Drawbridge - Folded Book

 

I wanted to stand the cover up away from the folded pages of this book to show the pattern the folding had created.  The little struts reminded me of the mechanism on a castle drawbridge.

The pages of the book were very brittle and dry and a little hard to work with, hopefully the pages are sound enough to remain in place for a while and not fall apart.  Hence some pages aren't as exact as I would have liked, but there was no room for adjustment with this one I'm afraid.

Was thinking as I was folding of my teachers and parents telling me not to dog ear pages as the paper would become damaged and fall off and ruin the book.  Well, this is what I'd call an extreme case of dog eared pages!

Mini Microscope - Beginnings

 

Feels like forever since I sat down to work on a book.  

Did a gallery talk yesterday about a couple of books I have in a local exhibition.  

Lots of questions and enthusiasm from the audience. 

Heartening to know people are genuinely interested and intrigued by what I'm doing.

Have been busy with life and haven't had the opportunity to get on with things creative but

discovered this mini microscope in a second hand store yesterday in between dashing from one thing to the next and decided it would be a perfect start for my next project.

Fold, Fold, Fold

Folding the Opera House

 

Reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House, me thinks.

CurlyQueue - Complete

CurlyQueue - In Progress

 

Rounded rolls of pages and fine wire. 

Sequential pages rolled into Hokusai like waves.

Now to do something with the cover.

Open Book - Complete

 

Added fine threads to the page egdges to give this little book extra softness.  

Can't decide if all those little tacs remind me more of braille or a tiny little forest.  

There is something faintly reminiscent of a map in there too with the sploshes of amber shellac.

Elixir Vitae all finished

  

Angled the niche slightly so the bottle stands proud of the cover a little. Added extra gilt to the book cover and a tab to the Dexsal bottle with the original label instructions.

Open Book - Work in Progress

 

Trying something a little less controlled.  So far have used upholstery tacs (I enjoy the randomness of each tac head, which gives them a rough hand made quality), shellac and silver leaf.  Am now adding delicate threads to the edges of the pages to lend the book a slightly ethereal feel. 

Elixir Vitae - Dexsal - Work in Progress

Lovely old amber "Dexsal" bottle. 
In the progress of making a niche for it in a nice red book on economics.
Playing with gold leaf (as gold is money).
According to a label found on another old Dexsal bottle the contents were: "An effervescent preparation of medicinal glucose for the relief of nausea and sick headache and the treatment of all conditions involving acidosis.  Particularly effective in cases of billiousness and vomiting especially in children." 
Thought the play of antacid relief and the subject of economy might be relative at this present time.