Picking Apart the Creative Process: 2

When I tore the pages out in a previous step, my first instinct was to throw them away and forget about them forever. I had a better idea, though. Because this whole book was destined for the trash at one point or another over the past four years, I wanted the entire book to be part of this art project. Yes, the decision to tear these pages out was a good one. That doesn't, however, mean they can't be used.

These pages will be turned into:

1: Handmade envelopes: I'd like to have at least two or three handmade envelopes sprinkled throughout the book. These envelopes will hold other elements that will fit in with how this book transforms.

2: Tags: one of these pages can be cut into at least six or eight tags that can be spread throughout the book. I plan to add eyelets, distress ink and other embellishments to make the stand out from the page.

3: Pockets: I have an idea to put a pocket on the front and back cover. I'm unsure of their use as of yet, but I'm not worried about that detail because this whole project has been coming together as I go along.

So, my next steps in the process is to:

1: Trim the frayed edges off each of the pages I tore out.
2: Decide which pages will be for which project.
3: Cut and assemble the envelopes using a glue stick, set aside to dry. (these envelopes will be mini, using templates found on line)
4: Cut and assemble the pockets using a glue stick, set aside to dry.
5: Cut out the tags. I have some tags already, so I'll use one of those as my template. I have several different sizes, so I might mix things up a bit during this step. Once they're all cut, I'll use my eyelet punch for each of them. I'll put everything into a small plastic bag so they don't get lost in the shuffle until they're ready to be embellished.

These steps are as tricky as that of the punched squares because I really had to think about which side of the pages I really liked and how they would look against the pages I was going to affix them on. I had to play around with several different pages in the book to figure out which side would look best facing out when the envelopes were assembled, the pockets were assembled and the tags were cut out.

Once everything is dry, the pockets can be affixed right to the front and back covers of the book. I'm not sure if I want to work the pages more before adding the envelopes, so I'll set those aside. The tags will wait until I decide where I want them and what sorts of embellishments I'll need to make them stand out from the pages and add drama to the overall look of the spread.