ok - this idea came from this month's Scrapbook Inspirations (which I LOVE and the old goat bought a year's worth my for my birthday) - but they said it had to be X size - and I thought 'but I have got - -

 

 

This is the cover - I had loads of orange card - and a marble heavy card for the cover boards - brown ribbon and flowers orange brads, matted title etc, etc.

 

OK, so what , you say .  . . . . . . .

 

Inside -

NOW - its THAT fun! 

 

Each page is based on an  'L'  shape - you have to fold up the bottom to keep the square.  You can have as many pages as you want and and size (up to 6" square - from a 12" page).  I squared up 4 sheets of A4 card and cut out the 'lost' corner.

 

Contrast with a matching colour - not forgetting the fold up section of the flap!  I added a cover card with a ribbon underneath.

 

I really love this shape!  you get 4 photo spaces per spread - WITH an interesting - touchy feely shape - that's my sort of thing,

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I was lying in bed in the early hours, when I had this idea.  I lay there and worked it in my head.  Blind books work brilliantly with lists.  Must think of more - a bit more spring/summer ish!

 

 

 

 

 

This is 9" long and each section is 2" deep.  The back is 2 sheets of 12" card trimmed down and joined in the middle with an overlap of a whole fold.  There is an extra panel of dark card front and back, and the centre is covered with Christmas paper.  The text is foundation in red ink on ink card and matted onto mirri card - bright red.  The lines behind the text panels are shiny edging, red and green alternately.  There is a fine cream/gold ribbon with beads to close the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have to see this - just finished my star book of The Owl and The Pussy Cat.  I am so pleased with it.  I did not have to do any research - just practise, it's sharpened italics - which I prefer to normal italics - it's a bit more compressed ans spiky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The closed size is about 3" x  5" and the layers are lilac / pearl bark blue / textured sea green / white.  The verse is scribed in dark green ink and the pages are all decorated.

 

I am just so pleased with the way this has turned out.  I think I will do a few more nursery rhymes.

 

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This has dominated my office for about 3 months - I have been working on it off and on - and researching for the verses in the evenings.  It is for our lovely curate - and as she now has it, I can post pictures!

 

 

I created it from scratch, pocket folded a rectangle with accordion folds to make the 'hours' booklet and made tags for each pocket to scribe the verses on.   

 

 

Each verse is scribed in foundation hand and I have mixed inks (pearl and normal) to give a colour theme to each tag.  The pattern motifs through out the book are copies of stained glass windows - from a book that I have (thought it went well with the church theme). 

 

 

I have had such fun researching this project.  The 'hours' are the prayer times that a monastery works to: it roughly works out to 3 hourly intervals through the day - depends on sun rise/set.  Each section of the day has a prayer theme, and I have tried to find a bible or hymn quote to fit in with the theme.

 

  

Each tag is an individual piece - each has it's own colour theme to the verse, it is mounted and has a fibre tassel.  The motifs are painted with ink, outlined with black and set on black before being set on the tags.

 

 

This is my biggest project to date.  All I started with was a rough idea of where I was going, and what I wanted to achieve - I just made it up as I went along.  I can't help feeling that God held my hand along the path.  This is a been a very personal journey.  I had to do all the background research work myself and pull on all sorts of craft skills (and sheer determination!) to finish it.  I have learnt a lot doing this - both technically and spiritually.  God's words are just so beautiful I keep coming back to them again and again.

  

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Really like the neat finish of the unusual shape.  They can work like a book (turning the pages) or fold out flat in a 'circle' - as in first pic.  And they do up into a tri-angle shape with 2 ribbons.  Bit restricted to the size because you have to fit 2 shapes across the page - not tried it on a 12" square yet - that's a thought . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

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I started book making because I wanted something different to put my calligraphy in.  I love the small albums that hold just a few pickies as they can be colour themed through the whole book, which is really neat.  I really love to start with a few bits or paper and card and create something, the touchy-feely that you get from a book, turning the pages and discovering the text and colours.