The ultimate handcrafted book……..

 

I’m just getting back from vacation.

No, I didn’t go anywhere.  That was the idea, I stayed home for most of this week, between Christmas and New Year’s, and did as little as possible.  Oh, I read, I made some art, I took naps, I walked the dog but I STAYED home!  I loved it. 

Next week I’ll be back in action but this past week was heavenly.  Today, I did put the Christmas decorations away and started organizing some cupboards and drawers and in that process I came across this treasure, that is in my mind, the ultimate hand made book.

For several years we rented mall space and bought and sold antiques.  One of the purchases I made, during those years, was from another dealer in my mall, who was selling items she had inherited from her husband’s family.

She believed a family member had made this book as a summer camp craft project some time in the 1940s or 50s.

This beautiful shell was drilled and tied together to form the covers of the sweet little book.

Between the polished shell covers are pages of parchment paper with botanicals glued to them.  Each page of botanicals is separated by a page of tissue paper.

 

 

This picture is almost life size, each shell is 4 inches wide by 5 inches long.  I don’t know what the plant material is, at one time, I thought it was sea weed but, now, I’m not so sure.  I believe the colors of the material are natural, they do not appear to be painted.

I consider this to be one of my most prized possessions! 

It is difficult to display because it is so delicate so it spends much of its’ time in my dresser drawer.  Occasionally, I take it out  to admire it, to touch it and to marvel at the fact that it is still in tact after all these years……bliss!

Here’s wishing you your own bliss, what ever it is, in the New Year.