Karla Nathan

An art journal made from a vintage prom dress and a cabinet card

When I made this book, I had no intention of making a book. Sometimes that happens. My son and I decided to clean out the fairies' closet. Sugarwings was a dedicated dresser upper (and still is) but had outgrown many of the play clothes.

Dewdrop, enjoys dress up tremendously, but is picky about her ensemble. She has one or two faves and will not try on anything else.

So, we decided to donate 5 bags (yes, an outrageous amount of dress up clothes!!!!!) from their stash to a thrift shop so other little kiddos could pick things out in time for Halloween.

Most of the stuff had come from thrifts anyway, so it was kinda like taking them home again. Or just borrowing them for a bit.

Anyway, in the closet was an old prom dress that I've adored since I bought it at a garage sale a few years back.

Here is Clover wearing the dress a couple of years ago in a photo from another album that I made.

When I saw the gown buried under a pile of fluff and nonsense under the bed, I decided to reclaim the it for myself. And HAD to go and make a book, right then and there.

I transformed an old cabinet card into a book, with a simple little trick and this lovely fabric. Most of the books I've done for the tutorial aren't sewn, and this one isn't either.

But in cutting up the dress, and using existing seams, it looks like a sewn cover.

Of course, I had to use some vintage wallpaper too! And I just happened to have the perfect shade of old velvet ribbon to add to the book.

This book is for sale. All of them will be, as soon as I get them listed in the Boutique. I've not done it yet, even though I have tons of photos to use. But I have been selling some through enquiries by people who have seen the pictures.

This one will be $55 if you are interested, just email me at [email protected]. (postage included in the US) sold, thanks for all the interest!

Or, if you'd like to make a similar book yourself? Directions for turning a cabinet card into a journal are available here.

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