A Book a Day? What's Up With That?


Hi, and welcome to this year-long project. So what's this all about and how did it happen, you might ask. In mid 2007, artist Noah Scalin decided to make a skull out of anything he could find, every day for a year. It stretched him in ways he never imagined, as an artist, a writer and a person. His experience turned into a blog that went viral, and then a book.

Others have picked up on the idea: 365 Hearts, 365 Masks, 365 Bears drawn on a cellphone, 365 paper napkin mustaches.
I wanted to play, too, and I chose books. I love books, I know a bit about making books (thanks to my talented book-maker sister, Marilyn Worrix), and they're broad enough in definition to give me a lot of creative leeway.

The whole point is not really the books. The idea is to stretch myself in many ways as an artist and a person, to set up a discipline, stick with it and see what that teaches me.

I hope you'll join with me and follow along on the journey chronicled here, and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Book 144 - Bluberry Muffin Book, coptic Stitch Hand-Made Journal

This cute mini-journal is another "store" book. We sell these little packaged muffins, two to a pack. And today, while putting some on the shelf, I noticed that the graphics on the box were pretty neat (I tend to notice those things a lot more now!)

I cut the blueberry and banana nut images from the side of the cardboard box and edged them with decorative blue masking tape, then lined the inside with bright golden yellow paper. I cut the pages from the same paper, five signatures of 6 sheets each for a total of 30 pages (60 both sides). Then I stitched them with a single-needle coptic stitch.

I can see that I am going to have to break down and learn the double needle coptic stitch, because I really don't like the way this looks at the ends of the signatures. And I always have trouble getting the book to lie perfectly flat when closed. I don't know if I'm stitching too tight--too much tension--or the holes in the covers are too small, or what? You'd certainly think I'd have this stitch down pat by now!

Since I like these graphics so much, don't be surprised if I make one or two more from this box in the next few days.







3 comments:

  1. So cute! I have only made a very few journals and used the coptic stitch. I have had the same problem with them not wanting to lie flat at first, but they do later on if you have something stacked on them for a while. I'm not sure I even did the single needle coptic stitch correctly. Followed a youtube video and the guy said it was an easy version--LOL! If you do the double needle stitch, I'll be waiting to see pictures--having no clue what the difference is. :)

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  2. I used to know the double needle stitch, but that was long ago and far away. I do remember it was just a case of following the instructions. This is such a sweet little book.

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  3. Cute! I love it! The colors and size make it perfect :)

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