I have a craft show in 1 1/2 weeks and I am stressed out. Anticipation of the first show of the season always makes me a bit wacky. The truth is, I’m in pretty good shape as far as inventory, but I’m not where I want to be.
And that’s located somewhere in the land of unrealistic expectations.
As my studio grows increasingly chaotic (I am not a neat worker during times of stress), I become more aware of the piles of papers that I’m not attending to.
Usually I like piles, but not these.
So I decided to stop and look around my studio for the piles I do like. Here’s sampling of the happiness I found:
Accordion book covers, basking in the sun
There's nothing like a precariously perched improvised press
Oh bookboard, you owe your existence to the Kutrimmer
Coptic journals, waiting for binding
Journal pages
Completed photo albums
I hereby declare a total ignore of all non-happy piles.
I encourage you to do the same.
Filed under: Bookbinding | Tagged: book arts, Bookbinding
I love it! Embrace the happy piles, ignore the non! I’ll do the same
Good luck getting ready for the show – sending calming thoughts your way!
Monica -
Thanks for the good vibes…evil piles vanishing…
Elissa
Yummy photos!! My own love of studio piles is sometimes counterproductive. I love to look around my studio when I’m in production mode. I’ve taken pictures like this on my own blog.
Beth -
Oh oh oh…where can I find your pics of studio piles? I want to see more!
Elissa
Since I haven’t made a book edition in awhile, I don’t have book production piles, but I do have in-process piles:
http://callibeth.blogspot.com/2007/12/its-whirlwind-life.html
http://callibeth.blogspot.com/2009/04/whew.html
Sometimes the juxtaposition of colors and shapes in the in-process piles is more interesting than the finished product!
My studio has looked much the same these last few weeks. I like it when they get down to the “just needs to be cased in” piles or the “just needs to be stitched” piles, as opposed to the giant unpunched paper and uncovered bookboard piles…
As of yesterday (my main deadline) I was down to one unhappy pile of unfinished photo albums, which I stressed over for most of the weekend but then did exactly as you suggested and decided to ignore. I feel much better now.
Shannon -
What you said so rings true for me…I’ve been burning (not with fire) through my “good” piles and I miss them. Even though I have more finished work, I miss having stacks of components around. I’m not really sure why they’re so pleasing to me, but they are.
Elissa
I’m glad that I just do my book art for my enjoyment.
However, your accordion book covers are simple beautiful and one these days I’ll teach myself how do that coptic binding. For my bookart notebook, i just made up a stitch binding to keep the two signatures together.
Cathy -
Most of the time I do bookbinding for enjoyment…right now, since I have an upcoming show, the focus tends to change.
Do you have a picture of your notebook binding on your blog? I’d love to see it.
Elissa
I’m so pleased to see you can ignore the chaos and concentrate on the beautiful things. That’s the way I seem to live these days – still (after 9 months) surrounded by unpacked boxes, studio looking like a bomb site – but those precarious piles of pressed books gladden my heart. And I agree with your other readers, your covers are beautiful.
Carol -
Sometimes I’m good at ignoring the chaos – today, not so much. I need to look at those pictures again…
Elissa
Ah, Elissa, this is a metaphor for life!