Monday 10 September 2012

J = 60

My friend Julia is turning 60 shortly - a big party being organised by her children with friends dating back forever!  Julia is one of those incredibly special people who makes friends with everyone, finds time to enjoy and help them all and never seems to lose touch with those who have become her friends. She is beautiful.


am planning to add this envelope and embossing to the top of the solander box







a selection of scrumptious papers

two tags - one with a J and one with the magic 60 - which just dangle on the book

I have had a few weeks of making rather than creating - though there is plenty of that waiting in the wings.  It has been good to have this time to tick a number of 'to do's' off the list.  My contribution to the 'talent' section of this day, is to create this book which I hope everyone who is there at the party will manage to write in for J. It is housed in a solander box which will have room to store cards and mementos as well as the book.  I have used a gorgeous piece of marbled paper, amidst others, to make this book.  It was made by Steph McLennan and was purchased by me at her Open Studio this time last year.  She is one of the many who will be opening her studio doors to the public during the Open Studios programme here on the Range through to the first weekend in October. Her studio is really worth the visit, hidden as it is down a looong drive and nestled in a wonderful garden. Her work is delightful and the Studio warmly welcoming.

9 comments:

  1. ooo this looks scrumdiddlyumshous! I really like the yellow thread for the binding - it seems to make the whole thing sing!

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    1. Hi Ronnie - I think I like your word scrumdiddlyumshous more than I like my book! I like the yellow thread too - don't often use bright colour.

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  2. Such a thoughtful, and beautiful, gift. Lucky Julia.

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    1. Thanks Jo. It will be nice to have a book and box to collect all those major moment memories! 60 is fairly significant .... I only have a couple of years to go. Better make myself a book/box!

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  3. I too love scrumptious papers and tags and hand made books and I think your solander box is a great idea although I have never heard of a solander box before.. I like the syllables of the word when you say it out loud.

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment Donna. The Solander box is very often used in libraries and museums, certainly many differing forms are used to house books or collections of prints etc. Named after Daniel Solander, a Swedish botanist. I have heard them referred to as clam boxes as well as the sides shut firmly and protectively over each other. I teach a class making a coptic bound book and then a Solander box to house the book. Great to prepare when you are heading off on a trip - take the book as your diary, but at the end of the trip, the box can contain the paraphernalia you bring home, the postcards and memory prompters etc, and the journal as well. I have planned to do that for my last ten or so trips however, and haven't done one. I have made many as gifts and some quite interesting ones for sale.

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  4. I'll go with Ronnie's scrumdiddlyumshous (I had to copy and paste that!) and with my personal Wow! for the yellow thread going right over a yellow spot on the paper and for the beauty of the Solander box. I appreciate the explanation too :)

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  5. I think Ronnie has started something here! Thanks for your comments Ersi - I think the marbled paper thatSteph made really worked well with this book and box set. And it gave me a chance to use yellow thread!

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  6. i think your julia is a special and lucky woman! a grand present.

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!