Oh - and this is the inside back cover with a few artist materials ready to go (I also added a few gel pens too)




Test page in my sketch book.

 This is a good picture, you can see how the paints are working really well, how the wrapper leaves are adding to the effect and how the 'treasure gold' used to highlight the raised areas is working.

Then I turned my attention to the inside of the covers.

Since this thing was to have a pocket at the back the inside had to have a bit of oomph - step forward the pelmet vilene.

Painted in the same was as the front.


Now here you have to start planning your pockets.

For the back I used some previously marbled fabric and made a double layer pocket, as you can see here.  The peg is helping the PVA make a good firm bond.

i also had to think about the closure at this point.  I decided on elastic. If I am honest, this is the one bit of the project I would change in future.

As you can see from the picture I had three separate pieces for the inside covers - front , back and middle.  That was definitely a wise move with the movement on opening and closing.

The red thread is the button on the front to hold the elastic (in face 2 buttons and a bead in a little stack).  Again, in future I think I would change this and make a home made button that tied in better to the design.

I did make, but then rejected this beauty.  For another project I think.




And the inside finished - the little pockets on the inside front cover are marbled and stamped tyvek from my stash.

The book at this stage. A full days work and now just the folios to go.

 And you can see why I had tiered back pockets.  A tin of Inktense pencils and a few brushes is also part of the present.


 At the end of the last post I left you with a few Christmas cards I had gessoed - and here is why!
 The cards have enough strength to give the individual folios structure to hold together in a loose binding. The other pages were made with rag paper (tear it to give it lovely soft edges if you ever use it) and some other random art papers I had.  Some I painted and even printed, but some I left white.

So they were painted and stamped and in some cases embellished with painted tags or more previously decorated fabrics.


 And on the inside of some pages from an old book were torn and stuck.



 Most were of no topic, just pretty, but one folio I wanted to have a seaside theme because 20 years ago Fee and I had an idylic week in Deal in Kent where we went with the children (they were then) and we ate crab!  Which I remember in particular as we had to break into it with a hammer!

So another hand made stamp. (I love making hand made stamps!)




So now just assembly.

But first, let's audition some beads (I love that word!)


A mix of handmade (from a torn book with burnt edges - lovely effect but a tad risky!  These were the result of another day playing at just making stuff following inspiration from this blog and video channel)

 I did a very simple binding - I just tied the individual folio to the spine and threaded beads to give it interest.  That way, if she wanted to, Fee could slip a page out and doodle on it.

So here is a flip through of the finished article.

A couple of decorated tags at the beginning to make it personal.

 The folios - deciding the order to assemble them.




 A few tags in pockets are hidden in the book.  For no particular reason.


The spine!
 Finished and ready to post.






Tag with a tea pot - Fee loves Tea Pots!







Loving my crab stamp.  He'll be used again for sure.

I notice that it has been a week since my last post.  

So I sprayed it with pale blue ink (using Brusho powder) and darker ink using Procion Dye.  I would also have used a sand Brusho ink, but the nozzle was blocked (don't you just hate that!)


The Procion ink was very dark, so I blotted it with paper towel (and got a bit mucky to boot!)

Then I selected two acrylic paints, watered them down a tad and applied them with makeup sponges.  I sort of followed the 'corner, corner, side' technique to make a nice blended background.


Then I got some blue heavy body acrylic and mixed that with the pinks, to make an almost purplish blue.

I'm liking this.
I rummaged around in my collection of handmade print blocks.  These are the arches used in last years Horizons quilt.





 And then a bit more rummaging through the print block tins, and low, I came upon this gem!  A piece of polystyrene cut from a pizza base (I think).


And this is what the page looked like after the two stamp blocks had been pressed into service.


Another stamp block!  This one was a real fiddle to make.



And then I found these letter stamps.  I think I bought these in Hobbycraft.  They were pristine and new.


I used an ink stamp to load up the letters and print on the page.


And finally, I added some gold ink. (it had gone a bit congealed, but still worked).


Jewel like colours!


 The finished page.





And here is the super sophisticated Procion Dye spray ink bottle. (obviously I washed it out thoroughly first!)


And then, because there was a good play on the radio, which hadn't finished, I gessoed some old Christmas cards.  I am thinking small handmake book with these.



Definitely a very productive Wednesday.

Tomorrow I have to decide how much of the studio to pack and take South to Portsmouth for a long weekend.  Difficult, I always want to take it all!

Sunday was a day full of accomplishments.