My creative space...

I had been thinking of doing some framing for months and finally got around to it before we started packing. I had this recycled frame and removed the Masonite. I then cut my own mount using archival mount board.

After cutting the window, I mounted the print I had chosen on a second piece of mount board using Japanese paper hinges and wheat starch paste. I also cleaned the original glass before sealing the package using framers tape. I cannot wait to display this!

Book repair: my childhood dictionary

I have been using this dictionary since primary school - no wonder it has been falling apart. Note the contact cover (a lot of my books were covered in this).

My trusty old dictionary has now had a make-over. I have repaired the binding, which was straightforward. All I had to do was adhere the pages back in place, as this book is a perfect binding. I have also re-covered it with red book cloth. 

The final touch was some hand tooling with foil. I used different fonts to spell out 'dictionary' on the spine. 

I am very pleased with the results and glad that I can use this book for many years to come. What do you think?

Book repair: Look Boys! One Hand!

Tash and I found this book at a market and we both thought the cover was adorable. We also collect books relating to photography so it was a great find.

The spine was missing but that did not deter us - I just made a new one. As you can see from the images, I constructed a new spine out of card and book cloth. An easy task once you know what you are doing.

Giving new life to French Syntax: Book Repair Part 2

The repairs are well underway. Before rebinding could commence, some of the pages needed some tender loving care. Tears were repaired with tissue - some imagination was required when putting some of the sections (groups of pages) together as there were pages missing. The next stage was the rebinding. I decided to use the original holes (from the original sewing) and sewed the text block back together on tapes.

As mentioned in the earlier post on this project, Giving new life to French Syntax: Book Repair Part 1, the cover was detached. I repaired the spine by creating a hollow and inserting some new book cloth under the original book cover. The original cover was the re-attached to the repaired text block using the tapes, linen and adhesive. The end papers were tipped (glued) back in place.

The blue colour of the new cloth is somewhat brighter than the original so I am planning on using some acrylic paint to tone it down a little and make the repairs a little less obvious. The book is once again sturdy enough for use. In addition, there is no longer a risk of losing more pages as the loose ones are now back where they belong.

Although this book has been repaired, the integrity of the original is still in place as original materials have been used wherever possible. I just love this old book. Here is another excerpt of text that I find interesting and adorable.

Preserving your items using four flap folders

There are a number of ways that you can preserve your precious items including books. For example, you can construct custom made four flap folders out of card to house them in. This will ensure that your item is kept free from dust or other agents that cause deterioration.

There are a number of internet sites that provide instructions on making four flap folders. Search the internet or alternatively leave a comment. If wanted, I will post detailed instructions.

Tarnished by rust

I did this cross stitch for my wonderful Mum when I was younger. Interestingly after some years, a rust mark appeared on the cloth. I had obviously placed my needle there while I was stitching. The needle was not rusty at the time - but microscopic remnants of the metal were left behind which have rusted over time. Not what I expected. So the lesson here - don't store your needle on your cloth while you are cross stitching, doing a tapestry or just sewing in general. Your work might end up tarnished by rust.

Reuse & Revitalise

Six hours of elbow grease was all it took to transform this sorely neglected hardwood draughtsmans table (circa 1960) into a sturdy craft table / computer workstation that we can keep in our family for the next 50 years.

The table was covered in dust, chewing gum and sticky tape collected over its decades of use in a public library. The wear and tear has given it a character that we adore but we could certainly do without the sticky bits!

First up, we soaked the tape with detergent to remove the carriers. I then rubbed down the adhesive residue with eucalytus oil and scraped it all off. This process took about 2 hours.

The second part was to chip away fifty years worth of atrophied chewing gum chunks stuck under the table. This task also took about 2 hours but seemed to take far longer!

Finally, after 2 hours of polishing, wiping and vacuuming - oh and did I mention gently scrubbing the laminate with a toothbrush - my work was done.

Giving new life to French Syntax: Book Repair Part 1

Tash bought this poor old book at a book fair. It has been through the wars - that is a water war. As you can see, there is a considerable amount of staining to the bottom portion of the book as a result of water damage. The binding is also in a poor condition - the cover is detached and there are numerous loose pages.

I cannot read or speak French, but that does not mean that I cannot enjoy this book. In addition, I think that the damage just adds character. It tells a story. And there are some great sections of text (in English) that make me smile - like the excerpt above.

I am in the process of repairing the book in order to preserve it so that other people can enjoy it for years to come. So far, I have taken down the book (unbound it) and have started to repair some of the torn pages and sections (groups of pages). The next steps include rebinding and re-attaching the cover. I could make new covers, but I think the damaged original covers should be repaired and used as they add a flavour of quirkiness.

Repairing books is so much fun!