... Homemade Journal ... 2016

[mhguda]

Theose papers are very very beautiful. Hard to choose, even... and I am not permitting myself a new TMLee just yet. Also, if I'm not mistaken, there should still be one in the works... BTW the two gifts were smashing successes. Both recipients loved them, and they have promised me they will use them... so there will be a few repeats down the line...

[TMLee]

Theose papers are very very beautiful. Hard to choose, even... and I am not permitting myself a new TMLee just yet. Also, if I'm not mistaken, there should still be one in the works... BTW the two gifts were smashing successes. Both recipients loved them, and they have promised me they will use them... so there will be a few repeats down the line...

 

 

Thanks mhguda ,

Yes, too beautiful !

 

Yes, there's one in the pipeline ...

 

And am happy to hear that they are delighted ...

made my day ...

 

The thing that keeps me going is the delight that my journals bring to their new owners.

 

I always wonder how my journals are being used and how they serve their purpose they were created for.

Apart from satisfying my curiosity , I suppose that's the only way I can improve.

Journals are highly personal things.

I am honoured to be contributing to such personal logs,

moments ...

slices of time ...

memories ....

kairos moments ...

[TMLee]

The Japanese take pride in their packaging, whatever their products.

 

One of my favourite snacks, roasted chestnuts ....

Just half a kilogram, and they wrap and pack them so beautifully ...

Wrapped up in paper , and tied with ribbon and then placed into a carrier like this one ...

 

The amazing thing about this bag is that the insides are also printed !!

 

 

The paper is high quality and textured ...

 

 

 

proceeded to take apart the bag carefully , very well glued and very neatly glued together I found out ...

 

 

 

 

I kid you not, it actually took me some time before I found the seam !

It was so well hidden

 

 

Carefully took it apart ...

Full view of the graphics on the inside of the bag ...

Looks like a street scene ...

of a shop selling chestnuts in days past ...

 

 

 

 

 

even the handles are so precisely done ...

 

Took them apart carefully ...

by now , you can see that the bag seems to be put together very meticulously ....

even the space where the handle goes, is blanked out - ie, not covered in print.

 

 

The handles are also paper ...

folded over many times ...

here it is, completely unfolded ...

Each side is folded over 4 times ...

Chestnuts only appear where they appear , no where else !

I am thinking of using this chestnut strip as a ribbon pagemarker...

 

 

 

No prizes for guessing what I intend to repurpose with this beautiful paperbag ....

Rough calculations , I think I will make a hardbound (yes a hardbound) journal to show off the beautiful brown graphics .....

(That way , I can put to use the headbands as pictured in the previous post ....)

Its A6 tall but slightly narrower in width to maximise the brown parts.

each brown part is exactly A4 width ....

So I think I can make 2 hardbacks.

(I feel like making one to be presented to that shop ... )

 

I think I am growing eccentric, I am actually repurposing a paperbag ....

Edited June 2, 2019 by TMLee

[mhguda]

No no, I know where you're coming from. I reuse paper bags that are much less meticulously made, as sort of envelopes in notebooks that don't have a pocket, or as an extra pocket on the front of the notebook - I find I always want a little more space to keep some snippets in my journal, and when it's full they move to the next one... so used envelopes, paper bags, and what have you that can be used as a pocket or even combination of pockets, are well-known to me...

This one though, you can see that even in the age of capitalism, hurry-up and do the minimum, there are some people that have a chance to enjoy doing a good job... I can totally see why you love that bag, and things like it. Show us how you recycle it.

[TMLee]

No no, I know where you're coming from. I reuse paper bags that are much less meticulously made, as sort of envelopes in notebooks that don't have a pocket, or as an extra pocket on the front of the notebook - I find I always want a little more space to keep some snippets in my journal, and when it's full they move to the next one... so used envelopes, paper bags, and what have you that can be used as a pocket or even combination of pockets, are well-known to me...

This one though, you can see that even in the age of capitalism, hurry-up and do the minimum, there are some people that have a chance to enjoy doing a good job... I can totally see why you love that bag, and things like it. Show us how you recycle it.

Ah ... yes ...

Thanks ...

 

I am amazed at their dedication to presentation whatever the products they are selling ...

The bag is interesting on so many counts.

The paper quality of the bag itself is also fantastic.

It has texture, like tree bark, since the part is printed brown.

 

 

[TMLee]

I have forgotten how to do a single needle coptic stitch.

 

The usual kind used for hardbacks, i.e. hidden from view.

 

Can someone gimme quik notes on how to execute?

 

 

[mhguda]

This link shows it well, I think. Not quick but if you scan it it will probably come back to you.

[TMLee]

This link shows it well, I think. Not quick but if you scan it it will probably come back to you.

 

 

Thanks much ....

[TMLee]

Just remembered I bought this from Japan last year , also from Kyoto , one of the dept stores with a section featuring a pop-up store selling unique design stuff ...

 

 

The underside is flat ...

 

Anyone wants to guess what it is ?

 

slightly wider than an inch ...

 

 

Edited June 7, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

The Japanese take pride in their packaging, whatever their products.

 

One of my favourite snacks, roasted chestnuts ....

Just half a kilogram, and they wrap and pack them so beautifully ...

Wrapped up in paper , and tied with ribbon and then placed into a carrier like this one ...

 

The amazing thing about this bag is that the insides are also printed !!

 

 

The paper is high quality and textured ...

 

 

 

proceeded to take apart the bag carefully , very well glued and very neatly glued together I found out ...

 

 

 

 

I kid you not, it actually took me some time before I found the seam !

It was so well hidden

 

 

Carefully took it apart ...

Full view of the graphics on the inside of the bag ...

Looks like a street scene ...

of a shop selling chestnuts in days past ...

 

 

 

 

 

even the handles are so precisely done ...

 

Took them apart carefully ...

by now , you can see that the bag seems to be put together very meticulously ....

even the space where the handle goes, is blanked out - ie, not covered in print.

 

 

The handles are also paper ...

folded over many times ...

here it is, completely unfolded ...

Each side is folded over 4 times ...

Chestnuts only appear where they appear , no where else !

I am thinking of using this chestnut strip as a ribbon pagemarker...

 

 

 

No prizes for guessing what I intend to repurpose with this beautiful paperbag ....

Rough calculations , I think I will make a hardbound (yes a hardbound) journal to show off the beautiful brown graphics .....

(That way , I can put to use the headbands as pictured in the previous post ....)

Its A6 tall but slightly narrower in width to maximise the brown parts.

each brown part is exactly A4 width ....

So I think I can make 2 hardbacks.

(I feel like making one to be presented to that shop ... )

 

I think I am growing eccentric, I am actually repurposing a paperbag ....

 

 

 

For the love of chestnuts ....

 

a fun project , re-purposing a nice paperbag from a roasted chestnuts vendor in Kyoto , JPN ...

 

I have forgotten how to do casebacks ...

retrieved my old stuff , and here measuring like crazy many times cos I was uncertain ..

I use brass strips to be the spacers that form the french groove ...

 

 

I use thinner boards for the spine, cos from experience, it makes the book less bulky ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The paper is textured ... like tree bark ...

Edited June 7, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

Finished the bookblock , and I think the coptic stitch was not quite correct, but I just stitched - using waxed dental floss ! ....

The most important , I think, is the lock and climbs ...

My latest excuse to use the headbands ...

 

 

Orange

 

 

and Green ...

 

The book block ,

I was lazy so I used bookcloth in place of cheesecloth for the mull ...

 

 

The front flyleaves ...

I photocopied the inside graphics onto 120g paper ...

 

 

I made the flyleaves doublesided...

 

 

Here is the rear pocket , for the green variant , the first one to be crafted ...

 

 

I decided to place the namecard slot in a vertical manner ...

 

 

Can be improved !

 

 

The next journal, I decided to align the back pocket carefully ...

Cut the pocket in the exact same place...

 

 

Attaching into position ...

In the exact position ...

Can you see it ?

 

Here is the pocket ...

another view ..

 

 

 

I used the handles to make the ribbon pagemarkers ...

 

 

Looked kind of bland,

so I decided to paint the tips to match the headbands ...

Green to match the green headband ...

 

 

and orange to match orange ...

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

For the love of roasted chestnuts ...

 

 

Green ...

 

 

 

 

Orange ...

 

 

 

My newly acquired headbands from ITOYA, Tokyo ...

 

I wasnt able to achieve perfect placement of the wrap over the covers ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The journals are slim ...

only 13mm thick overall ..

And I think its largely due to the very flat thread - dental floss (waxed) that I stitched with ....

 

Bookblock ...

I decided to use TOMOE RIVER paper ...

52g, cream, super smooth ...

 

7 Signatures, 10 Folios each

Total 280 writing pages

Its about 150mm tall by 100mm wide

A6 tall but slimmer in width ...

 

 

 

I like this pair,

pretty unique ... :bunny01:

 

Don't you just love roasted chestnuts ?

:D

 

The chestnut shop even has a webpage ...

becos I think its been in business for ages ...

http://www.tanba-nouhan.com/

 

:thumbup:

Edited June 8, 2019 by TMLee

[pen2paper]

My first smile of this day.

Yes, like m already figured your mind was busy imagining possibilities.

As always, a great journey!

[mhguda]

Wonderful... I can almost imagine the taste of roasted chestnuts. A beautiful pair. I especially love the flyleaves. I was wondering if you were going to use the drawing - this way is really special.

[Sinistral1]

Beautiful work - well done repurposing the art work.

[BergerDM]

You guys spoil us with cool pictures, but what I personally want is to get my hands on a fine handcrafted journal like that!

[TMLee]

My first smile of this day.

Yes, like m already figured your mind was busy imagining possibilities.

As always, a great journey!

Wonderful... I can almost imagine the taste of roasted chestnuts. A beautiful pair. I especially love the flyleaves. I was wondering if you were going to use the drawing - this way is really special.

Beautiful work - well done repurposing the art work.

Yeah!

Good packaging designs/graphics don't go unnoticed.

 

I think the fun usually starts when I am

looking to see how interesting graphics can be used to adorn my journal covers.

 

Some of my best creations are those that are 'unplanned' (in terms of a design brief).

 

Maybe I can start a new category in my stable, covers bearing interesting

packaging designs ?

 

😁😁😁

Edited June 8, 2019 by TMLee

[TMLee]

You guys spoil us with cool pictures, but what I personally want is to get my hands on a fine handcrafted journal like that!

Well, you can always order one from me like others have !

😉

[TMLee]

I just HAD to try out the rust orange tombows ....

 

 

A6 size

 

 

The tombows are embossed , and they are glossy ...

 

 

 

The black spine accent is paper which is very like the Mole*kine material ...

You can see the orange paper (and the embossed dragonflies) underneath the black spine accent ..

 

 

 

Beautiful print

[Honeybadgers]

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?