The Sylvia Tietjens/Parade's End inspired book

I was invited to a bookbinding class yesterday taught by my friend Carrie. (I also got to play with the new stamps she's got coming out and they are super cute!) 

We took old Reader's Digests and gutted them. When I took mine apart, the glue was so old the cover just popped apart so we used the black book repair tape to reattach it. 

Inside cover. I cut the Ex Libris bookplate from the innards of the Reader's Digest. The paper (on both the front and back inside covers) is from the new She Art paper line. 

 The cover image is a sticky back canvas transfer and the bottom border was cut from paper - oddly enough, the Glue and Seal made it look as if it were a canvas transfer too. There are 6 signatures of 3 pages each.

 For the record: it took me TWO HOURS to bind. The pamphlet stitch is easy but the beads take time! Especially when you have to find ones that your needle will fit through!

I cite Sylvia Tietjens and Parade's End as my inspiration, as Parade's End is one of my favorite books and watching the BBC miniseries has been divine. I don't normally use my books once I make them but this one I am going to use as an art journal with the theme of Parade's End. I'm also thinking about using my other hand made books for the same thing, a book for each of my favorite novels. But we'll see because I am lazy when it comes to projects like that!

a box of my own

I took a class on Saturday for the Tim Holtz configuration boxes. This box took me 7 hours (the length of the class) and I think it's my most favorite thing I've made in a long while.

Tape embossing? Say it isn't so.

It's been a very productive couple of days for me. I don't know what it is, but since I made those banners a few weeks ago, I've been creating new things left and right. (And am in fact working on a tutorial for this blog!)

I found this the other day and I'd been wanting to try it ever since, getting around to it this evening.

What I love about this project: you can achieve a metal embossed look in pretty much a few minutes time.

What I don't love about this project: my hands. Anything that requires a lot of repetitive movement and whatnot wrecks havoc on my poor hands.

Easy, clear instructions. No rewriting on my part. Limitless possibilities, always a plus. It's a great project and can give you a very nice look...unless you are me and have to stop half way through tracing circles (which you can see in the background of my picture) because it just hurts too much.

You can tell from my picture that I tried. And while it's a bit on the messy side, it was a first attempt. I started with the dotted paper as a pattern because I thought circles would be easier on my hands. Alas, they weren't and you can see where I just went off on my own free-form merry way.



I like how it looks though, especially after coloring it in with Sharpies. The ink gives it a very gem like quality. The best part? I just peeled the tape off and retained my Altoids tin for the next time I want to give this project a whirl.

I think I might try it on a few dominoes to see if using a smaller etching area would be better on my hands.

I do love this project and hate that my poor hands can't handle it. I do, though, see a few possibilities as I write this: dominoes and the zillion Formica sample tags I've had on hand for ages. Could make interesting Christmas ornaments.

Hmm...I love this project too much to just let it go after one time. I think it's time for me to dig out the hand braces and give it another whirl.

Try it! You might like it! (And it's certainly easier than dragging out all your metal tools!) Check back for an update, because there certainly will be one.