After testing the die I custom-ordered for the Medicine Dan covers, I realized what a pain in the ass they were going to be making them work without a press. Both Hannah and I were beating the hell out of it with a rubber mallet and could hardly penetrate through a sheet of typing paper, let alone the cardstock. Poor Dan.

So, I broke down and bought a Woodzilla tabletop hand press, which was something I wanted to include in my recent award budget anyway, but I couldn’t afford it then. I couldn’t afford it now, but I bought it anyway. Oops.

So, now that’s on the way, and I can hardly wait. I sure hope it works! I mean, it better, right?

I’m getting closer and closer to getting done with these books now. I spent the better part of the day yesterday sewing these two pages of one of the books:

Sheesh. Only seven more to go!

Today, since the bookbinding tape from Talas came, I’ll be sticking those handmade sticker pouches/envelope thingies on those pages, and that particular page will be finished in all the books. I’ll be two pages away from being done with every single page. WOW!

Today, I’ll also be cutting all the coverstock.

But, before I continue with sewing those fourteen more felt pages like you see pictured above, I have to put them aside and get back to the Runaway Cakes drawing.

I started this a long time ago, and I must complete it before the second week of January at the latest. I think I can whip it out way before then, but I want it out of my hair sooner than later. That’s just how I am when I have deadlines in front of me. I guess I like being safe and not stressed. That makes sense, right?

By then, the Woodzilla press will be here for a while, and I can experiment on the covers of the book. Holy Jesus, it better work.

Once I get the die cuts in the right place, then I can embroider the titles. These steps have to be done in the right order, ya know. I don’t want to embroider first and then not be able to chop the die cut in the wrong place. That would really suck. And embroidering those titles is going to have to be done more delicately than sewing those felt pages so as to not put any dents into the cover paper! That’s NOT a simple task, I’ll tell you what. (Easy does it.)

Lastly, speaking of cost, I’ll be ordering custom plexiglass boxes. Here is a sample of what they’ll basically look like. They will have a hinge like this:

This is, of course, much bigger than the boxes I’m getting. Mine won’t be able to fit lemons and limes. Mine will be much more shallow and fit the books, which are about 3/4 of an inch thick, almost exactly, with a tiny bit of sniggle room so you can remove the book from the box. I have to figure out how much room to give them and then order those. But it’s a hard purchase to pull the trigger on until I sell at least one of these.