Scuba Anything Book

I have a delightful, free-spirited friend who commissioned me to make an Anything Book just for her. She had the perfect package for me to use as the cover: a Durex box.

The front cover of Scuba, an Anything Book created from a Durex box.

It's a great choice for an Anything Book because it is just over 5 inches each direction. That means there is room to add in photographs with just a little bit of trimming.

This was a fun project from start to finish. I used the bright blue of the package as inspiration for many of the pages and trims.

I used a mixture of soft and hard materials for the outside trim.

I used 1-inch book rings, so that means there were approximately 50 inserted pages for a total surface of 100 pages. Because of the square size, most of the pages are full size and there is little layering. There are inserted items like a luggage tag, product tags, and a shipping tag.

The Ultimate tag comes from a product and overlays a brochure cut from an IKEA store catalog.

I chose the name Scuba from the name of a color on a blue paint chip inside. Plus, this name gave me the giggles. I suppose that scuba gear is a bit more bulky than a raincoat, but you get the idea.

The name Scuba comes from the color name on this paint chip.

Each two-page spread is color coordinated to create a background for adding treasures. I include an archive quality glue stick with each book, along with an ultra-fine tip permanent marker. The marker is perfect for writing on most of the pages. You can also attach things with clips, staples, or anything else you can imagine.

A vellum page lays over the ruby slippers paper. 

The recipient grew up in Kansas, so the reference to the Wizard of Oz was another bit of humor I added to the contents. The vellum page adds depth and allows her to create something interesting over the ruby slippers paper.

The small white item is a coin envelope that open on the other side. It overlays a menu from a local restaurant.

I inserted several envelopes including an air mail envelope, two coin envelopes, and an upcycled return mail envelope to give her space to tuck away treasures within the pages.

The edges have tabs made from an assortment of papers and ribbons.

Within the pages are 4 journaling sections designed for writing longer entries. These are blank pages designed for writing. Of course, like everything else about the Anything Book, the recipeint can use it any way she wants.

Each Anything Book gets a unique bar code identifier along with a signature and the book name.

The book left with a large rubber band around the edges to hold everything inside and to keep the covers together.

I'm thrilled with how this turned out. And the recipient was equally happy with her Anything Book.

Heartstrings Anything Book

Here's my freshest Anything Book straight from the studio. (see Heartstrings in my Etsy shop)

An Anything Book made from a recycled Mike and Ike freezer pops box.

 Today, I was inspired by the bright colors on this recycled Mike and Ike freezer pops box to make a cheery Anything Book. This book is 7 3/4 inches high by 4 1/4 inches wide, making it the ideal format for journaling. It has four journaling sections for writing longer thoughts and memories, mixed into its 50 items. With each item, you can scrap or journal on each side, giving you 100 pages (or sides) to work with.

The charms include a glass bead, a music note, a bone bead and a leaf point.

The trim on this one is a charm on plumbing chain and it includes a musical note. The open edge has many colorful tabs, file folders, and ribbons as page markers. You can write on the tabs to identify sections of this book.

The mix of materials include papers, file folders, book pages, and marketing materials.

Most of the pages in this Anything Book are full size, but there are a few places with layering. In the photo above, the pineapple is part of a file folder cut down as an overlay over a brown cardstock page. On the reverse side, the file folder has a green leaf scroll patterns.

There are recycled reply cards, a return mail envelope and this air mail envelope waiting to hold treasures.

 This delightful Anything Book contains a wide range of patterns papers, cardstock, book pages, and marketing materials linked together by color. Under the air mail envelope in the photo above is a page from a foreign language book. You can see the variety of tabs along the edges on both sides.

A page decorated with a stamp and overlaid with a product tag.

Each two-page spread is color coordinated to give you a beautiful backdrop to add your words, found items, photographs, and memories. Each turn of the page reveals yet another striking combination of fun and inspiring materials waiting to hold your treasures.

Found items like calendars, greeting cards, and playing cards get a new life in this Anything Book.

The Heartstrings Anything Book takes its name from an item inside the book. I'll let you discover the item on your own. Its pages are embellished with washi tape, postage stamps, paper remnants, business cards, and clips to give it a unique look.

The unique bar code identifier and name make this one-of-a-kind journal even more special.

 Like all of my Anything Books, Heartstrings is signed by me and has a bar code with it's unique identification code. It also comes with a book belt, a lime green rubber band that holds the pages closed and keeps your treasures safe.

Tabs make it easy for you to jump right to the section you want. Write on them for easy access to your memories.

You can add your own words with the ultra-fine tip permanent marker included with this Anything Book. I'll also send you an archival quality glue stick so you can add in your own found items, photographs, and even the menu from your favorite restaurant.

A glimpse at the range of materials and colors waiting for you inside the Heartstrings Anything Book.

Because of the book ring binding, you can insert your own pages. Simply open the rings and take out a page for a template. Use a standard hole punch to add holes to your treasure, and insert it into Heartstrings where you want it. If you book starts to get too bulky, you can upsize the book rings to 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch book rings which you can find at most office supply stores or in the office supplies section of discount and department stores.

Check out my Etsy shop for the Heartstrings Anything Book and others like it. They make wonderful gifts.

Melody Anything Book

Meet Melody, a musical Anything Book straight from my studio. (see Melody in my Etsy shop)

My Melody Anything Book comes with ring fringe and a polka dot book belt.

Melody is sweet like the strawberry fruit bars that make up her cover. Recycled from a Dreyer's Fruit Bar box, Melody is filled with upcycled and recycled materials from front to back. You can use Melody as a journal, an art journal, a scrapbook, or anything else you can imagine.

Melody comes with book ring binding adorned with ring fringe.

 Made with book ring binding, Melody holds 50 items which means you have 100 pages to fill with your words, photos, everyday items, quotes, and other treasures. She has a snappy polka dot black and white book belt to hold her pages together and keep your memories safe.

The variety of materials inside Melody make this a special journal.

Each two-page spread is color coordinated to give you a beautiful backdrop for recording your memories. Melody has several pages made from sheet music, along with patterned paper, book pages, photographs, menus, greeting cards, marketing materials, product packaging, paint chips, envelopes, vellum and a shipping tag.

Small touches adorn many of Melody's pages. 

The pages have small embellishments to inspire you to fill them up. They include washi tape, page tabs and dividers, clips, postage stamps, baker's twine and labels. There are 4 separate journaling sections where you can focus on collecting your thoughts, stories, quotes, or anything else that you want to remember.

A page made from a map showcases the tabs lining other pages in this art journal.

Melody comes with an ultra-fine permanent marker and an archival quality gluestick so you can start adding your treasures right out of the shipping package. Most of the pages are full size, but a few are smaller so they overlay the other pages, adding depth and layers to your journal experience.

A paint chip adorned with baker's twine sits on top of a cardstock page ready to hold your treasures.

You can use Melody's pages to hold your treasures, but you can also insert new pages. Simply open the book rings, take out a page for a template, and use a standard hole punch. Then, insert your new page into Melody. If your journal starts to get too bulky, you can upsize the book rings for 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch rings available at most office supply stores and in the office supply section of most discount stores.

Melody's name comes from inside the journal and appears on the back cover.

Like all of my Anything Books, Melody's name is taken from a word inside the journal. On the back cover, you find her unique bar code identifier, her name, and my signature. Melody is a one-of-a-kind journal designed to inspire you to collect your life's treasures.

Won't you visit Melody in my Etsy store and check out my other Anything Books?