Wednesday 30 April 2014

Life is oft so like a dream

I have become more and more fascinated by bookmaking. Not so much the traditional way of making hand bound books but all the different fun methods used nowadays. Many of these are readily available online, either entirely for free on YouTube or in on line classes. However none of these methods are new. Whenever I find something I didn't know about on line I usually then also discover it in the one of the many bookbinding books I posses and which I have read. Somehow seeing it in action on the computer screen makes much more of an impression although for following step by step instructions I'm still one for the written word. All this to explain why I eagerly await Kiala Givehand's monthly Book-in-a-Day 2014 series of videos. In 2013 she made a book once a week (also in a day) and I'm still working my way through all those videos, but this year it is a much more manageable (for her too, I imagine!) monthly event.
I fell in love with the book for March instantly. It's a dainty looking model, ending up in a 3.5 x 3" book. I already had a load of painted pages so used a selection of them for the book. I love the binding method which traps thread (stranded cotton in my case) and then knots these to bind.

Kiala's book had no content but I wanted to add a poem made from sentences cut from a vintage book and for some reason I felt it necessary to make my task harder by producing a poem that could read from front to back of the book but also from back to front.
 Here it is from front to back:

life is oft so like a dream
having not beginning nor end of days
infinite in grand outline
the enigma of all things
live in love
life is a constant force
all things work in circles
I live and die
who shall grasp that thrilling thought
life is oft so like a dream
 And this is the back to front version:

life is oft so like a dream
who shall grasp that thrilling thought
I live and die
all things work in circles
life is a constant force
live in love
the enigma of all things
infinite in grand outline
having not beginning nor end of days
life is oft so like a dream

To accompany the text I used little stickers made from my own Instagram pictures. This is done by a company called Social Print Studio (based in the US),the same company that also produces the buttons I showed you in a previous blog post some time ago.
I love these little stickers as well as most of their other print products and regularly have them printed for me to use in all kinds of ways, including for The Documented Life Project planner this year. It's an excellent way to re-use your own art.

5 comments:

Jewels said...

Wow just watched the video - so easy to make! I like the thread you used for the binding - may just give it a try!

Leslie said...

Another blog I read made that book a few days ago. Guess I'll have to give it a try. Love the papers you used.
I like the poem best back to front.

Linda Kunsman said...

brilliant use of the lines for reading that poem both ways! I love the beautiful simplicity of the binding, content and painted papers.

creativelenna said...

Love love love! The size, the painted pages you made & used, the poem that works both ways . . . wow!! : )

creativelenna said...

I just watched the video, Frieda. I have a few Alissa Golden books, but none with that book. I think I could do it from the video thogh. I really llike your version with the soft threads and sturdy painted pages! ❤lenna

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