Challenge

chal-lenge: noun a calling to account or into question

Follow along as I challenge the tricks, tips, clever craft and decorating ideas and "simple" recipes that we clip, bookmark, and "pin" for trial at a later date.

Are they really worth the effort? Time (and I) will tell!



Monday, September 3, 2012

Kindle Cover

No project from Mom this week so I thought I would go it alone. Hopefully she will be able to catch up soon. I do enjoy her creativity.

Okay, I hear you moaning about yet another book project. I can’t help it, I just love working with books. I also love shopping for them at the many used book sales in the area. Although there are many books to choose from, finding a hard cover book with a
pretty cover that is exactly the right size as a Kindle has been a little tricky and I have been looking for a while. This particular book was so perfect for my project that my little hand just reached out and snapped it up before anyone else could get it. Like anyone else would want an old copy of Madame Bovary when they could pick up a Twilight novel or something equally as intriguing. What was I thinking? I really love the gold and muted red of this cover.

I have wanted to make a book cover for my Kindle for quite some time now. I feel it’s a nice mix of old and new technology. I did a bit of research before starting and found this great tutorial: www.unexpectedelegance.com if you are interested in making one for yourself.


It is a pretty simple process once you get all the materials assembled. I always find that the hardest part for me is pulling together the aesthetic parts of a project. It seems to take me so long to find just the right thing. Is it lack of the proper materials or my inability to make a decision? I’m not so sure. But with Tom waiting outside in the car while I combed through the Joann Fabric and Craft store, I was feeling a little pressure. I always have to make at least two quick passes through the store before I can settle down and really search. I was pretty pleased to find this lovely butterfly print that I felt both matched the colors of the book and added a little elegance to the project.

Do you remember those fabric covered frames of the early 80’s? Well I made quite a few of those to sell in my local craft boutique. This project was very similar. The first step in the process is to cut the pages from the cover of the book and then cover a piece of cardboard with fabric and adhere it to the cover. Of course there are a few little tricks that you will see in the tutorial but basically, that’s it.
I used hot glue which was a little warm on my fingers. Back in the day, I used tacky glue which doesn’t dry as quickly but is a little more forgiving. I might go back to tacky glue if I decide to make another cover.


This project turned out really well and I’m pleased with it. Do you think it’s a little ironic to be reading an e-book version of Madame Bovary encased in my Madame Bovary book cover? Yes, a nice mix of old and new.

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