Mini-Book Magic

Hello, I am back again.  Not posting very regularly just now, but I am trying to post at least once a week!
Before  I get onto the Real Subject of this post... Do you remember "Herman the German"? 
Well, if you do - and those who tasted him may well do - you may like to know that Herman has his very own Website!!  Follow this link - or the one in the "Stop Press" column on the right - to take a look!
I don't have a "Herman" just now, but I'd love to try and start one from scratch - I believe the instructions are there somewhere!

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Sooo.. back to the Real Subject!

An Experiment with Miniature Books

There seem to be rather a lot of scraps sitting around my studio.  Strips of paper, trimmed from large sheets, when I cut them into pages; small pieces of bookcloth and suede; decorative paper scraps; short lengths of linen thread, too small for a large book... 

I don't like to throw away nice materials, so I thought I would do a bit of Experimenting and make some Miniature Books.

A Miniature Book is generally accepted to be a book that is less than 7.5cm/ 3" in height and width.  Which is really quite small.  Some people have made ultra-mini books... so tiny you'd need a magnifying glass to look.  Some have written tiny text in their miniature books.  There are miniature bibles, mini photo albums, mini cook-books, mini sketchbooks, miniature artists' books,  mini-book necklaces... all kinds of things. 

So... I thought I'd give it a try.  This is what I've made so far:

Three Miniature books...

The red pencil is a standard-sized pencil...

Teal suede leather miniature book, 5cm / 2ins square

This little book has a Longstitch mediaeval style binding in golden linen thread.  There are 20 pages of crisp off-white Fabriano paper.  It has a wrap-round leather strip to fasten it.

This little hardcover book measures 6 cm / 2, 3/8" by 5cm / 2". It has covers of Liberty Tana Lawn bookcloth, in William Morris' "Strawberry Thief" design, with a quarter binding of damson silk dupioni bookcloth.  There are 30 pages of white paper, with white endpapers to match.  It fastens with a little grey ribbon tie. 

A hardcover book, measuring 6.75cm / 2.5" by 5.5cm / 2.25".  It has covers of hand-marbled paper, by Rhonda Miller with a quarter binding of grey suede leather.  There are 30 pages of heavy-weight white artists paper, stitched with grey linen thread.  The end papers are a dark blue art paper and it fastens with a grey ribbon tie.

My three little mini-books!

These are by no means perfect - they are very much "learning" pieces.  Lots of little faults - such as the two hard cover books refusing to close, once I had added the end-papers (hence the ribbon ties!), and I didn't do the longstitch binding very well.  I still have lots to learn.

Still, I am pleased with them - they're fun and cute and quite pretty.  A couple of hours well spent!

Herman (or The Blessing of Cake)

I received this from my friend Debbie...

For ten days, Herman 1 lived on our kitchen work-top, covered by a tea-towel. 

He received daily attention, as in the instructions.  On Day 4, I fed him, on flour, sugar and milk.  The rest of the days, I stirred him, so he continued to bubble and grow.

On Day 9, as per instructions, I fed Herman again, then divided him into four Hermans. 

However, I didn't give away 3, like the instructions say.  I gave away two and kept two.

On Day 10, I baked one of the remaining Hermans.  But I still had one left. 

I took care of the New Herman for 9 more days, before separating him into four once again, giving a double portion to my niece (so she can bake one straight away and keep one for next week).

Today was Day 10 again...

I added sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cooking oil, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon...

and fruit - this is a mix of apple, pears and banana (we fancied a bit of variety).

Herman was put in a large baking tin and sprinkled with brown sugar. 

He remained in the oven for 40 minutes...

until he became the Miracle called Cake!

DS ate Herman-Cake with custard, for dessert.  I ate a slice plain, with a fresh cup of coffee.  

Friendship Cake is a wonderful thing and we now have a home filled with the scents of baking, cinnamon and brown sugar!

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Erm, forgot to say that this is a late entry for Sian's Storytelling Sunday this month!