making it {PERSONAL}

helloTHERE! happy day to you! sure appreciate you popping by. i have to share a project i did this past weekend. as usual...i found myself perusing the aisles of the local thrift on saturday. not that i hadn't been there a few times already the days prior. i find that in the winter i scour a bit deeper as the weather isn't friendly for the outdoor hunts i long for. i'm like a displaced squirrel....looking for that nut!

anywho...i picked up a book. an embroidery "how to" titled MAKING IT PERSONAL. it had a slick paper cover that i normally would have passed over. but today i was leisurely reviewing various media when i flipped it open discovering pages filled with {APLHABET} examples in assorted fonts. hmph. who knew!? and once outta of the confines of the contemporary sleeve, it suddenly was even more attractive as seen {below}.

 

 

alright. got me the book. now what can i do to MAKE IT PERSONAL?? well...on i went. thinking away. different thoughts crossed my mind when i saw a {PLAINjane} black frame. with multiple openings. minus the glass. no bother. i prefer it wasn't there to be honest. sometimes the glare of glass is distracting from the art itself. so i was set! had the {2} treasures to bring a vision to life {seem 'em before below}

 

 

as i wandered i couldn't help but notice the frame was a little shelf weary. had a corner that was banged up and some paint flakes about. eyeballin' it...i decided the edges looked just the right size for a yardstick enhancement. and was pleasantly surprised that when i got home and grabbed the nearest ones from my trip back to nebraska {below}...that they fit right in the recess.

 

 

i started carefully removing my favorite pages {below} ...

 

 

...methodically planning where each one would go in balance + scale in the collage of the frame. and once i had things laid out...i began decoupaging the pages directly to the back insert of the frame. that needed to dry so i moved to the next phase. i took a trek to the woodSHOPPE cutting the yardsticks down to size plus doing a little refurb on the frame itself. you can see a close peek of the end result {below}

 

 

and finally the big "picture". of how it all came together {below}

 

 

so let this be a lesson. that the age old saying of don't judge a book by it's cover couldn't be more true in many respects. i have a number of scraps + bits left over so there's opportunity to yet again MAKE IT PERSONAL. infact the pages did already inspire yet another project. tinkering on some jewelry. so if you have a peek {below} you will notice one of these things is not like the other. 

 

 

so onward i go...tinkering & experimenting in some uncharted territory i've been wanting to "explore" for sometime now. we will see where it takes me! i'll do my twist to MAKE IT PERSONAL. 

thanks again for the visit to my corner of the world. i'd like to invite you to do so again!

 

Comments

[Kathy]

Love it!!
What a great idea....and so reasonable.
Thrift stores are the best!
Thanks for sharing!!!

[Ardythe Kurle]

Love the way your mind works! What you came up with here is a real gem!

[Laurie]

Enjoyed seeing the book that the letters came from especially since it isn't old. The details of your projects was great to read. Making it Personal.....just love that. Can't wait for the next surprise!

[carol d]

I never tire of graphics like this, and your project is wonderful. Black and white never gets old.

[Jil]

This is wonderful...I am always looking for old books with interesting pages! This would make a wonderful Christmas gift or birthday gift! Thank you so much for the marvelous idea!
I saw the yard sticks from Omaha, NE., my old home town!
♥ Jil