Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

crafting

Glue Book Gorgeous!

By

Inside cover of my holiday glue book and first page. Plus, at left, my first envelope glue book cover. Book club paper from Michaels I had to have, up top, plus  Tim Holtz holiday stickers to use. Let the pasting begin!

There is a new obsession in my life. Glue books! What are those you might ask?

Pretty simple. You glue stuff into books.

You can make them from papers, old print books, expired planners, composition books, a mail envelope, sketchbooks. It’s endless. I started down this rabbit hole after making my own watercolor journal with sewed signatures from a class with artist Laly Mille. In the meantime, I decided I needed to collect holiday magazine images to help when I write my Christmas books. In case that is in July. To put me in a festive mood when it’s scorching outside.

So, one day on YouTube, I stumbled across the Nicole Relax.Cut.Glue. channel. Imagine my surprise to learn she is in Oregon too! Not only is she fun to listen to, but she does beautiful work. Now, I’m a rookie gluer (is that even a word? paster?), but back in 1998 I started my personal journal in an oversized lined book I bought at J.K. Gill. (Still use it) Does anybody remember that stationery store?

I’d pasted several full-page magazine pages in it, featuring a quirky New York bookstore and a Calvin Klein ad. And fortune cookie slips. A drawing of Puss N’ Boots. You know, the usual. Once again, ahead of my time.

Then the two ideas merged.

I could make a Christmas glue book! Turns out folks have been doing this for ages, and I’m late to the party, but I’m all in. I loved the green spiral sketchbook from Michael’s that Nicole used in one video, so I got it on sale, then purchased the glitter glue she uses. (I tried the glue sticks, but I managed to attach myself to everything in my office, so I prefer the liquid glue with the applicator.) And I bought a cake frosting spreader, also from Michael’s, because our Dollar Tree did not have the one she uses.

Next, I was so inspired I MADE a glue book cover out of a 9 x 6-inch mailing envelope based on her tutorial. (See below.) Because heaven knows I have a not so miniature Office Depot in my home office closet. (I love the smell of Post-its in the morning!) Next on my project, I will be cutting paper and using a rubber band to secure the sheets, as she demonstrates.

The deep dark secret that goes along with this new passion is I have WAY TOO MANY magazines, old holiday cards, and pretty calendar pictures in my house. Being a writer and photographer, EVERYTHING gives me an idea or sparks a story. But now, I have a way to put them into themed books and hopefully STOP collecting more scraps. Take the best of the best.

Which reinforces one of my 2025 intentions, since I jettisoned New Year’s resolutions years ago.

Intention number two is: use it up.

That applies to everything from craft paper to postage stamps to freezer food to napkins to chocolate.

Writing about chocolate, there’s a lot of chaos in the world right now, especially in the United States. To those of us on the West Coast, the devastating fires in Los Angeles are affecting many things, including moving adoptable pets to our shelters to relieve the burden on those in California. Organizations did the same thing when the August 8, 2023, Lahaina fires devastated Maui and took so many lives. And the recent California fires affected the Maui Humane Society again when their normal flights of animals to the mainland had to be temporarily curtailed while incoming pets from California were moved north and east.

Plus, huge blessings and thanks to all the firefighters and amazing pilots continuing to battle the fires today. Our contingent of Oregon firefighters is still down there.  A firefighter story is on my future books to write list, has been for a while.  

We are all connected in so many ways. I remind myself to focus on what I can control, be kind to others, and take it one day at a time. Like I did in Army basic training. That’s why rest and relaxation are a real thing in the military. You have to come off the line at some point and take care of yourself.

Glue books are working for me right now. It’s very relaxing.

And walking on my treadmill. And writing.

I started my next book, Forbidden Warrior in the Moonstruck Makeovers series, on New Year’s Eve Day. Seems I can’t go more than thirty days without writing or I get super cranky.

Writing and glue books.

Saving sanity one day at a time!

Find something that works for you.

To the glue books!

No Sew Glue Book/ Journal Tutorial

 

Happy May Day!

By 4 Comments

Blooms for you!

Sun. Finally. I’ve been cooped up in the house for the last month with four unruly teenagers. Not humans, but book manuscripts. Making progress, but these kids are driving me nuts. So sunshine is a very good excuse to grab the camera and wander around my neighborhood after lunch. Instead of taking a nap. That hard job falls to Spec Ops Cat. He excels at it, trust me.

I’d noticed the rhododendrons blooming down the street and wanted to get a picture of the PINK blossoms. So pretty. There are some gorgeous red ones on another sunny corner, but they are almost bloomed out. Sun spots matter. 

Then what I thought was candytuft turns out to be something else, which I have no idea what it is, but it’s beautiful.

Very pretty. Something or other.

While I continue to slog through the technical side of indie publishing, wanted to let you all know I am still at it, giving it my best, and whining. Er, writing. A lot. That means I get rewarded with chocolate, so I’ve created my own fat monster. I’ve had to resort to giving myself a sticker on my calendar every time I complete another chapter. Fun stickers. Now I’m hoarding stickers.

The sticker fetish coincides with my new hoarding, er, hobby habit; stamping. I started with Anna Griffin card kits and it’s a slippery slope to Crafters Companion dies and stamps. Yesterday I almost grabbed a plastic wrapped magazine out of woman’s hands in Barnes and Noble because I thought she had the British stamping magazine I was stalking.

Lucky for her, she did not have the edition I wanted. My military background aside, I watch a ton of pro football. I’ve seen tackling moves. Consider that a warning to the stamping gals cruising the magazines at my Barnes and Noble. Just saying.  

When I did find the coveted issue on the stands, I practically yelled in glee. The holy grail. Swan stamps and dies. They GIVE you cling stamps with the magazine. There should be a law against that, really. Monday I actually went on eBay to purchase two back issues I had to have. No judgments. Stop me before I stamp again!

But stamping is a great stress reliever from dealing with said teenagers. I even get to switch chairs in the office. Purple for writing, pink for crafting.

There is nothing like coloring in the lines of the stamp and then using water and a paint brush to turn them into watercolors. If you use permanent black ink and watercolor pencils. Only a few of the thousand needed accessories. Including a baby toothbrush to clean my stamps with baby shampoo and water. Scrubbing the ink off the stamps calms me down too. Simple pleasures. That whole cleaning and scrubbing calm does not apply to the rest of my house. Not the same thing.     

So I wanted to show you my first effort at making stamped cards. Since no guts, no glory, I started with probably the largest and most intricate stamp I own for my first project. Also, the first time using a rocker block too. Did a couple of test stamps that came out great, and then on to the watercolor cards. No fear!

Three cards. One for Mom, and the others for friends dealing with health challenges.

I’m a rookie stamper. I admit it. So all I can do is improve, right? And I bought some glitter ink. Because of the teenagers! That’s my tale and I’m sticking to it. It helps me relax. Fun colors and it’s cheaper than therapy. I think.

Got the crazies? What’s your craft therapy?

Happy May Day! 

And the promised pink blossoms. In today’s sunshine. The bees were very busy on these blooms, but I couldn’t get a bee butt picture. They move. The quest continues!

  

Sun, Sand, And Spring?

By 3 Comments

View from outside the restaurant. Perfect.

Sometimes the best thing to do is leave town. For fun. Just for the day. Last week on Spring eve, the weather folks said it was going to be 74 degrees at the beach. What? My friend, Kathy, and I decided to beat feet to the coast for lunch and a stroll in the sand.

We promptly got stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway, but we didn’t care. We were off on an adventure. Stopped at the Oregon State Park rest stop at VanDuzer Corridor, one on either side of the road. Besides improving personal comfort, I always like to go and check out the streams close by and watch the burbling brook. (On the South side rest stop it’s a full river)

We made it to Gleneden Beach in no time to have lunch at the Clarion Inn Surfrider Resort, which has great food and a killer coastal view. My halibut sandwich was amazing and I ate the entire thing. I do not apologize.

Warm sand and sun. I didn’t notice my footsteps until after I took the photo.

Next we drove over to the Gleneden Beach Day Use beach access and broke out our flip flops. Due to coastal wave erosion, the excellent path down to the sand ends in a rather challenging climbing access the last seven feet to the beach. I chose to go down in flip flops, but saw the error of my ways and used bare feet on the return trip. A guide wire to hang onto would be an improvement, but we charged on.

Great trail except for the last seven feet. You can see the cliff erosion.

The ocean was topaz blue, the sun knocked your eyes out and a slight breeze let us sniff the fresh sea air. The booming waves reminded us it was still winter water out there and the high waves required respect. I began picking up rocks and treasures from along our walk and after several blocks, we decided to perch on a driftwood log high above the shoreline.

Winter waves require respect. The rest of the year too. Sneaker waves are real.

Back home seemed like a million miles away. We even started to get a little sun kissed. We moseyed back to the parking lot and got rid of sand between our toes, then prepared for the trip back to the valley. We had spied a Joann Fabric store in Lincoln City and then a Michael’s in Tualatin. Stopped at both for bunny booty and unneeded craft supplies.

A fabulous way to spend evening rush hour, shopping the craft aisles. Got home around 6:30 p.m. with Spec Ops Cat waiting at the door for his dinner. A cat waitress’ work is never done.

Some days a girl just needs to get sand between her toes.

Here’s to more spontaneous beach trips for everybody!

On the way home we spotted this quirky forest restoration project. Not too bad a photo at sixty miles per hour through the car window! See the happy face?

 

 

Beads, Bling, Coloring And Shell Casings?

By 1 Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Creativity is everywhere. Opening our eyes and senses is the first requirement to seeing it. Spent a quick visit Saturday at the Gem Faire, one of my favorite things to do. The show only comes twice a year so I can’t do too much damage to my wallet.

I hadn’t been for quite a while so the thrill of exploring energized me. Due to a competing appointment I had 70 minutes to power shop through the show. Did it! Got some pretties I couldn’t live without and saw some items which made my muse happy and curious.

Sounds like a Ginsu knife commercial - but wait there's more! Shell casing earrings and pendants!
Sounds like a Ginsu knife commercial – but wait there’s more! Shell casing earrings and pendants!

Take the shell casing pendants and earrings. Now, I have some leftover shell casings from my Dad’s workshop I’ve kept for a future project like a draft pick; not sure what they will become or accomplish but I’ve got the stuff. Had to take a picture and share with you this creative use of ammo.

Now, I might shine the casings with Brasso, although I thought I got enough of Brasso in the Army, but shiny is in my blood after basic training. Then I might add crystals, sparkly bling, a pink quartz rock and flashier earring findings and that is how I end up with tons of “project stuff.”

Recently a new Ace Hardware opened up in my area and I was beside myself exploring the aisles and all the fun new toys, er tools. They even had a “Hobby” aisle! Can you say more accessories for my Dremel? Yes, I bought the 80-piece accessory pack when I got my Dremel but I’m sure Ace must have more by now.

Then last Sunday the “Parade” magazine had a great article about coloring for adults. While I admit I buy Disney color books and have a fabulous supply of colored pens, Crayons and pencils to use, now there are big kid coloring books! They even have a couple of pages you can download free from the article.

Here is the link to get to the article and the free coloring pages.

http://parade.com/409702/hdowdle/50-shades-of-happy-the-new-joy-of-coloring/

Life is good! New beads, new bling, recycling shell casings and getting to color? It must be summer!

www.gemfaire.com