A Little Bit of Shabby Vintage Bookmaking......

Start of a new week and my new working plan. Today I decided to make some books for my shabby chic beach hut shop. So  I only put out the bits and pieces required for this task. No meandering, planning or distractions!!

 I have printed off some vintage book jackets from the Internet. I decided to also make a small batch for Flourish and Blotts at the same time as every little bit will help there!! Hmmmm, I know a teeny bit off task....

 I bought these jotter and memo books from the local Poundland shop, they have glued spines. The idea is that I use the glued spines, cut to size, as the inner pages of the books. I am hoping that this will save a bit of time in the whole process.

 I have read many book tutorials and try slightly different ones each time, this method is an amalgamation of many talented artisans. This method is great for pre-printed covers and works especially well with complete book jackets. I have printed these on good quality photo paper and the reproduction is very good. Once they have been cut out I cut a backing to size allowing some room at the top an bottom as this makes scoring the spine much easier.

The backing for the book jackets is card from a cereal box, perfect for this job. Then mark the spines top and bottom and score the lines with a very sharp knife.

 If you make a few at a time the glue from each one will dry as you work on the next. I allow them to dry for a as long as possible as trimming is much easier when they are fully dry. The scoring of the card, not the printed book cover, gives the finished cover a really good shape.

Now all the need to do is glue in the pages using my Poundland purchases and tidy them up.

I have lots of book tutorials on my Flourish and Blotts Pinterest page, as well as links to all sorts of book covers if anyone is looking for ideas and inspiration.

 I couldn't resist a little meandering while I had the scissors and glue out so I made a little trio of boxes that I have covered in vintage sheet music inspired by a real life trio I saw in a real life shop. 

 They still need tidying up a bit with a little light sanding and another coat of Modge Podge but I think they will look cute in my beach hut.

This has definitely been mine kind of day!!

Parcels for Slug and Jiggers.....

I have made these parcel packs for Slug and Jiggers that I think I am going to hang from the ceilings with 'invisible' thread.

 They are orders waiting for Hogwart's students to come and collect. Simply pieces of balsa covered with parchment/baking paper and then labelled with a few familiar names. The string is embroidery thread that I have separated to make thinner and then coated with PVA to stiffen it up.

 Plus a couple of crates for the potion workshop on the first floor.

The dragon eggs are actually wasabi peas that I will grunge up a little more. A much better use for them than actually eating them, yuk! Definitely an acquired taste and I have yet to acquire it!

I Don't Know What I Did Last Summer...........

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted! The summer has been a very busy one with my children, the dog, family and lots of tennis matches. I play a lot of tennis during the summer months which at my increasingly advanced age is proving very exhausting. I have also been gardening and dealing with poorly parents. I have heard my age group being described as 'The Sandwich Generation' squeezed between not yet independent older children and increasingly needy parents. I sometimes do feel like a very wilted ham and lettuce sandwich I must admit!!

Anyway, I have been finding time for a 'small' summer project courtesy of a beach hut built for me by Julie Bennett who makes the most wonderful houses in all sizes. I love her range of smaller buildings which are perfect for presents and smaller projects. Do take a look at her range on her blog page there is a huge variety. I asked Julie for an unfinished hut as I wanted to match the colours to the room it will eventually be housed.

I have now more or less finished the outside with a plinth covered in sandpaper to look like sand. I changed the balustrade to a slightly more rustic look as this is a shabby chic beach shop. 

 I have also cladded the outside - oh how I love my table saw - simply because I wanted a stronger weather boarded look. Then I painted and sanded, painted and sanded, painted and sanded!!

 I seem to do a lot of painting in my projects and have decided to start looking at the paint sprayers that are produced for hobbyists as I have a birthday fast approaching. They seem to come in all shapes and sizes so I would be really grateful if anyone has one that they would recommend.

The weathered look was created using a plain wax dinner candle and a fine sandpaper. The overall look seems to have taken forever but I am pleased with the final look.

I always try and use up products from my stash now I have a number of full craft drawers and this floor is made up of oak veneer tiles that were purchased a few years ago. They were so easy to use and I wish I had bought more as the supplier does not seem to exist any longer. The skirting is also pieces left over from another project. 

 This is what my dining room table has looked like for a number of weeks now. Bits of furniture, material, plant pots and anything I thought might find a place in the shop.

 Many have had to be painted. I have printed off pictures for frames and made canvases for the walls.

I have begun to realise that I really need another of my children to leave home or an extension!! I seem to spread out all over the house and then whenever we have people over it all has to be cleared away.....again. Yes I know I have a craft room but that seems to be full and it really is too small for a craft pack rat like me. Maybe I could convert the garage? Maybe I could if that wasn't full of all the stuff we no longer have room for in the house!! 

I am such a magpie and like to be surrounded by all my ideas and plans when working. This is a really bad habit, I have at last realised, as I find it so difficult to finish!! So my new plan is to work on one portion at a time, perhaps on individual work mats/boards that can be moved for drying or setting. Then if I go off on a tangent the space is more manageable. 

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and I am looking forward to catching up on everyone's projects.