Book 295 - The New Topical Textbook Journal-Recycled Textbook w/ Bookmark - Single-Needle Coptic Stitch

A slight change from altering and recycling children's books... here's a recycled/upcycled vintage textbook. I cut the covers off The New Tropical Textbook. This time, I was careful to cut it cleanly enough that I could also use the spine as a bookmark.

I wrapped the raw cut edges of the front and back covers with maroon washi tape and boned it down very well. I glued maroon card stock end papers inside both covers for a clean look. I folded and trimmed to size seven signatures of white text paper. Once the pages were nested, I covered the folded edge of each signature with the same maroon washi tape used on the spine edges. I knew this would give me a clean, uniform look to the exposed spine.

I punched holes in the sigs and the covers and bound the journal with black waxed cotton thread in a single needle-coptic stitch binding.

Finally, I took the separate spine I'd cut out, glued the cut edges inside and then covered the entire inside with the maroon washi tape.

This is not a super-creative journal, but it's a nice little book.

Book 294 - Keychain Notebook from Recycled Steel Color Samples

Here's a tiny keychain notebook/jotter. We've had these enameled steel color ships lying around for ages. We used to sell laser-cut southwest style ornaments made from this, and the company sent us a set of color samples to help with ordering. We haven't carried them for a few years, but still had the samples. I discovered them in a drawer the other day.

So, of course, I had to use them to make a book.

Since they were hanging on a keyring, they already had the single hole drilled at the top. All I really had to do was cut pages to shape, punch some holes in them, and make a ring from heavy nickel wire. The pages are a really  nice Strathmore text paper with a very faint stripe in it, called "Lines." I love this paper but unfortunately, they don't seem to make it anymore.

Anyway, this is just a silly little thing, but mine own. And today's book is done.

Book 293 - "All Beef Patty" - Recycle Hamburger Box Colcorful Blank Journal - Coptic Binding

Guess what I had for lunch today? Well, actually, I suppose it was dinner, since we were already closed. I was on my own and really didn't feel like cooking just for myself, so I just nuked one of the frozen hamburgers we sell. Emptied out the box, so I had to open another one and... yep, there was another book.

I cut this cheeseburger image off the front of the large box, lined it with gold metallic textured card stock and and cut it in half down the center of the sandwich. I cut round pages from colored paper and layered them into signatures in order--green for lettuce, brown (well, beige) for the meat, yellow for the cheese and red for the tomato slices. I bound the book with a single needle coptic stitch using golden-yellow linen thread.

This one would definitely get a comment or two if you pulled it out of your purse to make a note... or take a bite. (Are you hungry yet?)

Books 291-292 - Recycled Countrer Top Sample Chip Notebooks-Ring Binding

I was in Home Depot the other day, looking for who knows what... but I always have my eye out for anything that might make a book. In the Kitchen department, there were these ~ 4"x5" sample chips for some kind of composite counter top made to look like granite. (Who knows what it's actually made of.)

I knew it would be perfect for a book cover, because it is both light and rigid and also pretty strong. The sample chips were hanging on pegs so they already had a hole at center top. So the logical approach was some sort of ring or wire binding.  The granite-y look was nice but a little bland, so I decided to add some kind of graphic to the front. One has a vintage ad for some sort of kitchen appliance, the other has a photograph I took of some funny yard art here in Chloride, Arizona.

I simply cut beige paper (because it looked more "rock-like") into squares the size of the chips, punched holes at the top and made a wire binding from medium gauge nickel wire.

Pretty simple and handy.

Book 290 - "Dogopoly" -2 - Recycled Game Board Box Journal/Blank Book - Single Needle Coptic Stitch

Can't seem to get away from coptic stitch journals and board games. I do love this "Dogopoly" game--a Monopoly clone for dog lovers. This one actually uses the lid from the box the game came in, which shows a smaller version of the entire board. Cute, no?

I cut the board image from the box cover and lined it with a pretty pearly moss green textured card stock. For the back, I sandwiched a piece of tag board between a piece of white card stock for the inside and another piece of the green. I folded six signatures, poked half-a-dozen holes for sewing stations and bound the journal with a single-needle coptic stitch, or chain stitch binding, with black waxed linen thread.

Done. And cute.

Book 289 - "Splat" - A Recycled Fly Swatter Flip Book - Stab Binding

Well, I promised you something different... Here we have a recycled fly swatter. Found it in a thrift shop. I kept staring at it, wondering what to do with it. Then poof... the idea appeared full blown.

This is a flip book. When you flip the pages smoothly and fairly quickly, the image on the pages appears to move, like a movie. The image shows a housefly flying left to right, arching up, turning its body down and diving to the bottom of the page. And then... "splat." No more fly. Well, that is what fly swatters are for, right?

Once I'd figured out the images, I printed them out on beige paper, arranged them in order and poked a row of holes along the top for sewing stations for a stab binding. I laid the book block on top of the screen mesh of the fly swatter and stitched through the punched holes and the mesh, so the book is completely attached to the mesh.

At the very back of the book, I added an image of a dead fly that can be seen from the back of the book, through the mesh.

This book makes me laugh. And it made me feel creative again after weeks of just getting by.

 

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.

Book 287 - Grand Canyon Suite Finale - Recycled Beer Package Notebook-Perfect Binding

Here's the final entry in the "Grand Canyon suite." (You can see Books 272 and 273 for the first two books made form this same beer carton. Obviously, I really like the graphics on this box.

The cover of this perfect-bound notebook is made from the side panel of a carton of beer from the Grand Canyon Brewing Company, based in Williams, AZ. It's a fairly lightweight chipboard so I backed it with sturdy, metallic-finish card stock. The panel is a piece of white chip board also bonded to some of the metallic card stock. This makes the covers slightly sturdier than a commercial notebook cover.

The book block is made from tan text weight paper stacked and trimmed to size. Then the entire cut end is glued together with padding compound, a glue developed especially for perfect bindings like notepads and magazines.  The block is attached to the covers with black duct tape, which then also creates the spine.

I've never really watched anybody do this kind of perfect binding, so I'm pretty much winging it. and I have a feeling  I'm leaving some crucial step out or doing something else wrong. The book seems fine, but I'm worried that it would not stand up to use. I need to see a tutorial or watch someone who knows what they're doing make this book. Then I'll have it.

Book 286 - "Duke" - Leather Wrapped Accordion Book for John Wayne

Finally, something just a little different. This leather-wrapped accordion book is a homage to John Wayne, "The Duke." Actually, I'm not all that great a fan of John Wayne, but I had some quotations from him that were just too good not to use. Quotes like:


Life is hard. It's harder if you're stupid.
Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.
Nobody ever saw a cowboy on the psychiatrist's couch.
And, of course....
A man's got to do what a man's got to do.

I matched up photos of Wayne to go with the individual quotes and laid them out in my graphics program. I printed them on nice heavy satin finish photo paper, cut out each page and backed each one with copper-colored textured card stock. The result was a series of nice heavy, stiff pages. I cut an irregular strip of really nice soft brown leather, spread it on the floor and laid the pages out. After marking the positions, I glued the pages to the leather, folded it up in an accordion fold and wrapped the extra leather around the whole book. I cut a long strip of the leather to wrap several times around the book and hold it together.

Even though I'm not that crazy about "The Duke" himself, I do like this book. I see more like it in the future.