Altered Composition Books

I took a class earlier this week at Bizzy B on how to make altered composition books. You start with the basic book (see photo on left) and then add paper, fabric, ribbon or whatever you choose to fancy it up. This type of book is good to work with because of the sturdy cardboard cover. We used Fabri-Tac glue because it dried fast, so as to be able to finish the book during class. I had never used this glue before and other than the rather head-spinning smell, found that it worked very well, provides a sturdy bond and doesn't make your paper go all wrinkly.

This was also my first introduction to scrapbook paper - oh my, I think I'm in love! It comes in different thicknesses, some plain, some embossed, some with patterns, some with texture - so many choices. The sheets vary in price from about $1 to $4 each, depending on how fancy they are. I especially like the designs made by Graphics45 and 7Gypsies. We used about 4 sheets to make the books, as we decorated the front and back covers as well as the inside covers front and back. However, there was a lot of paper left over once we cut the sheets, which are 12x12 inches, down to fit the book size.

Here are some photos of books made by Daniza, the instructor:

(ignore the "Cynful Creations" that appears in the bottom right corner of the photo, that doesn't it appear on the book - too bad! - it's automatically added by my photo software)

This lovely book was made by Diana, one of my classmates - I loved the paper choices she made:

Diana and I have now taken 3 classes together at Bizzy B in the past 3 months, completely unplanned. At the end of this session, I asked her what class we're going to take next!

Lorraine, my online classmate in the Remains of the Day journal class, whom I recently met in person, also took this class with her friend Charland. Here's a photo of Daniza, Charland and Lorraine as we were working on our books:

Here is a picture of the journal I made, which is destined to be used to record my next trip to Paris. All of the papers I choose, except the one on the back cover (bottom, right) had pictures of the Eiffel Tower. :)