Well anyway I went to a local second hand book store and I found this book - Hopeless, seemed rather an apt titile for the way that I was feeling about the task ahead!!
First job - sand or strip the pages, but there was that price sticker on it and when I tried removing that the paper under tore away - good start!! So there I was peeling the blessed top layer of paper off this cardboard book, cringing all the time at what I was doing!!
I was at this point, taking ages and really struggling when along came hubby with a paint scrapper and saved the day. 10 mins and the whole lot was stripped clear ready for me to start playing.
Sometimes husbands can come in quite useful!!
So what next?
well I had decided that I would stick the pages together so that I would only have to worry about 3 pages for my first book, so I did that!! I also cut a diamond shape in the middle page, the idea being that I could dangle something within the aperture.
I had decided that the best theme to follow for the book would be oriental, for a number of reasons, not least of which being the facts that a) I had papers, stamps and charms and b) I felt comfotable making something with that theme.
Using a combination of oriental papers, inks, cards etc I eventually managed to produce the following. I do hope that you like it!!
Front cover of book. Do you see the large embellishment that I have attached with threads, hanging along the spine of the book? There are also some oriental coins. A strip of glossy red card and some oriental folding paper. A red vellum panel is mounted onto gold mirror card and black card. Black brads and a black card scrap with gold script complete the front.
I made black tassles from embroidery thread and attached them through some square beads that I had acquired!! I used a glossy red card (same as strip on front page) which I aged with H2Os gold paint. A strip of origami paper and the some oriental stamps, pictures and a strip of decorative beading. The aperture was decorated using black and gold.
Third page has a combination of papers from the Joanna Sheen range, plus a chinese script paper. The turned in red card through the aperture was made by cutting the card and folding in, I wanted to cover the cut edge and this way seemed the easiest!! I stamped a kimono onto some more origami paper then cut out and pasted onto the page. A few more stamped images and finally some vellum butterflies have been attached using silicon glue to give them more body.
Finally the back of the book is handmade paper with the gold lettering, a strip of braid material down between the two different types of paper and the final attaching of a number of pieces of fancy wool which help to hold the heavy charm.
Personally I am rather pleased about the final book. I know that I was struggling on the second page and maybe that page lets the book down, but as a first attempt not bad at all!!