Two years in the making part 1

Happy Thanksgiving on Monday to my Canadian neighbors, readers, and friends, especially my dear friend Cindy.

The contents of this package took two years to create.  I can't believe I procrastinated so long, while my dear friend Cindy continued to send shower me with gift after gift after gift.

Before we get started, here is the package I sent Cindy.

I realized I still needed $2.00 (USD) in stamps before it could be sent to Canada.

I really wish they still made these birthday stamps, because I only have one left.  I forgot to tell Cindy those popsicles are scratch and sniff.

The lady at the PO asked if I needed a calculator and I told her I knew exactly how much postage I had on the package and how much I needed.  People behind me were either laughing or making comments about the colorful package.  I asked the lady if I could stamp it myself and she let me.  You can see I tried to be as careful as possible, because I knew the stamps would mean nearly as much (or maybe more) to Cindy as the gift.  In fact, she had sent me some of the smaller denominations when she found them in her mother's things.  I had saved them for just such an occasion.  Paybacks are sometimes a good thing!  So what is in the package, you ask.

You are looking at the front cover of one of my scrappy journals.  It contains 96 pages in two signatures.  Although there are only a total of 24 pages, when they are folded in half and decorated on both sides, you get (24 X 4) 96 pages.  Isn't math fun?  It is in my world!

This is the inside front and first page.  The inside front has a pocket for keeping ephemera that can be saved and added at a later time.

Of course I had to show Cindy what the pockets were used for (as if she couldn't have guessed) by sending at least one or more bingo cards in every size, color, and shape I owned.  After all, she IS the Bingo queen.

Pages 2 and 3.

Pages 4 and 5.

Pages 6 and 7.

Pages 8 and 9.

Pages 10 and 11.

Pages 12 and 13.

Pages 14 and 15.

Pages 16 and 17.

Pages 18 and 19.

Pages 20 and 21.

Pages 22 and 23.

Pages 24 and 25, the center of the first signature.

Pages 26 and 27.

Pages 28 and 29.

Pages 30 and 31.

Pages 32 and 33.

Pages 34 and 35.

Pages 36 and 37.

Pages 38 and 39.

Pages 40 and 41.

Pages 42 and 43.

Pages 44 and 45.

Pages 46 and 47.

Pages 48 and 49, the end of the first signature and the beginning of the second signature.

I originally was going to show all of these in one sitting, but decided to show the second signature tomorrow.  Thanks for sticking with me through these pages.  I'd love to hear your input on this scrappy journal and how I can make them better, too.  I say that because I would love to sell a few of them.