Arica’s dear friend is headed off to flight school and Arica is going to miss her terribly. When trying to come up with a good parting gift, Arica found this book, which I repurposed into a journal for her friend.

Not only was the title perfect, but Arica wrote a very sweet inscription that I included in a fluffy cloud inside the front cover.

Sister, I hope this journal blesses your friend as she starts a new chapter in her journey of life. May the distance not separate your kindred spirits.

I was excited to try an idea I’d had brewing for a while: a paper-wrapped cover with a bookbinding paper spine. Here is the result:

The cover paper was specifically “baby boy” themed, while the spine was covered in flocked (fuzzy) brown paper. I also added a white satin ribbon to be used as a bookmark.

The inside paste pages were a blue and white polka dot pattern that coordinated with the cover paper.

Congratulations Mindy, on your soon-to-be-here son! May this journal bless both of you as you record the memories and milestones of your pregnancy and his first chapter in life!

After my mom and I spent some time hashing out ideas, she created this cute maternity top for me:

And it fits The Bump and I perfectly!

Tomorrow, I will be 33 weeks pregnant. If my mom’s prediction of Baby’s arrival time (read: early!) turns out to be correct, that leaves me only about 5 weeks before I’m officially on Mama duty.

And there’s still plenty to do, like finish setting up Baby’s space:

Get all of Baby’s clothes and diapers washed and ready to go:

Bake a bunch of lasagnas and quiches and other dinners that can be made ahead and frozen:

(Just because I’ll take a break from baking for clients doesn’t mean I get off the hook completely!)

All that to say, I am taking some time off from creating. A Baby Sabbatical, if you will. In fact, “sabbatical” is defined as “a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year.”

I can’t predict whether my break will be closer to the two month end or the one year end of that spectrum. That will depend mostly on Baby’s temperament and my energy level. (I sure hope it’s not a YEAR!)

But I can tell you this for sure: I finished my last cake order this morning and I’m only taking orders for custom books through TUESDAY, MAY 25th.

So…if you are planning to want a journal, photo book, or sketchbook made for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion, please order NOW. I want to be able to guarantee I can get it done for you before Birth Day!

In the meantime, I will continue posting about the projects I have completed…until the queue runs dry!

Thank you so much for your understanding and for your patronage over the past few years. Your loving support and sweet comments mean a lot to me!

–Abbi

Fallon wanted Amber to have a special book in which she could journal her thoughts as she developed her relationship with Christ.

Fallon requested earthy greens and swirls, and I happened to have the perfect fabric on hand! I also used button letters to personalize the cover of Amber’s book.

Fallon sent me a C.S. Lewis quote to include as the inscription inside the front cover. It was perfectly fitting for the occasion.

I also added a silver ribbon as a bookmark.

Congratulations, Amber. You’ve just made one of the best and biggest decisions of your life! Enjoy the ride!

Here’s a photo montage of each title and its inside facing pages. My main goal was to match colors and, if possible, theme.

This last one is probably my favorite…not only a cool book title:

But the perfect excuse to use this ethereal scrapbook paper.

Thanks again, Kendra, for asking me to make these for you!

Things are crazy at Z as in Zebra lately (due to things being crazy in our life right now). I’m still growing a baby in my belly and creating projects for clients, etc…but on top of all of that, I am traveling this week to see my family before I get any bigger/more uncomfortable. THEN, after I return, my husband and I are moving to the country…which means packing, schlepping everything we own across town, unpacking, and organizing.

That said, there won’t be any new posts for the next two weeks. Feel free to spend some time perusing the archives OR come on back in May to see what’s new!

Here’s a little sneak-peek of what is yet to come:

SEE YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE!!

Old books are so awesome because the covers feature different variations of embossing or debossing. So neat!

Since this was an old hymnal, I used sheet music scrapbook paper for the inside paste pages.

I also added a ribbed brown ribbon bookmark.

Sing it with me, y’all: Joy to the world, this book is done!

Teddy will be turning 4 this month, and in Anne’s words, “he would love a personalized field journal to write down ‘observations.’”

How cute is that?! Anne did some research about Teddy’s favorites and as luck would have it, he loves green frogs! I happened to have the perfect fabric for his book!

To jazz up the fabric a bit, I added orange brads to give the frog’s warts some texture (eww?)

I also used silver embroidery floss for the bugs’ flight patterns.

I love the depth that the sewing gave both the wings and the swirls. I’d been wanting to try this technique for a while, and this fabric was the perfect opportunity!

Teddy’s favorite color is red, and since no observation journal is complete without a writing utensil, I added a red ribbon pen loop and a red mechanical pencil.

Teddy also loves the alphabet, so for the inside paste pages, I used lettered paper in coordinating colors. Anne also included the verbiage for a personalized inscription, so I added that to the inside cover as well.

Anne, thanks for asking me to make Teddy’s book! It was such a fun change of pace to make a child’s journal!

Teddy, HAPPIEST OF HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!! May this book house all your big ideas!

I’ve been wanting to design a book like this for a long time (several years, if I’m being honest) and a couple weeks ago I decided to just bite the bullet and make it.

Besides, I had this amazing retro paper that needed a purpose! I couldn’t just leave it sitting in the shoebox for too long! It was created for something greater (much like all of us!)

And though the cover was fairly basic, the book’s insides were anything but.

In fact, this adorable book measures just 4.675″ square when folded. However, once its contents are allowed to unravel, the book measures an impressive 36″ from tip to tip.

(I could make all sorts of analogies here about “don’t judge a book by its cover” and all that, but I think you guys get the gist without me having to dumb it down for ya.)

The “book” has 16 panels (6 squares, 10 triangle halves) which could be used for a mini-scrapbooking project…photos in the squares, writing and ticket stubs and other ephemera. Or, it could become a canvas for writing, painting, collage, etc.

Once the book is full, the tie closures can be turned into a hanger, if you’d like to display the book’s contents. Think what a great gift this would be for someone you love!

The possibilities for this book are endless, and I’m excited that I FINALLY got around to making it. It went together fairly quickly and I hope to make more projects like this in the future.

In the meantime, if you have fallen in love with Ziggy Zaggy, I’m selling it! Click here for details.

First one to call dibs and send their payment will be the proud owner of this newest creation from Z as in Zebra!

That said, it can be difficult to decide on a nursery theme, but Sara and Jay have done a great job by choosing a jungle animals theme: cute lions and tigers (and bears? Oh, my…don’t bears live in forests, not jungles? haha). Monkeys and elephants and giraffes round out the mix.

Sara and Jay wanted to write down thoughts, dreams, and predictions during the pregnancy and they asked me to make a book they could give to “Baby Blueberry” once he/she is old enough to appreciate it.

I found the most perfect fabric for the cover and created a 6×6 journal with a ribbon bookmark.

I used a neutral burlap pattern for the inside pages and added a place where Mom and Dad could add a personalized note/dedication to Baby.

I also made Sara and Jay a photo album that would hold all the snapshots they are sure to take of Baby’s first year (or months or weeks, if they are extra camera-happy!). The fabric matched the smaller journal and included a label holder which will house a name placard with Baby’s name once they find out the gender (placards not shown…wouldn’t want to spoil the name surprise!)

The album also included a sticker for an inscription/dedication.

The pages hold two 4×6 photos, but the plastic covers could also be removed if Sara and Jay decide they want to have some larger pages incorporated into the album.

It was so fun making these. I feel honored to be a part of Baby Blueberry’s keepsake collection…before he/she is even born! I guess I’d better get crackin’ on making an album like this for my own Baby! The clock is ticking!

Sara and Jay: Congratulations on your little blessing. Can’t wait to see him/her!