Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Today, I'm featuring handmade books in a variety of greens.

These two recycled book are brand new.  One is made from a green Plantation Mint box of tea.  The other box is from a variety of Green Tea.  Both books are available on Etsy!

Lined Journals and Notebooks

Over the course of the year I get several requests for lined journals instead of my normal blank journals.  This year I decided it was time to put on my thinking cap, get in the studio, and develop a line (no pun intended) of lined journals.  It took a few weeks of planning, but I'm very excited to share my new product for 2014: lined journals and notebooks!

The 5x7 inch journals have hard front and back covers with decorative papers and ribbon closures, just like many of my unlined journals.  The paper is a lovely text-weight paper called Mohawk Superfine and each page has dark gray printed lines on both sides of the paper.

The binding is a coptic stitch sewn with colorful waxed linen thread.  Each book has 120 pages front and back, and is a great size for journaling!  Right now the journals are being sold exclusively on Etsy, but keep an eye out for them this summer at craft shows.

The lined notebooks are also 5x7 inches, but have a soft cover and only one section of pages.  This is a design completely new to Minimeg!  Each notebook has a section of decorative paper framed on a colorful background.

The single section of pages is sewn to the cover using a simple pamphlet stitch.  With only 20 pages front and back, the lined notebook is a great size to stash in a day bag for taking notes or using as a travel log on a short trip.  The notebooks are also exclusive to Etsy for now.

Right now this Aqua and Red notebook is my favorite of the lined books!  Which one is your favorite?  Stop by my Facebook page to see photos of all my new lined journals and notebooks.

Books 362-365: Challenge Completed!

Last week I completed books 362-365 of my 365 book challenge, which means the challenge is officially complete!  My last four books of the year were a large red coptic journal, two books made from recycled tea boxes, and a green envelope book.

I think it is very fitting that I started the year by making an envelope book, and I ended the year by making an envelope book.  Looking back on the challenge, it is amazing to think that I accomplished so much during the year.  The challenge helped me build inventory for shows, gave me a reason to publish blog posts every week, and got me started with a facebook page for my business.

I want to thank everyone that has followed along on my journey this year and encouraged me to keep going.  I will still be making books in 2014, just not with such a strict quantitative deadline.  However, with the snowfall and frigid temperatures we have been getting in Cleveland lately, I am looking forward to curling up on my couch, taking a break from books, and working on some knitting for a while.

Books 323-328

Saturday was my very last craft show of the year!  The night before the show I finished up one more case bound book, and one more envelope book.  The envelope book is actually one that I started for the book demonstration during the Morgan Conservatory's annual benefit, but didn't have time to finish.

I also finished up a small coptic book made with leftover mohawk superfine paper from a book class.  This is another one that I started a long time ago but never got around to finishing.

I also made three additional coptic books using mohawk superfine for the pages instead of the heavier paper I normally use.  One is a pretty yellow paper with blue dots (the same paper from these minibooks.)

I made covers for the blue one earlier this year when I was making books for the Women of Achievement Awards.  I cut extra boards while working on that project and I'm finally getting around to using them up.

The third coptic is probably my favorite!  The paper has tea kettles and says "where there's tea, there's hope."  At this point I've got 37 more books to go for my 365 challenge.  I'm out of town this week visiting family, so I am hoping to make a few pairs of book earrings while I'm here.  There are still a few more half finished journals at home I can complete on the 30th and 31st...

Coptic Books 309-310

This weekend I had a two day craft show. (In fact, I'm sitting and blogging while at the show. Hooray multitasking!) To help pass the time I finished up two of the coptic books I started last week.

The first book has irises on the cover, and the second has an Italian print. If I keep finishing up books at this rate, I just might get those last 55 done before the New Year!

Coptic Books 284-287

Over the weekend I had my first holiday craft show of the season.  Usually on the day of the show I have a couple books that I just couldn't finish in time to put on display.  Fortunately, this gives me something productive to do while I'm sitting at my booth during the show.

This time I brought along 4 unfinished coptic journals to finish over the course of 2 days.  Usually I finish the covers, fold the signatures, punch all the holes, and cut a length of thread while I'm home in my studio, then I just need to sew the books together at the show.

I like doing this because it takes some of the pressure off the night before a show, is a great conversation starter at shows, and gives me a boost on inventory for that particular show, and a head start for future shows.  With these four journals, I am up to 287 of my 365.  That leaves me just over a month to make 78 more books!  I better get back in my studio...

Free Association: Book 223

I mentioned in a previous post that I am a member of an art book group called Art Books Cleveland.  Every year the group has an exhibition of alphabet related books.  Last year I made a book called the Astronomer's Alphabet featuring paintings of space related things for each letter.  This year I wanted to do something a little different.

The book is called Free Association.  Each page has a painted background with a collaged image and phrase that both start with the same letter.  I chose photos and images that had nothing to do with each other, which often creates meaning of its own in the new context.

I started putting together the book last year after finishing the astronomy book.  I was still interested in the alphabet theme but wanted to do something more whimsical.  The book is currently on display at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland until the end of November.

I obviously can't share photos of the entire book here, so I took shots of some of my favorite pages.  Enjoy!

Silent Auction Donation: Book 222

Every year the Morgan Conservatory does a silent auction as part of their annual benefit.  One part of the auction is called Snail Mail Paper Trail.  Each year for Snail Mail, the Morgan makes special paper and sends 2 sheets to artists across the country and around Cleveland.  Each artist makes a piece of artwork using the paper, and sends it back for the auction.

This year the papers were white and dark gray.  I made a coptic stitch journal using the white handmade paper for pages, robot decorative paper for the outside cover, gray handmade paper for the inside cover, and gray paper to cover the fold of each signature.

Coptic Books 216-220

I am chugging right along on my 365 Book Challenge for 2013.  These coptic journals are books 216-220 out of the 365.  Sadly, my blogging is a little slower than my working...  I completed all of these the first week of September.  Two at home, and the last three during Berea Arts Fest while I sat in my booth.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves on this one.

Spinning with Mary and Books 170-171

A couple weeks ago my good friend Mary stayed with me for a few days during a dance workshop weekend.  After the workshop was done we had a whole day to relax and hang out with each other.  She really wanted to learn how to make books, so we did a little trade.  I taught her how to make books, and she taught me how to spin yarn!  It was awesome!  I MADE YARN.

I've had a drop spindle for years, but had never learned how to use it.  Mary brought me all kinds of fibers including alpaca, silk, and yak.  I started with just plain wool while I got the hang of drafting the fibers and adding the right amount of twist.

We didn't make it all the way through our projects that day, so she came back later in the week and showed me how to ply the yarn.  While the plyed yarn was soaking, Mary showed me how to work with the silk fibers.  It is a lovely purple silk and so easy to spin.  I'm looking forward to finishing it up and knitting with my own yarn one of these days.

In return, I taught Mary how to make a small coptic journal and a small case bound book.  I made one of each along with her and ended up with books 170 and 171 out of 365.

This means I am right where I should be for my 365 Books in 2013 (for the first time all year!)  I've been trailing behind where I should be, so it feels really good to be caught up.

Coptic Books 166-169

This past Saturday I had a craft show out on the east side of Cleveland.  As part of my last minute prep for the show, I made 4 new coptic journals with ribbon closures.  Two of them I finished Friday night and the other two I finished Saturday morning at the show.

Overall the show was not my best.  It was a really hot day, and I didn't sell enough to cover my costs for the day.  (I also forgot to bring a knitting project to work on while sitting around!)  I have a bad show every once in a while where I don't sell as much as I need to over the course of the day.

My next show isn't until September, so I get to relax a little and work on some art books.  Also in September are due dates for the two book exhibitions I'm in this year.  The first show is the Abecedaria show that Art Books Cleveland does every year relating to the alphabet.  Last year I made my Astronomy alphabet book for that show.  The second show is an exhibition of art books relating to the theme of Travel Journals.  I've got a really cool idea for that one, and I can't wait to get started!

Books 122-127

 Last week I was invited to participate in a pop-up shop in South Euclid that is being organized in conjunction with the Notre Dame College Art on the Circle show at the end of the month.

The shop will be up for about 2 and a half weeks in the old Blockbuster (4517 Mayfield Road, South Euclid, OH.)

However, the deadline for turning in artwork was less than a week after they contacted me, and the Midland Art Fair cleaned me out!  That meant I had a ton of work to do during the week and over the weekend.

I worked really hard all week and finished up 6 new coptic journals specifically for the pop-up.  I also had two journals on hand from my last show.  I dropped off those eight journals to South Euclid city hall on Monday.

Now that I've got everything for the pop-up shop squared away I need to get going on items for June 22nd!  I will probably focus on coptic journals, envelope books, and minibook jewelry since those are my best sellers lately.

Here's where I need your help: would you rather have a journal with or without ribbon closures?  I can make journals either way but I am curious to know what you like better.