My Christmas tip-ins, cards, and journals

Do I still need to tell you I can't see any links or that I still can't leave any comment on blogs that use embedded comments?  If you are new here, simply scroll to the end of this post if you don't know what embedded is or how to change your comments! 

Since every tip-in recipient who reads my blog has now received my Christmas tip-ins, I thought I would show them.  A tip-in, for those who don't know, is a page decorated front and back, that can be placed in a book between two small flaps that are created by cutting two consecutive pages to within about 1/2 inch of the spine.

These particular tip-ins were fraught with peril from the beginning.  I began the backgrounds using three colors of Staz-on reinkers and 91% alcohol.  Then I stamped a single element using embossing ink and immediately tried to emboss it.  The alcohol background must have had an adverse effect on the embossing ink, because I couldn't get the embossing powder (EP) to stay in place.  Even after heating it, the embossing powder just wiped away.  And yes, I made sure I let the EP get hot all over.

That's when I decided to stamp these in black Staz-on ink and forget about embossing the images.  Since I'm not really a stamper, these were even more difficult than if I had made a collaged image.  The only embellishment was the ribbon I added on the front.  BTW, I added the date 2012 in ink as an afterthought.

I used the same Santa for my Christmas card fronts.  I layered black card stock over a white card, then added a bit of old sheet music, then the image.  For the inside, I used the same sentiment as on my tip-in.  The stamp looks a bit unstamped here, but it's from the scanner, not the stamp.  For the back, I added my "Handmade by" and "E" stamps.

Some of you saw these books being made over the past several weeks.  Here are five assembled.  Four left the post office on December 3, and the one on the right had to be reworked.  It goes to my art friend Kathy, so I didn't feel the pressure to get it in the mail right away like I did the others.  I decided the ribbon I used on hers, which has both lace and tiny beads, was too tight, which meant the pages wouldn't turn well.  You can see I left more space on the rest of these.

All the books had similar pages, but none were exactly the same.  On the right is the sixth book I fanned out for you to see the pages, which will go to my art friend Dana, who lives in my town.  I was out of the ribbon I used for the other four, so needed to find something similar for both hers and Kathy's journals.

This is the front of the books and the inside cover.  Each of these was similar,

as were the back inside and outside covers.  I used my new pan pastel I was gifted with to both stencil and mask the heart and butterfly.  The words on the front covers were painted using pan pastels and the inside front and back words were colored with pigment ink pads.

Some of you got to see a sneak peek of these pages a few Sundays ago.

I began with watercolor paper, then painted, spritzed, watercolored, and/or stenciled  After cutting the pages to size, I stamped random pages.  I added stitches to a few of the pages, especially the ones that had tag pockets.  I punched the holes using my crop-a-dile.  After assembly, I added a tag in the pockets.  Each book has 8 pages, and can be worked on front and back, making a total of 16 drawing, collaging, or journaling surfaces.

It really feels like Christmas now that these have found their way to their respective recipients.  After all, Christmas is all about giving, and a handmade gift is always best in my book.  And I get the added bonus of seeing how these recipients use these journals, because I'm fairly certain when they work in them, they'll show their art.