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, July 5, 2011

Books 158, 159 & 160-Tootsie Pops Trio Recycled Packaging Blank Journals

A triple treat today! Since these recycled packaging journals seems to be my new signature style, I thought I would see just how many books of different types I could make from one candy box. And this great Tootsie Pops box came available today.  (This also serves the purpose of playing a little catch up since I missed a few days toward the beginning of this challenge.)



The first book is my favorite. It makes such a neat little package. This slotted spine longstitch binding is easier in some ways than a regular longstitch with holes in the spine. But it can be harder to keep the threads just where you want them. For this one, I covered the spine and the wrap at the fore edge with red duct tape (I do love me some red duct tape!) The cover is lined with a pearlescent cardstock in a raspberry color. The eight ivory paper signatures are sewn with white linen thread through the slits in the spine. I finished it with a purple flourite bead and a hand-looped chain cord for wrapping around.






The second book is also a long stitch but with holes. And I did not use one long thread to sew all the signatures together as well as to the spine, like I usually do. Each of the five signatures is sewn to the spine with a separate thread. I left a long tail on each thread at top and bottom. When all the signatures were sewn, I braided the five threads at the head and at the tail and finished each with an Italian glass bead and a small tassel. Inside the cover is lined with gold pearlescent cardstock and the paper is white text paper.






Book three is the simplest and smallest (and the fastest to make). It is a simple perfect binding book, much like a note tablet. Three colors of text paper (red, emerald green and purple) are cleanly cut and stacked for the block. Then one edge is glued with padding compound glue while being tightly held together. It's clamped to dry, with at least two coats of the special glue. Finally, I wrapped the spine with more red duct tape (hmmmm..) and called it finished.

Quite a haul from one little throw-away box of Tootsie Pops.






6 comments:

  1. OMGosh! These are soooo cute!! :):)

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  2. I really adore your books. I still can't believe you make a book every single day. For one month I made a sketch everyday and that was kind of hard, but making a book is even more difficult. I pimped my sketchbook on the outside with black thin 'rubber' layers and black painted wood parts. It was so much fun so you inspire me to make another nice book! Maybe you could make a never ending book kind of thing? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxkHmZfQbN0

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  3. I'm so glad I found your blog! I'll be spending lots of time here, catching up on your posts since you started the project. What a great idea! I admire your work, and your dedication!

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  4. Barbara, Welcome aboard and thanks for the kind words. I will be the first to admit that I surprise even myself that I have come this far. Creeping up on 6 months! I can't stop now so stay tuned.
    MJC - Thanks for that link. That's a clever idea. I'm going to think about what content I might put in such a book. And I'm ALWAYS looking for ideas for new book structures, so I don't end up doing the same book over and over.

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  5. Glad I could help. I keep an eye on your blog to see what you'll make.

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  6. I love these. They are so cute and fun!

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