What's On My Desk: Charmed Journal by Sweet Olive Books

This week I'm doing something a little unorthodox here at the Monster Lab and stepping outside the bounds of the typical commissions I get.  Instead of putting paint on a model, this time I'm paining a journal.  For me, this is a really exciting prospect, being able to apply hobby skills to a non-hobby medium.  And for a 15-minute project, I think it looks great. 

Let's take a look.

For those of you who are fans of the Charmed television series, you'll probably recognize the book above right away.  For the rest of us, it's the Book of Shadows from the show, one that is supposed to be filled with magical incantations, spells, and other wisdom.  

I can't take credit for all the work on this project, however, as the journal itself was made by Jessie Alexander proprietor of Sweet Olive Books, a start-up she created a little under a year ago after chancing upon the craft.  Since then, Jessie has been honing her skills and mastering different binding techniques.  The one she used on the book of shadows is an example of the Coptic stitch technique.  Her choice in binding for the BoS was great one, it looks both appropriately simple and elegant.  I think Jessie's work really speaks for itself, and is a testament to the passion she has for what she does.  

For my part on the project, I did the symbol on the cover (called a triquetra) in a 5:1 mix of GW's Blazing Orange (now Troll Slayer Orange) and Mournfang Brown.  To make the center circle and triquetra arcs I used two different sized cylinders to act as guides as I made a pencil outline before applying paint.

When it was complete, the book of shadows was given as a gift to my girlfriend's little sister, who is a huge fan of the show, and she loved it!

If you're looking for a custom made journal, be sure to contact Jessie over at Sweet Olive Books and order one today, for $10-20 each they're an absolute steal!

Thanks for checking out what's on my desk this week, come back next time to see what projects are being brought to life at the Monster Lab.

Happy hobbying and good gaming!