The Bessie Series For Girls

So this week, I've been dealing with this. And by "this" I mean 3 days of IV steroids, which has not been fun. It never is. I've been pretty wiped out. On the good news front though, I had something amazing show up in the magic mailbox, which lifted my spirits.

Back in January, I posted a little Flip video I made of an ROD journal I sewed for Mandy Fariello, for a private swap. I just received the journal she made me and it was *so* worth the wait!

Her journal came in this cool jacket, which reminds me so much of a black Persian lamb coat my grandmother had hanging in her closet for years. This cover is not made from Persian Lamb, but it is fabulous!

The base of her journal was made from an old book, which I've instantly fallen in love with. I love daisies. I see them growing on the roadside in completely random places throughout BC. My Gramps hated them-he'd always be mowing them down, so it amuses me when I see them-it makes me think of him and his little quirks. For someone who planted so many gardens all his life, it's always amused me that he had such a hate on for daisies!

I have no idea how Mandy cut this cover down to size so cleanly, but she did a fabulous job. Isn't it pretty?

Inside the jacket, was a small strap to hold the journal in. The interior is wool.

The journal slides out of the jacket easily, when I want to work inside.

See how chunky it is? Love it!

Mandy filled it with all sorts of odds and ends. This page with architecture is wonderful. I have a "thing" for architecture. If I were a math whiz, there's a good chance this is what I may have chosen to to do with my life.

I love ephemera of all sorts. See? She even included a map piece of BC!

And old bank deposit slips from days gone by. I like how they punched number shaped holes in them.

Mandy makes these great post box stickers. I am pleased she put one in my journal. She has them available for sale in her Etsy.

More fun! One of the best things about these types of journals is that nothing goes to waste. I love putting disparate things together to create something new. It's so relaxing to make do with what you have. I can spend hours sewing paper. It's like a Zen meditation and really doesn't require much thought. Even on a day when I'm not feeling up to snuff, I can usually manage to make a few pages.

She also included one of her Moo cards. I have quite a collection and one of these days I want to frame some of them and hang them in my studio. I started collecting them when they first came out and wrote an article for Somerset about making 3rd generation art from Moo Cards. I've been addicted to them ever since. I now make "faux" Moos-moos from scratch that I print and assemble myself. Not that I don't still order real Moos, but sometimes when I need them in a hurry, the faux method does the trick!

Anyway, I wanted to share all of Mandy's hard work and to say THANK YOU to her for such a wonderful swap. It's great making new artist friends and being able to share our art with one another. This is a journal I will really enjoy using and treasure always. Thank you Mandy, for making my week!