I have been doing lots of restocking on smash books lately, and thought I would share some of them with you. Here is a batch that I made for a local shop, Bluebird Books.
I have also been listing some on etsy and selling them at local craft shows. I start out with a vintage Reader’s Digest Condensed book, and cut out the pages. I reinforce the remaining spine, and paint it, leaving places for the new owner to write in their own titles. Then I add some fun embellishment, or sometimes a paint job, to the cover.
Then, on the inside, the real fun begins! All kind of fun found papers are gathered together. Pages from the original book join old file folders, business stationary, scientific forms and graph paper, advertising pads, plain pages, and even some painted pages. Inside the front cover will be some kind of fun pocket or decoration, and some sort of envelope with a few interesting snips and bits to get you started on your “smashing”.
Here is a little gallery of some of them I have made. Each one is a one of the kind! I love the process of getting together just the right treasures for each, and creating a unique cover!
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a creative week!
Robin
Those are so wonderful. Where do you get your 2ring binder holder for the inside? And how is it attached?
victoryrd
Thank you! I use a couple of different methods for binding. The first uses loose binding rings, a stiff page in the back, and a “pocket” I make for the whole thing to slip into inside the back cover. The other method I use is to purchase the Tim Holtz binder rings that look like a miniature version of the metal part of a three ring binder. These attach with rivets through the spine of the book.
Kathy Hunter
Wow, Kayann, these are beyond great. Would you bring one to the next Wichita Women Artists meeting? I would love to see these and I’m sure the other members would, too.
havenofinspiration
Thank you for sharing how you make them. They are beautiful.