Vacation Scrapbook

This is a little scrapbook I did over vacation.

I take art supplies wherever I go.  We drive to the cabin so I had a little more room.

This time it was my painting field kit, an assortment of papers, and a smallish container of gesso.

I also had some extra blank books.  Through the year I make hundreds of  paper bag books and file folder books for school.   This scrapbook uses the paper bag book.

You can find full directions on how to make these books in my previous posts.



Paper Bag Book Tutorial

File Folder Book Tutorial

On a rainy day at the cabin I spent some time applying a coat of gesso to the pages of the scrapbook.


I wasn't sure what medium I would be using for all the pages so I just primed them all. That way I was ready for anything!

On some of the pages I added some torn book pages, crumpled tissue, and old newspaper to the gesso while it was still wet.

This was all random.  Then when I started to create a page I would then take this texture into account.

I put wax paper in the pockets to stop them from being painted shut.

The gesso dries fairly fast, I would go do something else for a while and then come back and paint the next set of pages.

So my cover page is painted in watercolour. There is some crumpled tissue on this page which gave texture to the grass.

I added a figure cut from a magazine but I could have also used one of my own photos.


I used a Sharpie Pen for detail.  I am absolutely smitten by these Sharpie pens.  They are still permanent and seem to last longer than the Sharpie fine markers.  Nice fine lines.

First inside page is a painting of the Cabin.  Text added from magazines and the computer.

The computer text I added when I got home but I used my summer reading material on site.

The flap from the bottom of the paper bag shows a little map of the inside of the cabin.


Built in "lift the flaps" are another great feature of paper bag books.

Most of my books have this spinner feature.


For my vacation scrapbook I used it for my usual question.

Spin the wheel.......yes!  the beach.

The next 2 pages were about some day trips.





I added a photo and some sand.

The titles were made at home.  I painted some paper with dashes of paint, warm colours for one, cool colours for another.


Let dry.

Using a stamp pad I stamped some letters.  I also stencilled some letters using a brush and that same stamp pad.

I used the next bottom of the bag flap to remember all that great food.....

More photos.

The last page of the book has a frame cut out.  At school I tend to use it as a puppet theatre.


It can hold a number of photos....

and makes a great pocket to hold any tickets, brochures,  or other things you have collected on your travels.

Finally I painted my back cover in acrylic.


That's it, a great keepsake to remember your summer.




See you next time.