mind that the show does span eras, so you have a choice from Edwardian to Flapper.

2- Size is a full page of 8-1/2 x 11 card stock, folded in half to make two 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 pages with a crease in the middle.

3- Please use card stock. Add anything creative over it, but the base must be card stock. Please keep the fold ONLY card stock and clear of embellishments so I can punch the holes.

4- Make 6 folded sheets of card stock front and back, So that means 6 pieces of paper -24 sides total. This sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this is a journal/scrapbook. UP TO HALF of those 24 sides, need to be usable for the book's owner. Lined paper, pockets, old stationary, envelopes, etc, something that the new owner can write on, tuck things into, or add to. This is a functional journal. (please check out the examples below) The rest of the pages can be decorated to your heart's content, but do please keep approximately half usable for the book's owner. And please do not just leave a completely blank page with nothing at all on it, do use something pretty as a background to be created upon later.

5- Please add trailing lace, and other pretty trims that peek out from the covers of the book. The more trims, laces, and ribbons, the prettier the over all look of the book will be. And don't just add it from the bottom, it is pretty to have trims peeking out from the side and top also.

6- Sign your work, add your blog name if you have one.

7- One of your pages will be returned to you, in your book.

8- LEAVE ONE INCH ALONG THE CENTER FOLD EMPTY, no 3-D items along the fold, so I can punch holes. Decorate the rest of the page as thick as you'd like, but please leave the center 1" for me to bind! hmmm, I think I might have already mentioned that one…

To join, please email:

karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Please include:
1-Your first and last name
2-Your Instagram or blog name and URL (if applicable)
3-Your email address

Deadline
Pages should be to me by May 31, 2016

In your package along with the 6 pages, please include:

1- Your first and last name, same as you provided at sign up
2- A slip of paper with your name, and address, if your mailing address name does not match the first and last name you provided, (if you signed up with your nickname, blog name, etc) please alert me so I will know it is you and the book is going to the right address

3- $38 fee for USA, sorry, no overseas swapping this time.

(I am sorry also, but due to the volume of books I'll be making, I am not able to honor special requests, or let you know personally when your box arrives. Once a week, I will post a list of arrivals on Facebook and I will try to get photos of all the pages and feature them on my blog as I build the books.)

If you would like to purchase an assembled book (blank pages ready for you to create yourself) they will be available for the same price. Comes with the coloring pages.

Here is a button you can post on your blog for the swap if you'd like. I look forward to seeing the nature inspired pages winging thier way into my cottage!

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EXAMPLES

Here are some links to a previous shared effort, the Fairie Book, if you'd like to see my style of arranging pages. I put a lot of time into sorting the swap pages together to look like cohesive, pretty books:

1- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/knee-deep-in-fairies.html

2- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/the-tail-end-of-the-faery-book-swap-ill-miss-it.html

3- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/faery-book-swap-page-sets.html

And here is a link to the last swap, the Nature's Blessing Journal. and another here.

And here are some journals that I have bound the same way I will be doing for this Nature's Blessing Journal swap:

1- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2013/05/a-book-of-enchantments.html

2- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2013/02/at-the-valentine-journal-workshop-and-some-free-images.html

3- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2011/01/if-dorothy-was-a-scrap-booker.html

These books shown below are a different theme, but show some ideas on how to finish the pages so that they can be used by the new owner of the book.

Please fully decorate about half the pages you send and the other half,leave simple and pretty for the new owner to decorate themselves. Much like some of the examples below.

a On the left- I've covered the cardstock with pretty paper, and added envelopes.

Left- This page has added note paper.

Left- This one has a pocket for notes.

And here is a big selection of plain papers, with borders. Lots of space to use for the new journal owner, but still decorative and creative from the swapper.

Along those same lines, a simple, lined paper with a pretty header.

And this idea is the simplest of them all. Pretty paper, lace trim, left empty for the new owner to add a photo to.

Similar to this, plain paper to add a photo to, and an envelope with a message on the flap.

And again, the same type of look, room to write on, and an envelope to save special things inside.

This heart is a collage made by Lori Oles, I have added it to a page in one of my books, and by only gluing down the sides, not the top, it has become a pocket to hold tidbits.

These pages were done by a student in one of my classes.

Plain, pretty paper on some pages is nice too.

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Here is a detail from the doodle sheet that is similar to the ones included for you to tint.

And this is an example of how I color mine.

Here is an example of a past doodle sheet I've made. It has a fairy tale theme, as you can see. I draw words and designs on an old book page, and it is copied and ready to be colored in with markers.

A nature themed doodle sheet will be included in your book for you to finish as you'd like.

Here is one with a Love theme for Valentine's Day.

Lost Swap Pages, a very sad tale

Books, magazine pictures or articles, swaps

By Karla Nathan / November 24, 2014

A few years back, I participated in a round robin swap with three talented ladies. Beth Leintz, Lisa McIlvain, and Sandra Blanks.

Here is a post from March '12 when we were packing up the completed books to send to Stampington, per request of an editor there.

Here is the cover that I made for my own book. The theme of all four books was "Her Life in Stitches" and since I didn't sew, I dedicated mine to my mother, who was a talented seamstress. So, I added her photo to the cover that I made from an old book.

Well, two years later, the books have returned from the magazine, after one of us asking for them to be returned. Some pages of each of ours had been published, which is always an honor.

This photo shows the back side of the pages I showed in the first photo for this post.

And it is also a picture of my whole, entire book.

Yep, it is the ENTIRE BOOK.

I received two pages back from the whole swap, no covers, nothing else. And one page here was sent to me by Sandra after the books were complete, so it has been sitting in my cabinet waiting for the rest of the pages to be sent back so I could add it to the book.

This is a special page that Beth made for me, in honor of my mom too. It wasn't returned.

Now, hopefully, this means that the missing pages are being published some day? I hope it doesn't mean they were treated casually and just lost in the storeroom. I've sent a message to the magazine and got a nice response, saying they will look around for them. But I've lost other things there, and know others who have too.

Sure, they get tons of art sent in, some by request and some just from artists hoping to get picked to appear in their magazines. These books were all requested. Beth and I took the time to pin a tag to each and every single page, reading- "Made by Beth Leintz for Sandra Blanks" or "Made for Karla Nathan by Lisan McIlvain", etc.

Beth and Lisa are very happy with their books. I haven't heard from Sandra about hers.

Lisa (who Stampington mailed all the pages to) mistakenly sent me some pages made by myself for her, Beth, and Sandra, and I've got those ready to send to the rightful owners. So, their books will be nice and full. The photo I saw of Lisa's book had quite a few pages, and I'm sending her 3, so hers should be fat, full, and look complete.

Although, this special page I made for Lisa, with a "Borrower's" theme wasn't in the photo she sent to me of her book. This one was made because she mentioned how much the book had meant to her as a child.

Here are a couple of posts I did about the swap at the time. This is Lisa's cover. Here is a page I made for her, that was published.

I'm not trying to dis Somerset here. I can understand how this happens. I told you in my last post, just how hard it is for me to get things right when I host a swap for 100 people. Just imagine how hard it is to keep track of the bazillions of pieces that Stampington must get in the mail.

In the past, I've never complained about lost items that I've made. No big deal, I'll make more. But I am saddened by the loss of gifts made for me by these talented ladies. And I guess I'm bringing this up to let you know that this is a very common thing. If something is precious to you, I recommend hanging on to it, not sending it in to be featured in a magazine.

Somerset has beautiful publications and I've always been pleased to be in them. But, if you are sending something in to any publication, please keep in mind that they deal with so many applications and so many pieces, that mistakes will be made. DON'T send in anything that you don't mind losing.

If more of my pages are found, I will be sure to let you know. I'll be singing it from the rooftops.

EDIT:

The pages were found! My entire book, is all in one piece and will be sent home. I have to thank Miss Shawna Horan for searching for and successfully finding it. I am thrilled to be getting the artwork made by the other swappers back again. Delightful news!

If you do send in work to a magazine, keep records. Remember who requested it, who you talked to and have photos. I did none of those. But I went through my blog archives and found some pictures that helped in the search.

Big thank yous and a recap of a couple swap errors

swaps

By Karla Nathan / November 21, 2014

I adored hosting the Nature's Blessing Journal swap. It was spectacular to have all the artwork coming into my studio. And I loved working on the journals. I do plan on hosting another book swap early in 2015, because this one was a joy to do.

Although, I did make three huge mistakes. Hopefully that is all? If I messed yours up somehow, PLEASE contact me.

1- I found a journal package ready to mail, behind my table where it had fallen and hidden from me. It was mailed very, very late.

2- I transposed the address on another package. It is lost and gone forever, but luckily was only a blank book, easy to replace and send along to the patiently waiting new owner.

3- I pride myself on gathering up pages that go together in a cohesive manner. But one book, I made the mistake of putting pages together that were too similar and weren't as pleasing for the new owner. I think she had hoped for a wider variety of styles. My mistake.

There are some extra pages (that I will add into my own book if not needed) because a few freinds who joined the swap, made 6-8 because they were having so much fun creating, and then only took 4 from the swap piles. And a couple of other swappers contributed extra pages to be helpful. I also, gave away more of my own hand made pages (10) than I kept for my own book. I couldn't stop making layouts!

So, I have a few extras to work with if there are problems. If no problems come up, I end up with a deliciously FAT book of my own. Lucky me!

We've had tons of compliments on the work swappers have done and I've heard back from many of our artists. Hopefully, all are content. Most have raved about what they received. (And I don't blame them, there was a lot to rave about).

But if I have made a mistake somehow, I need to hear about it. I don't take my responsibility to handle other's artwork lightly.

If for some reason, I' ve accidentally sent you two from the same artist, or you have some other problem with your book, I really, really, really, want to make it right, instead of hoarding all of these extra treasures to myself. So, please speak up.

I'm already overly blessed by the treats that came in the mail with the swap pages.

First of all, it is an honor that everyone trusts me with their precious art. I do my best with it, but I am a bit of a scatterbrain sometimes. So, I have lots of lists, and rituals, and am so careful, despite my natural inclinations to be haphazard. I really do try hard to keep it straight. But as you can see from the three mistakes I told you about, I do screw up some things.

Second of all, this wasn't a free swap. I do charge for entrants. Now, I'm not saying I make a big profit from it. I spend on supplies and postage. And of course, all my time goes into the swap instead of creating or selling other stuff so I'm not making my normal income while I'm cranking out 75 books and filling them up with swap pages.

But, I do not lose money on it.

And the swappers are so kind. I get the nicest notes and cards. I love the little stories some ladies include with their pages about what they had as inspiration or the kind things they have to say about my blog or my grand fairies.

It's an extra big bonus when they also include gifties! Wow, the girls and I were overwhelmed with the treats we got.

Hand made items, vintage pieces, supplies, notebooks, Starbucks cards, ephemera scrap, all kindly thought out and much appreciated. I wait till I have the grand fairies with me to go through all of the gifts, after the swap is completely done. We have so much fun oohing and ahhing over all the generosity and thoughtfulness.

Thank you!

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ps- Want to come to my cottage studio for a Christmas class? I have two available, how to see you here!

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PS- Speaking of other income, I have bleached, dyed and glittered trees in the Etsy shop now if you need some!

Behind the scenes of the Nature’s Blessings Swap Journal

Books, swaps

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2014

It will be nice coming back from my trip to a clean studio. For weeks and weeks before the trip, I was up to my ears in the Nature's Blessing swap.

I had three tables filled with stacks of pages from the artists.

And this table set up with towers of journal covers, and a small, cleared area where I could sit and put the pages into the books.

Another table was set up for wrapping the books to get ready to ship. Then, there was a pile of packages waiting for labels by the computer and boxes of packages ready to go to the PO by the door.

And yet one more table set aside for choosing complimentary groupings.

Which is very complicated since there are two sides to each set of pages.

Of course, with soooooo many artists and hundreds and hundreds of pages, there is a huge mix of styles and the books can't "match".

Plus, it's only right that each swapper receives a variety, no one wants back exactly what they sent in.

They join a swap to get a sampling of pages back in their own books.

But, I do think that there has to be something cohesive about each book, so that there is some sort of flow as you flip through it.

I do my best to gather together 6 pages that look nice together.

Of course, with so much bounty to chose from, that is not a hard job!

I probably take way too much time doing this, but each book is special to me.

I love looking through each stack and picking out the pages that I pull together.

It is such a treat to have this bounty of creativity overflowing my workspace!

I just wish I could sell tickets to the room, to give tours of the pages. I'd be rich.

I'm sure there are easier ways to do the swaps. If I'd open six packages at a time and swap those six out with each other, keeping the other packages boxed up til I was ready for them, I wouldn't need to use a whole room to do this.

But I just don't think the results would be the same. I like piecing each book together, with as much care as each artist put into their own pages.

I hope the artists love the books they receive as much as I do.

And I want them to know how much it means to me that they trust me with their creations.

There is some beautiful work here, isn't there?

Amazing amounts of detail…

Lush and lovely supplies…

Adorable whimsical thoughts…

Layers of loveliness…

Innovating ideas…

Charming charms…

Little surprises…

Pages and pages of pretty!

Are you impressed? I know I am.

Thanks again to all of my swappers! And to those of you who had to drop out and ordered a blank book to fill up with blessings at a later date, a big thank you. That was kind. Making dozens and dozens of book covers, white washing and tying on charms, took me weeks to do. I appreciate my time not being taken for granted. It was nice of the people who signed up, but couldn't finish the swap to still purchase the book that I had taken the time to make for them.

Abundance

Books, swaps

By Karla Nathan / October 8, 2014

My pal, Angie, and I decided that we needed a junking day out.

Before we left, I showed her the wonderfulness of the Nature's Blessing Journal pages that were taking over my studio.

Tables and tables filled with pages.

And there were towers of empty books waiting to be filled.

I'd made up a blank book for her as a gift, and she asked if she could make pages and join the swap. After seeing the studio filled with the amazing art, she couldn't resist!

And it takes forever to put this many books together, so she had plenty of time to make pages. I was so glad she joined, she has a lovely, vintage style.

And when she delivered them, she brought cookies!!!!!

How could she resist wanting to have some of this gorgeousness of her own? It's remarkable to see it all in person. I often am overwhelmed by the mass of creations and wish I could share the experience with more people. In person, they are quite something.

Here is one side of the pages for the first book, all laid out and ready to be tucked into the covers.

Here is another set.

When I am working on sorting the pages as they come in the mail, I try to arrange them on the table in groups that look pretty together, so that when I pull out six to tie into a book, I chose from the groupings, hopefully creating books with pages that are complimentary to each other.

Here is the flip side of that last set.

I'm trying to get photos as I compile the pages. But I don't think the photos do justice to them. You almost have to be here to soak in the abundance. Kind of like seeing the Grand Canyon instead of seeing a photo of it.

Here is another set.

And its flip side.

By the way, if you are in the swap and reading this, don't freak out and think I am way behind. I write my posts in advance, sometimes I'll write five or six in one quick setting. I whip out a few when I'm in the mood and postdate them like bad checks.

I'll be in Florida and New Hampshire for a while and plan to have lots of Blessing pages to share with you while I'm away.

Want to make your own journal? I have step by step lessons, in this tutorial for $15.

Here are a few more pics of the books for the swap in progress.

Stacks

Books, swaps, Tutorials, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / September 18, 2014

The covers for Nature's Blessings Journal swap are ready to be filled. And the pages are pouring in. There are boxes stacked on my porch from the mail lady every afternoon.

Here is a sample book I made up, and filled with my own pages, just so I could see how nice they looked filled and fat.

Are you a fast crafter? If so, you still have time to make some pages over the weekend to enter the swap. They are due to be mailed on the 10th, but I just realized that is a Saturday. I'm letting the swappers know that Monday the 22nd is fine for a mail by date.

There are also swap journal books with blank pages for sale, if you'd like to buy a book to fill yourself. $30 includes postage in the US.

Or, if you'd rather make your own book, in the style of the Nature's Blessings Journal, or from a vintage photo album, old book, or even an antique cabinet card folder, I have a new tutorial available here.

Seasons

swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / August 31, 2014

One of the blessings of living in the Midwest is the changing seasons.

Of course, when winter's turn is coming, I sometimes think of the changing seasons as a curse more than a blessing.

But only on those extremely cold days when it hurts to go outside. And even then, if you aren't forced to leave the house, those frigid days can be pretty nice, with a fire going in the wood stove and a good book to read.

For me, you can't beat springtime. Not only is it the "year's awakening" like this snippet I cut out of an old book says, it is just plain old cheerful. Winter can be gloomy, no matter how nice it is to read by the fire. Not many days of real life are conducive to goofing off and reading a book, plus, you have to go outside to get that firewood to build the cozy fire in the first place.

But spring? Cheerful, happy, and bright.

Still, would I love it so much if it wasn't so fleeting? Having the seasons change keeps things interesting, it marks time passing.

So, yes, the changing seasons are a blessing to me.

So much so, that I did 2 sets of pages for the Journal of Nature's Blessings in honor of the seasons.

One nice thing about this swap, it is open to a lot of interpretations. I'm very intrigued by the options and can't wait to see the pages rolling into my studio to see what choices the artists made to represent their own ideas of Nature's Blessings.

This theme can be very personal, and meaningful to the artists. I'm thrilled that we have so many people joining us in this swap (and yes, there is still room for more).

I hope to have time to make more page sets. I like to have a few extras around, plus some to swap, some to keep. I really think I'll need to keep a set of the season pages.

More Nature’s Blessing Journal Swap page examples

Books, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / August 22, 2014

I've been working away on the book covers for the Nature's Blessings swap, but I really should be more factory-like as I do them.

But I just can't be!

I glue some papers… iron some canvas… cut out some angels (oh my, there are a LOT of little feathers on those wings!)…White wash a few covers,well, you get the picture.

If I had a lick of sense, I'd do all of one step, then move on to the next step. Instead of having odd numbers of each step finished.

Then, of course, I need to take breaks to make some interior pages of my own so I can join the swap too! (this one features a crepe paper ruffle trimming a pocket made from an old advertising card.)

This page is backed with a page about gardening taken from a 1800s French magazine that I bought from Gwen for only $1.

Over that, I added a bowl of apples cut from a Victorian scrap album. And lo and behold, I actually was able to pull it out! Have you noticed how fantastic the glue usually is in those old scrap albums!??? Oh my goodness, what did they use for glue that is still holding so darn tight over 100 years later????????

I want some of that glue! But I think getting it involves rendering hooves, or something and I am fresh out right now.

The apples and the illustrations from the French gardening article made me think of harvest time and canning up nature's summer abundance to eat all winter long. So, I found the word "abundance" in an old dictionary and cut it out, then glued it to a piece of summer green, velvety ribbon.

The ribbon is only glued down at the sides, so that it became a towel rack to hang a tiny, vintage dish towel on. That seemed to complete my thoughts about canning summer produce, old kitchens, etc.

Whoever gets this page, can take the mini dish towel out for some other purpose, or keep it in the book. The page is fine either way, because the French text underneath is pretty dang cool.

I love that stuff.

Sorry, this photo isn't real sharp. It is old, lined, stationary paper with a rose on it.

I trimmed the top in more French magazine paper, some velvet and a flower. Plus some lace across the top.

Each of my pages has a little something peeking out from either the top, bottom, or side. I think that the book will be so much fuller and prettier looking if the swappers have embellishments that are protruding to show outside of the book.

Like the sheer flower petals showing from under the nest on this page.

People have asked me if it is okay to use fabric or something other than card stock to make their pages. I really want the pages to be card stock, for ease of putting the books together. But, like on this page, you can use other materials over it.

This is card stock, with fabric, that I have sewn on. The center is more French text (thanks, Gwen!!) that will be a pretty back ground for the book's soon to be owner, to glue a photo or momento over.

It isn't too late to join, if you are interested in making some pages of your own. Or you can purchase an empty book, ready to fill yourself. I've sent out quite a few of those already, and we are up to almost 75 swappers. The more the merrier! We will have a lot of variety in the pages. I'm so pleased to have a good turn out for this. I know it is a bigger swap than I've done in the past, commitment-wise.

Packages are starting to come in the mail, but I won't be opening them yet. As boxes arrive, they go into tubs, stacking up until almost time to start filling books. It's much easier to keep track of hundreds pages if I keep them in their original packages till I need them.

Also, I am working on a book binding tutorial. So far I have photographed and written instructions for 3 styles, I want to add at least 3 more before having it ready to market. Details to come.

Nature’s Blessing Journal Swap page examples

Books, swaps, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / July 27, 2014

I've been so pleased with the sign ups for the Nature's Blessing Journal swap! Thanks to those of you who have joined in! There is plenty of more space, this is an open ended swap. I'll just keep making books until I have enough.

Some of the swappers were asking for more detail on how the pages go together. So, I thought I'd snap some pics of the ones I've started myself as examples.

There are a LOT of pages to make. But as I said, at least half need to be usable for the new owner. Such as the one on the right, above. That page is nothing more than journal paper with a border at the top and the bottom. The one on the left is one that I finished myself. (Although, there actually is some space for writing a note, if the person who owned the book wanted to use it that way)

Here is the basic start of each "folio" (single sheet of paper that makes 4 pages when folded).

Fold a piece of card stock in half, decorate each of the four sides.

I will put 3 folios together to make a "signature".

There will be 3 signatures per book, made up of 6 sent in by 6 different artists, and three fresh, blank pages from me.

The book will be used as a functional journal. So, I'd like to see at least half the pages open to be used by the person who receives the book. Like the page on the right here, once again, I've used ledger paper. This time, it is accented with lace trim and a single butterfly.

Since the six folios (24 pages) you send in will go to six diferent artists and you will receive artwork from six different artists. You can make each of your six exactly the same, or do each in a unique way. What ever you like.

The page on the left didn't save any space for future use, but is a completed arty page.

Another way of making the page useful is to add an envelope to hold memorabilia.

My envelope got a bit of foof with some hand drawn daisies that match the paper I glued it to.

Pockets are good to have in a journal too. On the left, not only is there paper that can be used for writing, there is also a pocket to tuck away tidbits in, like the vintage envelope I've added.

The page on the right is covered in pretty paper (I used wallpaper scraps) with a vintage postcard stapled down in the corner, then trimmed in lace.

I've tried to add lace or ruffles on at least one side of each folio, so that when it is added to the stack of signatures in the book, there will be pretty trims peeking out the sides, top, and bottom of the journal.

Please feel free to add lots of trailing ribbons, laces, etc.

On the right hand page, I've added a fluffy millinery bloom to stick out of the top of the book. And the page on the left has luscious, old trim down the side. That page is from a text about flower origins, and has a couple of cherubs and a hand drawn border, leaving the center open in case the person who gets this page in their book wants to glue a photo or something to the center.

Here is a very good example of just how simple making the pages can be. Both of these pages are just covered with wide crepe paper, with a trim at the bottom. (I'll be foofing the one on the right a bit more, I just wanted to show you the basic.)

So, pretty background paper, plain or fancy, a bit of trim or lace, and that page is done, ready for the owner of the book it goes into to embellish it up as much as they want.

This is for my book, so I added a tinted coloring page, to illustrate an option for finishing a plain page.

Everyone gets a page to color and add to their book however they'd like. I'll show some coloring tips in a future post.

These pages are both examples of "usefulness" . The blue one is open to be finished by the book owner in any way she'd like. Photos, notes, scrap glued onto it, etc.

The patchwork wallpaper page has a pocket from an old post card added and it is filled with vintage grafting paper.

These also show some of the variations on the theme. What do you feel nature has blessed you with? Here, I am saying that fluffy kittens, sweet birdies, and flowers are something I am thankful for.

Plus, I found this poem about Spring to add to the page. To me, the changing of the seasons is a magical time of year.

Please feel free to add 3D items, this book should be thick and rich! With lots of trailing trims, like this old lace I've used.

Here is another way to create a space for writing. I've used washi tape to secure a stack of old paper into a tablet shape.

On this page by Beth, she even glued down a mini notebook.

See how pretty it looks on her page?

And oh my! Loook at this one that she did. You open up the cabinet card folder and have space inside to add your own picture.

On the left page, she has add clear envelopes with simple tags for the new owner to finish, and on the right, she supplied a pretty piece of paper to write daydreams or plans on.

I found myself extremely attracted to pockets when I made some folios.

Note that the center of each page is left plain so that I can punch holes to tie the signatures into the book?

I'll show some more examples later on, as well as some more coloring page tips. The finished pages aren't due till Sept. 20th. So you still have time to join if you haven't already. Or you can order a completed, blank book to finish yourself, instead of swapping pages.

Feel free to ask any questions. And more info can be found here.

A Journal of “Nature’s Blessings”- a book swap for you to join

Books, swaps

By Karla Nathan / July 18, 2014

It's time for a new swap!

Here are the details of what I'll be including and making for the swap:

*Two covers, front and back, with a canvas spine.*

*The front cover will feature an image of a concrete garden statue angel from my own artwork.*

*It will tie shut with velvet ribbons.*

*I will use high quality, and vintage supplies, along with scanned wallpaper from my collection layered with a printed poem by Emmerson. *

*Each book will have a millinery bloom from my garden of floral hats, lovely ribbons, lace, vintage wallpaper, and each cover will be individually white washed by hand.*

*The book will be made up of 3 signatures of 3 pieces of card stock. You will send 6, I will supply 3 blank pages for you to finish as you'd like in your own book. This makes a total of 36 pages. *

This will be a functional journal, for you to use for notes, pictures, doodling, memorabilia. So, at least half of the pages created by swappers will be simply finished to allow you space to use in the book. Such as stationary paper, ledger paper, an envelope, lined paper, plain paper, etc. Borders, headers, or decorations can be added, but the page should still be usable for the new owner to fill in for themselves. (examples below)

*Nature themed charms will be tied with a bundle of ribbon, lace, and twine to the ribbons and lace that I bind the book with.*

*I will be including a hand drawn "doodle page" for you to use in the book if you would like. (as pictured)*

The drawing was done on a collage of papers from old books, one is a German book about birds from 1817. Color it as you'd like with markers, pens, etc, and glue it into your journal.

*The book title is printed on a soft, old, damask tablecloth.*

*No two book covers will be exactly the same, since I am using so many vintage elements. *

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Here are the guidelines, if you'd like to join:
1-The theme is nature's blessings, any interpretation you'd like- plants, flowers, gardens, animals, angels, birds- it's wide open to your view of what you love and feel blessed by in nature.
2- Size is a full page of 8-1/2 x 11 card stock, folded in half to make two 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 pages with a crease in the middle.
3- Please use card stock. Add anything creative over it, but the base must be card stock, so that I can assemble the book. Please keep the fold ONLY card stock and clear of embellishments so I can punch the holes.
4- Make 6 folded sheets of card stock front and back, So that means 6 pieces of paper/24 sides total. This sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this is a journal. AT LEAST HALF of those 24 sides, need to be usable. Lined paper, pockets, old stationary, envelopes, etc, something that the new owner can write on, tuck things into, or add to. This is a functional journal. (please check out the examples below) The rest of the pages can be decorated to your heart's content, but do please keep half usable for the book's owner. (or more if you'd like, but at least half)
5- Feel free to add trailing lace, and other pretty trims that peek out from the covers of the book. The more trims, laces, and ribbons, the prettier the over all look of the book will be.
6- Sign your work, add your blog name if you have one.

8- LEAVE ONE INCH ALONG THE CENTER FOLD EMPTY, no 3-D items along the fold, so I can punch holes. Decorate the crap out of the rest of the page and goober it up as thick as you'd like, but please leave the center 1" for me to bind! hmmm, I think I might have already mentioned that one…

To join, please email: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Please include:
Your first and last name
Your blog name and URL (you don't need to have a blog to participate)
Your email address

Deadline
Pages should be to me by September 20, 2014
In your package, include:
Your first and last name, same as you provided at sign up
A slip of paper with your name, and address, if your mailing address name does not match the first and last name you provided, please alert me

$30 fee for USA, sorry, no overseas swapping this time. (I am sorry also, but do to the volume of books I'll be making, I am not able to honor special requests, or let you know when your box arrives. I will try to get photos of all the pages and feature them on my blog as I build the books.)

If you would like to purchase an assembled book (blank pages ready for you to create yourself) they will be available for the same price. Comes with doodle page.

Here is a button you can post on your blog for the swap if you'd like. I look forward to seeing the nature inspired pages winging thier way into my cottage!

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EXAMPLES

Here are some links to our last shared effort, the Fairie Book, if you'd like to see my style of arranging pages. I put a lot of time into sorting the swap pages together to look like cohesive, pretty books:

1- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/knee-deep-in-fairies.html

2- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/the-tail-end-of-the-faery-book-swap-ill-miss-it.html

3- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2012/09/faery-book-swap-page-sets.html

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And here are some journals that I have bound the same way I will be doing for this Nature's Blessing Journal swap:

1- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2013/05/a-book-of-enchantments.html

2- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2013/02/at-the-valentine-journal-workshop-and-some-free-images.html

3- http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2011/01/if-dorothy-was-a-scrap-booker.html

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These books are a different theme, but show some ideas on how to finish the pages so that they can be used by the new owner of the book.

a On the left- I've covered the cardstock with pretty paper, and added envelopes.

Left- This page has added note paper.

Left- This one has a pocket for notes.

Altered books

And here is a big selection of plain papers, with borders. Lots of space to use for the new journal owner, but still decorative and creative from the swapper.

Along those same lines, a simple, lined paper with a pretty header.

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And this idea is the simplest of them all. Pretty paper, lace trim, left empty for the new owner to add a photo to.

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Similar to this, plain paper to add a photo to, and an envelope with a message on the flap.

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And again, the same type of look, room to write on, and an envelope to save special things inside.

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This heart is a collage made by Lori Oles, I have added it to a page in one of my books, and by only gluing down the sides, not the top, it has become a pocket to hold tidbits.

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These pages were done by a student in one of my classes.

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Plain, pretty paper on some pages is nice too.

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Here is a detail from the doodle sheet that is included for you to tint.

And this is an example of how I color mine.

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Here is an example of a past doodle sheet I've made. It has a fairy tale theme, as you can see. I draw words and designs on an old book page, and it is copied and ready to be colored in with markers.

A nature themed doodle sheet will be included in your book for you to finish as you'd like.

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Here is one with a Love theme for Valentine's Day.

These are the charms I will be tying to the ribbons on the binding. All are nature themed, and have been whitewashed.