Advent in November: Ponder

The second of the preparation posts for Pause, Ponder and Prepare can be found here.  It looks at how you might use the Advent Study.

In my previous preparation post I talked about getting all my stash together.  Today I want to look at what I shall use for my Advent Study.   I had thought about making an altered book but decided not to.  If you want to find out more about making an altered book there are some posts about it here and here.

Whilst sorting out my stash I found the book I prepared for Diane's Advent Study in 2010.  I had bought a Teresa Collins kit to do Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas in and then decided to incorporate the study.  I made the book and then did nothing with it!

I decided I would use something I already had.  I'm a firm believer in encouraging people to use what they have and not to go out and buy something and so I thought it would be good to practise what I preach.  I had bought a Prima Mixed Media Journal because I liked the one I was given in a workshop with Finnabair.

It doesn't have quite enough pages for 25 double page spreads but then I remembered the other journal and took 2 pages out of that.

I took the journal to pieces by pulling the spiral binding apart very carefully.

And removed the pages.   I am not going to use the plastic wallets that came with it.

Then I put the white and kraft pages alternately.

So then I pondered.  Should I paint the pages?  Use scrapbooking techniques? Use the book to store the Advent Calendar tags in as well as the study?

And then!

And then

I decided I couldn't get my head round all that I needed to do with the Prima journal so went back to the 2010 journal and recycled it with new 2014 tickets and a few changes elsewhere.

First of all I started working on the date tickets.  I used punches to cut out squares, circles and stars.  I did the first 6 pages - you can see what I mean here:

2010

2014

And then I decided I didn't like it.   Do you have problems like these?   The decision making process for a project is the hardest part for me.

I found I still had some of the original kit left and found enough bits to redo the whole ticket bit.

So now I have a complete book ready to go.

Thanks for stopping by.
Bernice

His Kingdom Come

Come and join the new online Christian community called His Kingdom Come!  Launching November 1, 2014

Find out more at Adore Him Creations.

Counterchange

During the week I went to The Bramble Patch with  my friend Helen to take a workshop with Gillian Travis.  I love doing workshops with tutors who are passionate about their subject but who are also willing to share their knowledge so that you learn from all their experiments  including their mistakes - giving us a fast track if you like to the results.  Gillian is exactly one of those - not only sharing her knowledge but allowing us to photograph her work and trace her drawings so we could use the shapes.  This is some of her work.

You can see more here.

We started the workshop being shown about Notan and Counterchange.  We used small squares of paper and worked in our sketchbooks.  I took photos of each stage rather than making each stage.

And then went totally mad

I worked in fabric after that using batik type cotton.  Rather than making each square separately I used one piece of backing fabric.  This should now be put onto wadding and machined.  These are 4 inch squares.

Then I tried another version still not strictly adhering to the instructions - which actually made it more difficult for me!   These are 3 inch squares.

So I have taken the idea and started working on these pieces.  I almost followed the instructions.  I made the 2.5 inch squares up in the way that we had been taught but instead of using wadding I've used pelmet vilene.  This may well make it more difficult to free machine but we'll see.

Currently they are very monotone but a visit today to a quilt shop might supply some other fabric!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks for stopping by.
Bernice