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 25, 2011

Book 230 - A Long Stitch Bound Blank Journal from Cork Paper & Leather

This cork paper journal is so pretty. I'm having so much fun rooting around in all my sister's wonderful papers and leathers. This paper is really different. The paper backing is metallic gold. But then the top layer is pieces of cork bark bonded to the metallic paper. As pretty as it is, it can be hard to work with because when you crease it or even bend it too much, the cork cracks. So if I wanted to use it for a soft-cover journal--which I did--I knew I would have to cover the spine with something.

I decided on leather and found this piece of very soft dark maroon calfskin. Since the cork paper was pretty light, I lined it with a piece of textured cardstock. I also added a 3/4" wide strip of leather to the inside of the spine to help it keeps its shape. The book block is 48 sheets of Neenah Sundance 70 lb felt finish paper, making 96 pages. The end paper wrapping the block is a nice maroon with some grassy inclusions.

The blank book is bound with a long stitch binding with lavender waxed cotton thread. I really liked the "starburst" stitch pattern I devised the other day for the brown leather journal so I used it again with this one.

There's quite a lot of this nifty cork paper here in the studio. I think I need to figure out another use for it before I go home.

I'm not getting as much catching up done here as I'd hoped. Caring for my mom takes much more energy and time than it did a year ago. She's got an infection that makes her a little disoriented and needy and every time I'm out of her sight for more than five minutes, she rings the buzzer that hangs around her neck. So most of today was spent sitting beside her watching about 6 episodes of "Planet Earth" and three or four more of "The Human Planet." Gotta love those koalas and narwhals. Tonight I'll be sleeping in a lounge chair beside her bed. I think tomorrow will be better.






7 comments:

  1. That cork paper is really different. Very nice!

    Sorry your mom isn't doing very well. It's difficult caring for parents. At least both those series are really good ones. Best to you and I hope she has a better day today. :)

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  2. Thanks Rita. Hopefully, the antibiotics will start kicking in today. She did wake up more alert. I'm hoping for some studio time today.

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  3. Some parts of heaven has its costs, I am sure your mother is benefiting from your care.

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  4. Thanks Francis. I actually had her laughing today, so all is not horrid. I may even get to sleep in a bed tonight.

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  5. I hope your mom is feeling better so you can finally finish what you are planning to finish here. I love your posts. I also love how you made this book cover...very homy.

    Irving
    http://yep.it/ohrmsl

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  6. I surfed a bit on this blog. Wow, what a big project to make a book a day. You'll have a house filled with books, won't you? :-)

    Love the last ones, I haven't seen them all...

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  7. Thanks Anneke, - Yes, Allen (my guy) has already had to expand the "book display" three times and it's nearly full again. After I finish, and have one (possibly more) exhibit of all the books, I'll have to start selling them off just to make room again.

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