Sunday, February 5

A VERY BELATED CHRISTMAS GIFT...

Greetings, dear reader!

I have a confession to make...I have been feverishly in the throes of trying to create/complete Christmas presents for my nieces...due to the financial nightmare that was our late 2011 situation, I hadn't the funds to purchase the gift I initially wanted to get darling niece Emileigh:

Behold the amazing book offered by Anthropologie:


It was $40...and while I LOVED it, I couldn't afford it. So I decided to create one for her myself...

I started out with a 9.99 black cloth bound sketchbook, various washi tapes and stickers, papers, and fabric odds and ends...The image on the front and back cover are Graphic 45 Steampunk papers...aren't they fabulous? The letters are from Michael's $1.00 bin...I should have gotten 40 packages of these letters...I LOVE them!
 I incorporated hand painted papers and original brown paper bag collages...images from a clearance rack kids book (written by Madonna...the illustrations are fabulous...The English Roses)
Do you remember my niece Emileigh is the one with the Etsy shoppe? I created a headband much like the ones Em makes for the sketch of this particular English Rose...I love how the page turned out...I just cut and organically began to assemble the book as ideas came to me...(as many of you know, I don't do too well with a "pattern" or a detailed 'plan') lol!
 And then created pages where she can cut, paste or sew designs and/or photos to the page...


 Again incorporating my own personal art in several of the layouts...

 And hand drawing frames, and borders on the pages...
 I actually sewed the fabric to this page...and stapled ribbons at the bottom...I love how it turned out...
Funny how many of my creations "take on" the aqua and red theme...although I had no intention of incorporating that into her book necessarily...
 Here I used stickers and a measurment card from a tape measure/washi tape package...and button stickers!
 Emileigh's friends are as talented and adorable as she...I'm sure she'll want to add photos of her friends in their fashion/trendsetting ensembles!
 And SHOES! OH MY GOODNESS! DOES THIS GIRL LOVE SHOES? Stilettos no less...


 so space for those pics was a MUST...(lots of blank pages before and after for additional drawings/photos...
 And this is my favorite page...a page that pays homage to patterns...chevron, stripes and dots...
And here is the back of the book...there are lots more pages, some blank, some with other surprises on them, but I wanted to share with you some of them so you could get a feel for the book...not a Hywel Davies sketchbook to be sure...but something I hope she'll like just the same...

Next? Working on amazing niece Aria's photography sketchbook! FUN! More soon!

Paula Clare

8 comments:

Faith Lynn said...

Hiey Paula!

Love the "Paulapostle" book! Your niece is a lucky young lady!

Love ya, Faith

Nan said...

Hi Paula it's your old friend Nan from Retired in Alaska, I'm just catching up with your blog here. The book is fantastic you put together and those shoes, beautiful me thinks but I can't wear them that high!! Leave that to the young girls huh!
Take care my friend.

Christine said...

Hi, Paula, Your Niece is a very lucky Girl! Love your rendition, Better than Anthropology's..:D And Special because it's made from Your Heart!
Thanx for showing your lovely talented creations!
Smiles,
Christine

GardenOfDaisies said...

She will LOVE it! Handmade and heartfelt gifts are the best!

cupcakesandcoffee schwartz said...

absolutely LOVE!! I want to make one! Also, I think yours is better than the anthropologie one:)

Krissy said...

What a FABULOUS gift! I can't imagine that she could love the other book any more than this one. What a great Aunt you are! I wish I were your niece!

Karen said...

Hiya- i love the Cowboy Cath Kidston digital pic- can you help me please? I have found them on her website, can you please tell me what resolution you used? and also, im a bit pc new- how do you get the pic saved and showing on your page as you have?

Shaaaant said...

Very nice blog yyou have here