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Showing posts with label things for books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label things for books. Show all posts

24 April 2020

A book journal and other musings

Good Morning from Kentucky!

We are working hard on staying healthy at home but with all the cheesecake and cookie-baking, along with all the pots of macaroni and cheese, we are running out of butter.  It is not a desperate situation yet, but we are getting close.  What is getting to a desperate level is the lack of cleaning wipes.  I don't use them to clean the house, but I do use them to clean my Cricut mats, have you ever tried that?  They are great for cleaning off little bits of paper and reviving the stickiness of the mat.  If you have a better method, I am all ears because I cannot buy these wipes anywhere.

I wanted to talk to you today about reading not so much about cleaning wipes.  I have been keeping a reading journal since 1996.  This was necessary for me because I read so many books I could not remember what each book was about, not even to mention the title or author's name.  At first, I just recorded the name of the book and the author's name along with the dates read.  I started adding a smiley face if I enjoyed the read and did not record any abandoned books.  This was the source of my recordings for about 15 years.  As a matter of fact, most of it was recorded in a single journal book that I started in 1996.  I have done a post with it before, but it is worth a revisit, here is that very first reading journal. (My handwriting is atrocious)




Once I got an e-reader my reading doubled from what it had been and I needed a better system. I started a graph for my book part and an excel spreadsheet too.




The spreadsheet calculates how many books I have read for that year, how many of all time, how many of that year were paper, ebook or audio, and how many of all time were paper, ebook, and audio.  I love the stats part.  This system does not give me a clue as to what the book was about, it is purely for that stats thing I love.


My paper journal evolved around that time as well, I started keeping more details and looking online for a good system.  I discovered Modern Mrs. Darcy's blog.  She had a free journal that she gave you, I took it and redid it for the things that I wished to retain.  I made this one in pages and printed it on cardstock, then bound it in a book that I wished to retain forever.  I used it for a few years but decided I really wanted to have it in a journal type book with a leather cover. I took apart a leather bound book amd inserted my own pages, but it still wasn't what I wanted.

 I looked into having a moleskin book printed with my journal blocks, but that was too expensive.  I mentioned it to my friend Amy that I needed a system and she said: "make a stamp".  PERFECT!! That is just what I did. I got the stamp on Amazon for $15....worth every dime.  Here is what that looks like, both the stamp and how it looks stamped on my page.



I am currently using a leather-bound owl book with deckle pages and it is working out great for me.

If only I could stamp straight.   Nope, I shall always do things a little off kilter.


21 October 2018

Raindrops on Roses, and Whiskers on Kittens

I am 100% a list maker.  I love those little books and surveys that ask about your favorite things, activities and days.  I think they are so much fun and trigger memories when you read them a few years later because as new things are introduced here on this earth, your favorites shift.  That is why I constantly make new lists.  Normally I do a page in my planner (I still call it "calendar") of all my favorites from this past year (song, album, tv show, book, etc...)


Today I was going to list the items I don't feel I could live without being on my person (as of RIGHT NOW). I am going to put links under each one so you can buy one too :) 


1. My favorite possession is my Kindle Voyage with 3G (until I upgrade to the waterproof Oasis).  I go everywhere with this thing.  He (I call him Thomas) has been to Alaska a few times, all over the Caribbean and the Atlantic, to Canada, ballgames, concerts, etc...  I love how I can get a book anywhere (but in the middle of the Yukon and the Atlantic ocean) and I always have a book in my bag.  Amazon has discontinued the Voyage so you can only purchase a refurb version (or you can buy mine that is in excellent condition).  They have released a new version of the Paperwhite that I will link to here.  I used to own the Paperwhite and while it is fabulous, it doesn't have as clear of a screen as the Voyage (it has to do with backlighting).  I do like the size of the Paperwhite, it is like a paperback book.  Tips for buying...Special offers are really not a big deal.  They appear as a wallpaper when you open your cover and never on the text of your book.  What is a big deal to me is having 3G.  I read many books and while I load Thomas's memory with plenty of reads I end up not liking a book or what to read a particular book.  With 3G I can download wherever I am (except the middle of the ocean).  Bonus: the new Paperwhite and the Oasis are waterproof and you can listen to audiobooks. I do not have either of those capabilities on my Voyage which is why I am wanting to upgrade.  Reading on a Kindle is way better than a phone, tablet or iPad.  It is an eInk, that looks more like printed word.




2. Burt's Bees is my second favorite possession, and I have one on my person, in my purse, on my nightstand, in the kitchen, you get the picture.   I like the flavors, but I will always be partial to the original formula.  Aside from their lip balm I also adore the face soap and complexion stick.  I have become a BB's addict.






3. Another thing that I use every single day of my life is Puffs Plus with Lotion. I have terrible allergies and this is my favorite way to manage. I try not to take meds every day, so these are always close by.  I keep a box in my office, one in each car, one in every room of the house and a travel pack in my backpack.  This is the first thing I pack when I go on a trip.  I buy these in bulk at Sam's club, and when we have a cold I run to town and get the one with Vicks.

4. The Note 8 phone is also on my person.  Not because I have to be on it 24/7, but because it has many features that make my life a tad easier.  
a)  I have to count my steps for insurance (my Gear S2 won't sync for steps *dumb*) so the phone has to be in my pocket so I get the points.
b)  I also take lots of photos.  Before phones had cameras, I had to carry my Nikon in my purse at all times. I am thrilled that I no longer have to do this as I have cracked a few phone screens in my purse.
c) Adobe Draw is the reason I got the Note 8 in the first place. I can sketch wherever I am and then upload to my Cricut and cut out my design.  I can sketch the scenery where I am so I have a memory.  With the color options that I have, I can ever do a sunset.  Currently, I am mainly using it to design t-shirts and logos.  






5. I am a nail biter. I have tried so hard to stop for 46 years, but I always start right back up.  I have gotten better because I have other objects to keep me busy in "down time" (like the Kindle and phone), so now I mainly pick at the cuticles and rough spots.  If there is a rough spot on the nail I will pick and chew at it until it gets torn off. I have discovered that a Revlon metal nail file will smooth out the rough spot and stop me from chewy or picking. I always have one close at hand for this reason alone.  

                                         
There are my top five things that are always within reach....that is Five things for right now!!

06 August 2018

Reading Journal/Book log

One day I purchased a very expensive writing journal at the West Little Rock post office and felt guilty for buying it, we didn't have the money and I didn't keep a journal.  Why would have have given in to such an impulse buy? I was reading a lot and never could remember, what book did I read that time and loved?  Have I read that author?  Didn't I read that book already?  So I turned this impulse buy into one of the greatest ideas I have ever had....a book journal.  My journal is in a box in the garage, so I can't feature it because it is 4am as I type this and I can't go out there :) Here is a photo from the internet.  The book was padded (squishy) and was easy to wipe off and featured lined pages.

I used that high priced kitty journal until every page was full.  I then tried new, dedicated book journals and was not happy.  I did many an internet search trying to find something that would be exactly what I wanted:

1. Title
2. Author
3.  Dates read
4.  Ranking
5.  A few notes on the book

I bought a few on Amazon and they had some components but not all, or were small or would not hold at least 100 books (I wanted each one to last one year).



Finally I found the Modern Mrs. Darcy page and it changed everything.    She will give you her book journal pages for free if you join her website.  I have loved the website.  She gives you book recommendations, time management, book challenges, a wonderful little store and is even an author herself.

I did have to tweak her book journal a bit, to suit the things that I had been tracking since 1996 and the things I wanted to add.  I am just going to include a picture since I did not create the original template,  I just perfected it for me.  I have 3 books per page and I copy on back and front.




In 2011, I started keeping a digital record too because I LOVE the reading stats!  I am trying to see how many books I read before turning 50 so there is a column for running total, for my self imposed challenges, the number of days it takes to read a book, did I like it and what material the book was (ebook, paper, or audio).  At the end of the year I total up the number read, challenges, rank the favorite books, average out the number of days it takes to read a book and total of ebooks/audio and paper.




The last thing that I use is a To Be Read shelf graphic that I made for fun.  I list all the books I want to read and color in the books as I finish.  There are other elements on the page you can color too.  Here is a link to my drawing and a little snapshot of what it looks like.  I like Presidents so there are a few Presidents hanging out on my shelf, along with a Carnival Cruise line whale fluke.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5dRrA2icRjQQk9xMWJha1FFbGM/view?usp=sharing

Happy day to you and read fast!

19 July 2014

Heavy Weight

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this website for a book weight.
 http://lifehacker.com/5833754/make-your-own-super-cheap-book-weight-out-of-duct-tape-and-pennieshttp://lifehacker.com/5833754/make-your-own-super-cheap-book-weight-out-of-duct-tape-and-pennies
What a brilliant idea!  Wish I had thought of it myself.  I liked the idea, but not the construction.  It is perfectly fine, just not my style. So I decided to lift the idea and change it to form my own style. 

I am a paper person, as you know so I wanted to construct this using paper.  You know me, I also wanted to add my own "Michelle" to it.  I started with 2 strips of  8x2.5 sheet of cardstock (what a perfect use for scraps!!).  I set them aside.  I took a strip of duct tape and laid out my pennies.  I used 20 pennies.  On each end I added 4 pennies on top to add a little weight. I used the duct tape to hold all this in place.
























I then took one of the 2 strips (right side down) and glued the duct tape piece to the strip. I used Scrappy Glue by Heidi Swapp.  So far I have found this to be a very good glue for holding heavy things to my projects. After adhering that strip I placed the second strip on top and glued it to the top of the duct tape stuff.  I used binder clips all around to hold in place(you can never have too many binder clips on hand when you construct things from paper). Let this set up a bit and after about 10 minutes remove the clips. It may tear some of the paper, but you can distress over this...no big deal.

If there are any gaps I use Aleene's tacky glue and put some into the gaps.  Clip again and let set a few minutes.
















Now take all the clips off (if you have not already) and let dry for about an hour.  Distress the base if you desire after that hour is over.  Then decorate the top as you desire. 








Once, everything is dry, get yourself a good book and test it out.  Now you can cook and not worry about the book closing or you can read your favorite book and not worry about losing your place. 



13 April 2014

Meeting Jamie Ford

Jamie Ford is the author of "On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" . I discovered him a few years ago from the McCracken County Library.  You see, I do choose books by their covers...and I saw the cover of the book and immediately checked it out from the library.  I instantly fell in love with the book.  As a matter of fact, I got on google to see if Jamie Ford had written anything else. Nope, this was his first novel. First novel?  Wow!  What an accomplishment.  I followed him on Twitter and his blog.  I discovered that he was indeed about to have a second novel published.  So I waited.  During the wait, my friend DiAnna told me that there was a scheduled event in March of 2014 to meet Jamie. I quickly added it to my calendar and countdown app (an app that featured my trip to Hawaii and a cruise).

Eventually, the release date was set and Jaime had an offer that if you bought the book from a presale (the written copy), he would send you a digital version.  No brainer there...sign me up. I received the digital book and thought it a wonderful accompaniment to Bitter and Sweet.  The wait ensued.


By reading Jamie's blog I learned that he prefers paper books to digital, so I was surprised he sent out a digital publication and decided to make a paper edition of his supplement.  My intention was to give it to him in March when I met him.  (I featured a tutorial on this book a while back....http://michelle-champion.blogspot.com/2014/03/saturday-afternoon-book-making.html).  Once the book was finished, I debated giving it to him.  I actually tossed the idea around for a while on would he care, would that be weird and all the other questions that weird fans would think of.

At last, the day came...actually the day before the event. Jamie had to cancel due to a stupid snow storm.  For those of you that know me to know that my husband is a meteorologist and this PROVES once and for all that husbands don't listen to their wives.  I begged and begged him to keep the storm away.  No such luck, the event was postponed.  I imagined I would never get to meet him.

But wait, last week Jamie posted on his blog that he was coming to KY. Not just KY, but Paducah.  This was it!  I was going to get to meet him and tell him how much I enjoyed his books.  Armed with a copy of Bitter and Sweet and Willow Frost, a copy of the digital publication and the book I made...I made my way to WKCTC.

I arrived early and there was a reception going on.  I saw him immediately.  I waited for a moment, texted my friend DiAnna that I was there and waited some more.  Then I decided to approach him.  I introduced myself and he was very familiar with who I was from my Twitter stalkings.  We chatted for a moment and a dude came up to him to get his books signed, the moment was gone to ask him about the book I had made.  I went inside the auditorium and got a seat in the front for both DiAnna and myself.  I saw him in the back of the room and grabbed my books and thought I would try again. We chatted again for another moment or two and he signed my books of Bitter and Sweet and Willow Frost.



DiAnna then arrived and the lecture began.  It was very informative.  Perfect for a book lover.  It was the first lecture I had ever attended on a book and it won't be my last.  During his talk, I learned he was not only a great author, but also witty and charming.  He has a lot of good stories in him.  I told my friend DiAnna his writings are so emotional that it is kind of rare for a guy to write like that where I am so moved by the words. I read LOTS of books.....most male authors (unless they write crime) cannot paint a picture with words.  He not only does so, but it's a lovely picture, even if the subject is unpleasant.  To me is astonishing that he only has two books under his belt.  He writes like a very seasoned author.  I'm excited to see how far he will go.  Oh, I got off topic, I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed these books.














The lecture is over and he is going to sign books.  I got in the line to sign books and when it was my turn I laid down the book I had made.  He looked a bit surprised at what it was because it was something there is no way he could have seen because I am certain he does not follow my blog.  I explained that I knew he preferred paper books and when I got the digital book I felt it had to be in paper.  He said he had never seen it in paper.  I got a bit braver. I said, "I made it for you, but if you don't want it or are going to throw it away I want you to just sign it and I will keep it".  He said no he loved it and asked ME to SIGN it for him!  Then he told someone he wanted a photo of the two of us with the book that I had made for him.  What an honor!  I was so glad that I got the guts to give him the book.

What a wonderful evening it turned out to be.  And now that it is over I sit and wait for the next Jamie Ford novel.

Happy Reading!









01 March 2014

Saturday afternoon book making

Tuesday night is a big evening for me.  Our local Community College is hosting an event where they are bringing in an author and letting him speak then sign autographs.  West Kentucky Community Technical College has done this before, but this is the first time I have longed to go.  It was almost a year ago that I read about the event and have counted down the days.

Who is coming to the little town of Paducah?  Why Jamie Ford.  You haven't heard of him?  Well, you need to google it right now.  Purchase the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet first and you will be hooked.  There is a second novel entitled Songs of Willow Frost that I also recommend.

I discovered Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet not long after it was published.  I read it, reread it....well, I keep rereading it.  I have the ebook, but once I found out Jamie was coming to Paducah, I bought a paper copy as well.  I pre-purchased Songs of Willow Frost from BAM! and it was delivered to my house the day the book was released.  If you pre-purchased Songs, Jamie would email you a little "supplement" type/companion book written about one of the characters in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.  I read it when he emailed me, but decided that since I was going to meet him next week I would try to see if he would autograph my ebook too.


I printed the book in full form. It was rather large to bind, so I printed as a booklet.






I took a large sheet of mat board and cut me a couple of covers (8.5x6).  I covered each cover with one 12x12 scrapbook page (Bohemia by My Mind's Eye---the best paper pad EVER!!!).








 In the meantime I put together the booklet, scored the middle, and sewed the binding of the pages.  Once that was finished I inked the pages with Distress Ink by Tim Holtz (old paper and walnut stain).  I hot glued a ribbon to the "spine" of the booklet (gluing the booklet in the exact center of the ribbon).  Once the hot glue set up, I put a strip of hot glue on the inside edge of one of the covers and put the ribbon down on that side.  Once set I repeated the process with the other side of the ribbon and other cover.  The thickness of the book looks nice between the covers.  I mod podged the covers after adding some walnut stain ink to the edges.  I also mod podged the overleafs of the booklet to each cover giving it a finished look.

On the cover, I used Jamie's cover, but I ran out of color ink. I will reprint before Tuesday and mod podge the new photo onto the cover.

Not perfect but it's kind of like me...covered in flaws but handy.















01 June 2013

Bookmarks all around

For anyone that knows me, you know I love books.  I collect them, I read them, and keep them in alphabetical order on my shelves. 
Today I wanted to share some bookmarks with a fellow book lover.  This person responded to a facebook post that I made in January.  It simply said that the first sic people that responded would get a handmade gift from me at some point during the year.  This was a very cool challenge as I tried to make the gifts reflect the recipients tastes.  Hence the bookarks for this person.

01 April 2012

Just read a book!!!

I think I have said this before, but when I was in high school, reading a book was the LAST thing I would do.  I was too cool to read the assigned books and tried very hard NOT to read them unless the teacher required us during class time.  I did read the book A Farewell to Arms because we were required to do so in class.  I fell deeply in love with the story and to this day it is one of my favorite books.  I even love the movie with Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones.  I read this book every year because I love it so much.

The other book I fell for while in high school was The Mayor of Casterbridge.  Again, a wonderful story with a crazy but effective story.  If you have not read these two books you must!

Gone with the Wind was my next book.  This was the book that did it for me.  This is the book that hooked me to reading.  This is it.  I began to realize that in a book you could lose reality, you could imagine people, things and scenery.  I have currently read GWTW 39 times.  That equals one time for every year that I have been alive. I hope to keep it going and read it once a year, we shall see if I can do it.  

Since the introduction of my smartphone, I don't read as much as I did.  I also scrapbook A LOT!!! So there is another thing that takes up my time.  At one time in my life I read around 300 books per year.  Now it is more like 75.  It may be my attention span too, it is worse because there are so many things to distract me.  And then it could be that my kids are more involved in things now.

Still I love to read and love to share that love.
Now I am not talking about the Bible, there are so grand stories in there, and those I read over and over so don't think I am discounting that. I don't believe that counts.  That is the best book and the one you can use for real life.  So basically I count it on a different scale. I guess that is because mainly I read novels for my escapism.  The Bible I read for my soul!

 I made this card for our librarian at LOHS.  She reads books so I made her a bookmark holder with 2 bookmarks.  This was an experiment because I had never made a card with bookmarks.   I am pleased with the result. I am rather pleased with the way it turned out.  It is a two sided card. I stitched it up after I added the pockets. 






This card uses:
Tim Holtz's distress inks in Broken China, Dusty Concord, Fired Brick, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries, and Weathered Wood

Also DMC thread
Stampendous embossing powder in midnight black
stamps from Inkadinkadoo (Birds Galore)
Patterned paper by K&Co Viola Viva

Review: The Wildest Sun