JP and friends

Hi all (apparently this has somehow reached people I'm not blood related to--welcome! Welcome also to those with whom I do share blood ties...I love you too!)

So the first couple of pictures are actually not my own products, but those of friends whose work I am honored to receive.

The first two pictures are the work of Katie (whose last name I do not know). She's the girl who traded me books for hats (or actually I think it's hats for books), so those are the ones I received in the craft trade. Very exciting. I think both are so darling. The first kind of reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake (does anyone but me even remember how good those dolls smelled?). I bet it would look great with my new hair (I have really RED streaks these days--thanks to Ava!), but I'm thankful that for at least the last two days it's been warm enough to go without a hat. I'm really hoping that we're in for a warm streak here in Seattle. Isn't it summer?

This is the second. I think it's great, even though it does look a little funny on. However, I am fairly excited that it will cover my ears--and really when the weather calls for ear coverings, who really cares what you look like (obviously not me). The hat is a beautiful piece on it's own--while it has striking lines and symmetry, I like that the colors are soft and muted. (BTW, yes, that is my own toe on the right.)

This apron was a gift that I just got in the mail from my dear friend and labmate, Jenny. So the funny thing is that Jenny and I, not only have the same first name, but we also have rhyming last names. AND both of our brothers' names are Matt. How crazy is that? Although, they're Matt and Jenny and we're Jenni and Matt. But really, I think it was destiny that we cross paths at some point. I'm not really sure if there's significance to us meeting in a lab that studies tuberculosis; if there is, I think I'd rather not know.

In any case, Jenny made this for me, and isn't it beautiful?! I love the ruffle on the bottom! She thought that the neck strap thing might be too long, but in my opinion it's better to be too long than too short--especially when you have a head as big as mine! :) Actually it's just right!


OK, on to the newest books. I realize that all of these books kind of look like the same size because when I take the picture I try and fill the frame. I might have to use something to use as a size reference in the pictures. I'll think about it.

In any case, this is the first book in the Scrapbook Extravaganza. This one here is one made especially for my Auntie Grace who lives in NJ. I know anyone who leaves HI for NJ, is crazy in my book, but whatever. :) She specifically requested a Japanese print on the cover of her book. I chose this paper from de Medici Ming because it seems rare in Japanese prints that they use blue--especially the lighter periwinkle blue that is the base color here. And I liked that the flowers were a little bigger than some of the other Japanese printed paper that I've bought before. I thought it would go well with the navy silk binding and navy blue end papers (end papers are the papers that connect the inside cover to the rest of the pages--you know, the pages that can't be opened all the way flat. BTW, that used to drive me crazy, but now that I understand how books are made, it makes so much more sense now). In any case, this book, is 11" tall by 9" wide and has 24 80lb cover pages that are slate blue (a super pale blue) from the construction line at the French Paper Company. The book technically has 26 pages, but because the last and first pages aren't really that usable, I didn't count those and I put in an extra signature. Oh yeah, and each signature (the grouping of pages that get sewn together) was only one page each. Because this book and the next were intended to hold photographs, I intended to use spacers (see wave book below), but then I thought if I only sewed signatures of 1 page, it would probably leave enough space between the pages without the book getting huge. I'll have to hear back from my aunt and uncle about how it actually functions.

The last two pictures are of the book for my Uncle Kevin (who is married to my Auntie Grace who also left HI for NJ), so yeah...crazy.

So my Uncle Kevin, in addition to being a neuroscientist--yes, rats in mazes and all that crazy stuff--is a rather awesome photographer. (See his smugmug page at ) So after a recent trip to visit with my parents and a photoshooting bonanza with my dad, I started this dialog with him about the kind of books he might want. So far I think we have at least 22 emails that have been sent back and forth on the subject. Turns out I'm not only a science nerd, but also a crafty one. I had no idea I had so much to say about a craft that I started less than a year ago. In any case, this was the book that I made for him.

It's the same size as the previous book (11" tall, 9.5" wide), but as you can see it's completely covered in this green bookcloth. You might not be able to see it, but it's also kind of linty. I did not know this when I bought the material (really online pictures don't really do texture justice), although I should have guessed as the material is apparently part mohair. But in actuality, I think the book came out really nice--and because the book is entirely bound in bookcloth, it looks very clean. In fact I might even say that the linty texture of the book adds a nice dimension to the book. It has 16 useable pages (80lb cover, recycled white from construction line of FPC), and also no spacers (we'll see if this is a total debacle or not). But one of my favorite parts are the end pages. Also from de Medici Ming, it's just so unique-looking. I don't know how much time you spend looking at paper (I'm always looking, but you know...that's why this bookbinding thing works so well for me), but there's lots of paper that's printed or has patterns or is marbled and stuff, but few of them have this really organic look to them. I loved how it went well with the green and thought it was especially fitting for a book for my uncle as he often takes landscapes, and the paper looks a little bit like a really neat rock.

This last picture is one of my uncle's winning photographs. You should really check out his stuff. It's worth it, and let's face it, you were just going to check your email for the 20th time today anyway. :) In case the link above didn't work (it's hard to tell on these html blog things), you can cut and paste http?//kpang.smugmug.com into your browser.

A little insider information, if you're wondering where the book pictures in this entry were taken, it was on our ironing board with a piece of newsprint hung from the bookcase. I haven't figured out a way to take good photos yet. Like the title says, it's all a work in progress. :)