Costume Blog

In case you didn't see, I started a new costume blog here on blogger.  I like the layout better than LiveJournal so this is where most of my updates will be!  I will probably make my posts on LJ friends only, so start following me here if you're not on LJ or add me as a friend! :)

Check me out!

Oh, and I will try to be better about updating this blog as well.  I have been woefully remiss.  So why not start now!

Tomorrow I am going to my first meeting of my new book club.  We read "Peace Like a River" and if you haven't read it, you should.  I loved it!  I didn't think I would, but I'm glad to be wrong.  I also quite enjoyed the "western-y" bits, which is one reason I thought I wouldn't like it.  Anyway, should be a good discussion tomorrow, I will have to share if it's interesting.

Other books I've read lately that I love: "Ender's Game"!!  Why had I not read this before?  Oh man, I got totally sucked in.  I think I finished it in about 4 days, which for me is fast, especially as these were weekdays.  I really should start one of the sequels or something, but I'm worried they won't be as good.  If you've read any of them, which should I do?  Are they worth it?

And since I seem to be on a roll, I also read "Matched", which I also really liked.  If you liked "Hunger Games" you might find this kind of similar.  I thought it was a clever idea and it's going to be a series, so more to come!  Always a good thing. :)

Oh yeah, I saw the new Jane Eyre movie.  I'll have to give you my thoughts on that soon...

Happy Birthday Jane!

Today is Jane Austen's Birthday! She's turning 235! In honor of the occasion I will share pictures of the lovely first edition of Sense and Sensibility which I've been privileged to work on over the last month here at Harvard.

Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811, and was her first published work! Pride and Prejudice came next in 1813. If you want to know more about Jane Austen's life, I highly suggest reading Becoming Jane Austen, which was a great biography that the movie was based on.

The copy I worked on is still in it's original covers, though the colors have faded. The labels used to be pink! It is quite rare to find copies in the original covers because they were usually a temporary binding, wealthier people who bought it would later have it rebound to match their library.

This copy is used by professors who bring their students to see rare, classic books at the library.

Showing part of the new box I made to house the three volumes.

The green of the covers was a very hard color to replicate! I spent about 6 hours just trying to get it right!

And a little about how and what I did to them...
I wish I had before pictures to show! I did a lot of these little fills!
In process photos:

To repair losses to the cover paper, I first traced the missing piece on thin plastic (mylar) laid over the book.

I then cut the shapes out of Japanese tissue that I toned to match the color of the original paper, on the light box (both in white, the first layer, and then the green top layer).

The piece cut out.

I then applied it to the book using wheat starch paste...

folding the edges under to cover the edges of the board too.

I later went back and further toned the paper to match with chalk pastels on the book, so the repairs disappeared even more!

This was such a fun project for me to work on. Really a dream come true, considering how big of an Austen fan I am!

Happy Birthday Jane! As I've been working on this book, I like to think of how you must have felt holding your first ever published novel! A treat for both me and you, I'm sure!

No, I'm not dead!

Sorry for the silence! I know it's been forever since I've posted real content.

I have been up to a few things. I colored my hair before thanksgiving... I am now a redhead!


I love it, and it seems everyone else does as well!


I also visited half my family for Thanksgiving, and got to spend some quality time with these cuties:




And I've been getting my house in the holiday spirit with Christmas decorations!




I bought a pink tree!! I love it.






Our more traditional, though smaller, tree.

And yesterday I won third place in my works Gingerbread decorating contest!



Merry Christmas!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm back!

I had a great vacation both with family and costume friends.

I will post pictures soon, but unfortunately my camera and my computer are having a fight right now.

And the computer is winning.

So we'll all just have to wait.

For now, how do you like my new layout? I think it's kind of fun.