Finally...

Yes, I have finally managed to put the first book in the post to Celia! Why has it taken so long? Well apart from the fact that each book used 26 different shapes of cardboard and 14 pieces of paper to cover them, all of which took a long time to measure and cut out, there was also the trauma of cutting and recutting the text and the fun-and-games of general flooding and dampness because of the relentless rain we've been having here. Plus the joys of children/parenthood/partnership/housework... need I go on?










Excuses aside, though, it has been a wonderful, frustrating, fun, tiring, learning experience that I have really valued. I have learned a lot, from the importance of sub-millimetre accuracy when measuring to how to use sandpaper and a block to smooth slipcase edges down before gluing to how quickly glue dries in this climate to using old etching plates as weights while things dry! I hope that all of this new-found experience will permit me to make future books and their slip covers more quickly and effectively. As it is, I am very pleased with the constructed element of the books: I had no pattern, just some free-hand pencil drawings that I measured up, and I had to work problems and solutions out as I went along.





















I'm not sure that the final result has worked quite as I wanted it to, but that may be because I don't have much in the way of lighting that could be used to cast darker shadows through the lettering in the way that I'd hoped. But here are some pictures... bear in mind that the bridge piers are only 6cm tall.















Each bridge has two boxes, one for each pier. They are constructed internally to provide support for the pier (with or without the text attached), so that when closed the piers won't rattle around and possibly get damaged. I'm concerned at how well they will travel!












I put in an instruction sheet to explain how to put the whole thing together...

So there it is. What do you think?