Mini books and bigger blogs

Wow! Here I am restarting my blog after a very long time. I'm actually going to be keeping two blogs in the coming year - this one and a new One Button a Day challenge blog. Of course, the Button a Day challenge will be added to daily, while this one I am sure will be a little less often. But hopefully it will still keep you updated with what we are doing.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the Christmas break? I've had a little bit of non-button time, working on a mini bookcase and books as part of Tando Creative's new 366 challenge. I don't see myself taking part fully in that challenge, as I'll be a bit busy making a button everyday, but I am thinking of using the mini books to list each button's title and a few details. And perhaps use a few of their prompts if I'm stuck button-wise :) Then again, I might do their monthly challenges!

Putting together the little case was ever so easy, and then on to the decorating. I used Kraft tex paper for the main decoration - I crumpled it then glued it flat (using a brayer to help flatten it), then used some distress ink to change the colour a bit. Then, I rubbed every panel with beeswax and polished it well, giving a nice leather look.  You can see from this picture how different the paper looks at the start to the finish.

I then added some fantastic wired passementerie cord that I've been saving ever since Sevinch from Sevinch Passementerie gifted it to me a few years back. It's gorgeous, teeny and perfect. As I was adding it, I thought the whole thing rather reminded me of the state beds found in stately homes, so decided that this also needed some passementerie finials!

That side tracked me quite a while, making a fancy finial (using a paperlathe mould) and corner pieces! A bit mental perhaps, but totally me.

I also took some time to work on 6 of the mini books - the set is designed so that the pages can be put in after the signatures have been stitched in (very clever) and using the living hinge technology means that creating the book cover isn't that difficult. So I was able to just enjoy making the covers.

The first uses a pleather fabric and ruched using one of our flowercombs (I've got a YouTube tutorial for how to make this style of cover). The next uses a small piece of fabric woven years ago by me on a backstrap loom. I'm glad to have found a use for that!

The blue/purple uses a piece of fabric I eco dyed last year. Well, sort of eco dyed. I threw some logwood chips in too, which may or may not be what is classed as eco-dying...

Next, a piece of snakeskin that I have had about 20 years. It was in a box of items we got at an auction, the other contents being at least 50 years old and honestly, it has sat in a tin all this time. I've always thought it needed to be used for something special.

The next, covered in parchment. Real parchment, given to me back in my medieval re-enactment days. I was given a few small pieces to create my own inventory lists for my silkwoman demos, and to try out real parchment passementerie. My husband has a 17th century book bound in white parchment that is lovely, so I thought I would use some to make my own version.

And the last, using some red pleather fabric, to mimick a hand bound medieval style book that I have.

It's been lovely to use some of those little bits of materials I've been hoarding for years, and I have already set aside special items for the next six!

I hope that you will follow this blog - join me on social media - and of course, follow the One Button a Day challenge at https://www.onebuttonaday.co.uk/