Friday, November 26, 2010

Medievals

These are probably my favorite three books I've made so far. I think they represents a step forward in my bookbinding practice - they are books with memories, that tell stories even before being written.  


I found this wonderful quote while writing on the endpages of a book:

"The labour of the writer is the refreshment of the reader. The one depletes the body, the other advances the mind. Whoever you are, therefore, do not scorn but rather be mindful of the work of the one labouring to bring you profit... If you do not know how to write you will consider it no hardship, but if you want a detailed account of it let me tell you that the work is heavy: it makes the eyes misty, bows the back, crushes the ribs and belly, brings pain to the kidneys and makes the body ache all over. Therefore, O reader, turn the leaves gently and keep your fingers away from the letters, for as the hailstorm ruins the harvest of the land so does the unserviceable reader destroy the book and the writing. As the sailor finds welcome the final harbour, so does the scribe the final line. Deo gratias semper." 

Colophon, from the "Silos Beatus" (12th century).

   The endpages
  

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Teeny-Tiny Library

Lately I've been working on large books, on a larger scale. Tonight I've just finished ten books which are going to London. I'm pretty tired and look forward to my holiday which luckily starts early this year, on 4th of December. I'll close my shop for a while and focus on new (book) projects and designs.

But for a change, here is my teeny-tiny library. I've been working on it in between the large book orders. I still have a lot to fill :)

Friday, November 19, 2010

To My Bookbinding Friends

I just stumbled upon this video and I loved it, so I thought you might like to see it too. I couldn't embed it but there's a link to it at youtube. Oh, how nice is the art of bookbinding!

 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Just Work

I haven't been up to much lately besides books. Big books, little books, and even teeny-tiny books. Christmas is coming and it's really the best time of the year on Etsy! I just love it!!