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.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Book 221-Heavy Hand-Made Grass Paper journal - Double Needle Coptic Binding

When I found this very heavy hand-made grass paper in Marilyn's studio I could not resist it. I wanted a very rustic looking journal, so I started pawing through the stacks of paper looking for something equally wonderful for the pages. I found some sheets of deeply textured but still light white hand-made paper that was perfect. It felt positively cottony.

I tore the pages to size and smoothed them hard with the bone folder to flatten a bit of the texture. I wanted a thick book, and by the time I had enough pages, the book was "spongy" from the springiness of the paper. I knew the covers would need some reinforcement to hold up to the pages. So I cut some pieces of chip board and lined them, then covered the lining with pieces of burnt orange unryu paper, also hand-torn to maintain the rough edges of the covers.

The binding is a double-needle coptic stitch with black waxed linen thread.

The sponginess of the thick book block still kept the book from lying closed so I needed some kind of a wrap or closure, I used the same waxed linen thread to make a looped cord to wrap around the book and then around a carved bone button that looks like a wheat sheaf. I think it's the perfect accent for the grassiness of the thick cover paper.

The book is small, only 3" X 4" but a full 1 1/2" thick. It feels wonderful to hold, very lightweight yet substantial at the same time, with that delightful cushiness when you squeeze it shut.

Just yummy paper.








2 comments:

  1. Luscious! Love the papers and the wheat button is perfect! You are obviously having a blast at your sister's! :)

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  2. A fluffy book. What fun. Yes, the wheat pin is great.

    ReplyDelete