Trading tips for dark displays and prop production.
User avatar
By Raven
#92704
A few years back Ryan released an amazing (as they all are) Winifred pattern as a VIP pattern. I wanted to carve it right away, but also wanted her spell book as a prop for the picture. I looked at Etsy and choked at the prices people were asking for a hand made version, so like always I thought "I can do that!". I finally got around to trying to make my own spell book. I was originally going to only make the front cover, then decided I might need to do the side in case I wanted to angle it a little in a picture. That led to "I might as well do the back" as well as making a hinged clasp so it really opens.

I started with one of those fake hollowed out books. I didn't care what it originally looked like and it was on clearance at Michaels. I paid an entire $5 for this book.

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Next I used some Sculpey clay and a glass eye to start making the stitches. I did make them a bit too high. Before baking I took a pen and just used it to make stitch holes along the edges.

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I also made fingers for the spine. I messed up here as I did not realize that there is also stitching around each finger. Oh well, I hated doing the stitches.

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I then baked my book which is where I messed up again. The cover warped a bit when baking and now wont close completely flat. Again, oh well.

After it was baked and cooled I started to apply tissue paper for that human skin look. I actually started with a thin piece of leather, but wasn't satisfied with how that looked so stuck with the tissue paper. I used a liberal amount of Mog Podge to stick it to the book.

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I didn't take any pictures of painting it, or I don't know where the pictures went, but I used 3 different colors of paint. The first was a regular light flesh tone, then a medium brown and then a darker brown. I painted the whole thing with the lighter color first and then dry painted the other 2 colors on. I then painted more Mod Podge over the whole thing.

Then I baked some snakes!

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I added a red rhinestone to each eye. I don't know what the ones on her real book look like, but I liked the red eyes.

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I dry painted each snake piece first with black and then with Metallic Silver paint.

Again, no pictures, but I cut and glued on little pieces of string all along the stitch holes. I started trying to put the ends right into each hole, but quickly decided that was too much work and by the end I was lucky if the ends were even near the holes. :P

I messed up again on making the clasp. I made the braided side piece a little too long, so it's not really flush with the book. Yet again, oh well. I am not sure what the side is suppose to look like, but I saw a few other people doing a braided look, so I braided some clay and baked it.

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I put a small magnet in the clay on the top part of the clasp and attached another to the inside cover so the clasp is magnetic. It's not strong enough really, but it does keep the clasp in place.

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I did the skin look on the inside cover, but decided to leave the inside of the book as it was. I kinda liked it being an evil spell book then saying something sweet on the inside. Plus, I just wanted to be done making it.

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And finally an over all look on the front and back. I didn't have a reference photo of the back of the book so again went on what other people have done. The hand on the back varied quite a bit on what it looked like and I ended up kinda doing my own thing on it.

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I went on vacation in the middle of making this, and although I loved going home again and seeing friends and family I couldn't wait to get home and finish this. Now to go get a pumpkin and start carving a pumpkin prop for my BooooOOOOK! :thumbsup:
Last edited by Raven on Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By monstermash
#92711
Ive been meaning to make BOOOOoooooOOOOOK for some time but now i'm not going to bother. There is no way I can do as good a job as you've done. It's glorious...makes me sick! :wink:
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By Lala
#92749
That is the coolest thing I have seen in my life. I bow down to you Raven!
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By Raven
#92752
monstermash wrote:Ive been meaning to make BOOOOoooooOOOOOK for some time but now i'm not going to bother. There is no way I can do as good a job as you've done. It's glorious...makes me sick! :wink:
I have no doubt at all that yours would blow mine away! I've seen some of your other craftyness. I lack the patience to do things well.
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By purple1worm
#92762
Wow! :shock: That is Awesome. Great job on the BOOoooK!
I have to admit I was wondering about the baking part. What temperature did you use?
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By Raven
#92766
purple1worm wrote:Wow! :shock: That is Awesome. Great job on the BOOoooK!
I have to admit I was wondering about the baking part. What temperature did you use?
I baked it at 250°F for 20 minutes after my husband assured me that was not hot enough to set the paper on fire. :wink:
User avatar
By Raven
#92781
mesmark wrote: How do you plan to display it?
Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it past taking a picture of it with a carved pumpkin. I thought about giving it away eventually as I tend to do that with a lot of things I make. Of course, with all the flaws I see with it I feel funny about even giving it to someone. :roll:
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By Lala
#92783
I had to come back to admire it. I showed it to my Mom and now she wants to make one. or make me do it. haha. She loves saying BooooooOOOOOOK!