365: Make a Book a Day: Book 273 - "The Little Engine That Could"

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.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Book 273 - "The Little Engine That Could" - Recycled Children's Book Journal

I think I can... I think I can... I think I can ... continue this challenge all the way to Day 365.

And working toward that goal, here's another recycled kids book journal using the classic "The Little Engine That Could," one of my favorite stories when I was could (and likely one of yours, too).

Cut the book in half, pull out the book block, saving any good illustrations that are intact for reuse. Fold the cut edges over and tape down with duct tape (blue this time). Fold text paper into signatures. Punch holes in the sigs and cover, stitch with a single-needle coptic stitch with linen thread. Tip in the saved illustrations.

Call it a recycled blank book/journal. Sell it (well, that comes later, but it's in the plan).