~A Bitter Swallow~

  I got this idea from viewing these two sites:  Dave Lowe Design and Before After .

I have a few old books lying around here.  Weird, I know.    I wanted to try with a random hardback book I had, but also had my old "Earth, Air, Fire, & Water" book by Scott Cunningham that had pretty much been read to death.  After being thumbed through umpteen-thousand times by not only myself, but also my son, it was hanging on by just a few strands of old tape.  I was hoping maybe this could extend it's life a bit longer. 

You will need a book, a paper towel or two depending on the size of your book, water, paint brushes, Mod Podge, paint in at least 2 shades, a hot glue gun, various things to glue to the book.

My Scott Cunningham book I first strengthened up by hot gluing a discarded Pasta Roni box to it, painting it to cover the wording,  then proceeding with the rest of the steps.

Next.. add the design.  For Scott Cunningham's book, I just drew the wording on with hot glue and let it dry.  For the other hard-backed book I hot-glued on some little toys I found at Walmart (as per Before After's suggestion), cutting them to the design I wanted.  I straight up copied her design, since it was my first go and I just wanted to get the basic idea of what to do down before branching out with my own ideas.







This next part is the one I had some difficulty with.  You are to take one of your paper towels, dampen it, and then smoosh it into all the nooks and crannies, making sure to outline your designs well.  First (on the skeleton book) I Mod Podged the book first, then added the towel.  DON'T DO THAT. It was disastrous.   Eventually I got it all on there, but it was a huge pain in the rear, especially around so many little nooks and crannies!  

On Scott Cunningham's book, I used the idea of dampening the towel, laying it on, then Mod Podging over it.  That worked better, but still left me with a lot of air pockets to deal with.  I'm sure I was going a bit quicker than I was supposed to, but that's me for ya. 

The next attempt I make, I think I will have a dry paper towel, and then use a paint brush to moisten it into the cracks and crevices, and then Mod Podge over that. 

You want crinkles in there though.  Once dried and painted- that's what is going to give it that old cracked leather look.






The hardcover book I let dry before applying the first coat of paint, but the Scott Cunningham's book I used Dave Lowe's suggestion and painted right away.  Both worked out really well for me, and I could see how the end product would become. 

As you can see- I used black on the hardcover, and purple on Scott's.


Let them dry. 


If needed, apply a second coat.  I did not find that necessary.

Then, grab your accompanying paint.  I chose a silver metallic for both.  Using a dry brush and a light touch, apply the second paint.  The idea is to get all those raised edges, as well as highlighting the nooks and cranies.   I went a bit too heavy on the skeleton, though I am still overall pleased with the result.  I bought a new brush that you just kind of use to dab, and will try that one out next time. 

Otherwise, this is how they turned out:










You can really see how the silver picked up those cracks and made them stand out.   The paperback book I used is a bit water-wavy, but I'm hoping that changing the way I put the paper towel on there will help with that.  That, and having more brushes to use.  I was having to use the same paint brush, so it was still wet from being rinsed of paint.  That's more of my impatientness showing though.  I just stuck it under a few books for a night and it's more evened out now.

So there ya go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and have fun with it.

  I am in one of those periods in life where I can tell things are coming to an end.  What those thing are, I'm not sure.  However, I just have that sense of doors closing; of chapters ending.  I can hear the quiet click as the lock slips into place; can hear the sigh as the page is turned down and the book is closed for the night.  It is not necessarily a bad feeling.  I just feel a bit lost;  Disconcerted. 

  This time of year is the one I feel most adequately represents my mind.  When the fog rolls in thick and heavy, blanketing everything with its obscurity.  It is both frightening and comforting at the same time.  Who knows what is lurking within the swirling mist.

 Later on the fog will roll back, revealing the bright, crisp blue sky.  The air holds a bite, perfect for wrapping a sweater around your shoulders and going for a walk.  The trees alight with vibrant color. 

It is also the time of year where I once again begin to retreat inside of myself.  It is a time of tuning inward.  Spring is a time of clearing out the clutter in your home.  For me, Fall is the time of analyzing all of that clutter in my mind and trying to make sense of it all.  To rediscover- take out and dust off those old relics.  Get rid of the garbage.  Sometimes it's hard to let go of that garbage.  To discard those old things that have been bumping around in there for so long.  How will the space function without it?  How will it feel?  Some of those things have been there for so long, it seems they have grown root.  They must be dug up, pried out.



I don't mind the cobwebs, though.  The dust and spiders are a bit comforting to me.  Is that bizarre?  Perhaps.

Lately I've been trying to picture my "perfect place".  The ultimate "Where do I want to be?".  My mind keeps conjuring the same image:   I am at a cozy cottage.   The front of the house faces the ocean.  The lawn has an overgrown path leading down to the beach.  The house is surrounded by gardens;  all of it used for some purpose, whether it be for food or medicinal purposes.  There is a chicken coop out back, and a variety of fruit trees.  Behind and to the sides of the yard are dense woods.  There are no neighbors nearby.  The beach in front stretches on each side... rocky outcrops extend out into the water every so often.. perfect for standing on while the waves crash against them, spraying me with their sea spray.





It is always the beginning of Autumn in this picture.  The weather is still reasonably nice.  There is enough of a chill wind in the air to wrap a shawl around my shoulders as I sink my feet into the sand for a walk along the beach, and to start a fire in the hearth upon my return to heat up a nice cup of tea or cocoa.  I can sit on the front step and watch the fog roll in, to watch the storms whip the waves up into frenzies.  To watch the birds swoop and dive for their dinner.



I am always alone in these visions.   It is okay.

What does this mean?  I am not sure, other than I am pretty sure that I am supposed to be near the sea.  I never really felt that before, but I do now.  This past year it has been pretty clear to me that I need to have the ocean nearby.  I believe it symbolizes both the calm and cleansing part, as well as the chaotic, dangerous side.   It is both within the same.  Two sides of the coin.  I often feel like I am the same.  I am both dark and light; good and evil.  I embrace the both.  I always have.  Perhaps I am drawn to the sea, because it too embraces both aspects of the yin and yang.