We can't all be Martha Stewart, but that doesn't mean we aren't creative enough to fake it. Like my mother, I have a problem with saving everything. Every little scrap, picture, scribbled down idea, ticket stub, end of day pocket contents, every everything. These things were really starting to pile up along with my intentions for scrap-booking. Sure I have a lot of wonderful ideas for lay-out and design and even the materials, but finding the time and motivation is hard. One year someone gifted me with a journal, each page thick handmade paper. Again, I knew what I could do with it but it was about what I'd have time to do with it. As a songwriter I have plenty of notebooks going so I wanted to use this one for something else. That's when I came up with the idea for the bit book. It's like a quickly thrown together, smaller version of a scrapbook. The best part is anyone can do it!
Using double-sided tape, or whatever was handy, I started making my piles of scraps smaller. There's not really a ton of order other than it all happened about the same year. Here are some pages from my first bit book.
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| This is a bunch of stuff that was in my wallet when I washed it once. This page is mostly connected to my friend, Garrett. That's him in the picture. |
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| My horoscope, a positive message on a candy wrapper, calling cards that kept me in touch with family while living in a van. This page is mostly from my first year living in western north carolina. |
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| A great show and some contact info. |
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| A high school id card from 1996, pic of fam, tickets from the high museum and various bits. | |
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Here's one of my latest. Not quite full, but already gathering its share of bits. Another drawer available for something other than junk. I had a couple of hours on a day off and made this book. Until now all of my bit books have been journals with blank pages. A very elementary design, long pages folded in half and secured with a couple holes and some hemp. The cover is a thinker card stock. The girl is off of an old map of Alabama. Here's the cool thing: you are going to be covering these pages with bits so the paper doesn't have to be new or plain. Most of my pages are recycled materials. I just place items over bad spots.
Here are some other things you can use or start hanging on to for your future bit book:
postcards
(new ones sent to you or vintage ones bought by you), ticket stubs
(from concerts, movies, events), old id cards, receipts, notes, things
jotted down in a hurry, stickers, business cards, invites, cards, maps,
news paper or magazine clippings.
These make great coffee table books!!
Still scared to get creative? I have started making these little books with blank pages ready for you to fill up. They are $24 and I'll throw in some double-sided tape and a list of ideas. Requests can be made at usedmuses@gmail.com
