Green Glass

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So although I'm moving slowly, I'm still moving.  I finished my Stories Journal.

 

I'm thinking about watercolor in this.  

And then I put together another pamphlet journal, because why not.  I save paper and cardboard and the next thing I know I have everything I need. 

I did an alternating half-hitch for the spine.  Not what I usually do, but I was inspired by my binding book.  And I was in a binding mood.

I do like a place to cut and paste.  And doodle and glue.

I'm trying to cut down on the number of journals I'm working on at any time, but I like to do different things in different spaces.

I'm going to try to keep it under control though.  And that's the sound of me laughing in the distance.  Can you hear it?

Fun is had

 

I woke up excited to write a post.  Now I can't remember the name of the stitch I ended up using for the middle three signatures.  Maybe I'll look it up but I'm a lazy bones right now.  I probably wouldn't use this again.  It was awkward getting in.  But it's a nice pattern.  I made a few mistakes with this - including not looking closely enough at the stitch pattern before I began.  The T's are suppose to alternate tilting to the right and left, but I didn't notice that and so they're all leaning in the same direction.  I figured out how to make the thread pattern work, but not as clean as if I had followed the instructions.

Also I didn't reinforce the spine, and it ended up ripping as I pulled one stitch through.  I wasn't even pulling that hard, which makes me a little nervous for how this will hold up. I didn't want to make the spine too thick, but clearly I should accept that I'm using old brittle papery things, and respect them accordingly.

Oh well.  Next time. I had even chosen a plain cover so I could glue things on it, and then didn't feel like it.  Maybe I'll add more as I work along.  Maybe.

This spine is pretty stiff, and usually I work with a more flexible spine, which makes the stitching easier.  I'll have to see what it is like to work in.

Again, this binding was from one of Keith Smith's excellent books.  My favorite is the 1 ,2 &3 signature binding book.  Most of them are variations on a theme, but it forces me to think about how the thread will wind it's way through the pattern.  I love that challenge.   I love the way I have to hold the pattern in my head as I flip the book around.  I love feeling the signatures in my fingers and seeing the thread shorten as I work my way down the spine.  I even enjoy the awkwardness of the first few stitches, trying to keep the signatures flush with the spine and not flopping around.

All in all, fun is had.

plod plod plod

Still sleeping like a hibernating sloth.  A hibernating sloth who does carpool duty.

I have, however slowly, been working on this new journal with thicker paper.  I got the signatures all put together and put holes in a couple signatures.  Then...

My dog got interested in one of them while I did the car taxi thing.  I would say he was feeling ignored, but I don't think he's that kind of dog.  I think he's the kind of dog who just found something interesting and investigated it.  He's a dog kind of dog.

My kids thought I was going to freak out, but funnily I had just set aside one signature because the journal was too thick (even before I started working in it).  I have learned to respect the width of the journal.  So I just repunched the signature and carried on.

 

Normally when I get to this point, I'm all gangbusters, but this binding has been interrupted by lots of naps.  I don't know why I'm so sleepy, but luckily I can indulge myself.  I also couldn't settle on the style of binding I wanted to do.  I had couple contenders, but nothing felt just right.

As it happened, I combined a couple different patterns.  I put chains on the outside.  I enjoy doing that stitch.  It reminds me of my embroidery days.  

I put the two outside signatures in and then paused for a nap.  I didn't reinforce the spine on this book because it seemed strong enough, which may have been a mistake. Because I have made journals that didn't get used right away, I'm taking this as a big experiment.  I will get to see what works and what doesn't.  That is actually part of the excitement for me.  

Whichever way

Bits and pieces

reminders to myself

getting back into routines and relaxing

feeling full of gratitude and thankfulness

Here, a tortoise

I'll be done with my fourth notebook journal in a day or two.  I've bound a fair number of journal books but only used two or three blank ones that I've made myself.  I'm not counting travel journals, which are a different kettle of fish to me.  Right now, I'm looking at my shelf, and nothing jumps out to me.  So...

I'm slowly putting a new one together.  I want to use heavier paper than I've done in the past, and I've collected a couple different 140lb weight watercolor sheets from close outs and sales that I think will work.  I also bought some wall paper recently, which I've never used before...

I ordered it through the mail, so the texture was a little unexpected.  I have no idea if that is normal wallpaper or funky extra special texture.  It's been years since I used wallpaper on a wall.  

I have some page construction to do before I finish my signatures.  I don't want to rush into this (which is my usual style).  I like being swept along by enthusiasm sometimes, but right now I want to think about how I am using or want to use this book.  I want to be able to use wet media and not have a completely buckled page.  I don't want bleed through.  I don't want the pages to be too precious - which is why I like to use sale sheets - because I want to experiment and be sloppy and not have that backtalk in the back of my mind.  It shouldn't matter, but ...  

As slow as I'm going, I seem to need to go slower still.  Slow but not stopped.

one month, one day

well, I've been sleeping a lot

really     a lot

But I seem to have woken up now.  Mostly. I've found that I do most of my journaling in the late evening or night, and when I'm asleep it really cuts into that time.  

I'm not going to try to show all the sickly pages I've been diligently plodding away with.  I decided to force myself to keep doing something most days, even if it was only the date and some doodles.  But they are truly uninspired.  I don't mind that.  When am I truly inspired?

While I was busy not journaling, one of the few art supply places near me got ready to close.  I went in to get some spray paint and they were having a going out of business sale.  I was so stunned I didn't take advantage of the savings.  Mourning precludes cost savings.  I'm still in mourning.  I'm not sure what to do about it.

I did buy a few individual CrayPas.  The middle box above (the blue one) was one I've had since I was a kid.  That box is over 40 years old and they work great.   

These are the pieces my mother saved.  There are duplicates so I wonder if it is at all the original.  The color range is a little restricted so I suspect this was replenished, but probably around the time we got them.  We did a lot of coloring.  I had limited imagination but great enthusiasm.  Sort of like today.

I was saving these, I suppose for some great masterpiece, but I've had a change of spirit.  Right now I'm in use it up mode.

I don't think there's much point in saving them for another 40 years.  Or even more more day.