Fast Friday Challenge- Recycle Jeans

I am taking this online journal class with Sue B. (By the way this class has been great.) You can check some of the journals that have been produced by the class at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/suebjournalmaking0308/pool/

The Fast Friday Challenge this month was to recycle a pair of blue jeans into something new. I dug into my hubby's closet and pulled out a pair of jeans that were un-wearable in public...and I begged for them. I cut them up and looked for areas that didn't have holes. I decided that I would make a journal cover for my Fast Friday Challenge that is due this coming Friday. (I am in journal mode right now, so it wasn't hard coming up with an idea.)

I was able to use both back pockets and the button. There is a pocket on the front and also on the back. The button acts as a closure on the journal.

After making the journal I was fixing to trim off all of the frayed threads...but then I decided that they added to the over all design. I did add a few choice phrases to dress my journal up a little. It has 48 pages in it.

Best of all I still have a few hunks of jean fabric to use in another project.

Second Journal - A Sketchbook

Here is our second journal class results. we made a sketchbook that you can add paper too. I made my sketchbook large enough to hold a 12 by 11 piece of watercolor paper. We had to install grommets so that our notebook rings could be added. This was my first adventure using grommets...you can get a lot of frustration out pounding those little things. The cover was raw appliqued first and then I went back with the Embellisher and adding roving, silk scraps and yarns to make the plants with my Babylock Embellisher.

There is a flap on the right side that I will add a a piece of loop and stick tape too (am going to try and paint the tape so that it matches the areas of the sketchbook that it is attached to... here is a picture of the sketchbook with the flap open.

To cover up the note book rings on the left side, I took strips of leftover fabric and pieces of yarn and tied them to the rings to make the ragged scrappy left side of the sketchbook. In Sue's directions she included directions for adding inside pockets to hold pens, colored pencils, markers etc. Since I was afraid adding pockets for bulky items like pencils and pens might mar the watercolor paper ...I skipped the pockets.

Journal Making

I am taking an online class with Sue B. of (http://suebleiweiss.typepad.com/).

We are haing a great time with her. Here are the photos of my first journal. I used my Embellisher to punch silk scraps from some of my Goodwill Stash. I also did a little hand stitching.

Front Cover, Back Cover, Sample Journal Page