Double Trouble: A Community Book for Torie & Todd

A couple weeks ago, I showed you the crafty results of a baby shower. I didn't, however, show you what I brought with me to the shower.

Nope, not quilts. Those aren't made yet. But I did complete this community book in time to wrap it and see it unwrapped in person (always a pleasure!).

What is a community book, you might ask.

 

Community books are a little thing I came up with a few years ago for my friends, the new parents (though they could certainly be made for any reason). 

While all gifts for babies are, in a way, for the parents, these books are really for the parents. 

 They gather gift certificates and gifts of time -- meals, babysitting, laundry, DVD delivery, etc. 

Everyone who joins in contributes $10 (for the gift certificate) and 1 service (of the person's choosing).

Then I make cards for the services, get the gift certificates, and put it all together).

Making this one for Torie and Todd had its challenges -- both known and self-imposed. 

 

[This might be my favorite design; when the Starbucks gift card is removed, there are black lines from the flowers to the green grass, intended to evoke a window box.]

 

[This runs a close second and is extra special because the green leaves remained from a book I made for Torie and Todd's wedding...a bit of continuity, if you will.]

 

Back to the challenges....First, unlike my previous versions, I no longer live where Torie and Todd and most of the people contributing reside. 

I therefore enlisted the help of a friend to collect money and get the gift certificates (a technical solution, as she would say). 

Second, I challenged myself to stick to a color scheme -- green, blue, and yellow. 

I'm not always good at restricting myself to part of the color wheel. So I added silver too.

 

And a piece from an old Nikki McClure calendar.

 Third, I challenged myself to construct the book (pages through the binding) by myself. 

The gift certificate for a massage might be the best part of the book. 

In fact, I wouldn't mind one of those myself.

 

Though I like the monkeys too.

And all the awesome services wonderful friends donated, all decked out on cards like these, with the service and contact info on the other side.