28 September, 2013

Fall garden finally responding!

I tried planting last month, but it was still too hot and dry here to plant for the fall. Green chard, basil, other herbs, varieties of hot peppers, a couple of short rows of onions, and collard greens are still doing pretty well. Tomatoes are taking a break, but beginning to re-blossom once again. Beets and carrots are still growing from earlier in the summer. Only one red chard seed planted in late August managed to sprout and hang in there for me.



That means, nothing else came up and I had to try again about two weeks ago.

But after two good sets of rain and slightly cooler temps...finally, some success!

snow peas



kale (one spot of four)

Still waiting on new baby collards and sage to pop up. We shall see how it goes.


Happy Fall, Y'all!

Javamom


19 September, 2013

Befores and After: restoration of a more modern hardback

This is how this book came to arrive in my bookbinding shop:


 
held together by duct tape

 
not even hanging together by a thread

 
with damage to the interior pages

 
The finished, restored book!



Javamom


18 September, 2013

More examples of hand-bound books



One of my favorites: Exposed spine binding. Both decorative and practical!

 
 
 
This is an example of one of my students binding her own stories for a Christmas present for her grandparents:





A more traditionally bound hardback of Blessing Letters for a graduation book. I have made many and many of these for different families. It also includes printed photos for some of the pages.





This was a graduation gift for one of my Spanish class students a few years back, a blank, Coptic-stitch bound journal:




Teaching younger ones to make simple journals:


Watching them and their variety of choices is a delight!

 
 
 
Inspired, yet? I hope so!
 
Javamom
 

17 September, 2013

Planning for Christmas

I've made these before, and I am planning to make more this Christmas ~



 
Exposed spine binding blank journals

 
 

 

This Coptic stitch journal is a larger sketchbook size
 


 
 
Are you, kind reader, already working on your Christmas projects?
 
 
Javamom
 
 

Hubby's latest handcrafted Ukulele

This ukulele was commissioned by a long-time hs mom friend for her oldest daughter's graduation (with a Masters Degree) this past May. I am told the daughter is over-the-moon about her gift, including the case!

Enjoy a couple of shots of the beginning process of the build, and of the finished product. I need to add a close-up of the inlay "anchor" that Hubby made.




 

  

 

 


More later!

Javamom