Showing posts with label book press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book press. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Just Listed on Etsy - Book Press

Several months ago I blogged about a most excellent birthday present, handmade by my husband--a book press! How in the world I got along without one prior to that I do not know. I shuffled stacks of heavy books around in my studio as a makeshift book press.
He was so pleased with his accomplishment, and the fact that it has been useful and I love it, that he made another one to list on Etsy. Truthfully, he made it a while ago but I have been hogging it...no, uh, testing it...yeah, that's it...testing it. Just to be sure it works. And it does.
It is now officially listed for sale, all you bookbinders who are tired of stacking heavy books, here's your chance!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Accomplishments

Yet another day is almost gone and I feel like I've accomplished very little. Each night I go to bed with high aspirations of what I'm going to do the next day. "Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the sewing pile. I'm going to hem my jeans. I'm going to do some baking, make a new journal, retake some photos of items in my shop..." and so on. Here is a partial view of my sewing pile. Some of it is simple stuff like sewing buttons or fixing a seam. It's just a matter of setting aside a few hours of my time to finish it. But honestly, I'd rather be sewing the bindings of journals!

And at the end of the day, what do I have to show for myself? The same list of things that I went to bed with the night before. Why is that? What do I do all day??

Well, I answer questions all day from my 3 year old such as, "Mommy, where is North America?" and "Is there a monster in my closet hiding my books?" He will not be satisfied with a simple answer. All the answers must be given in great detail with full eye contact. If I try to mutter something while working I get, "MOMMA! Look at me!"

I also spend a lot of my time rescuing the dog from the toddler. He doesn't understand the dog isn't a peer and can't play cars because:
l) he has no interest in toys that don't squeak,
2) Hotwheels are not edible, and
3) he has no thumbs.

The fact that the dog cannot speak our language doesn't seem to bother my toddler in the least. He still yaks the dog's head off, telling him the ABC's, asking him questions, and narrating what Clifford is doing on tv.
I was able to accomplish a few things today. There are four finished Japanese paper journals in the book press. Tomorrow I hope to photograph them and list one. The blue paper next to the press is part of a new Sand and Sky Seaglass journal. I'm making one like my avatar, only with blue paper inside instead of tan. I hope to get the pages cut tonight and maybe start on binding the book.

I work best at night after the little guy has gone to bed. Or I should rephrase that...after he has gone to SLEEP. Just because he's in bed doesn't mean the questions stop. The other night he called me in there because he thought the Pooh bear on his nightlight was a monster. I surmised from this event that Scooby Doo is still too scary for him; we watched some old Scooby cartoons that day and he talked about the Willawaw for days afterward. "They are big walking owls, but they really men inside. Like when I wear my Halloween costume. They try to get Scooby Doo but he runs fast."
I also made some Parmesan-Pepper Bread. I wasn't too sure about the pepper part, so I only put a little in and it turned out great. I'd like to pretend that I made that mug, but I'm not that good a potter. My friend Rae is the expert potter. Maybe one day I will be able to make a mug that isn't an inch thick and lopsided. Until then I will buy them from Rae!

So that is a summary of my typical day. Tomorrow I will tackle that sewing pile, hem my jeans, finish a journal...here we go again!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Eve-Eve

That's what I used to call December 23 when I was a kid, "Christmas Eve-Eve". Just 2 more days to go and I'm still shopping! Help! I think I need a personal assistant.

Gifts sure are fun to receive, but last minute shopping is the pits! I'm desperately scrambling around, madly grabbing anything that looks remotely interesting. This should not be what Christmas is about. I wish we could just boycott the gifts and spend time with each other instead. Hmmm...lemme rethink that one...there are some people I'd rather just shove a gift at! Just kidding!
I have to brag about a gift my husband made for my birthday. I made a passing comment that I needed a book press. I've been using The History of Modern Art and stacks of magazines to press my books. It works but is wrecking havoc on my bookshelf--you know how books fall over when some are removed from the shelf.

Well, he went to Home Depot to shop for my birthday present. I was thinking, "What power tools have I requested recently?? I have a chop saw, an electric stapler, and a cordless screwdriver. What more do I need?"

Then he came home and was sawing and hammering in the garage. I was a bit concerned. What the heck is he doing? Am I going to have to pretend I like it? What IS it??

Not to worry, no pretending here! Now the monstrous art books can rest peacefully on the bookshelf undisturbed. I have a book press. Now I am a real bookbinder! Ha ha!
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