Journals with Steampunk Attitude

I did some new Steampunk-inspired journals using vintage and decorative elements embedded in the covers. They were for a recent sale where the theme was Gothic, Medieval, Fantasy and Steampunk handcrafted work. My favorites: And they all had some vintage train tickets on the inside, and paper with aged edges:

Happy New Year

Somehow it has become 2010 already. The last few weeks have blown by in such haste that I hardly noticed the passage of time. In spite of my near silence here in blogworld and my little hiatus from Etsy over the holidays, I was working on a few things. So until I get some new projects underway, I'll share some books that I did in the Autumn and leading up to the holidays, for customers and friends, which didn't get mentioned here previously.

This custom steampunk journal was made for a writer who wanted a special journal in which to write her own steampunk-style fiction.


A model Nag Hammadi blank book, with exposed papyrus in the covers (although I used some Old Masters paper from Saint-Armand for the pages, rather than papyrus).


Two hardcover autograph books for my niece and nephew who are planning a trip to Disney World.


A red leather journal featuring the High School Musical cast on the inside, a hardcover chain-stitch journal with a soccer motif, a tan leather journal with a bead closure, and a set of box-board notebooks made from a Don Julio Tequila box.


I have big plans for the new year... well, I resolve to finish some of the projects that I started last year, and the year before...

What happened to July?

Ok, so this month I haven't been very good about posting to my blog! And somewhat suddenly, the month is over. So let's see, what has been happening? Last night I updated the Etsy Guide to Bookbinding Supplies to include Randy Arnold's new etsy shop where he is selling his handmade Ebony folding tools. I saw one of his ebony folders when I was at PBI - very nice work! A while ago, I got some cool clasps and closures from BlueFlameLeather. Last week, I was able to incorporate a couple of them into steampunk-style journals. None of those clasps are designed for use on books, so it requires some creative engineering to use them and sadly, in spite of all my planning, the clasp on the black hardcover book doesn't function properly. But it still looks pretty cool. All the other bits of hardware that I use are random bits of junk, also never meant to be used on books so the results are always unique. These books are for sale in my Etsy shop. And a Virtual Barbeque! Also - I should tell you about the BEST Virtual BBQ since you might be interested in winning a $30 gift certificate to spend on handmade books! The Etsy Bookbinding Team is hosting a Virtual BBQ Scavenger Hunt this weekend, August 1-3, and the winner gets a $30 gift certificate! All you need to do is browse the amazing offerings at 18 participating shops, locate hidden items and submit your finds to enter. You also get a chance to win for each purchase you make during the event. Check our the book team blog for details: etsybooks.blogspot.com

Jumble of odds and ends

In addition to my own jumble of odds and ends, my Dad recenly presented me with some stuff he had. What am I doing with all this? I had everything spread out here trying to get it all cleaned up to make it suitable for more steamjunk, er, I mean, steampunk books, of course. As you can see, I've got quite a supply of odds and ends...considering each book uses only a couple bits, this stuff will keep me going for a while. Here are a few new ones - I particularly like the one with the old telephone piece on the front.

A little Steampunk inspiration

Steampunk is pretty cool. Who wouldn't want some of those sci-fi inventions from Jules Verne and HG Wells sitting around, just looking cool in the backyard? Maybe some flying contraptions and alchemy gear in the attic? Wikipedia has a good summary of steampunk and its origins if you want to read more about it. Somebody recently asked if I could make Steampunk journals... well, I never turn down a challenge.