Off prompt- Yesterday it stormed all day and so I spent the better part of the day making myself a new sketchbook!  I got my old prototype out and followed along.  I made an improvement by adding a rear pocket for ephemera (okay okay, junk albeit good junk).  I even added a pleat on the two ends so it can be opened up like the Moleskine book pocket.

What I like is the hard cover and that the pages lay perfectly flat for drawing and painting. 

Mistakes made: I didn't buy enough sheets of paper to fill it.  For this thickness of book I should have had at least 2 large full sheets 22 X 30 inches.  I could have really added one more signature. So I used what I had on hand.  I should have marked them in pencil and now I'm not 100% sure which signature has which paper.  It is all 140 lb hot press paper so I will just have to roll with it. 

So just if you are wondering.... I have had paper envy....I can't justify spending so much $$$ on Arches paper. I bought a full sheet for $9.49 CDN to give it a try! 

Oh yes, my pink duck tape is paler than shown here.  I used a kiddie marker and didn't test it first.