Arnold Grummer's Design Team Blog

My husband and I have been discussing our 25 th anniversary, which occurs next year. We ’ ve been to Germany, France, and some of the surrounding countries but have never been to Italy. So, after very little debate (it is, after all, Europe!), we decided to head there. One of the greatest challenges for me when traveling is that I cannot carry my entire workshop with me. It is really hard to decide which art supplies to bring. I know that when I travel to Italy, I will want to carry something with me to create with. I could certainly bring an art journal, but I am thinking about how cumbersome that could be unless the art journal were much smaller. I also have to be truthful to myself about just how much time I really will have to create. Keeping both of those in mind, I decided that I could carry several mini journals — about four or five — and create a memento of my time in Italy. This is how the Tiny Traveling Journal was born! Four or five mini journals would not take up too much ...

Arnold Grummer makes creating pretty journals a breeze.  SUPPLIES:  Arnold Grummer's Hand Made Paper Kit Arnold Grummer's pre-shredded Cotton Linter  Arnold Grummer's Paper Additive Arnold Grummer's Angel Wings Botanicals Arnold Grummer's "Make your own book" Duck Tape, Adhesive, Flourish stamp, Clear stamping pigment, gold embossing powder, ribbon, metal word, alcohol ink, metal embellishment, and brad.  INSTRUCTIONS:  1. Make sheets of hand made paper following the instructions in the Hand Made Paper Kit. I always add some additive and cotton linter for stronger sheets. The botanicals are pretty too! 2. Use the duck tape binding method on the "Make your own book" kit instructions.  3. Cut hand made paper to cover the cardstock cover provided in the book kit.  4. Cover seams in different papers with fabric ribbon, which goes all the way around the cover.  5. Stamp flourishes with clear pigment and emboss...

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016 My favorite niece is graduating this month with a Master’s degree in several “MUSIC’ fields. This little journal is sure to put a smile on her face. She can use it to keep track of the many appointments, music scores or all things musical in her life. Even though I am not using any handmade paper or casting, Arnold would still love this project because I am repurposing something that would have gone into the trash! Supplies: ·        Scraps of silver metallic card stock weight paper (lid from a disposable aluminum pan) ·        Dies:   Tonic Studios™ #1177E Jukebox Jive, #1180E Musical Notes ·        Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine ·        Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer & scissors ·        Tonic Studios™ Craft Tacky Glue ·  ...

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016 These little books are such fun to create and give as gifts. I match the theme/subject with the person who will be receiving it and create the design on the cover with handmade paper or paper casting which makes it even better. Follow along to create this gift journal - more will follow in the future with different themes. They go together so quickly that you can make 10 or more at a time. I bet you can come up with a bunch of ideas too! Supplies: ·        Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits ·        Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels ·        A sunny window ·        Scraps of tan paper (think brown paper bag/junk mail, etc.) ·        Dies:   Tonic Studios™ #1099E It’s Your Big Day (1 & 2 frame), #1098E Special Occasion (lattice) & #184E Celtic Dr...

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2016 I love journals and handmade books, and I add several new ones to my collection each year! My favorites are handmade books with "content". You may remember the “Knots Prayer” book from my Jan. 1 blog project which was filled with quotes.  This "ribbon bound" journal is one of the easiest books to create and making multiples is a breeze.  Match the quotes to the paper theme. They make marvelous gifts! I often create books a certain size because I have odd size papers etc. I had a stack of long skinny scraps of handmade paper, mat board scraps and some wallpaper pieces that were perfect for the covers. I will list the measurements for my book, but please do not be stuck with this size - make your book whatever size you want. Even though my book is "landscape" oriented, it can also be made "portrait" oriented. Remember if you don’t have handmade paper to use for your book you will need to make as many pages as you...

©Michele Emerson-Roberts  2015 You may know that I love journals and handmade books - any shape or size! I make them by the batch and always have a wonderful gift ready for whatever the occasion. Creating journals with handmade paper and castings makes them even more special. There are so many molds available from AG - pick one and follow along with the instructions below to create some of your own.   Supplies: Any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits Blender, sponges and soft towels AG mold #711 Gingko Leaf (or mold of your choice) Scraps of tan and off -white paper (think junk mail) Roylco Rubbing Plates (texture sheets) Japanese screw punch & 1/8” bit, scissors Scor-Pal (LOVE the new 1/8” version) Beacon QuickGrip™ or ZipDry™ adhesive Stick for spine approx. 5 ½” Heavy thread to match the paper for the binding Piece of Palm frond or bark A small amount of old spices and/or tiny pieces o...

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2015 I love journals and handmade books. The ones that will fit in your purse or tote are especially nice to have and to create. I had some scraps of wallpaper that was perfect for the covers and the right size too! The two “stick bound” journals are the same size, but orientated differently. I like to use handmade paper for the pages as it makes them even more special. You can make these any size - mine are 4 ¾ x 6”. The covers are made of mat board scrap pieces that I had on hand. The pages are ¼ sheets of handmade paper.. FYI - the stick bound book is one of the easiest books to create in multiples, and they make marvelous gifts! Supplies: Any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits A sunny window, heat gun or microwave oven Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels Scraps of off white or cream paper (think junk mail, etc.) Spellbinders Grand Calabur II cutting and embossing machine Dies: Ch...

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a nice spring, summer is officially around the corner here in the States and what better way to begin your summer than by making a journal to record your garden plants or maybe some hiking trails you discovered? I began with    my  Arnold Grummer Paper Mill Kit   to make my paper with the left over napkin I had when I created my Wabi Sabi Bowl  back in March.  The directions to making your own paper can be found   here .  First I liberally applied some Helmar Decoupage & Craft Paste  to the outside cover of my journal and lay my paper on top. I made to sure to coat the binding of the journal since that is where the paper will get the most stress from opening and closing it. The sheet of paper was a little too long so I creased the edge where it overlapped by folding it and then tearing along that creased line. Handmade paper tears very easily giving you a wonderful natural deckled edge. ...