Work in Progress

Last meeting of the Book Babes, theTennessee Bookmakers' Guild, we made a prototype for a concertina bound book.  When I got home, I decided that it would be fun to finish up the prototype, warts and all.  So I got out some old "Art in America" magazines and tore through the pages to make collages for my "book".  Once that was done, I felt that I wanted some content, so I went looking through my journals for quotes that had particular appeal for me at this time.

As I began to collect quotes, I started to tune in to some underlying anxieties and very quickly the small book I was playing around with became something that I rather needed as a gift to myself to help me cope with an emotionally trying time.  Another member of the Book Babes, our only regularly attending male member, had recently shared with the group that he and his son, who was battling cancer, were working on a book together of memories of how they each dealt with difficult periods of life.  So, if you are reading this, John, thank you for planting that book "seed" in my mind.

I still need a title and a few more quotes, but I am already feeling pleased with my little book, imperfect as it is.

Home Improvement

Summer is losing its grip after a hotter than usual July and August, and hubby and I have spent the past couple of days tending to our much neglected landscaping.  Our backfence neighbors have taken down a walnut tree that was growing into our fence which has inspired us to pressure wash the fence and do some pruning and garden cleanup.

Our new and improved view and clean fence!

Now if only I could get Blogger to cooperate and put the pictures and text where I want them, I would be a very happy camper!

Making Paper

Today I sent off my ginkgo leaf paper samples for the 2010 Papermaking Swatch Swap.  I also sent two cover papers and will receive a bound book with samples from a total of seventy papermakers.  Just about the entire group I think.  So here's my paper samples . . .

I harvested the leaves last fall and partially cooked, rinsed well, and put them in the freezer right next to the frozen meatloaf!

 

Using my crockpot for cooking fibers has revolutionized papermaking for me.  No more pot boiling over on the stove and stinking up the whole house.

Hand beating fibers.

And finally, I got to use my "new" hydraulic press that makes a world of difference in the quality of the papers I can make.  Smoother and stronger and more able to put through my printer.

And here's a list of the junk that was used to make my press by my ever handy and resourceful hubby:  1.  Hydraulic press and handle.  2.  Long bolts from electrical poles.  3.  Clothing rack.  4.  Scrap angle iron.  5.  U-bolts from cable assembly in chicken house.  6.  Eyebolts from TV antenna brackets.  7.  Pre-formed metal for Peterbilt truck replacement parts.  Modeled on a picture of a press that retailed for $1,200!

Now that the weather has cooled some, I will be making lots of paper -- and some experimenting with new processes, too.

A New Swimming Hole for Me . . .

I am a water baby and come summertime, I need to be immersed in water.  So when a friend offered me the use of her pool for the summer, I thought I might have died and gone to heaven.  Tucked away inside 350 acres, is this beautiful pool.  The house is vacant and no one uses the pool after the early morning hours.  A dream come true to for me to swim by myself, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Tennessee countryside.  Do you think that if I make her one of my famous New York cheesecakes it will even begin to thank her for such a gift?