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.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Book 250 - "Wake Up!" - Energy Drink Recycled Packaging Journal - Long Stitch Slot Binding

Perhaps this little recycled packaging book was inspired by the other night when I was obviously asleep while I was posting my book of the day. So much asleep that I forgot to post the photos. Let's hope I can stay awake tonight long enough to add the photos to this post.

We've carried Red Bull and Monster energy drinks in our store for awhile, but several people have asked us for these little 5-hour energy boost drinks. So when we found we could buy them by the case at a reasonable price, we went for it.

The colors and graphics on the box were bright and sunny and... "wake-up-y," so I figured they'd make a good book.

I cut one side off the box and lined it with black cardstock for extra strength. I scored where the folds for the spine would be then folded them over. I made 8 signatures of 5 sheets each for a total of 80 pages (160 both sides). After punching the holes for the sewing stations in the signatures, I cut corresponding slits in the spine.
Then I stitched the book together with a modified long stitch binding with black linen thread.

 I'm still not convinced about this binding.It is really difficult to keep the threads that show on the spine lined up neatly and keep the tension correct. And even when it's done well, I don't like the look of it as much as a regular long stitch binding sewn into individual holes.

But it's still fun to see what can be done by recycling cheap store packaging into nice books.




3 comments:

  1. Happy to see your photo's! I think the long stitch goes very well with the packaging book. Has a DIY image. Great.

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  2. I think I need me one of those drinks--LOL!
    I can see where it looks like the thread moves around a bit, but it looks pretty cute, anyways. I always get a kick out of what you recycle. :)

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  3. Like the book, sorry about the product. But chacun a son gout.

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