BOOK 365!!!! A FULL YEAR OF BOOKS!

I did it! This is book 365 in my year-long book-a-day challenge.

OK, I will admit right here that it took me just slightly longer than 365 days. I am 6 days over my exact year. But I am trying to be easy on myself here. I am celebrating anyway. I hope you will celebrate with me.

This final book is a leather journal for my friend Michael (because he called dibs), who I've known for over 40 years. The base leather for the book is a putty-colored cowhide. Around that, I have wrapped another piece of leather that I think is ostrich. I can't be sure because I pulled it unmarked from the scrap bin at the leather store. I saw it an pounced. It's a rich deep purple.

The pages are Neenah Sundance 70 lb paper in crushed cream, a lovely paper for writing or sketching with pencil, pen, ink, markers.

The journal is bound with a long stitch binding (also called a Medieval limp binding) with medium brown waxed cotton thread. It makes an interesting stitch pattern on the spine. The unusual closure is made from a found object I picked up at a flea market. I think it might be some type of faucet handle. A thong of the purple leather ties through it and around the journal to keep it closed.

This is a rich, elegant journal and I hope Michael lives it.

Book 357 - Western Pulp Fiction - Classic Images Reversible Notebook/Journal

This reversible notebook/journal uses some classic imagery from 1950s pulp western fiction.

I have long loved pulp fiction imagery. It's just so immediate. It pulls you right into the moment of action, like good writing should. So I love using this imagery in my books.

For this 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" notebook/journal, I used two images and I reversed the one on the "back" so that the journal essentially has two fronts. You can use it either way. After printing the double image on heavyweight matte photo paper, I sprayed it with an acrylic surface spray to protect the finish. I needed a slightly rounded spine fold to accommodate the thickness of the two signatures, so I scored the inside center of the cover three times, about 3/16th of an inch apart on each score. Then when I folded it without boning it down hard on the creases, it was a bit rounded

I folded two signatures of 70 lb cream paper and stitched them both through a single set of sewing stations in the spine with a five-hole pamphlet stitch using a heavy waxed linen cord that feels almost like leather. I left the ends of the cord long enough at the center hole that I could wrap it around the book and tie it shut.

Nice notebook for a man, I think.

Book 325 - Recycled Nancy Drew Mystery as Journal - Single-Needle Coptic Stitch

Another recycled hard-cover book as a journal. I was a huge fan of Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a girl. Looking back, I think they played a really important part in my love of words, and books and in finally becoming a professional writer. So I was thrilled when I found a few copies of vintage Nancy Drew books in a thrift store not long ago. Here's the first, "The Bungalow Mystery."

Like most of my recycled book/journals, I cut out the book block and slit the covers down the middle of the spine, then removed the book board on the spine. I folded the spine edges in and glued, then taped them down. The insides of the covers were nice and clean, so I didn't need to glue down other end papers.

I folded seven signatures from white text paper and bound the book with a single-needle coptic stitch binding, also called a chain stitch binding. I used bright green waxed cotton thread to pick up the green of Nancy's dress on the cover.

A neat little book that brings back happy memories of reading under the covers at night.

Book 324 - Recycled Vinyl Record Journal/Blank Book - Donna Summers - Coptic Binding

Finally Back! I have a pile of books to post now that I have my computer back. The whole thing had to be wiped clean and the OS re-installed, which meant restoring the entire hard drive (thank God for Carbonite online backup) AND reinstalling all the programs, some of which had to be sought and found. Still a few to find and put back on, but at least I can work now.

This book is another journal made from a vintage vinyl album. This one is "Bad Girls" by the '70s queen of disco, Donna Summers.

For the front cover, I cut the record into a rectangle with the band saw, placing the round paper label just off center. For the back cover, I cut an image of Donna Summer from the back of the album, and another piece to line it on the inside. This album had the lyrics of the songs printed on red paper inside, so I cut that to use as end papers.

The signatures are a nice 70 lb. Neenah paper, off-white with flecks like tiny pieces of lint. It has a nice feel. The 8 signatures are stitched with a single-needle coptic stitch binding with black waxed linen thread.

It's really a pretty cool book, if I say it who shouldn't.

Book 317 - Recycled/Upcycled Vintage Physics Textbook Journal-/Blank Book - Single-Needle Coptic Binding

Another upcycled book journal today, but this time it's a cool vintage textbook. The cover just says "Physics." Since I was terrible in Physics in high school, I nearly passed this one up (I was more of a biology kind of girl). But I love the vintage look of it.

The usual routine: I sliced off the spine and bound the cut edges with variegated green washi tape. I glued some mottled blue paper inside the covers for end papers and used a cool vintage-look graph paper for the fly leaves. I covered the folded spine edge of every other signature of white text paper with more of the green washi tape to create a pattern on the exposed spine.

The binding is done with a single-needle coptic stitch with medium brown waxed thread.

This feels comfortable in the hand. It's a nice size for an everyday journal.

Boom 308 - "Danger in the Desert" - Recycled Children's Book Journal/Notebook - Soft Double Spiral Binding

Here's Another Vintage Kid's Book transformed into a blank book/journal. I enjoy making these recycled book journals. At least I know I am giving new life to a previously loved but worn book.

I love the cover on this one. It's a young adult book called "Danger in the Desert," with a great vintage graphic of two boys fighting the snake so big it looks more like an Anaconda you'd find in the Amazon rain forest than any critter I've ever seen here in our Arizona desert. But since there's a prickly pear in the foreground and a giant saguaro cactus in the background, I have to assume that Arizona is where it's meant to be.

The usual drill here: I cut the covers from the spine and glued down end papers of dark card stock. I bound the cut edges of the covers with washi tape. I folded up the sigs, plain white text paper, and poked the holes for the sewing stations.

The binding is like a Japanese stab binding but without a hinged or folded cover. It's basically a double spiral binding, but with ribbon instead of wire. You sew down the spine in a spiral from top to bottom with the ribbon, then sew back up again, creating a cross-stitch pattern. The trick is to not get the stitches too tight (or the book won't open flat) or too loose (or the book will be floppy).

This one worked out well.

Book 288 - Pink Leather Fat Journal w/ Glass Dangle - Long Stitch Binding

I like really fat journals. And this one is fat. and I love the pink with black details... reminds me of the '50s, when pink and black were IT. This long stitch  bound journal -- also called the Medieval limp binding--is smallish, just 4" x 5" by almost 1 1/2" thick. It has 8 signatures of heavy artist paper, 96 pages worth (192 pages front and back).

The end papers are a yummy bright red Asian paper with gold brushstrokes. The long stitch binding is done with black waxed linen thread and the book closes with a black leather thong.

The dangle on the end of the thong is really beautiful fused dichroic glass (and a thank you to my friend Shannon for the gift). Not only does it close the journal, but it can also act as a nice place marker.

A simple, pretty and really nice little fat journal/blank book.

Books 282-284 - Black Forest Trio, or "What There is a Fruit Snacks Box" - 3 Blank Books

There is just so much cool design on packaging these days. I can't resist it.

I found these Black Forest Fruit Snacks on sale at the supermarket the other day (which are delicious, BTW) and realized we could sell the small packets sell individually for a decent profit. It was a good idea because they sell well. I've already had to buy more. And look what I got from the first box.

Book 282 is an oval book with a ring binding. I cut the logo from both sides of the box and backed it with raspberry colored textured pearlescent card stock for strength. I then cut about 50 oval pages from a variety of papers--white text, purple text, blue speckled card stock, white translucent vellum, pale blue cloud print, and purple granite scrapbooking paper.  I punched holes in the two covers and in all the pages, stacked them up and bound them with a double ring I made from 20 gauge copper wire.

This is obviously a dead simple little book to make but it was actually very time intensive because of the unusual shape. I had to hand-cut all 50 oval pages. But it was OK. I called up the Dancing With the Stars finals on the computer and watched while I cut. (Way to go, J.R.! I was rooting for you!)

I will make lots more of these simple little books, because I know they will sell quickly. But I'll make them in shapes I can cut in piles, with straight lines, or ones I can punch out quickly with a paper punch. Fast, we like fast!

Book 283 was made from the sides of the box. The covers were lined with a nice silver-blue metallic textured card stock. I folded and trimmed nine signatures and then wrapped the fold edge of each one with colored japanese washi tape in three different colors. I stitched the book with a single-needle coptic stitch with black waxed linen thread.

Perfect size for a purse or pocket.

Book 284 - This one came out kind of cool because I was able to cut off all the type on the cover. It simply looks like a little blank journal with a fruit design cover. It doesn't look like recycled packaging.  These fruit designs were also from the box front and back. I used the same silver-blue card stock to line the covers. Ten signatures were bound with a single-needle coptic stitch with red Irish linen thread, but it is slightly different this time. Using a trick from Shereen LaPlantz, I carried my thread down TWO signatures instead of one before wrapping it around the stitch to form the chain. This gives the chain stitching on the spine a little more substance.

The squared off shape makes for bigger pages and more room to write, but this is still a good purse size. I'd carry this notebook around with me.

And that's what there is in a box of fruit snacks... if you're a bookmaker.

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.

Book 240-Smooth Green Leather Journal w/ Buckle Closure - Long Stitch Binding

Well, you see what happens when I get to go to the leather store? Oregon Leather, in Portland--one of my favorite spots on earth. And you get to see another classic leather journal--this time a beautiful smooth, almost polished dark green.

I've made this as a wrap-around with the back flap coming over the front and closing with a strap and a brass buckle. Since I wanted to maintain the clean look of this, I didn't want to stitch the straps to the book with visible stitches. So I used some silver colored rivets to attach the two straps, one at the spine and the other at the fore edge. In addition to the rivets, I added a drop of epoxy to make sure they are very firm.

This is really a sumptuous journal with thick creamy pages and end papers of pale green with the slightest bit of glimmer in it. It is sewn with a long stitch binding with black waxed linen thread.

And yes, I have a bag full of leather pieces I now have to pack in a suitcase to get home. So you'll be seeing even more leather books in the near future.