Calling all Bookworms

Frustrated with the San Franciscan build and with 100 degree temperatures making working in the garage impossible this week, I am talking a break from that house. Retreating to the basement provides great relief from end of summer heat, allowing me to work on the accessories for the house. Even though my daughter will take over the filling the house with furniture and do-dads, I couldn't keep from tinkering around creating a haunted house apothecary shelf. I decided that if I do one, I should do two since I am working on items for my ten year old grandson's Halloween house--a project that I need to get on with before he outgrows the desire. As I worked to fill a cabinet that will go in the San Fran, I begin to get quit obsessed with the idea of creating aVictorian apothecary for myself. I even have a house, the Westfield that I bought last year.

Vintage Westfield by Greenleaf

The best part of this project will be that I don't have to do a whole lot to the house since it was assembled probably twenty years ago, so it has faded and aged naturally. Among the items that I am making are books, lots of books for three different houses. I am so excited about the books that I have created that I decided to share the project here.

Before I begin, I must give credit to my inspiration Thicketworks.com with Heather. She provides the download documents to make the books and a video tutorial to guide the crafter through the process. She has a very soothing voice that is easy to listen to and so pleasant that you want learn more from her. I did alter her instructions; for example, she finishes her lovely little books by embossing them, which requires tools and products that I don't have in my supplies. So, here then is my version of these amazing little books.

Begin by downloading the book covers, pages, and bookends. You will have enough prints-outs to finish eighteen books.

Print 1= 18 book covers on
card stock or photo paper

Print two pages
on computer paper

Print 10-15 pages on
computer paper

Before you begin cutting out book covers, spray with an acrylic sealer. 

Next, cut apart books, pages, and end papers. I began by using my paper cutter, which worked fine for the book covers and bookends, but I found that it worked better to cut the book pages with sharp scissors--ten pages worth. I settled down in front of the TV and cut away.     

Once you have cut all of the cover, end pages, and book pages, begin by assembling your pages. Once you have cut out dozens of pages, sort the different pages and arrange them in stacks. Test a stack to see if it fits in a cover. Depending how accurately you cut your pages, you may have to do trimming.

Sort your pages. Trim one that might be too large. The  cutting lines are sometimes very hard to see on the printed sheet.

I selected these pages. The first two are the front pages a copyright page and the title page. The last sort of looks like a bibliography.

Top of stack: Title page 

Lay the firs sheet face down on top of title page. This page will be glued to cover.

Place bibliography on bottom of the stack 

Tap stack on table top to get spine even. 

Some of your pages may still need trimmed or sorted out of the stack.

Apply glue to spine. I used Eleene's Turbo white glue.

Smooth out with brush.

Clamp together and set aside too dry.

OOPS. Be careful where you place your clamp. 

In my mind, it was too much work cutting dozens of tiny pages, I'm not going to let any go to waste.

The apothecary has mice.

How many times have you checked out an old volume from the library, only to find that is well worn, well used? 

While your pages dry, work on the book covers.

Using acrylic craft paint, paint the edges of the back of the book covers otherwise the white photo paper edge will show.

Then score the spine.

Now, fold the book cover. If you want a rounded spine, shape the spine by rolling it against a skewer.

Because I am right handed, I turned the cover around to add the glue to the left (front) cover. Does that make sense?

Place one bookend paper, sliding it flush with the spine crease. Remember this is the front cover (book cover at this point is upside down).

Turn the book cover around to the right side and insert your stack of pages, placing the edge next to the left spine fold and flush with the edge of the endpaper. Using your glue stick, add glue to the top page, which has been placed face down on the stack of pages. In an actual book, this would probably be the copyright page.

Flip the stack to the left and press the pages into place by gluing the top sheet of the page stack to the end paper.

Add a bit of white glue to the spine of the cover and smooth out with a brush. . .

. . .add glue to the back cover. 

Add the second end paper to the back cover, lining up with the crease in the spine

Glue the last page of the pages stack

then press the spin against the pages stack, then press the back cover over the last page of the stack.

The end pages will extend beyond the book cover, so trim them off. 

You may need to do more trimming to cut away where the end pages might extend beyond the book cover.

The pages will only be printed on one side, leaving room for the reader to make notations.😀

 Heather will recommend trimming pages to uniform size, but I rather like the ragged edges for a more vintage look.

 I am thinking that this paper stack was glued together on the wrong side, making the pages upside down, but really it doesn't matter because who's going to read the book anyway? I went to too much work to throw away the mistake. This amply demonstrates the necessity to pay close attention to what you are doing.

These are such cute little books. They are large books that will fill a deep shelf or stack on the floor, or cover a table top. 

Now there is some good reading. Note the top book, one of my first that isn't quite as neat as the rest. I painted the pages gold on a couple of books, causing the pages to stick together. 

Book making is a fun little project, relatively easy, time consuming, ink eating, but a fun way to spend an evening. 

Now go watch Heather's video and see how a true artist creates beautiful, vintage books.

Thicketworks.com 

Thanks for visiting.