If At First You Don't Succeed.....

My good friend Bertie at Click Creations made an observation the other day that has really inspired me. She said that those who succeed in life are those who try try and try again. I was whingeing (a fairly normal function in my life) about something craftlike not working (it was actually, shamingly, when I managed to completely muck up a book I was making for her - but, it's life, it does happen. Except you don't get any second chances with unique old books. Gloom) and beatifically (or should that be Bertifically?) she issued forth that pearl of wisdom. Well, talk about a rocket inserted into various places that'll get you going, I've tried tried and tried again and have, after much gnashing of teeth and shouting produced another new scribbly idea. Take a look at these little gems.

I've taken a seed packet and rebound it into a plain paper notebook - a favourite fill of mine to be honest, it offers so possibilities - and inside the jolly pattern lined front cover I put the seed pack in a little slot. Just like this, in fact....

Now, I do love gardening (when I'm physically able.....) and I love all the possibilities for gifts that are related to my passion that I can give or make to my other gardening friends. I'm dead pleased with this latest idea because it means I've now got another option for this. And unlike the endless jars of gardeners hand cream that get bandied about and left in the back of the cupboard, I'm pretty sure that this lovely will get used over and over again. And, unlike stuff that goes off or out of fashion, long after the seeds have grown and given pleasure, the notebook will remain as a happy reminder of a lovingly meant gif


And this is what both covers look like (the back cover inside is the same as the front cover but without the little seed packet pocket). I think I shall call them Seed Scribblys.

Thanks Bertie for the inspiration to keep trying. I really should have learned by now not to be a quitter, but it helped to be reminded not to be. I'll be putting these on the website shortly and hope lots of people desire them for themselves and their friends and family.

I'm finding lately, no doubt as direct result of my passion for my wire binding machines (or, as I shall call them from now on wbm1 and wbm2) that I am eyeing up absolutely everything with a view to 'how can I rebind it'. My stationery habit is barely contained at the best of times, but now I can truly make my own, it's almost completely out of hand. Luckily I'm off to Cornwall for a week on Saturday and obviously can't take either wbm with me (not that I'd take the newest one, wbm2, as I can't make it work properly still and I'm seething at the expense with no return at the moment....) but I'm hoping that I'll find not only charity shops and possibly even a car boot sale (which will have to be a stealth thing as it won't be what the OTR junior members and assistants will want to do) but also that I'll get more inspiration for other bindery. I do know that by the time we get home I'll be aching to get the OTR team out of the house and to reacquaint myself with the wbms and get a-binding. Wirebound cornish pastie anyone?