Friday, February 8, 2013

Valentine's Day Commision


A friend of mine commissioned me to make an Anything Book for her husband for Valentine's Day. Of course, I was thrilled to help her out.

Here's the cover with the ring charm and book belt.



He's a huge Dr. Pepper fan, so I started out with a cover made from a fridge box. She told me a few of his favorite things and that his favorite color is green. So with that jumping off point, I went through my stash.

I added a green book belt to hold the pages together while he carries his journal around with him. As it gets filled up with items and grows bulky, the book belt will help to hold his treasures inside and keep them safe.

A local area map lets an IKEA ad peek out and a luggage tag overlays a patterned page page.
Normally, I love the mish mash of colors, but it was a lot of fun to see what I could do focused around a single color. I love the way the map colors pull out the colors of the striped paper (above).

A Russian postage stamp pulls out the blue distressing on this polka dot paper.
The recipeint is a journal keeper, so I added in extra journaling sections of blank pages. The vertical shape makes this Anything Book perfect for someone who like to write a lot. With this shape, it's more like writing in a tablet. You can keep a journal in a horizontal Anything Book, of course, but it's a different writing experience. And I'm all for mixing up experiences, too.

A green paint chip adorned with baker's twine hides part of an Apple advertisement.
Some company brochures and marketing materials are so beautiful that I love to incorporate them into the Anything Books. Apple is one of those companies. The green paint chip pops against this ad and the baker's twine adds a touch of elegance.

In the center you can see the rich assortment of materials that went into this Anything Book. 

Photos like this of the depth of the book are my favorites. I love seeing the mix of materials that came together for this book. I also love the variety of materials that made up the page tabs on this book (below).

An outdated London travel guide adds a reminder of the recipient's favorite place to visit.
Her husband love to visit London, so I added in a page from an outdated London travel guide for some memory triggers. There wasn't much green on this page, so I added a paper strip to the bottom of the page, attached with washi tape that brings the brown into the green area.

An envelope with a string closure provides a safe place to tuck away small treasures.
I have a few favorite books that I like to use. On the left is a page from a mythology book that is filled with interesting illustrations. Even the printed pages are beautifully laid out. The variety of colors makes it easy to accent the green in this two-page spread.

This Anything Book has its unique bar code identifier and its name on the back cover.
Inside this book, I found the word "Thames" which is the name of the river that flows through London. So I named this Anything Book: Thames. Like all Anything Books, it has a bar code with a unique identifier on the back, along with my signature.

I got the sweetest note back from my friend after her husband received his gift. I'm honored to have a small part in helping her celebrate her love and her marriage.

Would you like to commission an Anything Book for a special person or event in your life? Check out my Etsy store for details.

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