altered journal to "how does your garden grow" smash book...

I had three of these... two are full... one was empty... :)

it isn't that the cover displeased me, see... I loved it enough to own four at one time... 

to alter the journal I separated it into sections and glued a few pages together to make dividers that were a little heavier than just a single piece of paper

I'm not sure you can actually see the difference in the thickness

I'd had an idea for some ATC's of fantastic works of gardening delight because my friend Stephanie keeps sending me these amazing images of little gardens that captivate my imagination

so I gesso'd the front and back covers, with some kitteh's still sort of leaping out even after 2 coats and the gesso itself trying to crackle on the smooth surface of the previous printing on the covers, I decided to go from here and see what I could come up with... 

made some custom tapes... never know if you might want some tape inside, right? I just painted over white artists tape and then wrote over the paint... 

this was the back cover just about 30 minutes after the tape was done... I just turned the board over on them and used the other side of my board as a base for the book - it looks much different the next time you see this cover, though... :)

ribbon is tied to the wire so that it can hold the book closed... I mean... smash books sometimes need help, yes?

inside cover, there's some of that tape... the cards have "tips" on them for homemade fertilizer and plant foods and soil treatments... 

 just a look at the outside of the pocket, it's really very simple... the tape really DOES make it look so much more personal... I'm sold on the concept of personalizing many elements along the way now.

the ribbon stands out of the top of the book... so it can mark a spot in the journal or it can just be a pretty blingy sort of thing... there are quotes on the back of each of the two cards...

having never actually scrapbooked before I find myself baffled by the use of acetate die cuts, but they were so cute I went ahead and put them in, with gel adhesive and hole punches in clever spots so that if they come loose at least where they belonged can be easily located and tape can be applied. LOL

the other side of the previous page, so you can see how the pocket angels and that there's a flower on both sides of the tab... 

I guess the photo does it less justice than I'd hoped... the back cover is sealed in layers of decoupage medium and has been treated with some shimmery paints that make it sparkle... 

and the front cover... it's amazing the distance that a really beloved stamp can really take you over some cut up old school study sheets and acrylic paints... I had to freehand the bees and from here I can tell that I did, and it doesn't bother me much... I just hope that she loves it as much as I loved making it for her.