Scrapbooks and Steampunk

Have you ever wondered who invented self-pasting scrapbooks? Well, wonder no more. They were invented by Mark Twain, the author of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and the Prince and the Pauper, among other books.

 

Mark Twain was tired of making scrapbooks with pots of glue, according the Mark Twain museum in Hannibal, Missouri. He pictured a scrapbook with glue already on the page, ready to moisten and use. He developed this idea and applied for a patent.

 

On June 24, 1873, he received his patent for "Improvement in Scrapbooks." He then took his idea to a firm that began producing "Mark Twain's Patent Self-Pasting Scrapbooks."

 

The scrapbooks were sold in more than 30 sizes and models, from pocket size to ones that would hold almost a half of a newspaper page. Specialist books were developed for druggists to hold prescriptions, as well as other organizations.

 

Of Mark Twain's three patents, this one made a profit. In 1877, about 25,000 scrapbooks sold.

 

Hannibal, MO. had their first Steampunk Festival last year and had more interest than expected with approximately 1000 people showing up.  This years festival will be September 5-7, 2015. I purchased my first piece of steampunk jewelry today in Hannibal's Historic Museum.

 

I've got my thinking cap on -- I want to challenge myself to come up with an ATC or pocket letter with an antebellum/Border War/Civil War images. Do I have any rubber stamps with images that will suit? Will have to dig in the ole craft barn collection. 

 

And, I've been collecting miniature items from thrift stores to make a fairy garden. I have quite a few images/ideas pinned to my miniature Pinterest board "Miniature Scenes." I think I've changed my mind about the fairy garden. I think I want to make a diorama instead with a large glass fish aquarium. In the Hannibal museum, they had 10 dioramas of scenes behind glass from Mark Twain's novel "Tom Sawyer" right in a row. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Christmas Cottage

Note: I found the original idea in the Kansas City Star newspaper, but rewrote the directions so children could understand them with older teen/ adult help. I have taught this craft as a class several times to elementary age cousins and homeschooled children. This recipe was originally published on Old Fashioned Living.com.

Basic Christmas Cottage Ingredients =

Note: some ingredients will be enough for 2 houses. You can share or trade extra ingredients such as the candy with others in the class if you so desire. 

A Tip: Pour candies into a clean muffin tin or small custard cups to so that you can easily grab individual candies to decorate your Christmas cottage and to pass around. If they aren't eaten before the house is done, pour them into small Zipper bags to take them home.  


10 pop tarts for each house and yard (in any flavor and frosted/unfrosted)

1 can white pre-made/canned frosting

candies such as candy canes, teddy bear grahams, sprinkles, M&M's, jelly beans, gum drops, pretzels, cinnamon candies, peppermint candy, sugar ice cream cones, colored vanilla wafers, string licorice, large marshmallows, etc.

1 tube each of red and green piping gel

Other Supplies:

1 tray to put cottage on or a foil covered piece of cardboard (app. 15" x 15")

several small bowls to put candies into

1 small frosting spatula for each person making a cottage

1 table knife to cut pop tarts with

paper towels or wipes for the messies

camera & film to take photos of cottages before taking home

1 box to carry creation home in

Cottage Instructions

Step 1: Put a dab of frosting on tray or cardboard to "glue" (anchor) your pop-tarts down.

Step 2: Base = 4 pop-tarts. Smooth frosting along 1 long side edge and one short side edge of pop-tart rectangle and gently press together flat onto the center of your tray. This is your Christmas Cottage's garden (yard).

Step 3: Ends of House = 2 pop-tarts. Cut off corners of one end of long side of pop-tarts to make gable of house. Don't cut too deep until you see how roof of house fits together. Cut deeper if needed. Top of pop-tart will look like an A.

Step 4: Sides of House = 2 pop-tart rectangles laid sideways. Slather frosting on all 4 side edges of pop-tart and fit together the short bottom sides of the "gabled A" pop-tarts at the corner of the cottage, pressing gently into each other & down onto the center of your base "yard". Hold the corner a bit until frosting dries and "glues" itself together. If you need reinforcement at corners, a toothpick or pretzel stick will help. (Note: sticky icing fingers may pull apart your house or decorations, so wipe your hands periodically with a damp paper towel). Do the same with the other pop-tarts.

Step 5: Roof = 2 pop-tarts sideways. Put frosting on one long end and on undersides of "roof" where sides of "cottage" will meet. Press roof together with both hands on top of house. Fill in holes or gaps with frosting, especially at the "A" ends. Be gentle as these houses will not stand a lot of rough treatment.

Step 6: Fun part = Decorating! Tip: pull down tip of spatula to make snowy icicles on roof of house. Use the left over frosting to dab on candy to fasten it to your house or "garden yard". Use the red and green piping gel to outline your windows, doors, sidewalk, and Christmas lights around the eaves of the roof. Make snowmen out of marshmallows and pretzels sticks. Dab on gel for eyes & mouth. Make fences with pretzels or gumdrops. Layer vanilla wafers for shingles on your roof & a large gumdrop or marshmallow for a chimney. Be creative, but most of all have fun!

Step 7: Take a picture of your Christmas Cottage creation for your scrapbook and clean up your area! Gently ease into your box to take home and enjoy!

Our Christmas Cottages usually last about 3 days before they get gobbled up! But the best part of this is now you know how to make them and can create another!

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

“Postscript” = I found Kellogg’s Pop-tart Toaster Pastries in Gingerbread Flavor at Walmart this past Christmas (2011). So yummy! The gingerbread flavor wasn’t too strong, but just right and the frosting is on the inside, so they would be very appropriate for making Christmas Cottages!