Paper, scissors, glue

I found a load of old stamps in the bottom of my papercraft box yesterday. I like stamps, I think it's because they each have a little story behind them. Most of the time I will have no idea what that story is but to someone out there they will mean something. Most of these are much much older than me and some of them come from places that don't exist any more.



I've been trying to work out what to do with them for a while. I've have this notebook, which is full of really pretty handmade paper, for ages now as well. I picked it up orginally to use as a sketch book, then realised the petals in the pages make it a difficult surface to draw on.



I don't like the colour of the cover very much either, so figured I maybe could decorate it with the stamps and turn it into a travel journal. I like the idea of having a travel journal. I do have this one, but it isn't really me so I've never used it.



I just know I'm going to get shot down for this, but the pattern on the cover reminds me of finger painting. It has a huge sticky-out spine, and the inside is full of sections in which you are supposed to write ordered lists of things that need to be put in order. It even has little pockets. I'm not organised enough to have lists or tidy enough to ever have children that paint like that. I'm sure it would fit neatly into the Prada handbag of perfectly made-up lady in a tour bus, but it won't work bent out of shape in the back pocket of my hiking rucksack with the little pockets full of dehydration sachets and malaria tablets. It just won't. I'm sorry Emma, I really am. If it's any consolation, I use my one Cath Kidston bag when I go mushroom hunting and I store the chain from my motorcycle in the dust bag that a similarly unloved and unused Radley handbag came in. I use my one bottle of fancy nail polish for labeling test tubes. They are pretty things, but they just don't suit me at all.

So, back to the task in hand. Child safe craft glue, an old paint brush, a bunch of old stamps and a note book.



I'm going to start on the spine...



...then work round so all of the surfaces are covered with a mosaic of stamps.



A few on the inside too and I'm finished.



Quick and simple. I'm going to leave the shell and the wooden strip and cord on the front as it looks kinda beach-washed-sun-bleached-hippy and I like that.



Now all I have to do is think of somewhere exciting to go.