Tuesday 24 April 2012

More Pages in My "Happy Little" Altered Book

YAY!! I finally got some more pages finished! This is such a FUN project! If you missed hearing what it is I'm up to...just check out the label in the sidebar entitled "Happy Little Moments Class". I do a lot of rambling here, so feel free to skip down to the pictures! Then leave a comment and let me know what you think!

 It was fun to break out the sewing machine for this project, although it did sent me into a fit of the giggles! :o) I'm working on sewing a set of 5-7 pages together. So I practiced with a stack of pages that had been cut out of the book, adjusting the stitch length and tension until I was pretty happy with the way things looked. I'm working with a whole book now, so it's a little bit awkward. I fit everything into place and prepare to sew when I realize the presser foot is off! Well, that's weird! I take the book out of position...reattach the presser foot and start all over again! Okay, here we go...but the presser foot falls off again! What on earth is going on? Now, most people might catch on after just the two times but it took me a little bit longer. I guess it was one of my "slow" days! lol It turns out that as I was pushing the book as close as I could get it to the presser bar, it would hit the lever in the back of the machine that would release the presser foot. Hence my fit of giggles! I'm not sure exactly what I was laughing at but the whole thing just cracked me up! You would probably laugh the hardest if I actually told you how many times that silly foot came off! haha So after that I decided I'd take the book upstairs to my good sewing machine and use that instead. It turns out my good machine doesn't get as close as the machine my husband bought me for paper. So I'll just keep giggling! :o)

Here's the inside front cover:


On this page I spritzed the doily with Perfect Pearls Mist, and I added one of the definitions of "collection". I'll be adding more definitions throughout the book. Here you can see the first of the machine stitching.


Shortly after the class had begun, I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners of a wonderful giveaway. Debbie mailed the fabulous prizes in this little paper bag wrapped with a doily. Of course I had to use it in my book. The other prize winnings will be showing up on later pages. I added some embellishments to the doily and put a tag in the bag. There is a list of my collections on the tag but you can't see that part yet! :o)


This next, and final page, I have to show you today is very much like the lesson. Maggie had this fabulous idea to include a glassine bag wrapped over the pages and filled with confetti bits. I had one bag in my stash, other than the teenie Vintage Findings ones. I decided to punch a couple of little holes in it and strategically place some iridescent stars behind them. Another thing that I really love...but still have a little bit of difficulty with...is leaving all the thread bits hanging! As a quilter, I'm used to snipping all my threads and leaving things neat and tidy. It's an adjustment I'm willing to make for my art! lol


That's it for today! I'd love to hear what you think so far! Please let me know if you have any questions about anything! Thanks so much for looking!...Nancy :o)

15 comments:

Cindy Haffner said...

PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY!!~

Gemiel said...

Nancy, I love what you've done so far!!! I've never altered a book before so I'm glad you're sharing your "journey" with us.

My Little Craftie Corner said...

Oh Nancy, How lovely these pages are!
how many pages are in the book your are working on ?
I can imagine sewing the book was tricky... or maybe that's just me, i have difficulty just using a sewing machine lol
Thanks for sharing these lovely pages with Us....Yvonne :)

Geri said...

Nancy...I'm so glad you're sharing this! It's looking so pretty...and so fun, although I'm not sure I have the whole 'big picture' of what the finished product will be. But you have me VERY curious, so I will continue to look forward to 'future installments' of the 'Happy Little' series;) Couldn't help but giggle along with the presser foot story! Better to laugh than to cry (or cuss!)! And, by the way...I have trouble with that thread issue, too! To snip, or NOT to snip...that is the question...my answer to myself is sometimes it works with the style better than others, so sometimes I snip and sometimes I don't! There's my 2 cents on the matter!

Tracy said...

I have to agree with the statement on that last page. LOL I don't have to have a reason. :-) Your pages are wonderful and I thin the added giggle session just made their creation more special. :-) Looks fantastic so far so I can't wait to see more. Hugs!

MaryNSC said...

O WOW LOVE IT ALLLLLL PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY I M sure glad U tole about presser foot I would still be trying to figure it out.. HAHAHAHAH

Tfriday said...

I love it nancy. Love the brown and glassine bags used. Too cute. i can't wait to see more pages. I'm not a sewer but I totally understood what you were doing. too funny!! TFS... Hugs!!

Holly said...

Hi Nancy~
I love it!! They are awesome! You are awesome!! =0)
xo
Holly

doulanana said...

Nancy your book is just wonderful!It's going to be such a treasured keepsake once its all full!
Fantastic work so far!

Anonymous said...

Helloooooooo Nancy, long time no visit :) Too much going on.
Love this project you are working on and could just imagine you having a giggling fit :D
What I don't understand is why did you have to cut the book? To reduce bulk? Do you then work on the remaining pages of the book??? Lots of questions but enquiring minds need to know :)

Love and hugs
Lynn xx

Susan M said...

It's all so very lovely Nancy! What patience you have, I couldn't imagine sewing on my pages but the effect is wonderful, you might just have inspired me to try ! Thats one of the things I like about you, you seem to have so much fun with your projects it's infectious!! I am very curious about your collections ,hope you will not keep us guessing too long!
Hope you are feeling much better now.

Stampindamour said...

Nancy - this is so pretty!!! Love the Crate paper, it's a recent fave...xo

-pamela ;)

Anonymous said...

So lovely to see your comments on my blog Nancy but I ended up with lots more questions :) These I have put on my blog but I think I can see the answer to one of them - when you said you removed all the pages I asked if A) All you had left was the covers? and B) How did you fix your own pages into the book?
I am assuming you had to make signatures of blank paper - how are these fixed? With glue????
Thanks for stopping by Nancy :D

Anonymous said...

So lovely to see your comments on my blog Nancy but I ended up with lots more questions :) These I have put on my blog but I think I can see the answer to one of them - when you said you removed all the pages I asked if A) All you had left was the covers? and B) How did you fix your own pages into the book?
I am assuming you had to make signatures of blank paper - how are these fixed? With glue????
Thanks for stopping by Nancy :D

Jonia said...

Oh my goodness Nancy this is great and I just love it. Don't know if I will ever be brave enough to get my sewing machine out!

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