Hallowe'en is nearly here!

It's that time of year again.  The nights are drawing in, the leaves are tumbling down, and there's a definite nip in the air.  Yes it's autumn, and with autumn comes...Hallowe'en!

I've always loved Halloween, the dressing up, the decorations, and the whole vibe, despite the huge commercial circus that it has turned into.  It's hard to believe that, at one time, it was virtually impossible to get hold of Halloween costumes, spooky decor and the like.  We had to be inventive and create our own outfits out of mum's cast-offs, whereas now, you can pick up every conceivable object with a Halloween theme, along with your weekly supermarket shop.

But in spite of this rampant commercialism, there is something about Halloween which brings out the inner kid in me, and I love nothing more that playing with every spooky gadget and rummaging through the fancy dress outfits with my daughter.  No, the commercialisation of Halloween is here to stay, so we may as well embrace it.  Besides, I'm always fascinated by every year's new range of products, which somehow seem to get more gory/bloodthirsty every time, but it is interesting to see just how creative the range of Halloween products can get.  In particular, I love those products which have a slightly different slant on the whole Halloween theme, daring to veer away from the predictable pumpkin/witch's hat/spiderweb/black and orange combinations.

Which brings me neatly to my Etsy selections for this week.  As always, I'm staggered by the huge array of wonderful products out there, and the boundless creativity of the Etsy sellers, especially when it comes to Halloween-inspired creations.  Amongst my favourites are:

Vampire Journal...by IstriaDesign

This Vampire journal by IstriaDesign is dedicated to the little-known Jure Grando, the first vampire mentioned in the written word.  I love the originality of this item, and the combination of goth and vintage elements.  Wonderful stuff!

Haunted London pop-up book by niapaper

 

I've always loved pop-up books, and the way they can convey a miniature world in book form, almost like a doll's house.  Perfect for Halloween is this Haunted London pop-up book by niapaper, uncovering tales of ghosts in the capital, including the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral.  Enjoy!

Skull Bats book by Idle Workshop

My final selection is this highly original Skull Bats handmade book by Idle Workshop.  Perfectly capturing the Halloween feel, the book contains 70 pages of wizard parchment and magnificent carved bat-winged skulls on the cover.  Exquisite!

Whatever you're doing this Halloween, enjoy yourself, and if you're working on any Halloween-inspired items, I'd love to hear about them.

Until next time,  have a great week!

Longstitch binding

It was with some trepidation that I recently had a go at long stitch binding, my previous attempts some years ago having been far from satisfactory.  I must credit the fabulous 'Mini Book Necklaces and Keychains Tutorial' on the 'Art by Wendy' blog and 'Altered Alchemy' for providing the inspiration for my creations.  Their beautiful work encouraged me to have a go, and having some small leather samples to use up, I had another attempt. 

As you probably know, long stitch binding differs from traditional bookbinding in that the stitching is sewn directly through the covering material, leaving the (hopefully) beautifully neat stitches exposed on the spine.  Popular in the middle ages, the method has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years, and I'm starting to appreciate why.  It's a reasonably simple binding, requiring very few tools, and you can see the results fairly quickly.  It's also surprisingly versatile, with many variations of the style available.

Miniature leather longstitch binding

My own version uses the long stitch and chain stitch combination, but there are many different styles, often much more complex and detailed.  There are also many different closure mechanisms, ranging from leather cord to buttons.  My own version, I have to confess, was taken from the 'Art by Wendy' tutorial (sorry Wendy!), but I loved it so much, and it was perfect for a long stitch binding of this size (ie. miniature).  Attached to the covers were some beautiful filigree style embellishments from The Funky Aardvark in Chester.

The popularity of the long stitch binding is evident in the number of Etsy sellers producing remarkable work in this style.  There were too many to mention here, so I've whittled my selection down to the following beautiful examples:

This leather journal sketchbook by absolutelyevo demonstrates how beautiful the stitching can look.  The closure mechanism is a leather wrap closure.  Stunning work.

I love the stitching on this LongLink Bound Leather Notebook by ipiccolilibri which features a brown leather long as a closure mechanism.

 I love the clasp closing mechanism on this Embossed Leather Journal by Coco's Creations.  Beautiful leather and stitching too.






If anyone fancies having a go at long stitch binding, I found these online tutorials very helpful:

Sew Technicolor: Handbound (Faux Leather) Journal Tutorial

YouTube: Medieval limp binding

YouTube: Simple Bookbinding
 

Until next time, thanks for reading.  Have a great week!

Funky Aardvark

Last weekend I visited the beautiful city of Chester, where I had the privilege of meeting the inspirational Bex Raven, who runs the Funky Aardvark, a fabulous shop/gallery which showcases the work of a range of up and coming artists, as well as holding regular exhibitions and arts courses.

I was lucky enough to meet one of the talented artists whose work was on show - Katie of Kipper Tie and Cake, who makes the most wonderful badges, felt tattoos and traditional hand sewn teddy bears.

Alfie mohair teddy bear by Kipper Tie & Cake

Other work which impressed me included the colourful glass creations of Chrissie Smith Glass and Alicebead's individually designed jewellery and bags.

Happily Bex liked my work, and so I'm lucky enough to have some of my items on sale in the Funky Aardvark shop.  If you're ever passing through Chester, please do call in and show your support for this wonderful venture.  You won't find anything like it on the average high street.

A final mention must go to the Cheshire Sandwich Company, who make the most amazing sandwiches, and provided the kind of customer service that is sadly so often lacking these days.  Check them out if you get the chance.

Until next time, have a great week!

Hebden Bridge adventures

Can't believe the weather we've had this week.  It's hard to believe that last weekend we were happily trotting around the delightful Hebden Bridge, and although admittedly quite cold, it was relatively dry.  It was also quite sad to witness the impact that the floods of earlier this year have had on so many businesses in the Hebden Bridge area.

Our first stop was the Blitz war-time tea room, a fantastic cafe above a shop, kitted out in 1940s war time memorabilia, a big band soundtrack and an appropriately attired waitress.  There were some wonderful examples of war time posters on the walls, newspapers dated from the era on all the tables, and a hat stand in the corner, holding a German helmet, fur stole and gas mask.  I was a bit nervous about the menu, with British war time food not exactly my idea of a treat, but our 'Blitz rarebit' (with an added layer of Spam) tasted wonderful.

Other delights on the menu included Homity pie, corned beef hash and macaroni cheese. 

Next stop was the Heart Gallery, showcasing some wonderful examples of British contemporary craft and jewellery.  Special mention must go to Heather Wilson, who describes herself on her business card as "Maker of mad and beautiful things".   She creates lovely personalised name pictures, which bring together a range of personal details regarding the recipient, such as hobbies, family, pets and occupations.  They make beautiful and unique gifts.  I also loved her range of hats: highly original, and with more than a touch of humour, they were also extraordinarily beautiful.

Off to Chester today - will report back soon.

Have a great week everyone!

 

Heather Wilson's 'Lying Cow' hat
 

Experiments in Copper Etching

I'm always interested in discovering new crafts, especially when I can incorporate them into my books in some way.  Recently I've been experimenting with copper etching, with the help of some wonderful tutorials on the Internet.  Basically, a design is applied to the surface of a copper blank, and this acts as a resist (meaning that areas left untouched will be etched, leaving your design as a raised surface).

Before

After

A number of suggestions were put forward as to the best resist to use, ranging from a Sharpie permanent marker, to acrylic paint to nail varnish.  I experimented with the Sharpie and nail varnish, and got satisfactory results with both.

After covering the back of the copper blank with resist, the etching process begins by suspending the piece in a tub of ferric chloride.  I purchased my ferric chlorid from Maplin, but I would imagine this would be available at art shops.  Opinion varies as to how long to leave the copper in the solution, but keep checking, and after 30 minutes or so, the solution should have worked its magic.

This is my first attempt, and admittedly, it looks a little 'rough', but I quite like that.  I added it to my most recent book creation, and I love the effect of the etched copper against the luxurious velvet effect covering.

Burgundy velvet postbinding journal by GlassRoofBooks

As always, searching around on Etsy, I found some amazing examples of 'proper' copper etching, which brought home to me how much of a beginner I am when it comes to etching, and also how many talented people there are out there.


I love these dragonfly earrings by KismetStudiosOnEtsy
Such a simple design, by highly effective

MarieOfSweden has some truly beautiful items in her shop.  I was spoilt for choice, but this etching is typical of her style.  Simply stunning.

These Shooting stars copper etched earrings are another of my favourites, by CabariBeads.  I love the patina effect, which adds depth to the imagery.








So there we have it.  Any tips by those in the know regarding copper etching, I'd love to hear from you.  And anyone who fancies having a go, I found the Internet tutorials below very helpful.

Happy etching!

Copperheart - Tutorial: How to etch copper

Hodgepodgerie: Etching Copper

Autumn Equinox: Copper Etching Tutorial

C is for Cancer Research

My legs have just about returned to normal following my epic half marathon walk on Saturday 8th September, in aid of Cancer Research UK.  Taking part in the 'Shine' walk through the night in Manchester city centre was an amazing experience, despite the aches and blisters, not to mention the two hour wait before we even started walking.  But it felt good to be contributing in some small way to a very worthwhile cause. 

Before the walk - all smiles

The number of people taking part who had obviously been personally affected by cancer in some way was staggering.  Up until now, cancer had not directly impacted upon my life - I knew some people who had survived cancer, some who had died, but the 'C' word still felt far enough away for me to feel somewhat detached from it.  Like witnessing distressing news reports, you watch and feel for those affected, but you can still sleep soundly at night, safe in the knowledge that it won't directly affect you.  How ironic then, that I should learn the news, whilst still basking in the glory of completing my half marathon, that my own mother was suffering from cancer.  It's been a shock, but we're taking one day at a time, and hoping for a positive outcome.  So next time someone tells you they're raising money for Cancer Research, please donate - you never know, one day cancer could personally affect you.

'The Raven' post-binding journal

My latest project is this A5 size landscape book which is crafted in the post-binding style.

The main advantage of this style is that pages are refillable, and the journal has more longevity, and can be used again once the pages have been replaced.  I also like to think that the replaceable nature of the pages helps overcome the reluctance one often has to begin writing or sketching in a beautiful journal for fear of 'spoiling' it.

Chunky Raven Leather Journal with Black Paper by silverwillowstar

Nevermore Raven Journal Notebook 

by KandysKeepsakes

This particular journal was influenced firstly by Edgar Allan Poe, whose work I have dipped in and out of regularly in the past, particularly 'The Raven', which seems to have inspired a number of wonderful book designs, (see above) and a number of Treasuries on Etsy.  The 'bird on a branch' image was placed under a glass cabochon, and anchored firmly in the bottom right hand corner of the slightly padded front cover.

As so often happens when creating new designs, the ideas I had in my head (the same ones which kept me awake at night) didn't translate into reality quite as I had wished.  The original intention was to create a detachable brooch, influenced by the wonderfully inspiring 'Gothic Jewellery' by Harriet Smith, with pieces of black linen and lace forming a 'dead corsage' within which I was going to place the cabochon.  When I actually got around to doing it, I wasn't happy with the result.  It worked wonderfully as a brooch in its own right, but on the book, it just didn't work.  So I placed the cabochon on its own on the cover, and now I actually quite like the simplicity of the look.


Inside the book, I've lined the boards with some faded blue and grey vintage-style patterned paper, and added a handy pocket in matching paper for the inside back page.

I'm planning to make more journals in this post-binding style, so I'll keep you posted for any updates.

Have a great week!