Tag Archives: notebook

Mad Matchbook Binding Project of ’07

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Holy cow. I call this the mad matchbook binding project of ‘07!
Over the last 3 days I’ve cut paper, cut covers, stapled and folded 36 matchbook
notebooks all are 2.5×3 inches and .5 inches thick. I cut myself through a 2-inch
thick stack of recycled fliers printed on one side and blank on the other. It’s
really thick nice paper, about 50 sheets per notebook. I’ve been using a few of
these from my last batch and I’ve got to say that they are really handy on a
number of levels; great for lists, notes, and passing phone numbers as well as
numerous other things.
36 of them, my hands are sore form cutting so much paper, a definite
nod to the fact that I need a paper sheer if I’m going to continue to work with
recycled paper.

Anyway, enjoy the pics, these will be headed to etsy tomorrow
or Sunday.

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leather…. black leather

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Let’s talk about leather, black leather, distressed bomber
jack brown leather and baby bottom smooth deer hide.  Well there’s not much to talk about really, other than it makes
some very sturdy notebooks, sketchbooks and journals that will survive time and
maybe even some serious abuse.

For awhile now I’ve spent a lot of time making recycled
journals and simple hedgehogs with wrap around covers there’s nothing wrong
with that as it keeps me making books but what I love to make are notebooks and
journals like these below:











The really beauty of a journal like this is that because of the style of its binding it can expand to hold a whole lot of stuff- odds and ends, paint, and emphemeria. The card stock pages are made to withstand abuse and  hold all the stuff someone might choose to glue on those pages. Even stuffe3d the strap and flap will wrap around the journal and hold it shut.

160 cardstock pages (110lb) wrapped in heavy smooth black cowhide, flap and strap closure, long stitch sewing style so that it expands to hold anything,  It will be on eBay starting tomorrow with a low buy it now price as well as an auction option.

Book Board

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I made a few covers book board and paper from my stash of decorative papers. I made them to specifically cover hedgehog book blocks. So each cover is 3.5×5.5 inches and the spine is .75 inches thick.

To go with these covers I made some paper covered hemp cored headbands. These are glue on style and you probably can’t see them in the pictures, but they are there. I used dark red/burgundy colored washi paper. I used it because it’s thin, glues easily and I knew would wrap around the hemp cord with ease. I also knew that once it was glued up it would become stiffer than it was before and even with that the washi would absorb glue easily as I stuck it to spines. I’ve seen several other methods of making end/head bands before with fabric, paper and one I particularly liked was one that uses ribbon.

I’m listing one of these to etsy, one to ebay and keeping one.

 

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This one will go on eBay.

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The one above is mine. 🙂

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This is a shot of all the other covers that I’ve made. I"m pretty happy with how they came out now I need to make some more bookblocks. 🙂

Big Leather Journals

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This week I finished 5 more journals. 4 are going up to my etsy account and one is going to eBay. All are smythe sewn- the style of moleskines. So I start with the book block, stitch it, then glue it and clamp it. Then that book block is glued into a cover.

For these I decided to make covers with flaps and straps instead of elastics. I thought it would be a nice deviation from what I’ve been doing. I’m particularly fond of the distressed brown leather. I like to call the color Choco-Latte, because it’s the color of coffee or milk chocolate.

The 4 below are the books on etsy. They are on there for $24.99 plus shipping via priority mail.

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Ghostly Pencil Sketches and Bright Colors

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Here’s another blog that subscribes to my favorite sketchbook style- pencil, ink then color. I particularly love the image below of the yoga poses with the ghostly pencil sketches in the background. I love the lively lines of the pencils sketches and yet how simple they are. Following that is a sketch of a coffee maker… It’s a great layout of a page, well designed and a small blurb for journaling. I like it a lot!

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Coffee


All images property of the artist, Shirley L.

Check Out Sketches and Drawings

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Check out these sweet little sketches on Linda T’s Sketches and Drawings blog. She clearly spends a lot of time drawing and coloring those drawings. I’m a big fan of this style- lines drawn in ink and then watercolor or color applied after. However the activity of her black and white lines is what makes the images come alive. Either way these are some fantastic sketches- lively colorful and enjoyable. What a  great way to spend an hour!

Golddome

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All images this post Property of the artist Linda T.

Use of a notebook from the horse’s mouth

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I occasionally get feedback from people who buy my books on how they like them, use them and things I could do better. I got one a few days ago from someone who buys my books on eBay and uses them as I do on a regular basis. Here’s what he had to say:


Leslie: I worked Saturday till
3AM, then tonight till midnight. A GREAT HELP was one of your jotter
notebooks. I was formulating a new *** ****** product our company
already has orders for. Moving between the lab and the warehouse,
applying the stuff, making observations and changes, and with all the
junk sitting around, it was impossible to use a full-size notebook to
write in. The jotter was perfect, and everything involving the new
chemical that arrived on Friday is in that little book–which would be
worth a pretty penny to a few people I know of.  — D

I love getting emails like that. First it tels me I’m doing something right with my books and tells me that I’m not the only one who uses my little notebooks regularly. OKay so I use it like I’m addicted to it, but I’m okay with that.

He’s using one of these:

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But maybe in a different color.