Interlude: Tiny Books and Were to Find Them (around your neck)

I had soooo many plans, I even started up a couple of projects, but the pre-holiday-season is definitely one of those ‘expect the unexpected’ times of year… In the last couple of weeks, instead of finishing some project or other, I found myself spending every free moment making tiny books. There is no complaint in that statement, I love making these tiny treasures and I LOVE when they make others smile, so I thought I’d share some of them here too.

As a lifelong (and proud) nerd and lover of stories, it’s no surprise books have always been a great love of mine. I love gigantic old books, but let’s face it – who doesn’t love a tiny book? And I mean tiny, the books I make are 2-2.5cm tall, and I’m always surprised and how much detail they have.

 

Once I had the books though, I started thinking what to do with them and jewellery seemed like a good idea. I started with necklaces and continued to earrings.

Then I thought - why settle for one book? I definitely don't with reading books! And so the stacked-book necklace was born. 

Lately I started thinking of making more specialized designs and started with my new grimoires, I must admit - I adore them 🖤

It’s not exactly hard to make tiny books, but it does take time and a LOT of patience, and they don’t always come out right – a scratch, a paint stain… I make vintage style books (old books are the best!), but there’s a limit to what I can pass as shabby. In every batch there’s a couple of books that don’t pass my ‘pendant quality’ test and I ended up with a small pile of sad books with no purpose – clearly that could not stand! So I found them new purposes. You may have noticed a few of them in “The Witch’s Son” Tale-ing Fragment. I also use them when I make witch’s cabinets. A scratch on the cover of the book was covered nicely by a grinning skull. 

For the Wiccan cabinet I used a couple of damaged books, but also made a spell book that can open – way too much fun there

I hope you enjoyed this tiny-book interlude (with lots of photos), did you like how I used the books? What would you make with tiny books? 

I’ll be back soon (hopefully) with a new project!

Tale-ing Fragments #2: The Old Tree

There was an old tree at the edge of the wood no one dared come near

But now and then a bird came by to whisper secrets in its ear

What secrets did they tweet in his old ears? 

Were they bringing news from afar?
Glad tidings or horrified murmurs? 

Were the birds his friends? Cursed by an old foe? 

Messengers from beyond?

This piece is a good example of going with the crafty-flow, sure I had an idea of what I want and how I wanted it to look but well – always expect the unexpected, right? 

I did not plan the branch frame, but the woodgrain backing (as much as I love how it came out – love this paper!) was just too… clean? Organised? However you’d call it is was definitely missing something. Thankfully, London was having stormy weather and with the aid of strong winds and kind trees I managed to collect the needed twigs to make the frame. 

If you can’t find the perfect frame, make it!

I’ve entered this Fragment to the Simon Says Stamp weekly Monday Challenge. This also wasn’t planned, but their theme this week is ‘Tear It Up’ – isn’t it perfect?? 


Hope you enjoy it, and if you see a raven send hello to the old tree.

Tale-ing Fragments #1: The Witch’s Son

The witch’s son kept all her treasures.

What were these treasures?

Why was he keeping them?

Where did she go?

Was he keeping them for her?

From her?

I love a good story and I love storytelling. ‘Tale-ing Fragments’ are just that: a sentence or two, sometimes half a phrase that were left, hanging, waiting for their tale. The images come with, illustrate, whisper details but always concealing more. The beauty of these fragments is that they are potentially a thousand and one stories – happy, sad, dark or comical, with daring adventure or calm contemplation – whatever you want or need them to be.

What story would you tell?