BOOKS

I love them! I can’t get enough of them! Every time I tell myself I’ll stop buying them, I’ll do okay for awhile, then go crazy and buy a bunch at once. I have storage boxes full of them and if I had the space, I would set them on shelves and have a library room I could walk into and have them surround me.

Maybe I should have been a librarian? Unfortunately in my small town, the library isn’t that great and doesn’t carry as many books as I would like. The librarian has been there going on thirty years or so and will retire in probably in another thirty or more.

That’s okay. I can still browse the bookstore, the online stores, the library, and when all else fails I can come home and enjoy the ones I have shelved. It’s always fun to go through boxes of books. Some of them I browse through but never read and some of them I read more than once.

Should I feel guilty that I am not contributing to a greener earth by having all these books?

I love all genres, just like I love all genres of music. Sometimes I love to curl up with a good romance, mystery or thriller and other times I need an inspiration self-help to see me through a daunting week. I don’t know what it is about the written word, but I’ll read cereal boxes if that’s all there is. And trying to catch the meaning of lyrics excite me.

Books. Words. Language. Poems. Lyrics. Novels. It all excites me. I like to stay open to and read others’ ideas, though I will always keep my own.


Art...such as books, music, dance, paintings, movies (etc etc)...is a universal language. Maybe that's why it's so intriquing?

How to Craft an Album with absolutely no sewing!

With Christmas just around the corner and the economy the way it is, there is nothing more special than creating a gift for a loved one. I enjoy creating this for myself, but it makes a great gift too! They are so easy and a lot of fun. You can make a journal, a photo album, a binder notebook, or a business card album, just to name a few.

First, find the album you want. A binder notebook, an uncovered photo album or, in this situation, I used a business card album. This also works with notebook journals.

Figure out your theme. There are cheap fabrics and left over fabrics you can use, or maybe you have your own stash somewhere. For this theme, because it is a business card album that I place business cards in, thus sharing information with others, I used a pendant that, to me, looked like the earth. I used jewelry pieces that say "wish", "believe", "inspire", "share" and "create". For another photo album (see below), I used red beaded fringe, red fabric, and lady accessories such as shoes, a hat and a handbag. Choosing a theme is the funnest part, and your options are endless.

I could go crazy at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or any other craft store. You can use iron on transfers or glue your own accessories from wood, jewwels, or anything. If you can sew, you have even more options! (Unfortunately, I don't/can't sew).

The materials you need will vary. A low-heat glue gun works best. Find fabric you like and some decorative accessories, like iron on patches and trims. You also need some kind of poster board (I use thick stock paper) for the inside of your album.

Measure the fabric around the album and cut to where you have a half inch to an inch of spare fabric.


Glue the fabric using a low heat glue gun.



Trim any excess pieces.



Measure, cut, and glue any trim pieces, fringe or ribbon you want to use around the album.



Take a piece of poster board or stock paper and measure the inside of the album. Cut the poster board so you will have just enough space to cover the inside, without it overlapping the outside.




Measure, cut and glue your fabric around the poster board. One side doesn't need fabric, since it will be face down on the inside of your album.



With your low heat glue gun, glue your covering to the inside of your album. This goes on top of your trim work, so as to cover the fringe or ribbon you used.



Adorn the outside with decorative pieces.



Admire your finished work.


Here are other albums I've done. They aren't perfect by any means, but they were fun, and that's the beauty of art.