book art

After months of snipping and folding and living with tiny bits of paper glued to her fingers, my sisters new book is out today! Book Art by Clare Youngs published by Cico books, is full of inspirational ideas for creating magical and delicate objects from old books and manuscripts. The book is simply but beautifully designed and styled and has a suitably traditional cloth binding.
Clare is keen to point out that no precious books were harmed in the process! She has foraged for battered and torn volumes from boot sales and charity shops, saving unloved and forgotten books from disposal and transforming them into puppets, dolls, flowers, tiny houses, birds and nests.

Still no sign of a blog from Clare yet, but she tells me it's on its way, I will be the first to link to it!

scandinavian inspiration

I am having trouble keeping up with my amazingly creative sister's craft books, this one came out earlier this year and is a lovely selection of Scandinavian inspired sewing ideas. It's called Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs published by Cico Books. All 35 beautiful, original projects are perfect to be stitched in front of a cosy log fire on a gloomy wet day like today. However, I remember Clare making the thick felted wool slippers and mittens under the fig tree in 40º heat of a Spanish summer.
Clare and her family are leaving London today and moving to the Kent coast - so I want to wish them all lots of luck and I am looking forward to some seaside inspired books!