Having fun with a bit of recycling.

This is the cover of my second scrapbook.  I have called it 'For the love of Trees'.   It is made from the cover of a damaged hardback book and I decorated it with a photo of a church door with two yew trees almost grown into the stone of the building, plus a few other embellishments.

As usual my scrapbooks get very fat and wont close now.  The pages are any sheets of paper, of various sizes and colour, that are now surplus to requirement.   I have simply stuck in any pictures of trees which I like, and in places have added lines from related poetry.

No.3 in the series is 'For the love of Flowers'.  I made the cover for this one from a cereal packet and covered it in floral fabric.  The front is decorated with picture cut from a magazine, mounted onto two layers of paper and trimmed with lace with a butterfly at each corner.   There are still plenty of pages waiting to be filled.    To complete this series I would like to make a scrapbook of birds, and am collecting suitable pictures.

As I was getting a bit bored with just sticking pictures in, I though I would try making smaller books and started with this wrap-around covered one.  Again the pages are any junk mail, letters, leaflets, etc.  The cover is cut from cardboard packing covered inside and out with coloured paper, and the pages are cut to size, grouped into three signatures and stitched to the spine.  I intend to write notes on the paler pages and as some have strong printing and or colour, I will find something decorative to cover those areas.

Going even smaller and again using cardboard for the cover and junk mail for the pages, I covered this one with the top layer of a 3ply table napkin and lined it with the same.

To fill this book I am collecting sayings, quotations and proverbs, etc.

This final book is again made from packaging cardboard and table napkin in a wraparound style.  The pages are oblong in landscape format.  I haven't decided how to use this one but may even get back to drawing again to fill the pages.

To prepared the pages I coated each side of each sheet of paper with gesso and when dry I sponged each side with a strong coffee solution.  Next I used rubber stamps to print small patches of text or shapes all over in order to knock back the original printing.  I have found that a grey stamping ink is better than black, which is a bit too dark.

The only drawback with this pastime is that it can become addictive, and as the junk mail keeps coming I can see that at some point I am going to be overrun by my junk books.

I apologise for the poor quality of my photos but the light today is very bad.  I am looking forward to getting back to those lovely crisp wintry days we had a week ago.   It is strange to think that in one week's time Christmas will have been and gone.  It just doesn't feel Christmassy at all, though I have put up decorations and am quite ready for the day itself.

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.