Flowers and Birds Album – the Story

I have just finished a book for my Etsy shop, which is designed to be a guest book or photo album for a special event – like and Engagement Party or Wedding Reception.  This is how it was made:

 
I cut boards to size for the covers (8”x6” approx) and covered them with a lovely paper I found with birds and flowers, then lined them with a peach coloured art paper.

 
I cut 40 pages (they are A5 – 8”x5.75” approx, landscape format) and ten peach coloured section wrappers.  I made a template for the holes, which I pierced for sewing the book together.
  
The pages grouped in sets – four pages per section – with a spacer / wrapper round each section.  The wrappers serve two purposes – they look decorative and they also act as spacers, making the book deeper at the spine, so it will hold photos, cards, tags etc.  without the book bulging out of shape (of course it relies on the owner not to stuff it too full!).

Then I stacked the sections ready for binding and put them under a weight overnight.

 
Making holes in the boards, ready for sewing.  I decided to have a 9-thread pattern on this book, which is sewn with a Coptic style binding.

 
The book is ready for sewing; I stitched the centre of each set of 3 holes with a v.dark blue thread.  The second picture shows the finished dark blue coptic stitch, with the cover boards sewn onto the book.

 
The boards are attached by stitching through the holes, then sewing to the first section of pages. 

The second picture shows the beeswax I use for waxing my thread; I sewed this book with 100% linen thread in two colours – dark blue and ivory. The wax gives the thread more strength and durability; it also makes it easier to sew with, as it’s slightly slippy.

 
Sewing the Coptic stitch binding in ivory linen and a top view of the finished binding.

 
The completed Coptic Stitch binding, in dark blue and ivory.  You can see the stitch pattern on the inside of the cover.

 
The book opens flat; the section wrappers act as spacers and make the book fatter at the spine than at the front edge.

The book is pretty well finished, though I may need to tidy up the edges or some of the section wrappers, as they are a bit scruffy on one or two sections. 

When I get some decent daylight (tomorrow pm I hope!!), I will photograph the book properly and then add it to my shop. Hopefully someone will like it and buy it for their wedding/ engagement/ anniversary party or other special day.  I really enjoy knowing that one of my books will be special to someone else and hold memories of a special occasion.

Turning Turtle

I just thought I'd make a short post about Turtles...or quite specifically, A Turtle. 

I have made many friends through my blog. They are all lovely people and come from all over the world.  From time to time something or other happens that brings one or other of my blog friends to mind; I like to think of my friends - it makes me happy.

This week, I just keep bumping into Turtles.  No reason why, they just pop up all over. For instance, we were in Milton Keynes yesterday and I kept seeing Turtles.. on bags, in shop windows, on stalls and in shops. I nearly bought a teeny toy turtle, with a pull-back motor, that would whizz along the floor... but no, I restrained myself.  These turtles are everywhere.

They even pop up on my blog... or DebTurtle does, quite often!  




If you don't know Deb of Paper Turtle, I suggest you go and visit - she's a star!

So, in honour of Deb and turtles everywhere:

This is a Treasury List from Etsy. It's just some of the wonderful Turtles that can be found there! Etsy is another of my favourite places!

Sherlock's Latest Little Game...

You will know we have a cat, called Sherlock.  We love Sherlock very much. No cat could be more cared about, or better cared for.  He hasn't been well, this past year, and has cost us a considerable amount in vet bills; but we don't mind - because he's a Member of the Family and we love him.

Awww....

He used to spend large parts of the day snoozing in my studio

Remember the Guest Chair, just for Sherlock?

That's when he wasn't snoozing in the sunshine of course

Sherlock's favourite seat in the garden - weather permitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there was his game with the shower tray...

drinking from the shower tray... beware of paw-prints on the bathroom floor!

Now these pale into insignificance... fade into the distant past... Sherlock has a New Game.

Recently, probably because he's getting on a bit and it's been cold, Sherlock has preferred to stay in the house.  Which is fine.  He doesn't like it if we all go out and he is left alone, so we're treated to a big fuss when we come home (except for me - I'm either ignored, or asked for food, that's all; but then I am only Human No.3 and a Lesser Type of Human, being Female - he's a Man's Cat).

As I was never his favourite person (I don't mind, he's cute anyway), he either sat on the Guest Chair, or he sat elsewhere in the house, depending on his mood.  Which was fine with me.  I would feed him at breakfast and lunch times, let him go out when I was downstairs and make sure he could come in again if it was cold, offer a bit of fuss if appropriate, talk to him - you know, the usual way you treat a cat.

Now though... Hmmm.. He is driving me NUTS!  In fact, he's driving us all nuts, but I'm here more often, so I'm getting most of this. 

Allow me to explain...

Downstairs, Sherlock has a bed on the top of the sofa-back, where he snoozes when Humans are about. 

He also has a bed on the dining room sofa, where he snoozes at night, or occasionally in the daytime.  Usually he stays on the sofa and snoozes when I - or DH / DS - go upstairs; or else he follows and finds a place to snooze near to the Human of his Choice. 

With me so far?  Good.

But lately... Sherlock follows us upstairs, then wanders up and down the hallway, miaowing.  He paces around and miaows - "Miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow...." - you get the idea.  So we say, "What's up Sherlock? Come in here with us."  

"   " (silence from cat)

"Come on Sherlock, there's a good boy."

"  "

So, we leave him alone.  He sits down and washes his face/paws...

He thinks no-one is watching...

He had started to sit on a plastic carrier bag that DS had left in the hallway, with some old stuff in for the jumble sale.  For the record, Sherlock doesn't like carrier bags - their rustling scares him...

So, I replaced it with a cat bed, that he likes to sit on.

Except he doesn't any more - like to sit on this cat bed, that is. 

This was left at the other end of the hallway over the last couple of days. I've been busy and haven't picked it up.

Guess what?

Then he starts again... "Miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow...."

J. has a tall bed.  He is in bed reading, before putting out his light to sleep.  Sherlock sits by the ladder.

 

Then he paces around the hallway... "Miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow-miaow...." So I go out to speak to him.

He doesn't wish to speak with me... I should go away...

and let him sit here alone in solitude...

All alone, contemplating the stairs...

Life is Lonely When You're a Cat.

(Heartwrenching, isn't it?)

We're thinking of making him a sign -

"(almost) Homeless and (nearly) Starving. Donations Gratefully Received"

Life is Hard When You're a much-loved, spoiled and pampered Family Cat.

But Life Goes On…

This is my Auntie Kate.

 
She had leukemia and I’m sad to say that she finally lost her fight on Saturday 15th January and slipped quietly away to Heaven, to be with Bill (her husband), her mother and father, and her brother, Robert (my dad). 


This is her garden, which she loved (and so did I).


The funeral was on Friday 21st.  Her ashes are now buried here, at the little church on the hill, along with those of her husband; my grandma (her mother) and my father are also buried here. So it’s a special place for me to visit.


The views from up there are inspiring.  It will be a good place to go and remember.

I hardly need to say it, but I shall… I will miss her sorely.  She is with Bill and the rest of the family now and no longer suffering.  Still, it’s hard for us left behind, who loved her. 

Please think of my cousins when you say your prayers – her daughter, Trina and sons, Innes and Neil.  Their children Jasmine, Daniel, Alastair and James. 
Also her much-loved (and much loving) niece, Terry, who was only 14 years her junior and who was always very close to her.  She took on much of the burden of helping Auntie over the last few years, since my cousins all live so far away (Trina in Teneriffe, Neil in Australia).  
All of these will feel her loss very much.

As will I.

* * *

But, Life Goes On and the Sun still Shines...

On Saturday, it was my pleasant duty to take my elder niece, Keri-Anne, out for a morning of shopping in Northampton, where she lives.

We had a lovely morning, stopping at a cafe for an extra breakfast (Elle didn’t eat much breakfast and said “It’s lunch time?”) and spending time in several lovely little shops.
 
We arrived home at 12:30, to be met by Caroline, Keri-Anne’s sister; also lots of family and friends, who had all gathered while we were out, to set up a wonderful Baby Shower for Keri-Anne (and her husband!).

 
There were presents…

 
and more presents…


and more presents!

 
There were friends and family…


There were amazing cup-cakes, made by friend Laura…

 
Oh, did I mention presents?

 
and more presents?


quite a little stash, in fact…


and things for Keri-Anne too…


and a pretty book, to record all the details (not made by me, but by a friend of Caroline’s).
It was a great success.  Caroline was the best party hostess, having secretly organised this party over the past few months (Facebook Messages are soo useful!).

Keri-Anne (and Gilles and Elle) had a lovely time – as did we all!

Well done Caroline and best wishes to the little Pink Family, for the forthcoming birth of your newest family member (due in March)!