Bookbinding

I've been thinking about bookbinding lately, ever since I read PBW's post on it here.

I've tried to research it a bit, but there dont seem to be a lot of courses out there beyond university courses. I thought there might be workshops all over the place, but there doesn't seem to be. Or perhaps I just haven't looked enough. There is one in Addlestone that gives workshops at The Otter Bindery, which looks promising. I might drop in on their next Saturday morning workshop (for £50) and see what I can find.

There is also a Book Fair in Tonbridge on October 28th, and a bookbinder will be there.

I love that word - Bookbinder.

Hmmm... methinks I have the inkling of a fairy tale coming to mind...

I so wish I had more time to spend learning about Bookbinding because I would love to do it. Not as a career or anything, but just as a hobby. PBW is right that handmade books would make great gifts. What could be more personal than your own book/journal made for you by a close friend/relative!

The continuation paper we use here at work doesn't have any logo on it, so I may have to accidentally drop a ream or two into my bag sometime. Hehe. It would make lovely strong leaves. I could even intermingle some tissue paper, or the coloured file paper that we use at work (pink, green, purple, blue).

The more I think about it the more the creative opportunities appear endless.

I've looked at a few online tutorials, and would be confident that I could sew together a book, but I wouldn't have a clue as to how I would get the pages to line up. When you fold over a few leaves of paper the ends are staggered. I wonder how they get them to lovely and flat. I cant seem to find anywhere on the net that mentions it.

Though I suppose the roughness of handmade books make them all that more charming.

We shall see. ...Though I have to devote the rest of this year to writing, as I want to have three books finished by then, and currently only have one (in very rough draft form!).

Perhaps I could spare a few hours a month to investigate it more. If anyone knows of anywhere that I can learn more about bookbinding, do give me a shout!

At Work

Finally got internet access at work from my desk.

Woo hoo.

Gotta get back to work...

Lucid Dreams

I had a dream the other night that was so vivid and so easily controlled that I almost woke up thinking that it had actually happened.

I've been reading Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, and I am absolutely enchanted by it. Perhaps its the crush I have on the main character or something, but my dream catapulted me into the middle of it and I was able to take myself through the story as I would have it written.

It was so surreal, yet real too. More so were the raging feelings that were swooping through me! There's just something about dreams that are so acutely passionate. It always makes me wonder if we're supposed to be feeling such strong emotions all the time during our waking hours. Perhaps some people do. Perhaps even I do but just dont realise it. I think not, though. Sometimes I feel quite deadened, which is a bit disheartening, but then again I sometimes even lack the disheartening feeling and just feel nothing about it.

Note to self - drink more hot milk before bedtime to induce more dreams like this. (They're brilliant as inspiration for writing... in fact the idea I had to write my first fantasy novel came from a dream!)

Facebook & The Time Vortex

Where does the time go??

When I'm not entranced with Robin Hobb's 'Tawny Man' trilogy, I'm on Facebook, Ebay or Email. And 'poof'... there goes all my spare time!!

In the last two weeks, though, I've sorted through and thrown out so much junk in my attempt to streamline my life.. so that really has taken up a lot of time. But it seems to be a never ending job. I haven't even started sorting through my clothes. I'm dreading it. I cant bear to part with anything, even though I dont fit most of the crap I'm holding on to and I probably never will again.. I just cant release my grip! I feel like i'll unravel if I get rid of my clothes. My identity. My face to the world. I just cant do it. Perhaps if I procrastinate long enough we'll haved moved house and settled in before Martin realises that I haven't actually sorted through it yet.

I cant believe I have sorted through my shoes already. I was sooo ruthless! It was really quite shocking. When it came down to listing them on Ebay I caved in on one pair of shiney metallic red mary-jane style shoes. I just couldn't bring myself to part with them. Though I cant believe that I'm going to part with all the other shoes I've listed. Its like I've torn out half of my heart.

And dont get me started on the huge load of handbags I sold last week.

My head is spinning!!

So, moving on. Facebook. Pretty sociable. I'm pretty pleased that they've got a Scrabble application. I love it. I've got about 5 games going on at the moment. I just wish I could connect to Facebook from work, and wish I could have more time on the computer in the evening (Martin is obsessed with Facebook!). I cant say that I'm obsessed with Facebook.. coz it only mildly amuses me, and being the socially inept moron that I am I just dont care enough about other people to want to spend hours a day scrolling through profiles of people that I was never really friends with in primary school and dont want to be friends with now. I would much rather rub squirell shit into my hair and smoke foxtails.

..But I do love word games.

Anyone want to have a game of Scrabble with me?? I'm not amazingly good at it or anything, and I can probably only get to the computer twice a day, but if you're not in a rush then I'm up for it! Anyone? Hello?

HELLO??? ANYONE WANT TO PLAY SCRABBLE WITH ME?!?!?!?!??!?!

Ebay - Still! Iron Maiden & Shoes!

Still yet more stuff listed on Ebay.. including loads of my shoes.

*sniff*

I'll be sad to see them go.

If you're an IRON MAIDEN fan then get your arse over to Ebay and check out what Martin is selling. He's getting rid of his ENTIRE collection of Iron Maiden records. Most of it he is selling to his brother, but we've listed some of the rarities on Ebay (and given them a 'rare' price tag too! I had no say in it. They're Martins. His records, his price!) - Oh, and they're all in mint condition!

CLICK HERE! (opens a new window)