The Book of Secrets

This is another project I made using the newly launched Indian themed stamps from Chocolate Baroque. I love making books and when I saw the stamps on the Indian Textile set, they made me think of clasps on an old antique book.

I've included two pictures here as I couldn't decide if lamp light or sunlight gave the most accurate impression of the project!

 

I used a technique I have never seen anyone else mention, but I am sure I am not the first! Using a stamp from the Indian Elephant plate I embossed onto the black gessoed chipboard covers with clear embossing powder. I then added different shades of brown and black paint with a baby wipe to give the colour of old leather. I then added some Florentine Gold Treasure Gold gilding wax over the raised area to add highlights. 

 

 

I embossed the clasps in the same way onto thinner card and cut them out, before adding more gilding wax much more thickly to make them more evenly gold in colour. The "studs" are gold pearl card candy highlighted with Aquamarine gilding wax. As you might be able to guess I love Treasure Gold, it is such a good quality product. The lettering cut with a Tim Holtz die and the brass butterfly charm also get the same treatment. I finished by adding a little brass key, gems on the clasps and an embossed keyhole. The back cover is embossed in the same way, but otherwise unadorned!

 



 

The book is an accordian book, held together with a seam binding ribbon in a pale chocolatey colour.

 

I got the brighter pictures today in the sunshine in the garden. I was tidying in the greenhouse when I got in from work at lunchtime, a job that is much overdue and very late this year thanks to the extremely late spring which put me off getting on with my seeds and the fact I have been very occupied with an intensive spring clean of my craft shed which took me about three weeks in the end. What an exhausting job, but so worthwhile, it feels great now, with just labelling of my many drawers to be completed. Some pictures might follow, it's changed quite a bit since I first posted my crafting area.  I had a delightful suprise when I spotted this little hazel dormouse in the greenhouse.

 

 

He or she had made a very neat nest in one of my old pink cotton gardening gloves. I very carefully left everything as it was and decided to stop my tidying so as not to disturb it any further. These little creatures are protected by law and we want them to be as safe as possible with us. We are lucky enough to spot one every couple of years here, but we see the tell tale signs of chewed hazel nut shells each autumn. We have planted lots more hazel nut hedging since we have been here for wildlife food. It would be nice to eat some of the nuts ourselves, but the creatures always get to them and our walnuts first!

 

So the planting of my window boxes will have to wait for another day, but it was a good excuse to retire to the garden seat and read in the sun! A nice way to finish off the afternoon. I hope you are enjoying spring in your neck of the woods!

 

By the way, I was thrilled that I was the lucky winner of the Snazzy's challenge I entered with my last posted project, so I am now the happy owner of a Prima Finnabair art journal and have a nice project planned with that, thanks to the generosity of owners Val and Don. I am thrilled as I have never won a challenge or blog candy prize before.

 

Elaine x