Another Hobby .....?

     My daughter sent me some info regarding Altered Books, a subject I had heard of, was rather curious about, but had never really checked it out.  Until today.  I think I'm going to like it.
     I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head!  But hey, that's what 'creative' people do, right?  We create.  And a new way of doing so is always fun.  The trick is to find the time to 'do' all these different projects.  I'm good at starting .... but it sometimes takes me awhile to finish it!
     After I returned from my trip to Israel a few years ago (is it that long ago already???) I began a series of watercolours of different photos I had taken, thinking I'd like to do a calendar with them.  But I have yet to complete twelve watercolours in order to complete this project.  I think I have four done!



     It was put on hold while I wrote a book (GRAFTED IN), which is now completed, published, and available.
     A couple of years ago I was given a gift of a beautiful hand-made leather-bound book from Italy.  As it is definitely too beautiful to simply use as a journal, I began doing colourful calligraphy of Bible verses on its pages.  I have enjoyed this project, but have not yet filled the book.  One day I'll get back to it.  I do enjoy it, and am fairly pleased with the results.

     Another project I've been working on off and on is entering favourite quotes in another special book which has a wooden cover with leather binding - again, a book too beautiful to use as a simple journal.
     I also scrapbook.  The very first one I ever did was for my Dad's 90th birthday.  It was originally all in one volume, but it was so thick and unwieldy that it broke, so I have since put it into two separate volumes:  one of Dad's life, and the other of his kids and our families.  Since Dad passed away a few years ago, this special book is now in my possession.

     Right from the start I loved scrapbooking!  There is so much a person can do with all the embellishments, fancy papers, fabric, ribbons, buttons ..... and of course, pictures!  But a scrapbook is SO much more than a book of pictures!  It is a work of art which tells a story.
      Once Dad's book was done, I started working on an 8X8 one for myself.  That was fun.  It briefly tells my story.  I remember that the very first page I worked on was 'My Favourite Things', which I had begun listing long before I ever actually began work on the book itself.  I had printed each 'thing' on several different coloured strips of paper, then put them together - it was sort of like a puzzle, trying to figure out what fit where on the page.
     And now I have Altered Books to play around with!  I'm presently working on a couple of pages.  I'll have to post them the next time I write about my 'projects'.