Elegant Paisley Case Bound Journal

A case bound book is the kind of book most people are used to seeing. It's also the first kind of book I learned to make many years ago. I like case bound books because of the sturdy supported spines and more "finished" look, especially when you add in hand sewn headbands, which I've done in this example.   

Size: 4.25" x 5.50"

# of Sections: 12, with 4 folios in each

# of Pages: 192

Stitches: Coptic, Kettle, Long over tapes

Closure: None

Cover Material: Cotton Fabric

Thread: Linen (textblock); Silk (headbands)

I positioned the fabric so that the design would be centered over the spine. Also, it's hard to make out in the photos, but there is a tremendous amount of gold sparkle in this fabric. Everywhere you see a golden brown outline is actually gold, glittering thread. 

I sewed a basic headband (often refered to as endbands) to the top and bottom of the spine using olive green and white colored silk threads. Most headbands nowadays are just decorative--a strip of fabric with a pre-sewn headband along one edge that is glued to the top and bottom of a text block. A handsewn headband, however, actually serves to reinforce the spine of a book, and it looks pretty, to boot.

The spine of the textblock is not glued to the case. Instead, the spine is "hollow," so that the pages can operate independently of the case.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog! I hope you've enjoyed all the books I've posted recently. There will be many more to come in the future--I'm sure! ;)

~Hugs,

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The Names of God--More Handbound Journals

The fabric I used for these journal covers are the names of God in a chalkboard style, The pages are blank inside. The books are identical except for the color of thread, elastic, and patterned paper. Two of them are for gifts, but I had extra bookcloth left over, so I went ahead and made a third one. 

Size: 4.75" x 6"

# of Sections: 10, with 4 folios in each

# of Pages: 160

Stitches: Coptic, Kettle, Gathered Long Stitch

Closure: Elastic

Cover Material: Cotton Fabric

Thread: Linen 

The patterned papers on the inside of each of these books is exactly the same except for the color. The polka dot paper covers the first and last sections just to add a little more interest to the spine.

The polka dot patterns line up on the outer sections, and I made sure to fold each of the polka dot folios down the center of a line of dots so that I could get as much color on the spine as possible.

If you are looking for 1/4" colored elastic, I found lots of different colors at The Ribbon Retreat. They have excellent customer service, as I accidentally ordered 1/8" elastic initially and they took it back for a store credit so I could turn around and order the 1/4" elastic quickly. This ribbon is much thinner than I am used to. It has a smooth texture and a looser elasticity than the thicker, ribbed elastic that I found at the craft store. I was afraid there wasn't enough spring to this elastic, but it actually works perfect for a book closure.

One more book left to share with you soon--a traditional casebound book.

~Hugs,

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A Literary Kind of Day

This isn't a card post, but it does involve a crafty project.

For all you book lovers out there, did you get to the bookstore today and buy Harper Lee's new book, Go Set a Watchman? It had SO much hype! Based on what I've heard about it so far, I'm not sure how well I will like it, but since I collect books and there is a lot of controversy surrounding the publication of this one, I decided to go ahead and get it, even though with a first printing of 2,000,000, I doubt it will ever be a collectible. I just hope it doesn't ruin To Kill a Mockingbird for me. I loved that book as a kid. Have you read "Watchman" yet? What did you think?

Another book that I am particularly fond of is The Hunger Games--actually the entire trilogy. My daughter just turned eleven, so I finally let her read it and watch the movies, and she liked the story, too. Whenever she reads a book that she enjoys, she often gets her Ever After High dolls and uses them to act out her favorite scenes from the book, so she has been quite busy for the past few days. Today, though, she got me involved when she drew up detailed plans for a doll-sized chariot for the Parade of Tributes scene, and asked me to help her make it. The odds were in her favor! When I saw the amount of work she put into those drawings, I couldn't say no! My daughter took this picture of the finished chariot:

I didn't want to invest much, if any, money in this project, but we didn't have wheels, so after a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, we spent the next 4 hours in the craft room. I thought we'd be done in maybe 15 minutes, but it was fun to make this with her and to hear her ideas about how to make it work with just the crafty supplies we had on hand. Besides the wheels we bought today, we ended up using a dowel rod, 2 pencil grips, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, a cardboard box, yarn, safety pins, a cork, and a couple of die cuts for a "Mockingjay" emblem, and it turned out really cute, and quite sturdy. Surprisingly, our biggest hurdle was keeping the chariot from tipping over when the horse pulled it, since wheels are only on the front of it, but eventually we figured it out. The horse actually walks by itself, and it is strong enough to pull the chariot, even with both dolls in it, so it really is something to see in action. I foresee tributes parading around our house for at least the next couple of days...or until the batteries run down in the horse.

I had so many other things I needed to do today, but I'm glad I put everything off for this. My daughter went to sleep tonight with a great big smile on her face. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back soon with my regularly scheduled programming. (Paper Sweeties' July New Releases go live in the store at midnight!!!)

~Hugs,

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Love is a Four-Legged Word

March 24th was a sad day for fans of the Jenny L. Cote book series, The Epic Order of the Seven, which happens to be my daughter's all-time-favorite books. The main character of the books is Maximillian Braveheart the Bruce, a Scottish Terrier, who is based on Mrs. Cote's own beloved pet, Max. Well, sweet little Max passed away last week after battling cancer. Besides loving Max as the character in the books, my daughter is also a dog-lover in general. (March 24 was also our own terrier's 15th birthday, too.) So, when I told her about Max's passing, my daughter was devastated, and fell asleep on a tear-dampened pillow, while holding tight to a plush Scotty that looks just like Max. 

Mrs. Cote does a lot of creative writing workshops for kids, and she just happens to be coming to our town for a workshop for our homeschool group next week, so I made this sympathy card for my daughter to give to Mrs. Cote while she is here. I love this Tiddly Inks image, which I colored with Copics, and I've used it before, for a card that I intend to eventually give to my daughter because it looks so much like her and our dog, Ozzy, but it is also perfect for this occasion, since it resembles Mrs. Cote and Max, too! See...

Jenny Cote, Max, and Liz

I used the Viva la Verve March 2015 Week 4 Sketch for the card design, and all the patterned paper, including the sentiment on the die cut faux leather belt, is from the Raining Cats & Dogs paper pad by Graphic 45. I added the detailed eye to the image, and worked quite a while on the girl's cheek to make it look more dimensional. I still need practice, but I was pleased with how it finally turned out. 

The sentiment inside the card was typed in Word and printed onto cardstock. I added little paw print stamps and a red flourish in the corner. The monogram letters (M-A-X) are from the Paper Sweeties Fancy Monograms stamp set. I stamped them with Versamark onto black chipboard, then heat embossed them in white. I can't get over how much detail is in the monograms, even when embossed! After cutting the letters with a die from the Beautiful Little Wishes Sweet Cuts die set, I mounted each letter onto a square of craft foam, then onto a square of gold mirror foil. It's pretty in real life, but since it truly is mirrored, the gold doesn't show up well in a photo. The sentiment at the bottom is written in Gaelic (I just love Google sometimes!), to go along with Max's Scottish heritage. Again, it doesn't show well in this photo, but the sentiment strip is wavy, rather than glued flat to the card. I used Pearl Pen dots under the center of the strip to keep it from getting smushed.

My daughter loves the card and can't wait to give it to Mrs. Cote, along with a little gift she made just for her. ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve March 2015 Week 4 Challenge
Tiddly Inks Challenge #154: Anything Goes With a Tiddly Inks Image/Stamp
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #117: True Anything Goes...No Twist!

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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Sweet Dreams Wryn--Make It Sparkle Challenge with Tiddly Inks!

Hello there! It's time for a new challenge at Tiddly Inks, so create something fun and Make It Sparkle! You can use glitter, sparkly embellies, Stickles, any kind of sparkle pen, or sparkle paper--whatever your heart desires...just make it sparkle!

I used the super cute Sweet Dreams Wryn digital image for my card. I love that she is in bed reading--something my daughter likes to do, and I colored her with Copics, with the furniture in funky colors, similar to my DD's furniture. The sentiment is an old MFT stamp. For some sparkle, I used a few Twinkle Goosebumps, a tiny drop of silver Stickles on the lamp pull, and Magenta Stickles to embellish the design on the head and foot of the bed.

I love how the inside turned out. It reminds me of a girl's frilly bed linens. 

You won't want to miss the designs by the rest of the DT this week! They are amazing!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Sparkly week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Finishing Touch
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create #91: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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Dude!

This will be my last card for the night--another Pixie Nerd card. Since I colored the first one in earthy colors, I decided to go bold and bright on this card.

The Viva la Verve May 2014 Week 2 sketch is the layout I used for this card. The image is colored with Copics, and I used a little Wink of Stella here and there, but you can't see it in the pic.

A simple panel inside with a couple of fun Washi tapes for color.

That'll do it for me tonight. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve May 2014 Week 2 Sketch Challenge
TCP Tuesday 266: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create #72: Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody #41: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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Pixie Nerd

My DD's school had Awards Day today, and she won the award for highest number of AR points for the entire school again (1504.6!). When the award was given, the assistant principal said that my daughter is known around school as the "AR Queen," because she reads constantly and loves taking the AR tests. Well, when I saw this digi stamp, from Saturated Canary, there was no way I wasn't going to use it for one of her teacher's cards this year! The image is super cute and sassy, and the sentiment is SO my daughter! ;)

Can you read the sentiment? It says, "Dude, pixie dust is for amateurs. I read books. That is where the magic is." It was perfect! I love it so much, I'm probably going to make my DD a set of notecards using it, as well a a little book for her to keep her friends' contact info in. One thing is bugging me about the image, though. See those strapy things hanging below her dress? Are they part of her dress or straps from her bag? Every image that I've seen colored has the straps matching the dress, but, to me, they look like straps from the bag, with those little buttons on the ends. It's a mystery. ;) 

The card design is based on the Viva la Verve May 2014 Week 1 sketch, and I colored the image with Copics. The gray spots are actually dots of a clear Spica pen. IRL it is sparkly and pretty, like pixie dust might be. 

See you in a few...I'll have another Pixie Nerd card in just a little while, completely different from this one.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve May 2014 Week 1 Sketch Challenge
TCP Tuesday 266: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create #72: Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody #41: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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The Bridge at Valentine

Hi Friends! I won't keep you but a minute. A couple of weeks ago I told you about a book I had read that a friend of mine wrote--The Plume Hunter, by Renee Thompson. Great book, and I encourage you to read it.

Well, last night I finished her other book, The Bridge at Valentine. Oh my gosh, you have got to read this book, too! If you like historical novels set in the American west, such as Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, The Bridge at Valentine is the book for you. Mr. McMurtry, himself, even gave this book high praise!

It's a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with a western setting. There's love and romance, turf war, sheep and cattle, life and death struggles, and the characters are completely believable and so interesting, that I hope Renee will eventually write a sequel about them.

I said I'd keep this short, and I really need to get back in the kitchen and get my Christmas casseroles and desserts made, so I have to run. If you have time, there is a great book review of The Bridge at Valentine here.

I hope you'll read The Bridge at Valentine, and also The Plume Hunter. If you do, come back and comment and let me know what you think. And, I know Renee would love to hear from you, too! In the meantime, she's working hard on her third book. I'll keep you posted when it comes out.

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!

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The Plume Hunter

http://www.fashioningfeathers.com/

Hi Friends! That's interesting headgear in the photo at the top of this post, isn't it? It's from the early 1900's and that is a real, albeit dead, Bird of Paradise perched on top of that hat.

How about this one?



http://yeoldefashion.tumblr.com/post/2928743616/more-exotic-birds-were-especially-prized-for



Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would have every thought of these hats as fashionable. Of course, neither do I get the current fashion statement of wearing your pants hanging below your backside, so maybe I'm just fashion-challenged. Nevertheless, wearing dead birds on one's head just seems a bit bizarre to me. To me these hats are nothing less than hideous.

But, Isn't that a gorgeous photo on the cover of this book! Those beautiful feathers look so much better on a bird than a hat, I think.

Until this week, when I read the facinating new novel, The Plume Hunter, by my friend, Renee Thompson, I had no idea that millions of birds were killed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by plume hunters for the sake of this fashion trend, and that the trend was the impetus for the Audubon Society.  

Here's the official book description: 

The Plume Hunter is a moving story of conflict, friendship, and love, which follows the life of Fin McFaddin, a late-nineteenth century Oregon outdoorsman who takes to plume hunting – killing birds to collect feathers for women’s hats – to support his widowed mother. In 1885, more than five million birds were killed in the United States for the millinery industry, prompting the formation of the Audubon Society. The novel brings to life an era of our country’s natural history seldom explored in fiction, and follows Fin’s relationships with his lifelong friends as they struggle to adapt to society’s changing mores.

Sound interesting? Well, it is! I don't want to say too much about the book, because it would spoil it for you, but it's one of those books that are hard to put down. One thing, though...you might want to keep a tissue nearby when you get toward the end. ;)

I've known Renee for about 10 years, when she, another friend, and I formed a small writer's group. Renee and I lost touch for awhile when she moved to California, but have since reconnected. She writes beautifully, and her stories are interesting and so, so compelling. I highly recommend The Plume Hunter--not just because Renee is my friend, but because the book is fantastic! And, I'm so excited to be able to introduce her work to you!

This is actually Renee's second novel. I'm reading her first novel, The Bridge at Valentine, right now. I don't know much about it yet, except that it has a riveting beginning, but Larry McMurtry had this to say about it: “The Bridge at Valentine is very original and very appealing. Renée Thompson has an angle of attack that is all her own.” – Larry McMurtry, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove.

If you're a reader, or have any readers on your Christmas list, I hope you'll give these books a try. You'll be so glad you did. And, you can contact Renee here. I know she'd love to hear your thoughts. Be sure to tell her I sent you! :) Oh, and take the time to read through her blog, if you can. It's worth it, if just for the story of the scorpion that fell onto her head! LOL!!!

Hope you have a splendid week and get all your holiday preparations finished with time to spare!

~Hugs,

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Book Lover

Good afternoon. I'm just tickled pink with the card I have to share with you today. It's for the Saturday Sketch Challenge #24, which I turned sideways. I not only used a pretty pink ribbon, paper, and ink, I also used a Flourishes stamp (From the Desk of) with books in it and a sentiment about writing, and I confess...I am a bibliophile. Books = Happy! If you've ever been inside my house, you'd know that right away, because this is the first room you would see : 

I have loved books for as long as I can remember, have been collecting them for about thirty years, and when we moved to this house a few years ago, I was lucky enough to get this living room-turned-library to hold most of my book collection. My love of books may have something to do with my love of cardmaking. It's all about the paper and the ink, you know.

The "gilt" on the paper edges and spine of the books was done with gold glitter embossing powder, and I tried to color the covers to look a little worn, like a good book that's been read many times would be--although I do try to keep real books in tip-top condition. ;) The Distress Ink around the inside of the die is Spun Sugar, and the gold edge was made with a gold opaque marker to go along with the gilted edge books.

Have a crafty (or maybe a literary) evening, and thanks for stopping by today!

 

Stamps: From the Desk of (Flourishes)
Paper: Watercolor Bouquet (K&Co); Neutral Stack (DCWV); Coredinations; Recollections
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Copic markers
Dies: Curved Rectangles, Lattice Pendant (Spellbinders); Dimensional Butterflies (Cheery Lynn Designs)
Accessories: Ribbon (Michael's); Gold Glitter Embossing Powder (Zing); pearls; Gold Opaque Paint Marker (Marvy Uchida); Memory Thread (DMC); Stickles; dimensionals
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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