Sand and Sea Journal

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2015

Today’s project is using another of the AG “books a’ la Carte!” kits. We will be going to a neighborhood party with a summer sea theme in a few days. The recipients are recently back home after an ocean cruise, so this new book will be the perfect hostess gift for the photos and memorabilia from their trip.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Westcott™ paper trimmer &scissors
• Scraps of ivory or off white and rusty orange paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• A tiny amount of dried crushed leaves or old spices
• AG #2720 “Books a la carte” kit
• Thin rust colored leather cord for binding (I wanted a different thread than came with the kit)
• Scor-Tape
• Ivory colored beads with large holes
• ColorBox Chalk™ charcoal black ink pad
• Sea themed rubber stamp
• Alcohol markers: light brown, light blue and yellow
• Iron (if you want the paper to be smooth) 

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create 2 sheets of off white handmade paper. (I added a tiny bit of spices to the slurry to create speckles in the paper.) 
2. Create 3 sheets of rusty orange paper.
3. When the papers are dry, iron them to make them smooth.
4. Adhere the rusty orange paper to the front and back covers with Scor-tape.
5. Trim off the excess paper.
6. Assemble the book following the direction in the kit.
7.  Attach the beads by threading them onto the leather cord. (Refer to the photo for layering and placement.)
8. Cut a sheet of the off white paper to fit the cover, leaving a border, and attach the paper with Scor-tape.
9. Cut a piece of rusty orange paper a tiny bit smaller than the off with paper and layer it on top of the off white paper.
10. Cut a second piece of off white paper leaving a tiny border. Tear this sheet to form 3 pieces (see photo) and layer next.
11. Stamp the sea scene onto the off white paper with the ColorBox Chalk™ ink.
12. Use the alcohol markers to color in the beach house and sea,.
13. Bind the book with the drift wood stick.

Remember to always save the scrapes of handmade paper!