A Bit of Experimentation...

Hello all, sorry I've been so quiet and not really visiting/commenting recently.  I'm up to my kneck in custom orders - a couple of which are a bit challenging! 
Today I have been learning box-making the hard way; think "how not to make boxes" and you've got the idea...  Still, it's all useful experience and I can try again soon.  At least the result of today's session is usable, so I can keep it for my own studio - a handy storage tray!

Then I was mulling over some ideas for a pair of Recipe books that someone has asked for.  I've kept this lady waiting a while and really want to get on with it.  As soon as the book-in-a-box and another wedding album are in the post... 

Meanwhile, I made a mini tiny teeny-weeny prototype / experiment, to see if a particular idea would work.  Not sure about it still, but the little book is very cute!

Made a little concertina spine...  

Five sets of little pages...

  

Two sets of mini concertina folders (stuck with tape - it is an experiment...)

Scraps of coloured paper for covers...

(apologies for the dirty nails... glue all over them I think.. need a scrub!)

Tiny teeny little Coptic stitch book (but no covers)...

Fix a ribbon tie to the cover...

Double-sided tape on the flap...

Attach the concertina folders...

Tape a lining inside...

then attach an outside back cover...

Do the same for the front.

A super-cute little concertina-spine, coptic stitch book, with folders in the front and back!

Top view... 

Ribbon Ties to keep it closed (it would pop open otherwise) 

Quite a cute little book...

There are still a few "kinks" to iron out with this.  Not sure about the top-loading concertina folders, as they have nothing to close them at the spine.  I can solve this, but need to decide on the best method (I have some ideas!). 

I also think the inside lining of the folders should be a folded "page" - like the end papers in a hardback book. Just need to be sure that would work too... 

And I'm not certain whether I do want the concertina spine anyway.  Definitely a coptic stitched book, as it will then open flat the whole way through, but not 100% decided on the entire structure yet.

A Work In Progress, definitely!  But such a cute little book to play with in the meantime!

Anyway, this is why I'm not "around" much just now.  I promise to try and visit a few blogs in the coming week (and comment so you know I came!). 

Tomorrow I am going to Knuston Hall for the day, to do a one-day bookbinding workshop.  I'm not teaching - this time I am a student.  I will be making a leather book with a traditional longstitch binding.  Looking forward to this - my kit is all packed and the camera battery has just finished charging; I promise to report back as soon as possible!

Love to All Blog Friends (old and new).  Hope to be Back in Blogland very soon.

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