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.

Pamphlet Books 346-361

Books 346-361 of my 365 book challenge are pamphlet stitch books featuring the state of Ohio.  These little books measure 5.5 x 4 in. and are great for carrying around and taking quick notes.

The covers are made from colored card stock with the state of Ohio cut out of contrasting paper.  The inside paper is 10 sheets of white copier paper.  I made two of each color combination.  Each book is hand stitched using waxed linen thread.  Pamphlet books will be listed on Etsy soon!  This weekend I will have my final blog post about my 365 Books in 2013.

Pamphlet Books 288-305

Yesterday I finished up some pamphlet stitch books for my next show.  Some have the state of Ohio, and some just have patterned paper for the covers.  After my last show I only had a handful of non-Ohio pamphlet books left... And most of them were Fall themed.  So I picked four nice patterned papers and made 3 books of each.

This brings me up over 300 books for the year!  Now I have 30 days to finish 60 books.  That's not so bad considering I am preparing for 3 more Christmas shows this month.

Pamphlet Books 203-215

More Ohio pamphlet books!  The week before my last show, I got a new stack of cardstock with lovely blue and green patterns.  I decided it was time to make more Ohio cards and pamphlet books.

I also pulled out a stack of fall themed paper I bought a few years ago.  I figured I better use it now instead of putting it away for another year!

Books 187-190

Last month I taught a mini private bookbinding workshop for a friend of mine.  Jane is part of my art book group but she hasn't learned how to make that many book structures.  She has a friend in town visiting for a few days, so we arranged a little book workshop for the two of them.

I taught Jane and her friend how to make a notebook with bookcloth on the outside and handmade paper for the pages.  First I showed them how to laminate decorative paper to a piece of bookcloth using PVA.  Next we created a single signature of handmade paper with the bookcloth/decorative paper piece on the outside.  The sewing was essentially a running stitch from the inside of the signature to the outside, move up one hole and back inside, all the way to the top and repeated back down through all the holes.  Finally, we used the guillotine to trim up the edges and finished the book by rounding the corners.

The demonstration book I made with Jane and her friend used miscellaneous paper from the "seconds" folder at work.  They were odd sheets in an assortment of colors.  Later that week I made three more books using different decorative papers and white cotton pages that were a little bit smaller.  The smaller books will be available at my fall and winter craft shows.

Books 184-186

On my day off this week I played around with a couple little structures that I had never done before.  I used some of the pre-folded signatures I put together from the recycled longstitch books, and the heavy blue cardstock I used for all my Astronomy books.  The first book uses a modified pamphlet stitch that is essentially the stem stitch from embroidery.  It is designed for a single signature, so I did 3 signatures in a row for a thicker book.

The next two books have 4 signatures sewn together, then the whole text block gets sewn to the cover with three horizonal stitches.  It is really simple and has a lot of possibilities for more elaborate covers.  I decorated all three of the books with scraps of marbled paper attached to the front cover.

Ohio Books 145-165

 My next summer show is coming up tomorrow at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, OH.  One of the projects I finished this week was another batch of Ohio cards and pamphlet books.  In the weeks leading up to the show I realized I did not have many Ohio themed items left.  Luckily, this is a pretty easy project to make in bulk and spread out over a couple of evenings.

Tuesday night I picked out which papers to use, cut a bunch of Ohios with my Cricut Mini, and cut all the covers and pages for the books.  Wednesday night I folded all the books and sewed them with a simple pamphlet stitch.  Finally, on Thursday night I attached an Ohio to each book and glued a heart over Cleveland.

All the cards and books shown here will be available at Art of the Circle in South Euclid, OH, June 22nd between 10am and 5pm.  If you see an Ohio book or card you like and need to have it, comment here or on my Minimeg facebook page.  (These don't stick around long enough to make it onto Etsy!)

Minibooks 82-93

I've been thinking about book necklaces for a while now, and considering what would be the best way to make them.  A conversation with a friend about making and selling jewelry, and another conversation about a mini book sparked me to get started on some minibook jewelry.  I made 4 sets of matching book necklaces and earrings over the weekend.  The books are pamphlet stitch with leftover Mohawk superfine for the pages, and scraps of decorative paper for the covers.

I had a lot of fun making them, and I plan to make many more.  After posting these photos on my Minimeg facebook page yesterday, someone bought the pink/blue set.  The black/green, black/purple, and green/tan sets are still available.  If you would like a pair of minibook earrings or a minibook necklace, leave a comment here or on my facebook page.

Michigan Cards and Books 61-81

In three weeks I'm doing a craft show in my hometown of Midland, Michigan.  Usually I do my shows around Cleveland, Ohio where I'm currently living.  Because this is a special show, I decided to make some special Michigan themed books and cards.  (And also because I don't think the Ohio/Cleveland cards will be very popular outside of the Ohio...)

I started choosing papers and cutting out the little Michigans on Saturday after skating and running some errands.  I had all 21 books cut, folded, and sewn by the end of the day.  On Sunday I attached all the cutouts and added a little heart over Midland.  Two years ago I got a Xyron 5 inch sticker maker for 50 cents at a yard sale.  I had only used it once or twice, but it turned out to be the perfect tool for this project!

After finishing the books, I started working on some blank greeting cards in the same style.  This turned out to be a great way to use up some scraps of decorative paper leftover from the Women of Achievement Awards I made in February and March.  I was able to attach a 4x5 inch scrap to a card blank as the background, and then add the state of Michigan on top.

My favorite card so far is the one with a Robin in the background.  It worked out great because Robins are the state bird of Michigan!  All these books and cards will be available at the Midland Summer Art Fair June 1st and 2nd outside the Center for the Arts in Midland.  I am offering "pre-orders" through comments here or on the Minimeg facebook page.  Make your selections now, pay with Paypal, and pick them up at the show.

Bookbinding with High Schoolers

 

Today I had the opportunity to teach high school students bookbinding as part of a larger art project.  The school received a grant to do an artistic exchange program with a school in Montreal.  The project theme is "Equity and Diversity."  The students started by going to the Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory and Educational Foundation and learning how to make paper.

 

A few weeks later (that's today!) I delivered the handmade paper to the students, and walked them through a simple book structure.  The covers are cardboard from recycled boxes, with book cloth for the spine, and a single signature of handmade paper sewn to the book cloth.  The class periods were short, so I left step-by-step sewing instructions drawn on the whiteboard for next week.  After the books are completely assembled, the students are going to add content relating to the theme and send them to the students in Montreal.

During our bookbinding session, a reporter from the News Herald came by to write an article about the project and put together a video for their website.  Check out the article and the video here!

Books 015-029

Today was a perfectly snowy day, and the best kind of work day.  I had the whole day off to stay at home and get things done.  It has been snowing constantly all day, but is still light enough to be cozy instead of depressing.  So I got to work making books!

The Bazaar Bizarre Valentine's Show is coming up on Saturday, so I decided to make some pamphlet books with a Valentine's theme.  My Ohio pamphlet books usually sell very well at shows.  On a day like this I can make them assembly line style and get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time.  Today I made 15 little books, and I have enough Ohio's cut out for numerous cards.

This also means I am nearly caught up with where I should be on my 365 challenge.  Today is the 35th day of the year, and I've finished 29 books.  Not too shabby!

Books 008-009

Over the weekend I spent a lot of time working on books.  These two are books I started last year, but never quite finished...

Book 008 is an accordion spine book with signatures of pages attached with pamphlet stitch.  I painted the blue cardstock with a design to match the cover paper before folding my accordion.  The book is held shut with a strap made from a repurposed belt.  I sewed an orange ribbon to the belt to make it coordinate better with the book.

Book 009 is a blank journal made with a basic coptic stitch.  I made the covers back in December when I was getting ready for holiday shows, and never got around to putting pages in.  The covers have an antique car pattern on the outside, and a paper with reproduction vintage ephemera on the inside.

I glued a couple more sets of covers that are drying right now under weights.  More about those later.

Books 002-005

Yesterday I sat down and made books 2-5 of my 365 for the year.  I decided to have a little bit of fun with collage.  First I made four easy pamphlet stitch books as the base for the collages.  The covers are light yellow cardstock with white printer paper as the pages.

I used some bits of leftover paper from my last book, along with a sheet of canceled "Royal Wedding" stamps from Canada, and assorted old tickets.  I'm pretty happy with how they came out.  I don't usually do collage, and sometimes I find it difficult to get a composition I like.  Hopefully little exercises like this will help with future collage projects.

I put the books under weights to dry, but the covers still curled a little bit.  To help reverse the curl I brushed some water on the inside of each cover, and put them back under weights overnight.

This is my favorite of the four