... Homemade Journal ... 2016

[mhguda]

It will be a beautiful book. This one reminds me of the red on black flowers (from last year). It's too bad that when I'm writing, I cannot see the cover...

 

I think if you were to give me a sliver of cut-off cover paper, I would use it to make a matching bookmark. Instead of the ribbon.

Edited June 10, 2019 by mhguda

[TMLee]

Holy (bleep) I need to buy a few of these in a proper paper size (B5, unlined) or learn to make them myself.

 

I don't have the time to learn to bind though. I've got too many other demands. How much do people tend to charge for something like this?

 

Well , if I can do it, you can too.

But to be honest, its easier if someone demonstrates or guide you along.

YouTube is fantastically useful but still has some limits.

I had to learn thru mistakes.

 

There a few FPNers here who also bookbind and sell their works .

 

theres no standard pricing.

becos I think each of us offer different values to our creations.

 

I only craft A6 and A5 sizes and occasionally some odd sizes in between.

 

I sell my creations from time to time on the Classifieds here.

I used to be more prolific , but now I am more like fulfilling custom orders (and very much enjoying that) , most of whom are returning customers.

I can pm you my charges if thats what you are asking.

 

Feel free to ask anything

Edited June 11, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

It will be a beautiful book. This one reminds me of the red on black flowers (from last year). It's too bad that when I'm writing, I cannot see the cover...

 

I think if you were to give me a sliver of cut-off cover paper, I would use it to make a matching bookmark. Instead of the ribbon.

 

 

Thanks mhguda ,

yes, it will become a beautiful journal, as we have come to expect from all of the covers wrapped in Japanese prints.

They are just so well done, their kami ...

 

Yes bookmarks, I have done a few before .

very co-ordinated in the overall end product ....

[TMLee]

Thanks to a leather crafter , I learned something new....

 

I have this small roll of waxed thread that is the right size but round profile instead of flat profile which is preferred in the way that my journals are put together.

(the size & profile of the threads can add to the bulk (thickness) of the bookblock)

 

 

so the crafter told me why dont I try flattening it?

The thread (on close examination) looks like it can be flattened.

 

So I decided to try ...

 

Need a tool that is roundish,

dense (not soft nor compressible)

smooth (so as not to snag the threads)

 

I remembered I had a heavy solid metal brayer

 

Then the surface on which to work on, has to have the same properties.

Glass is perfect.

 

I used a steel straightedge

 

 

 

And it worked !!!

( I am unsure but I don't think its a permanent solution, ie, I don't think it will stay flat forever, especially after all the tugging and tensioning whilst you stitch. )

 

Here you see the original roll of thread

and the cut length that is already flattened.

 

 

another view

 

I am delighted with this newfound solution, esp becos it will be employed in one of my current projects.

 

The implication of this is that if you can't find your flat threads in the exact shade of colour that you want, then you may want to consider looking at round profiles and other brands and other sizes.

And then flattening them.

Its tedious, but I guess you need only be inconvenienced for each of the lengths of stitches you need

For those of you who are attempting this, you can look at the brand GALACES who makes threads for leather crafting.

They have very nice shades of colour.

 

But of course, you can only do this flattening with waxed threads !!!!

 

It won't work on unwaxed threads.

Its the wax that holds them in their flattened state.

 

 

[TMLee]

JOURNAL 173D Midnight Blue Bookcloth - Maize Vintage

 

This is a classic design ...

Plain bookcloth , minimal hues.

Made to order based on my recommendation, especially to first-time users unfamiliar with my journals.

 

Front

 

 

Back

 

 

Matching bands

 

Bookbands , tan colour

 

 

 

Used a matching polyester thread that's waxed bought last year in Japan.

Gauge 20/6, it said.

It was the right colour which I have yet to have and for which I am happy now its found its use for.

But unfortunately its round , which I recently found a solution to turn it into flat profile.

The thread was not bad, tightly twined.

 

 

The amount of wax was liberal.

So you see accumulated globs of it after pulling thru tight holes and edges.

But these will wear away after use.

 

 

 

To add interest , I used heavy acid free scrapbooking paper for the flyleaves

 

 

 

 

Rear pocket with flap and namecard slot

 

 

 

Full spread

 

With the flyleaves in view

 

 

 

 

Inktestpage

 

Colophon

 

Writing paper is

TOMOE RIVER paper , 52g, Cream

7 Signatures, 10 Folios each , total 280 writing pages

comes with a black sheet of paper as underlay

and a sheet of A5 size blotter paper.

 

 

My 32nd A5 TR journal

out of 96 TR journals.

Edited August 19, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

Experimenting with how to emplace postcards onto an A6 journal.

 

Tried a long time ago.

 

Havent resolved it yet ...

 

 

 

I am experimenting with hidden stitches like so ...

These are the naked strawboards...

The postcard will glue over to cover everything exactly.

No threads will be exposed on the covers bearing the postcard.

Exposed only on the spine...

 

 

Closer view ...

 

 

I can't resolve the edges.

They are bare.

I painted them orange to match the postcard hues ...

 

 

don't know if there are cleverer solutions ...

 

 

 

[pen2paper]

Good to see you still busy at creative endeavors!
With many challenging disasters worldwide, besides personal circumstances, kindly hope has been held constant for our pen friends in far locations.

[mhguda]

TM - I like the solution.

[TMLee]

Good to see you still busy at creative endeavors!

With many challenging disasters worldwide, besides personal circumstances, kindly hope has been held constant for our pen friends in far locations.

 

 

Thanks 'pens2paper' , yes, I do wish the same too for all our pen friends out there.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus matter is worrisome here.

Its something we can't ignore.

Daily news reports take up a significant airtime.

its like we are still discovering new things to learn about this virus.

[TMLee]

TM - I like the solution.

Thanks 'mhguda' ...

 

I attempted like partway ... that was some time ago ...

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/302808-homemade-journal-2016/page-6?do=findComment&comment=3754435

 

There are lots nice postcards around ...

 

 

 

And I just love these paintings of cats ...

 

 

 

I can just stare at them all day long ....

 

 

I am thinking of turning them into a matched pair of journals....

matching blues and blacks for covers, spine washi decorations ,

one on front cover ,

and the other journal with the card on back cover.

becos of the bare edges, may be even slip cases for each....

 

I have to search for my threadpost where I made a slipcase .... that was many moons ago .. for a very unique set of Journals bearing PELIKAN logos.

[TMLee]

ah ....

 

here it is ...

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/208416-slip-cases/?do=findComment&comment=2166780

 

fond memories...

 

I really liked this set of journals ...

I think its really nice ...

 

maybe I shld make another one for myself ...

 

[mhguda]

That was impressive. Someone is treasuring that, I'm sure. It's from before I joined, btw.

I love those cat postcards too. And I saw you have another Escher. Maybe we should try that again... although the cats at this moment attract me more. I am teaching high school physics, pre-university, and the curriculum now includes a (very very short) introduction to quantum physics. Most of these kids have heard about Schrödinger's cat...

[TMLee]

That was impressive. Someone is treasuring that, I'm sure. It's from before I joined, btw.

I love those cat postcards too. And I saw you have another Escher. Maybe we should try that again... although the cats at this moment attract me more. I am teaching high school physics, pre-university, and the curriculum now includes a (very very short) introduction to quantum physics. Most of these kids have heard about Schrödinger's cat...

Yeah !

I am still very sore about the lost Escher journal.

Its THE only journal that didn't make it to its owner.

despite being registered mail ... with tracking number.

It remains 'lost' (stolen?) in a country that remains in economic turmoil.

Wonder if anyone can do a CSI to find that journal , since there are pictures of it here.

Its one of a kind.

 

That Escher journal, I picked the best looking of his artwork.

Edited February 5, 2020 by TMLee

[mhguda]

You and me both... I don't even want to think of it.

And to think about two years ago one of our new members here (from there) asked me to send him some good paper, and I sent over a whole bunch of stuff. He was going to reimburse me... and let me know how they worked for him. Of course, once he'd received them (and he did acknowledge that) I never heard a thing anymore. That was before the journal disappeared enroute, btw... or I would not have done it.

[TMLee]

And I just love these paintings of cats ...

 

 

 

I can just stare at them all day long ....

 

 

I am thinking of turning them into a matched pair of journals....

matching blues and blacks for covers, spine washi decorations ,

one on front cover ,

and the other journal with the card on back cover.

becos of the bare edges, may be even slip cases for each....

 

I have to search for my threadpost where I made a slipcase .... that was many moons ago .. for a very unique set of Journals bearing PELIKAN logos.

 

 

Was staring at it for a long time some nites ago ...

 

came up with this idea of the opposite cover ...

 

 

 

 

Either ...

 

 

or ...

 

 

 

[pen2paper]

ah ....

 

here it is ...

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/208416-slip-cases/?do=findComment&comment=2166780

 

fond memories...

 

I really liked this set of journals ...

I think its really nice ...

 

maybe I shld make another one for myself ...

 

 

Somehow I missed viewing the thread of this set.

As to lost or odd occurrences that go awry .. sometimes genuine life events do get in the way, illness-disaster, rather than lack of appreciation or worse .. your creative efforts have been sent received enjoyed by many globally .. hopefully those will always glow warmly in memories. :-)

[TMLee]

Cut out the other painting ...

 

Placement on black card ...

 

 

This is the difficult part , the emboss...

I decided on grey for the other cover.

becos it needed to be more subdued, to let the postcard stand out.

and further more, the grey allowed the emboss to be more noticeable.

Its diffcult becos the black paper bearing the cutouts is thinnish at only 150gsm (felt much thinner though), so glueing is a bit challenging, it warps easily when the glue is too wet.

the grey card is stated as 185g , altho it felt thinner at 150-160gsm

 

 

I had to glue very dry and work very fast .

Too wet, the thinner black paper will warp beyond repair.

So I applied the principle of glueing, always lay glue on the denser material.

And this denser material was the grey card.

Then lay the black paper onto the wrong side of the grey paper carrying the glue.

 

 

Very relieved it turned out okay.

had to use teflon bonefolder, and a ceramic burnisher.

 

The grey paper was selected to match the grey on the cats...

 

 

 

 

I chose a matching blue for the flyleaves

 

 

Next would be the stitching.

The stitches can be either blue or grey.

I havent decided yet.

 

I also plan to do a slipcase

That would also be either blue or grey to match the stitches...

wonder which to use?

 

I am thinking of letting the stitches match the covering of the slipcase.

So for eg, grey slipcase, with grey exposed stitches.

 

Also mulling whether to have accents of strips of washi on the individual spine signatures.

 

It will be a matching pair.

 

2 separate slipcases, carrying 2 separate journals.

 

 

 

 

Did the same for the other painting ...

 

 

Then emboss

 

 

 

 

The pair ...

[TMLee]

 

Somehow I missed viewing the thread of this set.

As to lost or odd occurrences that go awry .. sometimes genuine life events do get in the way, illness-disaster, rather than lack of appreciation or worse .. your creative efforts have been sent received enjoyed by many globally .. hopefully those will always glow warmly in memories. :-)

 

Worrying news.

yesterday, the govt here raised the risk assessment to orange .

Becos we now have our first locals infected, who have no contact with any Chinese , and have never visited China at all.

Untraceable cause.

(The most serious category is the next one which is red)

 

 

[mhguda]

Stay safe. Stay well. we worry with you.

 

I also wanted to say, those covers are gorgeous!

Edited February 8, 2020 by mhguda

[TMLee]

Stay safe. Stay well. we worry with you.

 

I also wanted to say, those covers are gorgeous!

thanks ...