I bought a cheap bullet notebook from a charity shop. The front cover was bright and artistically in your face. Nevertheless, it held fountain pen ink very nicely. So the lists of ‘Books about Books’ started to get entered into the ink friendly pages.
Since reading the book ‘The Club Dumas’ which was the inspiration behind the film ‘The Ninth Gate’, fictional novels about this popular subject became one that was really interesting. Decades ago I had read the book ‘The Never Ending Story’ and was always drawn in to that theme idea. Having read books over a lifetime, it was fascinating to think of how they could influence life’s stories in an influential way.
I have begun collecting books about books for a few years now. But only have a couple of dozen. Anyways. Recently thinking of planning routines, one daily intention is to read at least one chapter of a book daily. My current read is ‘Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop’ by Kenji Ueda. (Translated by Emily Balistrieri). If you love all things fountain pens, organisers, Notebooks, Postcards and Memo Pads, this is the book for you. Fictional and gentle.
Back to the current ‘Books about Books’ notebook of lists and information. The cover? It grated. Tawdry and in need of softening. So, with the bits and bobs I use to enhance my other journals, I decorated it.
If you are of a certain age and experienced the type of culture that schooldays once had, one’s exercise books were always covered. The teachers would ask us to cover our books at home using wallpaper and sellotape. We would all come into class with vibes of home within our lessons. Why do this? For protecting the exercise books from daily wear and tear? Wallpaper design that the teacher could easily identify which child’s work was within the pages? Or a simple psychological ploy to settle our school time fears by having a little visual example of the comforts of home during school hours? Who knows.
Decorating a plain or awful designed notebook feels similar. And. If you are interested in making something your own go to, and allow it to have a special place in your heart, it can be quite a simple moderation.
Pritt stick glue, Kraft brown paper sticky tape, Washi tape, Amazon ideas for ‘sticker and vintage imagery enhancing artwork (or whatever rocks your own boat visually) that people put into Bullet Journals, eyelet kit to strengthen mounting places with elastic lengths to create a ‘stretch wrap around your journal’ safety band, and just a bit of other inspirational add in’s. I use these brass ‘clamps’ seen on the journal, as weights to hold the notebook flat when writing. I ‘punch stamp’ out circular holes with a cheap metal hole punch to house the elastic stretch bands. Crimping metal ends hold the elastic in place. Sometimes, inside front and back covers, it is nice to glue in artwork too. Also little cardboard secretarial holders. Places to put some small ephemera like receipts, favourite photographs, small clippings from newspapers/reviews or business cards. .
Here you Go.
Just tap on the smaller images and they will give you an insight to all the stuff I use.
The list of ‘maybe’ books so far. A deeper look into what may be of interest is an ongoing affair. Chick Lits? Nah! The ones I own currently are the iconic ones, interestingly weird ones and then, alongside, ones made into films.
Gray Summers 
Books about libraries seems to be my thing tight now. From your list, ive read 3.
I also love your array of craft items. Sounds like a fun creative session
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Cheers Brenda. It has been a lifetime of little craft ideals. Always seem to be making something or other. My daughter is the same. Her artistic creations are amazing. I just bought a Pyrography kit, so will be using it to have various addition enhancements for the journal leather covers. Bought some waxed threads too for stitching the leather. Using old diaries and vintage hardback covers to use for aesthetic covers too. I just remove the pages and Bob’s your uncle. I just did this ‘makeover’ of the B of B’s lists and small observations yesterday. So will gradually catch up noting the ones I have read too. The Midnight Library isn’t on the list yet, but I found that book phenomenal. Angie loves Matt Haig, so I buy the ones she hasn’t read. I bought her the Midnight Library a few years back and suddenly found it for myself to read a fair few months ago. So can understand your love of library themes.
I read your first two parts of the ‘surgeons’ story Brenda. Will finish the third one today. Very atmospheric and brilliantly written. I’m kind of dodging in and out of WP currently. So am missing a fair few reads. But in all honesty, I have half a dozen favourite bloggers and tend to open up their sites from the drop down lists to see what I’ve missed. Some I used to read were too much to catch up on. So sorry if I arrive late to some of your uploads.
I think my WordPress experience may slow down dramatically this year. My brother and our friend since childhood days are both retired now. All three of us are musicians and Soft Ground was our first band when teenagers. So it would be wise to keep retirement interesting for us all and record my new songs with the three of us. I have about twenty new songs to use. So recording anew will be a nice project again.
The lovely Premier Inn super mattress by the way. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for reviewing it, or one like it, in the blog you wrote. A fantastic buy. All the best Brenda.
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Don’t worry about reading … you’ll get there. Some of it was taking longer to write than I expected, so the most recent sections were both only published this week. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Glad the mattress is a hit. Good sleep is so important. Good luck with your musical endeavours, Gray
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I will enjoy the story. Nice Gothic vibe within the reality of actual historical events is a synergy I like. Sleeplessness still exists, but no backache to the levels of before. Guess older age has its specific impacts re: aches and pains. Hopefully this year will see an album release on Bandcamp. Once a few more songs I feel are worthy come into being, it’ll be all systems go. I have a fair few already recorded that are okay to unleash. Cheers Brenda.
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I love reading but lack the time to dedicate myself to it. I finally made the decision that if the book does not grab me within 50 pages, it is reshelved and NEXT UP. I can see why you, Brenda and I get along – books about libraries.
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I completely understand about the reading Danny. I am currently just reading a chapter a day. And focusing on books that are of the themes I like. Of course some books are ones I cannot put down.
In the past, it was interesting to look into new authors and once one seemed to connect, a collection of their work was pursued. And as you say libraries. I would loan a book and go back and take out the other books by the authors enjoyed. Your 50 pages rule was similar back then. A day or two reading a new book? Continue and renew to continue reading if necessary. Or just stop reading and return it back to the library. Easily forgotten when it didn’t sit in your own shelf collection. In fact there is comfort in the scenario of a library as a fictional theme anyway. My boyhood was spent in two libraries, both were bolt holes to a World of fascinating offerings. And in those days vinyl was loaned out too. So both books and music was always influential in those library visits times.
Cheers Danny.
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The 50-page rule came from multiple books I refused to admit defeat. I just put down The Bewitching. It sounded interesting, Ivy league school in Salem Mass. the students are gone, the minimal staff is left to oversee the buildings, etc…
There are simply too many books I want to read. The library is a wonderful place. It is easy spending hours in the stacks. All the best
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I totally understand the dilemma Danny. The blurb on the back of novels giving a brief introduction of what to expect is often not quite right. I am an extremely slow reader to be honest. I cannot build up a mental picture imagery of the words presented. So it has to be a book of specific nature. I know the authors now who exude a vibe through how they put words together. So if I immediately find myself in a comfortable flow reading the words, then it usually works out well. Cheers.
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I never gave it much thought, Gray, a book about books! What a concept! I do love your covers idea and crafting. My daughter does that with journals, so I knew what Washi tape was when you mentioned it. She’s shared some of her special scissors with me too, so I could spruce up some of my journal pages. But I am not as crafty as you and my daughter.
As for books, I have finished a couple recently and also, drumroll, got my 5th book done and it dropped Live on Amazon today! It was quite the project, and has kept me busy all this winter. (And that was good since I hurt myself a few months ago and couldn’t dance anymore.) Thus, I am excited to tell you that my book is DONE, We Are All Connected: The How and The Why. An analytical mind searches for answers. It turned out to be 629 pages and that’s with a normal print size too, not a large print! Thus, now you see why I have missed some of your posts, and why I have not posted much on my blog either! Plus, I have been experimenting with pastels, oil pastels and sketching! I finally found some that felt good to me and got the right kind of sketch pad. And that has been fun! I follow an artist blogger who posts her daily painted sketches and I grab a screen capture and then refer to it while attempting my version. Then I post photos of my elementary level drawings and she loves it! Of course, here sits my retired artist illustrator husband who typically tells me “work on your circles.” Haha! I ask him repeatedly to “give me drawing lessons.” To no avail. He is playing guitar again though, and feeling better about that, so I can’t complain.
It’s great to read that you and your brother and friend will start playing and recording! I’ll do better at listening when you share any of those. I am so looking forward to Spring! I saw my first ant in the house today, so that tells me warm weather is coming!
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Books about books began with ‘The Never Ending Story’ which my daughter has in her possession. She asked me if she could have it as it was rooted in her childhood. So I will have to buy it again. The Ninth Gate film was next. The novel the film was based on is called The Club Dumas. A book written Arturo Perez Reverte. Such a great writer.
I have just converted my handmade B6 leather cover for two plain paper journals and am now using it for Meditation sessional recordings. The first book is going to be used for what the session involves. The second one is for reflection on each session.
I have also put together by converting a small Nepal made notebook with handmade paper into a cover for a few traveller pocket sized notebooks. It will be the collective dedicated to my lyrics, chords of my songs.
I am sure, now you have more time, that you can dedicate to making a Spirals journal. Simply focusing upon a theme and recording the process. Pen to paper is psychologically positive in so many ways.
I liked your post about your artwork. I recently put together a Vintage Filofax with watercolour paper, a small paint watercolour paints pallette, paint brushes and a Blackwing Pencil. I have two small stainless steel screw top pots now for the water needed to paint now too. It could maybe be an idea if you yourself could maybe get a little portable set up for getting out and taking your Art out into the open air. Sounds exciting what you are getting into artistically.
It sounds like it was a very long attention need in order for you to get your 5th book done. I can’t begin to imagine the efforts required for you to achieve such a project. 629 pages is phenomenal. If I were to read such a size book, it would take me months on months. There are many problematics regarding such tasks nowadays. I will look at Amazon soon and see if your book is available over here. I hope that you get all the success you deserve from such dedication.
Musically, it is fantastic that Richard is back to guitar playing too. It must be so satisfying to realise one’s gifts are being explored again.
All the best Sheila.
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Thank you so much, Gray. You’re so dedicated in all of your crafts and projects that I am humbled to know you (via distance). Though this 5th book is large, I feel it is incomparable to the journals you create! And I mean that! Your dedication, detail or should I say, eye on crafting these with such detail, is astounding!
I may take your advice to create a Spirals journal, but I surely doubt it will not be anywhere as magnificent as any you have created! I am dedicated, but not as keely authentically correct in grabbing the “just right” materials, as you. I mean this as a sincere compliment, Gray.
I’m recommending you to anyone who is interested in reading such posts on this type of craftsmanship. Oh, and music!
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Thanks Sheila. Dedication isn’t really my motivation you know. It is more a love of mucking about and dabbling with the ideas. Watching the collective become weird and hopefully wonderful. A marriage of my own contributions and others words and imagery.
When I made pottery, I let the clay ‘self shape’ itself into its own findings. Because I have no visual imagination to plan an idea, I have to let the art I try to do find its own way. Let it all present itself as it develops so to speak.
I reckon you will come up with a stunner of a journal Sheila. I imagine an age distressed verdigris copper wire spiral finding its way into your journal somewhere. Nature surrounding you, like dried leaves off trees, pressed flowers, old jewellery that can be taken apart, old newspaper cuttings, etc. are always around. As a central image you then write the thoughts that you always write so well Sheila. I know they can be a few short words that are the equivalents of audio sound bites, or short passages of thought, but they do become a nice synergy of art form. I would love to make a wooden notebook cover from wood found outdoors. I have found some amazing bits of wood in the past that were washed up on the beach. But broken and tattered vintage hard back books with interesting visual covers found in charity shops are my next go to. I would never take an interesting book apart. But the ones that are simply too past their useable state are ideal to recycle.
A spiral made of some wire metal or other material (I love using ragged jute string or rustic coloured garden twine) and placed in the centre of some Nepalese or Indian handmade paper (ideally with dried leaves or newspaper clippings inherent when the paper was made) is an art form in itself. Making your own paper is even more fun. But. Add emotional positive words within the spiral and watch them go from outside larger to inside smaller lettering? Perfect imagery. You could even frame it and hang it on the wall.
Cheers Sheila.
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You’ve certainly given me a LOT of ideas to chew upon, Gray! Eternal thanks!
I had to google verdigris. Ha! I think blue-green, some profound words in a spiral, and dried leaves on old wood, could definitely be in my future somewhere, somehow! I will talk with my daughter about it! She may have to get me started on making my own paper, as I have never done that before. It might also be something she could offer as a class at the art studio where she works (and last week celebrated working for 4 years)!
One never knows where your ideas might lead!
I so enjoy our back and forth conversations/chats, Gray!
Yes, I love driftwood. I have some old jewelry and could probably take it apart.
I hear you on the clay too! I have not had my hands in clay for a few months now and want to go to daughter’s art studio to do some clay projects soon. It is still snowing a bit here, but I started my seeds indoors yesterday and am excited for Spring to begin soon!
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Sounds good that you have jumped straight back into your positivity spirit for seeking out artistic ideas after the long dedication to your book. Art is very personal and subjective. Objectivity, I find, is a barrier. Subjectivity has a wonderful flow that has a ‘see what happens’ vibe. The most simple lines of a pen, pencil or rush can produce profound results. A spiral is a fantastic medium to cement and centralise ideas. Like setting up a stone circle to meditate on a Vision Quest where you can face the North, South, East or West directions and take on board thoughts that determine those directions. You can focus upon specific areas of a spiral journey.
Verdigris on copper has amazing patina. Love seeing it on garden furniture.
Clay is very therapeutic too isn’t it. Sounds like your daughter will be an inspiration for you. Four years is great dedication. Talking of snow. My very first proper kiln based pottery experience was out in the middle of the countryside in a University Pottery that had a barn like structure and no heating. Right in the middle of winter and freezing cold. Handling cold as cold clay was a challenge! Wind whipping in through gaps didn’t help either. So hope you are in a nice warm studio and you can be nicely settled to work on your inspirations.
Cheers Sheila.
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Ah, yes, Gray! Warm studio is definitely needed for handling clay! I have no idea how you did it with cold wind whipping thru! Brrrr
Yes, my daughter is dedicated, for sure. Her boss/shop owner can be quite quirky and particular! Always changing the rules for customers too! Ha!
I hear you about the four directions. I use 12 in my Integrating the Spirals practice! I will keep an eye out for the patina on the outdoor furniture as we go out walking this Spring and Summer. Thank you kindly, dear Gray!
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Be nice now looking forward to Spring’s awakenings. Cheers Sheila.
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