Finding Inspiration in Reading

My youngest son just finished reading the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney.

Once done, he asked me if we could make him a diary (excuse me~~it's a JOURNAL!). He wanted to use my Bind it All (sniff, sniff, makes a mother proud!) versus just altering an already made journal book. So we got out SU's Small Board Basics and went digging through my paper stash. Now my DS (age 8) is very particular when it comes to his crafting. He gets an idea in his head and that is how it is going to be (unlike his older brother who just kinda shrugs and says "whatever"). He wanted a greenish paper and lettering. So I dig out all my greens. NOPE. Didn't like those. I even told him we could do the ink pad direct to the paper to give it more "texture" like the book. He finally found some double sided paper that he liked, giving instructions on which was to be on the outside, and which would be on the inside. We measured, cut and he rounded all the corners. He also wanted "lined" paper on the inside (like the book) vs unlined (and we had to have just about the same thickness as the original book). Luckily, I had just bought a package of lined paper for his older brother to do his homework on, so I got out my handy-dandy Bind it All book and figured out what size to cut the paper. DP is now glued to the chipboard covers and the inside pages are ready to go.

Then, lucky for me, I decided to do a test run on the holes on some scrap paper before I started to punch. WHEW!! Don't know if there is a misprint in my book or what. But the holes went OFF the cover. Tried it a couple of times on the scrap. Nope. Wasn't going to work. So I played around and figured out that when I move the board for the continuous punching, I just needed to move it one hole vs the two that the book suggested. No big deal, but I will ALWAYS check now first on scrap paper to make sure everything lines up as it is suppose too vs punching on my actual project first!! Then the kiddo went through all my O wires deciding what color looked best to him for the binding. Then it was time for the "embellishments" on the cover. My kiddo decides he wants to use stickers so we dig out all my stickers from a past stint of scrap booking. We line everything up and this is the result

(photo taken just out of the shower getting ready for school) Now, before you think that I'm a terrible mother who has given her kid some complex about his height, let me assure you that he came up with this title!! My kiddo IS short for his age (genetics are not on his side to be tall!) and he informed me that "it's true, you know!!

So far he has only made one entry (informing anyone reading that this is a JOURNAL not a diary!) but he was soooo excited to make this book. I hope he will continue to write in it. Who knows? Maybe it will be basis for a whole new series of kid's books one day! Supplies: SU's Small board basics, Zutter Bind it All, O-wires. Paper from My Mind's Eye. Stickers (?!)