This blank journal is approximately 8.75in. x 11.25in. with 120 blank unlined pages. It was covered with a dark red vinyl with an embossed alligator skin texture.
The corner bosses on the front and back are hand cast of polyurethane resin, finished with gold acrylic paint and Rub-N-Buff. I molded the originals out of sculpey clay some time ago, but until now they have never been used in a project. The centerpiece is an inverted double armed cross in a very ornate gothic style. It was hand cast from polyurethane resin and finished with gold acrylic paint and Rub-N-Buff to match the bosses.
The book is held closed by a solid brass hinge and hasp that were custom fitted to a thick leather substrate. They are glued and pinned to the cover boards with brass escutcheon pins. The hasp is held closed by a small brass padlock.
The book is finished with a black satin ribbon bookmark and a framed dedication space on the inside front cover (not pictured). Click Through for larger images.
Covered with the same dark red alligator skin patterned vinyl cloth, this blank journal is also approximately 8.75in. x 11.25in. with 120 blank unlined pages.
The corner bosses on the front and back are styled after writhing tentacles reaching around from the edges. They are hand cast from polyurethane resin, finished with silver acrylic paint and Rub-N-Buff. The centerpiece is an inverted pentacle with a goat's head baphomet image in the center. It was hand cast from polyurethane resin and it has a cold cast nickle-silver finish that was antiqued with acrylic paint .
This book is also held closed by a heavy solid metal chain and hasp. Unlike my previous metal chain closures, which were made from a salvaged brass door chain, this one was made from a heavy dog collar. The base plate, affixed to the back, had to be fabricated from scratch and was very time consuming to make. The metal hardware is in an antiqued silver finish. The chain is locked to the hasp by a solid brass padlock.
The book is finished with a black satin ribbon bookmark and a framed dedication space on the inside front cover (not pictured).
Finally we come to the pens. Each of these pens was made from a hardwood dowel shaft that was sanded, primed and finished with three coats of black lacquer. Each has a skull at the top of the shaft, that was hand cast in polyeurathane resin. I used acrylic paint and Rub-N-Buff to create their finish. Some were finished in silver tone, and some in gold tone. At the customer's request, I made more silver ones than gold ones.
Each has an antique metal nib that is permanently affixed. The grip is hand wrapped silver or gold tone 18 gauge wire to match the skull. The ends of the wire are bent off at 90 degrees and tucked into a tiny hole drilled into the shaft and finished off with a drop of super glue. It makes for a neat finished look and prevents unraveling, but it is a pain to do. It is also rough on the hands, keeping the wire tight as it is wrapped so that the coil is tight against the shaft. When you do seven or eight of these in a row, you sure know it!
Three of the six pens have a six inch shaft and are topped with a single short colored wing feather. I made one each of white, red and black. The shaft of the feather is cut and glued into a hole drilled into the top of the resin skull.
The other three pens have a four inch shaft and are topped with a large colored ostrich plume, about 10-12 inches long. I also made one each of these in white, red and black. These feathers are attached the same way.
To finish off the collection, I included as a free gift six bottles of "Vampire's Kiss" gothic writing ink. It is my own blend of dragon's blood ink and pokeberry ink. I am still refining the formula, and when I am finished with it I will be selling it in my shop.
Although I have not seen the pens or ink up for sale yet, these items and others are currently for sale on the Shadowmanor.com website (tell them Rev. Marx sent you!). To see other items from this collection visit:
The Money Shot (part 1)
The Money Shot (part 2)
The Money Shot (part 3)
The Money Shot (part 4)
The Money Shot (part 5)
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