Pink & Purple

These are some of the books I have on me right now... Don't know how long they'll be with me until someone comes along and decide they want to own one. Just let me know and I'll hold on to it for you.


The large white butterfly embossed book is A5 in size, with pink and purple pages, and girly ribbons to tie the book close. Part of the Princess series I started up, only I had to stop cos I ran out on some of the components, mainly the ribbons... And there's a little A6 size one as well if you're going for matching set *grin* san tie. This was the book that inspired me to start up the series. It was an experiment to see how well the white embossed paper I picked up in Singapore form a Japanese shop would work as a cover. Very well apparently, and matched it up with the pink embossed paper which came from India, so I was told.

I pick up paper everywhere I travel :-D

The stripy purple book was part of a set of four books. They either have pink, purple or both coloured pages. Each one has about 200 pages it's a nice robust little book, same size to a novel. You could see where the other three went here and here.

The thin silver purple book, you can read about it here.

More books to come...

What Do You Do With Leftover Sections...

Normally when making a book, I'd get the sections ready and measure the total width to get the measurements required for the spine for the cover. Some how by the time the cover was made and sewing in the sections, I'm always left with an extra section cos the spine was already filled up, and if I add on anymore the cover wouldn't close properly so inadvertently I will have a spare section.

Tis' a shame to discard them, and so I turned them into single section hard covers books! A bit of embellishments here and there...


It's all about orange! I actually have an outfit I wear for work in the same material. . Was able to use up almost all the bells I had from a long time ago to charm up the spine, wouldn't it look so cool sitting on your book shelf. The end sheet, the gold parts are embossed. I used a maroon book binding thread as well as some synthetic red with gold thread purely for the decorative aspects of it. I love how all the colours and elements works together here.


For this one, I had a little scrap of the purple silver material from previous book project. It was large enough not to throw away, yet small enough that I couldn't use it on anything until! And it was perfect for this particular piece. The end paper I used for the inside of the cover, it was wrapping paper from a present from a past relationship which I kept all these while, and who would've thought it would turn into this. I was able to use it as end sheets for several books already. And the silver beads on the spine, was a repurposed thing, adds interest. Good fun I had with these, sort of like an exercise. And all I'm trying to do is use up all the supplies that I have in the studio...

Caterpillar... Or Centipede?

Several posts ago... goodness knows when... I was talking about trying out a caterpillar binding. Took me two nights to complete the stitching. The more I look at it the more it looks like a centipede to me. Heh...


T'was an easy binding to do. It looks complicated at first but the diagrams in the book was quite easy to follow, more or less. It's not very secure, the sections are quite loose which I don't like, I think I'll use it more for a decorative binding then anything else. Just need to remember to slacken the tension when hitting the spine part or else risk the covers not being able to close properly.


I like how organic this book looks... The Thai green handmade paper with the skeleton leaves really hit the spot and the green end sheets with the gold leaves print came from India. I just love paper...

These Books Went To Hong Kong

My sister went to Hong Kong last week for training and with her were these books and they went to the following recipients...

"So Pretty!!"
Agnes

"Wow..."
Denise
Thanks for the gift Denise, they're really nice :-)

(Denise also owns this book!)

"Did she really make this?"

Jovita and Sian

Yay! My books are traveling! Next stop, Europe or was it the States... I forgot exact region...

Uurrgghhh, Work...

I have less than 24 hours to learn how to use InDesign and re lay out a 40 page programme book for the department's biannual convocation of the students graduating from the various vocational and technical schools that's under us, to be sent to the printers this Monday in time for the ceremony a week later.

The printing department have a wonderful way of not informing anybody earlier until one goes to them to pick up the proof.

Yesterday late afternoon was obtaining the software, and the evening was spent playing with it and reading up on various tutorials online, it didn't help that most areas were in total blackout cos one of the power generators blew up. Most important for me was figuring out how to import my Illustrator files over, .eps! Yay! Then after that it seemed pretty standard.

And you wonder why I'm not diving today... I had to tell my dive instructor I can't go, and the weather is perfect outside!

Oh, something else happened at work this week. Can't really say cos everything seems to be up in the air right now. And the whole of next week I got a workshop to attend, something about great organization in the work place. Yeah... right....

Finally!.... and other stuff...

Finally able to put up a posting. The internet was down completely for the past week. My machine aka notebook, is still unchargable. Battery flat and I haven't gotten around to the computer shops to see if they got a replacement adaptor for it. So I'm writing this from where I shouldn't :-p

I've been really occupied with my personal training, I turn up at the gym three times a day on some days. And by the time I get home I'm too tired out to do anything else. I have goals to reach and my trainer isn't going to be around for long and I'm trying to learn as much as I can from him so that I can continue reaching those goals. Needless to say, my body is aching right now and I like it. I get worried when it doesn't. To me it just means I haven't worked enough.


Last week was hectic. Organising Sweetie's surprise birthday party, good thing my leave had started cos I was driving back and forth picking up the cakes, dropping off surprises for him throughout the day, managed to put in a bit of clothes shopping for me and his sister, as well as fitting in my gym and aikido training time, gettting ready and rushed to the event and being host making sure everybody was having a good time especially the birthday boy. A couple of days later I flew off.

Went to Singapore for a few days and first time ever I didn't even go to the art store. I purposely stayed away from it. The temptation would be too much. Flew in with Sweetie's sister who was heading back to Berlin and she was on transit. I went with the intention to get diving gear since I promised myself when I get my Advanced Diver I'm gonna get my very own gear. We got in in the afternoon and spent the day mainly at this one book store. We don't have book stores like that at home. Book stores at home sucks sad to say. I bought about $300 SGD worth of art books. It's not alot really considering they're about $40 to $60 bucks each. And I must keep in mind what the intention of the trip was and spent all morning the next day for that, and that was a pretty penny. But well worth it in the end.


Yesterday I went diving with my new scuba gear, and it was great! The previous two dive trips I'd been on sucked. One, I had problems with my ear and got sea sick and the other, the mask I was using kept on leaking and it was no fun having to clear it out frequently. And yesterday's dive was good. We went to a wreck just off the coast called Arun Wreck about 22 meters deep, and it was great to have all these schools of fish swimming around you and you could see the thermocline in the water, since I wasn't wearing a wetsuit you could really feel the temperture difference, and the visibility was good too. I'm always fascinated by the amount and different types of life forms you can get under water. And then some idiot decided to hit my head with the air tank when I was getting on the boat.


I know, still no pictures for the last several postings. I'll get around to taking pictures of the latest books I made as well as a painting I did... Several actually that needs pictures of, just that everytime I take a picture of it, it didn't come out so great. Hmmmmm....

PIF PIF PIF

I joined this ages ago and posted it up on my other blog. SInce I only had one taker so far, let's see if anybody is up for the other two spots I have left...

Pay It Forward (via Willowcatstudio and so many more) - here are the rules:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

- - -

For anyone who is interested, Wikipedia has an interesting entry for the concept of paying it forward including some history as to the origin of the concept. The main definition given is an expression "used by a creditor who offers the debtor the option of paying a debt forward to a third person instead of paying it back. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds."

So, if you leave a comment, it meant that you have joined the PIF and are bound by the rules and let me know your snail mail address to send my gift to you!