A Litle Flawed And That Is Okay

Good afternoon all, 
I am still in the process of making my own book, here is what I have done so far. I added the leather to the cover and started and molded the spine ribs under the leather on the spine, I made the mistake of gluing the top down first before doing some trimming so I tried to trim it anyway thus showing the white. I ran out of super glue so hubby ordered more for me and will finish up with gluing down the spine. I am waiting for the silver corner pieces to get here, which are coming from Michael's, and the screw posts which are coming from China. Will have to do some touch up on the spine inside as it's pulling, I'll use super glue to do that.  This is a practice one and so I am learning as I go. I have enough supplies to make another book or two. I feel proud of my work, never thought I could do something like this, when you're told all of your life, until hubby came along,  that nothing you can ever do can make anyone proud of you, and being told you can't do that, you doubt yourself and don't have confidence. Doing this book has helped me with that, I can do it, and it has flaws but so do I and that is okay.

                                           added the leather to the front and back

                            Leather on the spine and molded the ribs underneath. 

UPDATE: 11/10/2016
I started over on my book and finished it last month. 

 

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons

Good Morning and Merry Meet,
I have come to the conclusion that I am never getting my book of shadows from magickally made, she claims she sent it but I am seeing no sign of it, ah well what can I do.?  Anyway this got me thinking, why don't I make my own book, So that is what I am doing, watched a great youtube video series entitled Charmed Book of Shadows tutorial by jamiebookofshadows.

I was worried I wasn't going to be able to do this but after three attempts on getting the spine sturdy I did it,

Cardboard mailing tube for the spine, with chipboard medium weight, 9x12 sheet inside and I asked my neighbor to cut 9x12 wooden boards for me which he kindly did. I wouldn't recommend using printer paper I did and it ripped with I tried to glue the boards to it. 

added the ribbons, and three charms, one a crescent moon, a dragon fly and a pentacle, I'll order a butterfly and fairy next time I order supplies in Oct.

used twine to make the mold for the spine ribs, I am waiting on the leather and screw posts, can't believe I am almost done just need to add leather and the inside to hold the screws that holds the paper and the beautiful hand marbled end leaf paper, my butterfly is on it's way.

The end leaves, the picture doesn't do it justice, it looks a lot better in person, I am also going to try to figure out how to do a strap and buckle closure on my book.

So I was given a lemon and decided to make lemonade,
Joy! I found the buckle that she was going to use on my book,
https://www.caboots.com/cart/product/celtic_buckle_set_1andquot/

Aunt Flo and going with the Flow.

So my Aunt Flo showed up, for those of you that don't know this term it's my monthly visitor.  Yeah I know ewww or TMI, but ah well, we should embrace our moon time, monthly time, shark week, Aunt Flo, period, whatever you choose to call it. It is what makes us women, what makes us powerful, yes, yes, I can hear it now, how does it make us powerful when sometimes the cramps are so bad that all we can do is curl up? I am talking about the power of being a woman, of being a survivor, of the power and energy that flows through us, did you know that more power flows through us during this time than any, well except if you're doing workings in the light of the full moon? I used to dread the monthly time, the mess, the headaches the cramping, the tiredness, etc, but since embracing the path has taught me to embrace all aspects of being a woman. So right now I am embracing Aunt Flo and going with the flow. 

http://www.moontimerising.com/2012/07/13-ways/
 http://www.shemiranibrahim.com/menstruation-the-sacred-cycle/
 http://www.openhandweb.org/sacred_feminine_cycle_moontime

I am also happy to report that my items are starting to come in for me to make my own book of shadows, it should all be here mid October. eager to get started. 

Fall

Good Morning and Bright Blessings, I hope you are all doing well this morning, don't you just love fall? I do, living here in California, I don't get to experience fall like I did when I lived in the midwest, I miss the leaves falling off of the trees and crackling under my feet as I walked, I missed the smell in the air, the way the leaves smelled as they got wet from the heavy dew, the smell of the chill in the air, and the scent of a neighbor burning the leaves.  I long for caramel apples, and popcorn balls, warm cider and hot tea, perhaps some hot soup and warm bread.  I am looking forward so Samhain, it seems I come alive more during the fall, oh how I am itchy to be witchy again.  I am also getting excited as my supplies for me to make my own book of shadows will be here soon. I have also started working on one of my books that I am writing , again. 
I haven't been paying attention and completely forgot it was Mabon, So I send belated Mabon, or Autumn Equinox blessings to you and yours.  I must have subconsciously remembered as the first day of I did make baked chicken, butternut squash, jalapeno and cheddar bread that my husband brought home along with a pumpkin pie and cherry pie out of the blue, so we did have that on the 21st. 
How do you celebrate Mabon? What traditions do you and your family have, what part of fall do you love best, please feel free to leave comments. ?

 

Determined

Hello Everyone and Blessed Be, I hope you are all doing well, It's chilly this morning the sun is just starting to peek out and it's very quiet, I like this time of the morning.  I have given up hope that I am going to get the book of shadows that I paid for. I feel like magickally made, Aradia Pettell, has scammed her customers. She claims she has been sick and is far behind and hired two people to help her get caught up, however she has been telling me mine has been shipped, but when I hear that someone has been waiting a year and someone three years for their book, just makes me wonder. I am heartbroken, as the butterfly on the cover represented me starting to emerge from the cocoon of my past and soaring to new things, it also reminded me of my mom who has alzhimers and loved butterflies, the blue of the cover reminded of a twilight day, where as the mist blue paper inside reminded me of a overcast day that was going to be a better day, the charms were all things that had to do with flight and soaring free and change, the ribbon colors, teal, for the ocean, purple for alzhimers, Dark Green for the trees and grass and my husband's favorite color, and dark blue again for the sky and water that looks stormy when things are getting rough, a lot of thought and detail was put into this book, however, this hasn't stopped me from getting my book, I ordered supplies to make my own, and I am in works with another book maker to make one similar to what Aradia said she was going to make for me. So I am determined to get it either way. To those of you who ordered books from her, if you can try to get your money back if it's not to late, or for those of you who did ordered and have been waiting for years or a year, don't give up, make lemonade out of the lemons we have been handed, her being wiccan or a witch, I am sure karma will come around and bite her, as if you remember or follow, ever mind the rule of three, what ye put out there good or bad will come back to thee threefold, and ye harm none do what thou will, So Mote It Be! Blessed Be Everyone. 

Still Waiting

Good morning all, 
Well I am still waiting on my book, I got notice on Sept 12th that she printed out a shipping label, she tells me the mail carrier picked it up, so I waited a full 24 hours and checked the tracking number she gave me, no movement whatsoever. I started contacting her asking what was going on, no answer, finally Friday night the 16th she tells me that the package was sent back due to her putting the wrong shipping label on it and that she would take it to the post office herself on Saturday the 17th, so I was informed on Sat that she took it but since it was late afternoon, that it wouldn't probably be processed until today, so now I am waiting to see if it will be scanned in, I learned that the post office usually doesn't scan them there that they are put on a truck and taken to a sorting facility where they are scanned in and sometimes this isn't until either three or five pm, I am told that my book will be here on Wednesday, but I am thinking more along the lines of Thursday, I am getting so tired of this. I have been talking to other people that have ordered books from this person and they haven't gotten their books either, so if my book doesn't arrive this week, I will be filing a claim with etsy for my money back. On a good note this has made me want to start making books of shadows myself and perhaps opening a shop. I will have to do a lot of practice. 
Last night we had a thunder and lightening storm here in San Diego which as those are very rare. Scared me to death I thought something had exploded, I am thankful that we got the bit of rain that we got, the goddess continues to bless us.
I have been reading something about Mabon, isn't the correct name for the Sabbatt that is should actually be called Autumn Equinox? What do you all think, should we still call it Mabon or use Autumn Equinox, as for me I am still going to call it Mabon as that is how I was taught. 
 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/2015/09/mabon-outrage-and-why-we-love-the-autumnal-equinox/
 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/allergicpagan/2013/09/20/mabon-mabon-not/