Wednesday 2 June 2010

Same View - Different Day!

So it's the 2nd of June today... no longer my birthday.  This morning the sun came up - no clouds to be seen (well maybe just a couple of tiny ones!).  

Same View as yesterday... but no rain!


Same bench, different day - we might be able to eat lunch sitting in the sunshine. And there's still some cake left - yay!

We could sit on the bench and admire the lovely pink flowers.
I love the sunshine!

* * *

Last night I finished the little birdy stamp, plus its pair.  Here they both are:


This is what they look like when printed.  Obviously they're not identical, being hand-carved, but I think they make a good pair.  I have some bought stamps with birds on, but the irritating thing is that they all face to the right.  Now I have some that face both directions. 

More are planned - watch this space!
If I can bear to, I may even make some to sell in the Shop... but I love making them for myself too...

* * *
Final bit of news for now- I had a message on Facebook today, from my friend Sue, in Pocatello, USA.

She is the friend for whom I made the book I mentioned last week, which I couldn't show you yet.

"Re: Happy Birthday!!!

It CAME and I ADORE it!!!!! I love dragonflies to begin with but this blue and gold is beautiful and mostly I love the texture of the material...and I can feel all the love you poured into it...thank you ever so much!!! "
 
Yay! She loves it! She's happy!  And so am I.
 
Now I can show it to you all:
A large sketchbook for Sue, who is an artist - see her website here.  I thought she'd like it to use for her initial drawings, when planning her paintings or items of sculpture and jewellery.  (I have a couple of pendants that she made for me. They are lovely! Go and take a look at her work - it's worth the effort.)


The back view.
It is covered with lokta paper, printed with golden dragonflies. 


The spine edges of the covers have golden silk tussore fabric.  I made a matching tassel from the silk and bound the book with a Japanese binding, using waxed natural linen thread.  The book measures approx 21 x 30 cm (12" x 8"). 

It is filled with plain sketch paper and has hand-torn edges on the pages.  The covers are lined with the same paper as the outsides, as they are semi-soft covers made from stiff card, rather than book-board.  This was partly because the book would be heavy if I used board, but also because it's a sketch-book and I felt this was the best kind of cover to have.

I am so glad Sue is happy with her present. I had such a lovely time making it (now I've discovered how to make a Japanese stab-binding without getting raw-red fingers from the needle!!). 

I'm going to make some more books with the lokta paper and silk (see yesterday's post, for a green and gold journal that I made for Kylie's birthday).  I love the bright colours and they come out so well. 

Meanwhile I have a commission to work on, for Carol, an Etsy client.  I'd best get on with it!!  Then I have a diary/planner to make for Kylie.  I love being busy!

9 comments:

  1. Busy is definitely good :)

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  2. Sorry you had a rainy birthday - surely you can carry on celebrating today though to make the best of the sunshine? I tend to insist on at least a week long festival of celebration for mine so you'd be well within your rights! xxx

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  3. Glad you have sunshine today! And I am loving your hand-carved stamps! And that book is GORGEOUS!

    Enjoy your day, Lizzie. xo

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  4. The book is stunning...no wonder she loved it...you're a busy lady indeed.

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  5. Beautiful journal! It makes me thing about making my own art journals when I fill the ones I have.
    Rinda

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  6. I love your bird stamps! What a great pair! And the Japanese stab bound book that you made is lovely too.

    I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

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  7. the bird stamps are adorable and I love the dragonfly book - you brought your own sunshine!

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  8. What a beautiful book! I love your stamps too!

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  9. Love your stamps and book Lizzie. You should sell your stamps, how wonderful it would be to have a totally unique stamp! I am not surprised Sue loved her book, its gorgeous! Hope you enjoyed some more sponge cake in the sunshine. Its gone humid here now, which spoils our lovely sunshine, too yukky to go out at all.

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