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.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Book 150 - Because I Collect - A Tape-Bound Handmade Journal

Second post today. I needed something fairly simple today that didn't require a lot of thought. And I didn't have an idea. Then I saw a box of plastic zip-top sandwich bags and realized they could be pages in a book.

As I played with the idea, I decided I didn't wanted all plastic bag pages, just a few. I cut some white card stock to size for pages and made a tape-bound book, interspersing a plastic bag after every two or three pages. I decided on a tape binding because I didn't want to sew through the flimsy plastic. I knew the bags wouldnt' hold up. I've used the tape binding once before in this challenge. It is dead easy--no stitching, no glue--and I actually like the finished look. And I like that it allows the book to open completely flat.

Basically you just lay two pages side by side and tape them together at the join. Turn the right page over the left, lay down another page and tape it to the last one. Turn it over, butt another page up to it and tape them together... and so on until it's as thick as you want it to be. The covers were added the same way.

For this tape bound book, I used red duct tape (you might realize by now it's one of my favorite materials). After the block was completely taped together, I covered the spine with a wider piece of tape to finish it off.

I think it's kind of fun, and I like the idea that you can use it to collect stuff, not just notes and ideas, but actual physical stuff. I can see myself filling the plastic bags with feathers, leaves, tickets and other bits of ephemera.

Because yeah, I really do collect stuff.






6 comments:

  1. What a clever idea! And, yes, I can see feathers and assorted collectibles in the zip lock bags...and you could use the cardstock pages to sketch or write a description...wow! Perfect cover for it, too! *gold star*

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been following your progress daily for a little while now and I have been inspired by your work. Todays book however is amazing, the perfect gift for the person who has everything and likes to keep mementos

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like this book and what better title for collectors like us! Evem the quart size for items and might have to add a pleat here and there like an accordion book to allow for thicker items and still close the book.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Most interesting blog. I have just participated in a small book swap and am now involved in making journals .. so I hope you don't mind if I blog you tomorrow. I will be back to browse later. The zip lock bags and pure genius. Donna

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd love to have you blog about me. Thanks so much! It's my readers and followers here that truly keep me going day after day. The more the merrier.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Thanks. You look like you are getting pretty good at this. :o) No wonder .. as they say .. practice makes perfect. Donna

    ReplyDelete