Conservation of leather books April 29, 2007

If you collect books, leather books are something special. It is very difficult to keep (old) leather book bindings in good condition. The National Library of The Netherlands has a very interesting article on its website. It is called “Guidelines for the conservation of leather and parchment book bindings”.

It is a bit difficult to read due to the lack of white space, but it seems very interesting. I have not read all of it. It is a bit dry here and there since it is written from a scientific point of view. You can find the lengthy article here.

DIY Book necklace April 26, 2007

A nice thing to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon: make your own book necklace. (Also a nice idea for my contest!) I found a website that instructs you how to make your own necklace from origami paper. It was on television first. Karen Thomas showed how to make them. She has a very nice website with all sorts of origami books. You can see them here and get inspired.

Back to the instructions. You are taught how to make the book first, which could be fun by itself. At the end they tell you how to make a necklace for it. The pictures are too small and are poor quality when enlarged, so good luck! You can find the how-to manual here.

Book art April 26, 2007

A book is a piece of art in itself. You can turn this piece of art into a new form of art. I have published art made of books before (see the category “Art”). Today I present you with a couple of links that have to do with the book celebrated as a piece of art.

The first link is that to the Polish book art museum. The site is (also) in English. If you are planning to visit Poland, this museum seems like an interesting stop. You can find the website of the museum here.

The next link is to an exhibition in the New York Public Library. The exhibition is about French book art. Even though the exhibition is no longer running, the page provides for interesting reading. To be found here.

The Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond (US) has a collection of book art that counts over 3,000 items. The collection lives in the James Branch Cabell Library. You can learn more about the collection here.

The last link is to the website of the Center for Book Arts in New York. On their site you will find everything that has to do with book arts. Including (travelling) exhibitions. Find out more here.

 

Donate books! April 25, 2007

If you are an avid reader and your house is getting to small to house your read lit, book donation might be something for you. There are a lot of libraries and charities that love to receive your (unwanted) books.

The people from Bibloobuffet have put togother a great list with charities all over the world. There are some very special organisations there. What to think of the Camel Book Drive? You can find the list here. You can also find a list on this website. As said, libraries also like to receive books. Click here for a list of libraries that are in desperate need of books.  

NY library shop April 22, 2007

In the past I have posted a thing or two from this shop. But the shop of the New York public library has so many wonderful goodies, I wanted to share the site with you (again). What to think of this beautiful typewriter watch, or these facsimile limited editions? Do not forget the reading corner of the shop, to be found here. You can find some nice reading gadgets here!

Thanks to Judith for the lead.

Crochet bookmark April 19, 2007

I have posted about a do-it-yourself-crochet-bookmark in the past. (To be found here.) This time, I have another one for you. If I was any good at crocheting, I would give it a go. Too bad I am not. If you are: have fun! You can click here for the ‘pattern’.

Thanks to Jennifer for submitting the link!

 

 

Story teller jewelry April 17, 2007

This website has some fantastic jewelry. At least, that’s what I think. They make some beautiful jewelry featuring books. The pieces either come as a necklace or a pin. Each piece has a original story inside. Therefore the makers call it: ”Jewelry you can read”. Seems like a perfect combination to me!

There are 26 different stories available and different styles of books. Since I am a fan of silver, I love their silver books. And that is an understatement. You can find out more here.

Thanks to Sarah for the link.

 

Book pencil pot April 16, 2007

After the bookish CD holder from a couple of days ago, I now give you: the bookish pencil pot. According to the website it is one of the longest running products. I think it is nice, but not that special. But a proper pencil pot is always better then an old coffee mug. Click here to see the bookish pencil pot.

A books of books April 16, 2007

This book on books seems quite promising, I have to say. I have carefully put it on my ‘most wanted list’. This book by Abelardo Morell celebrates everything about the book. From pretty covers to beautiful pages. He does it all with photographs.

According to the readers’ reviews on Amazon, the pictures are pure poetry. I love photography (passive and active), so this book seems to have my name on it. Click here to read the reviews, learn more about the book and look inside it!

I Won!!!! April 16, 2007

Whoohoo!!!!!!!!!!

After a very busy weekend, I just turned on my computer and saw the amazing news! I did not expect to get a verdict before the 19th. Anyway. I won the Best of Blogs 2006 in the catagory Best book/literary blog! Click here and here to see the proof. I am over the moon. Thank you all so, so much for your never ending votes. I am so honoured and proud I can not tell you. Wow. You should see the smile on my face right now! This is so amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!