WOYWW - Making a Book!

Hello and welcome to Magpieheaven! I'm sharing what's on my washing machine top with you this morning, but if you're in any doubt why I might be doing this, then hotfoot, or hotclick it over to the wondrous Julia's Stamping Ground HERE! You'll find 'deskers' from all over the world ready to reveal all - all that's on and around their work-places, that is! And you might just make some new friends too. Recently I bought a little notebook from a London gallery. I have a weakness for notebooks and I like to have an attractive one to carry around in my handbag - you see lovely quotes and beautiful things in the most unlikely places and I know I'll never remember unless I jot them down. This one had such a lovely cover, an early Picasso painting of a harlequin. However, within days all I had was a collection of loose pages; a piece of cardboard and what turned out to be no more than a postcard used as a front cover! I thought, would it be so very hard to do better than that? There are lots of Youtube tutorials on making books, and Monique over at Morgan le Fae's Trinkets makes some absolutely gorgeous ones of all shapes and sizes. I've been wanting to challenge myself to do this for ages so I'm now taking the plunge - and I have to say I'm loving it!

I've used, or attempted to use, I should say, coptic stitching with orange waxed thread and two mini canvasses from 'The Works' as covers; I've added my signatures - having learned what signatures are and I'm all ready now to decorate my little notebook! You can see what I'm using: I've been very busy making paper beads from magazine pages. I finished the little box - yes it was a box I started the week before last. I know that you're probably busy with visits to other deskers; but if you do have a minute and you would like to see how it turned out you can see it over at Our Creative Corner where I've entered it for the 'Forgotten Things' challenge. Thank you so very much those of you who have said such lovely things about it: it has a special significance to me.

Here is the other side of my notebook. I'm still working on top of the washing machine in the conservatory, although it's getting chilly! It's much lighter in here than in the dining room. To my dismay, we discovered last night that our kitchen cupboards are no closer to completion! We shall have to go on with cupboard carcasses along one half of the kitchen and the shabby falling-to-bits ones on the other side for a while longer, as Kevin has been 'snowed under' - with what I'm not quite sure! Ah well, at least I can cook fresh food; as I do have my nice new cooker and fridge. And we'll appreciate it all the more when we have it! Just hope it's before Christmas! My daughter is now back at Art College and making plans to study in Australia for a term next year. Terry, after taking early retirement, has taken on two and a half days' teaching teacher training students so this last week has been one of changes with him returning to work as if he weren't really retired at all. So many wonderful friends have sent us links, books and information on coping with Aspergers - so much hope and encouragement for our son! Now we have to look at it all with Isaac and chart a course for the future. Lots of activity in the Magpie's Nest then! And my birthday is not so very far away - September 27! My present to myself is a trip to the craft show at Alexandra Palace on Sunday - I've been warned that I will return penniless, but I'm so looking forward to it! I wonder if I'll see any of you there? Right now I'm off to look at some desks. Have a very Happy What's on your Work-desk Wednesday!