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.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Book 247 - "Lunch-210 calories" - Recycled Food Packaging Blank Book/Journal-Long Stitch Binding

I'm on a diet. And it sucks! But at least I can use the package that my 210 calorie stuffed pepper microwave lunch came in.

So... another book from recycled packaging. I took the single-serving Stouffer box and cut the front and back off for the covers. They were pretty flimsy so I knew they would need some sort of backing. I decided on a long stitch binding but I also decided to experiment with putting it together a different way.

I cut the pages from 24 lb text paper and folded 40 sheets into 8 signatures. Then I cut a piece of pale mossy green vinyl wallpaper the width of the spine plus 1 1/2" wide. I stitched the sigs to the vinyl with a long stitch with brown waxed linen thread. Then I glued the outside covers over the excess vinyl, using it like a hinge. Finally, I cut another piece of the vinyl and glued it to the inside of the covers, like an end paper, sandwiching the vinyl "hinge" between the cover and end paper.

It was a bit difficult to photograph well, because I JUST finished it and it is in serious need of a few hours under some heavy weights to flatten it and set the glue well.

It's an OK book, not my best effort, but OK. (And hey, every day isn't going to be a star!)

I'm off to eat my 80 calorie cherry vanilla non-fat yoghurt. Yum.














2 comments:

  1. You poor thing! Weak from dieting and yet you still made a cute book from your meager meal. ;) I hate dieting--obvious if you could see me--LOL!

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  2. Chef Stouffer is no stranger to my kitchen. That is a great use of one of their covers. Hmmm.

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