Book binder cover A6 - Steampunk by Kim

 When you have a book full of secret stuff, it needs to be secure!

This steampunk style cover is tough enough to keep prying eyes off your personal pages. It has lots of heavy iron work - and a time lock!

I collected the required parts, left over from another Tando Creative set, Industrial Elements - 1 large cog, 3 small cogs, door plate with keyhole (trim the round top off), 6 small hexagon bolt heads, 4 rivets, 2 empty frames from waste greyboard, and 2 large hexagon nuts and washers for the back cover.

I arranged the pieces on the cover, and when I was happy I cut the large cog to fit to the edge. I cut a small cog so that it looks like there are two appearing from the locking mechanism.

I searched through my collection of old watch parts (like everyone has in a kitchen drawer!) and found one just the right size.

First, I glued the rivets in the corner of the front cover. Next I stacked the two empty frames and the door plate, and glued them together, adding the six small hexagon bolt heads.

I used strong solvent glue to attached the watch works to a piece of waste greyboard - but didn't glue it to the door plate yet.

Next everything, including the cogs gets a coat of DecoArt Americana Zinc (grey). Once dry all the outward facing surfaces get a wash of DecoArt Media Paynes Grey - keep the brush strokes in a vertical, up and down, direction to help with the weathered illusion. Then we reach for DecoArt Media Quinacridone Gold and add washy patches, some thicker than others. Last, I added DecoArt Media Green Gold to add streaky stains from strategic places - like the bolts, and maybe where edges might have been damaged.

When I was happy with the painted look I glued the watch works to the inside of the door plate, with the works exposed.

Once all was dry I glued everything together as previously arranged.

The back cover had two large bolts holding the hinges in place, these have the same paint treatment as the front. Two hinge plates (more greyboard offcuts) are glued on the outside of the hessian strip to complete the set. The bookbinding spine is glued inside.

I used a little DecoArt Metallic Lustre, Champagne Ice, to highlight the cogs and bolt heads.

Steampunk never goes out of fashion! Thanks for visiting.

Products:

Tando Creative Bookbinding covers (This one is A6)

Leftovers from Tando Creative Industrial Elements

DecoArt Colours; Americana, Media, Metallic Lustre

Hessian strip.

Book binder cover A6 - 451F by Kim

Book paper ignites at 451 degrees Fahrenheit - apparently. 

This A6 was designed as a cover for a purchased notebook.

I reached for my ultra sharp X-acto craft knife - I was going to do some serious damage this time! 

I took the A6 front cover, and with the craft knife cut grooves and notches in the surface and top edge. These were the bits that will end up as charred wood. Make sure the design is random and varied - no two pieces should be the same. Once I was happy with the shapes I base coated the front and back covers with DecoArt Lamp Black, inside and out.

To get the wood effect I first dry brushed Burnt Umber, halfway up the front, and all over the back - don't divide into planks yet, cover the whole area.

On top of that I dry brushed Burnt Orange to add texture and vary the surface, with a light dust of Oyster Beige in places, and to highlight the 'charred' bit at the top. I dry brushed some Lamp Black from the top to make sure it was really dark.

To add the 'planks' I painted in the detail with DecoArt Media Paynes Grey, adding splits, nail holes, and the gaps.

I wanted the spine to look like an old leather-bound book, so I found one (we have all sorts of stuff in our house!) and scanned the spine. I measured the binding spine in the kit and reduced the scanned image to fit, then printed it, and stuck it on.

 

The back, front, and spine were joined together with a hessian strip. When finished the cover fits perfectly an A6 notebook, which is how this one will be used.

As a nod to the book that influenced me, Ray Bradbury's 1953 novel, Fahrenheit 451, I added a wooden plaque to the front cover.

Thanks for visiting - where do you find your inspiration?

(Take extra care when using sharp craft knives)

Products:

Tando Creative Book Binding Cover (A6)

DecoArt Americana Colour

DecoArt Media Colour

Hex Tech Tuesday - 60s Retro Pop Art by Kim

  My idea for this design came from the angular shapes of the hexagons and the abstract art of the 1960s - particularly Piet Mondrian pop art.

I arranged the hexs and hex frames on the front cover in an attractive manner, and when happy with the placement I glued them on. I painted the background, outside the hexs, with DecoArt Americana True Red. 

When it was dry I applied DecoArt Media Crackle Paste thickly to the area painted red. My pot of crackle paste is quite old and I wasn’t sure if it would ‘crackle’ but it did, rather well. I left it overnight to ensure the  crackle process was complete and the paste had dried, and showed the red background through the cracks.

The background inside the hex frames I painted with DecoArt Americana Lamp Black. It was at this stage I had the idea of the chopstick ‘piercing’ the cover. I cut the chopstick at an angle to match the hexagon then shaved the cut ends so that they give the impression of disappearing through the cover. It is not glued in place yet.

To add to the 3D effect I cut a large hex into pieces but retained the angles of the hexagon and glued them on to the original set.

As the theme is 60s retro I went for a simple block design with bold colours - Titanium White, True Red, Lamp Black, with a touch of Bright Yellow to set it off. See the pictures for placement of colours. (Tip: Bright Yellow works better with either a white or Primary Yellow base coat as it is quite transparent)

I glued on the chopstick and, to enhance the 3D effect, I added shading with Lamp Black where it ‘enters and exits’ the cover.

The back cover is simply base coated with Titanium White and stamped with a model motif (by  Daniel Torrente) and sentiment suitable for the theme (by Limited Edition). I used black archival ink directly on the painted surface.

The covers and spine were joined with a hessian strip glued outside on the back cover and spine, and inside the front cover so as not to interfere with the design.

I haven't made book signatures to go inside this cover, but these would be made and sewn to the spine before adding the hessian, which would cover and hide the stitching.

Thanks for visiting … far out, man!

Products:

Tando Creative Book Binding cover (A5) (new)

Tando Creative Hexagons

DecoArt Crackle Paste

DecoArt Americana Colours

Hessian 

Found chopstick