Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Book of the Beasts

The Book of the Beasts

This is the cover of a book I've just made, inspired by Mary Ann Moss's Stiched & Stencilled class. The class got me going though I went a way off from the suggestions - all part of the fun!

I was intending to buy some canvas to make the cover, as suggested, but I hadn't got around to getting any and suddenly I NEEDED a cover so I used this purple foam stuff that I had around - previously I'd been using it for making colourful nonshiny backgrounds for photographing object on - I also used a couple of pieces of yellow foam inside the book.

All the Celtic Knot type stencils came from a set I bought recently from a local art shop. The horse comes from a children's stencil set from the local toy shop.

The wolfish animal is one I cut. In the book there is also a toad stencil that I rediscovered - I'd cut it around 8 years ago.

I've sewn in or glued pieces of jigsaw in places. Some of them I attached before stencilling and others I used as masks then sewed them into other parts of the book later.

I've also used a star cutter to make stencils and masks. The stars and the stencil have been added to the book too.

I couldn't resist also using and then incorporating a chemistry set stencil.

I didn't actually get around to using my sewing machine as I decided hand sewing suited this book best.

You may be able to see inside the book here:

9 comments:

Kate Robertson said...

Wonderful; I love all those animal stencils.

Kate

Caroline said...

Thanks Kate - it was only as I looked at what I'd done that I realised there was an animal theme going on!

Tinker said...

I like the wolf and the raven stencils, especially. It looks very cool and it sounds like you had a lot of fun making it!

Caroline said...

Tinker - thanks - yes lots of fun - just wish I hadn't lost my glasses along the way... and I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Tinker said...

U2?
:)

Joanna said...

Fabulous book Caroline, we have probably had the best of the weather, here!

andrea said...

How did I manage to miss this post? I think this must be an amazing little treasutre to hold and look through and I love what you've done with the idea. I love stencilled images as you know but this goes above and beyond.

Caroline said...

Tinker - I hope you got my email about this - I forgot to comment here too.

Jo - at least we've had a sunny half-day now and again...

Andrea - glad you like it - and I know I must be partial but I do love my little book too!

Caroline said...

Tinker - I hope you got my email about this - I forgot to comment here too.

Jo - at least we've had a sunny half-day now and again...

Andrea - glad you like it - and I know I must be partial but I do love my little book too!