This is the other set of books I made for LittleMary. It was a lot of fun to work with her. Anyone else in my life may feel free to patronize me, too.
LittleMary's Rainbows
My new patroness, LittleMary, recently purchased seven books from me all! at! once! Pictured here are the four with rainbow pages.
Each book is 5" wide x 7" tall. One cover is black, the other is white and the paper in between makes a lovely rainbow. With 168 pages, these notebooks should serve the average person for a year or two. To ensure that they would be unique, I used a different color thread to bind each one. I happened to have some rainbow ribbon lying around, so I included a ribbon bookmark with each book. I was very pleased with the outcome and definitely plan on making more of these in the very near future.
All in a Line
One of my favorite parts of going to Jordan's house is seeing him interact with his brother. It's not that they don't have normal sibling conflict, but you can definitely tell that they respect and enjoy each other. It's a wonderful thing to behold.
Oh, the Insanity!
I don't know how and I don't know why, but after almost two months of being an Etsy seller, in the past two weeks I've sold nine books, seven on Etsy, one to Jordan's mom, and one to a classmate. I'm beginning to wonder if someone with a good readership blogged about me or if the new search engine on Etsy is really working in my favor. This morning, I listed a new book before I went to class and it was sold by the time I got back. Crazy!If I could guarantee that such high interest would keep up, I would be tempted to leave this seminary thing behind and become a small business owner. Unfortunately, I would have to raise my prices pretty dramatically in order to make a living from this hobby. For now, I'm happy to make a little bit of money from each sale. It gives me more money to make books and a little ego boost every time I get to tell my friends that I just sold another book.
It is really tempting to just spend my days making books, but I am not going to screw up this semester.
Brown is Beautiful Binding
This one just sold. That's two books in like five days. Also, there is a woman on Etsy who wants a custom scrapbook, who will be giving me the details soon, and Sarah's sister wants one of my journals.
This Is My Book
My ramblings have already begun to fill this book. It contains about 480 pages. That should last about a year.
Made By Me
I didn't taken this picture, but I did make this book. Sarah commissioned me to make it as a wedding gift for her sister. In my opinion, it is the prettiest book I've ever made. The orange opalescent paper coordinates extraordinarily well with the blue polka-dotted paper. It's just beautiful to look at and beautiful to hold. I hope Marci likes it.
Two Weeks In
Another semester is well under way, so it seems like a good time to give my first impressions of each class I'm taking. I'm only taking four classes, plus preaching.
Preaching - This class is going to be a little different from last semester because they switched professors on us. Before I had the professor who preached a sermon every class whether he meant to or not. Now I have the professor who begins weeping on a regular basis.
Theology of Paul Tillich - I am intriqued with this man's thought, but reading it makes me feel incredibly stupid. Much of it is really dense, philosophical stuff. Fortunately, I am taking it pass/fail, so I feel a little more freedom to get creative and be dumb.
Theology, Cosmology, and Creation - Interestingly enough, most of what we've read so far has been from a book called Cosmic Jackpot, which gives a really good layman's overview of physics. I am gaining a greater respect for my friends in college who were ballsy enough to study physics and I kind of wish I hadn't asked them to stop talking about physics at dinner. It will be interesting to see if any of my theology is fundamentally changed based on what I learn in this class. Jordan is in this one with me and listening to him talk I am in awe of his ability to understand and integrate seemingly unrelated concepts.
The Biblical Canon - This might be my "easiest" class. Not that we're not going to deal with some tough concepts and work through some tough questions, but it is a large class with a visiting professor, who is possibly the cutest old man ever. His wife is taking the class with us. Anyway, it's not a lot of reading and there's a whole lot of repetition from other courses I've taken on the Bible.
Spiritual Autobiography - This is going to be my best class. We are reading about 10 different autobiographies and working with them both as literary and theological works. The professor is Yolanda Pierce, who just started her career at PTS last semester and is already in high demand. She's this fabulous, earthy, real African-American woman who is not afraid to get into the real stuff of life. Several of the books we are reading are repeats for me, but I never tire of re-reading and discussing good literature.
I think this is going to be a good semester. There are already a lot of connections coming out between my various classes, especially Paul Tillich and Theology, Cosmology and Creation. Last semester was a little boring at times, so it's nice to have a semester in which I am genuinely interested in every one of my classes.
Preaching - This class is going to be a little different from last semester because they switched professors on us. Before I had the professor who preached a sermon every class whether he meant to or not. Now I have the professor who begins weeping on a regular basis.
Theology of Paul Tillich - I am intriqued with this man's thought, but reading it makes me feel incredibly stupid. Much of it is really dense, philosophical stuff. Fortunately, I am taking it pass/fail, so I feel a little more freedom to get creative and be dumb.
Theology, Cosmology, and Creation - Interestingly enough, most of what we've read so far has been from a book called Cosmic Jackpot, which gives a really good layman's overview of physics. I am gaining a greater respect for my friends in college who were ballsy enough to study physics and I kind of wish I hadn't asked them to stop talking about physics at dinner. It will be interesting to see if any of my theology is fundamentally changed based on what I learn in this class. Jordan is in this one with me and listening to him talk I am in awe of his ability to understand and integrate seemingly unrelated concepts.
The Biblical Canon - This might be my "easiest" class. Not that we're not going to deal with some tough concepts and work through some tough questions, but it is a large class with a visiting professor, who is possibly the cutest old man ever. His wife is taking the class with us. Anyway, it's not a lot of reading and there's a whole lot of repetition from other courses I've taken on the Bible.
Spiritual Autobiography - This is going to be my best class. We are reading about 10 different autobiographies and working with them both as literary and theological works. The professor is Yolanda Pierce, who just started her career at PTS last semester and is already in high demand. She's this fabulous, earthy, real African-American woman who is not afraid to get into the real stuff of life. Several of the books we are reading are repeats for me, but I never tire of re-reading and discussing good literature.
I think this is going to be a good semester. There are already a lot of connections coming out between my various classes, especially Paul Tillich and Theology, Cosmology and Creation. Last semester was a little boring at times, so it's nice to have a semester in which I am genuinely interested in every one of my classes.
I Sold a Book...
to someone other than Jordan's mom.
Woot!
Good bye, Blue Monday.
Check out my Etsy shop. These would make fabulous Valentine's Day gifts!!!
Woot!
Good bye, Blue Monday.
Check out my Etsy shop. These would make fabulous Valentine's Day gifts!!!
My Most Recent Books...
Another post in less than two weeks. Imagine that! So, here are some pictures of the books I made most recently. Enjoy!
This flowered one is teeny, but still big enough to write in, only 3 x 4 inches. I used the scraps from the other books I made while at Jordan's house. My favorite detail is the way I placed the holes for stitching. It's a bit difficult to see in this picture, but I made reverse Vs, in opposite directions on each side.
This one is 4 x 6 inches. As far as I'm concerned, it's the perfect size to carry everywhere you go to be used as a journal, a sketchbook, a dayplanner of your own design. And, like the flowered book above, it's reversible, you can choose which side is the front and which side is the back.
Here we have one that's a little less traditional. It's 4 x 7 inches, which isn't unmanageable or weird looking, but it is a little thinner than a book would normally be. The thread I used is a vibrant blue. If you look closely, you can see that I pasted an extra dot on the front. That's because I made a mistake. Glue is sometimes not my friend.
You might not think about it much, but square books are a lot of fun. I love the proportions of them. The pattern on the front is beautiful and I used a complementary red metallic paper for the back. It wrinkled a little from the glue but, as far as mistakes go, it was a fortuitous one.
Now we have a smallish one, 4 x 5 1/2 inches, covered in blue, white and purple flowers on one side and blue, brown, purple, and green stripes on the other. I originally picked the paper for myself, but now realize it would probably be more appropriate as a gift for a little girl.
I've used the paper covering the book to the right before. I love how there is just one heart in the middle of all those dots. This one is the same size as the red dotted one above, just a few pages thicker. I love the back cover, too, but I didn't want to include to pictures.
And, finally, there's this lovely 5 x 7 job that is covered on the front with an abstract floral print and on the back in creamy paper with darker flecks throughout. The grass green thread may not seem to coordinate in this picture, but it looks great in real life.
I've listed a few of these over at Etsy and should have the rest up in the next few days. I've been getting a lot of hits, but no purchases on books so far. Maybe when Valentine's Day gets a little closer some folks will be poking around for a great gift and will decide one of my books would be perfect. Here's hoping.
If you would like to see some more shots of these books, you can hop over to my flickr page and check out my set called Bound and Determined.
This flowered one is teeny, but still big enough to write in, only 3 x 4 inches. I used the scraps from the other books I made while at Jordan's house. My favorite detail is the way I placed the holes for stitching. It's a bit difficult to see in this picture, but I made reverse Vs, in opposite directions on each side.
This one is 4 x 6 inches. As far as I'm concerned, it's the perfect size to carry everywhere you go to be used as a journal, a sketchbook, a dayplanner of your own design. And, like the flowered book above, it's reversible, you can choose which side is the front and which side is the back.
Here we have one that's a little less traditional. It's 4 x 7 inches, which isn't unmanageable or weird looking, but it is a little thinner than a book would normally be. The thread I used is a vibrant blue. If you look closely, you can see that I pasted an extra dot on the front. That's because I made a mistake. Glue is sometimes not my friend.
You might not think about it much, but square books are a lot of fun. I love the proportions of them. The pattern on the front is beautiful and I used a complementary red metallic paper for the back. It wrinkled a little from the glue but, as far as mistakes go, it was a fortuitous one.
Now we have a smallish one, 4 x 5 1/2 inches, covered in blue, white and purple flowers on one side and blue, brown, purple, and green stripes on the other. I originally picked the paper for myself, but now realize it would probably be more appropriate as a gift for a little girl.
I've used the paper covering the book to the right before. I love how there is just one heart in the middle of all those dots. This one is the same size as the red dotted one above, just a few pages thicker. I love the back cover, too, but I didn't want to include to pictures. 
And, finally, there's this lovely 5 x 7 job that is covered on the front with an abstract floral print and on the back in creamy paper with darker flecks throughout. The grass green thread may not seem to coordinate in this picture, but it looks great in real life.I've listed a few of these over at Etsy and should have the rest up in the next few days. I've been getting a lot of hits, but no purchases on books so far. Maybe when Valentine's Day gets a little closer some folks will be poking around for a great gift and will decide one of my books would be perfect. Here's hoping.
If you would like to see some more shots of these books, you can hop over to my flickr page and check out my set called Bound and Determined.
A New Semester Is Underway
It's been a long time since I actually wrote a post on here that wasn't short and completely lacking in news, so I thought I'd take the time for a real update.
Last semester was hard, not academically, but emotionally. It's over now and I'm glad of that. My classes weren't so bad, but they weren't spectacular either. Of course, that probably had to do with my inability to concentrate on much of anything, so I won't blame my instructors.
Just a quick rundown:
Preaching - I like preaching, surprisingly enough, probably because I love spending the time in preparation and feeling inspired with something to say.
Hebrews - The class was structured in such a way that we barely used our Greek, which was a tad frustrating considering that's why I took the class in the first place.
Systematic Theology - Dr. McCormack is my new theology hero and Barth's doctrine of election has made the Reformed tradition a bit easier for me to swallow.
Women in OT Narrative - Hebrew is the bomb and we used it a lot in this class, so I was pleased with it from start to finish. Some people complained about having a paper and a final exam, but I liked having the grade spread out a bit more.
American Church History - Dr. Moorhead is a fun little man who knows more stuff than any one person should know. I loved trying to scribble down every important thing he said and thought the tests were completely fair.
My grades haven't come in yet, so maybe I'll feel differently in a few days...
I'm still having some difficulty finding a field education placement, but at least I've gotten the process underway by contacting a few sites. There's a church in the West End of New York City that I'll be visiting this Sunday. Commuting to NYC every Sunday is not my idea of a good time, but being in an urban, ethnically diverse setting would probably be a good stretch for me. We'll see how that goes.
Break last week was fun and relaxing. Emily's generosity allowed me to spend a long weekend in DC and Northern Virginia, an area I haven't visited since I moved to school in 2006. We did a lot of laying around her lovely apartment watching Melrose Place and football and some haunting of familiar places, like Chipotle and Bangkok 54 and the Falls Church. Mostly, it was wonderful to see Emily and Mary Katharine and enjoy time with friends knowing that there was no schoolwork to be done.
The rest of my week was spent at Jordan's house in Pennsburg making books. Over Christmas I used a gift card from his mom to purchase enough supplies to make a bunch. So, while I was there, with no schoolwork, I managed to make nine, of which I will be posting photos in the next few days. My goal is to get them listed on Etsy by Wednesday afternoon. My other goal is to actually sell one. The problem is, now that Christmas is over, Etsy sales are moving rather slowly. Worst case scenario, I have a huge stock for next Christmas season. One of the books I made was a photo album Sarah, Jordan's mom, commissioned as a gift for her younger sister's wedding gift. It's one of the best and prettiest books I've ever made, but I forgot to take pictures. DOH! This semester, I plan to make one book a week for fun and, hopefully, for just a little profit since I can't keep them all and not everyone I know wants a book for his or her birthday.
If there's something I left out and you'd like to know, just leave a comment and maybe I'll answer with a blog post dedicated to you!
Last semester was hard, not academically, but emotionally. It's over now and I'm glad of that. My classes weren't so bad, but they weren't spectacular either. Of course, that probably had to do with my inability to concentrate on much of anything, so I won't blame my instructors.
Just a quick rundown:
Preaching - I like preaching, surprisingly enough, probably because I love spending the time in preparation and feeling inspired with something to say.
Hebrews - The class was structured in such a way that we barely used our Greek, which was a tad frustrating considering that's why I took the class in the first place.
Systematic Theology - Dr. McCormack is my new theology hero and Barth's doctrine of election has made the Reformed tradition a bit easier for me to swallow.
Women in OT Narrative - Hebrew is the bomb and we used it a lot in this class, so I was pleased with it from start to finish. Some people complained about having a paper and a final exam, but I liked having the grade spread out a bit more.
American Church History - Dr. Moorhead is a fun little man who knows more stuff than any one person should know. I loved trying to scribble down every important thing he said and thought the tests were completely fair.
My grades haven't come in yet, so maybe I'll feel differently in a few days...
I'm still having some difficulty finding a field education placement, but at least I've gotten the process underway by contacting a few sites. There's a church in the West End of New York City that I'll be visiting this Sunday. Commuting to NYC every Sunday is not my idea of a good time, but being in an urban, ethnically diverse setting would probably be a good stretch for me. We'll see how that goes.
Break last week was fun and relaxing. Emily's generosity allowed me to spend a long weekend in DC and Northern Virginia, an area I haven't visited since I moved to school in 2006. We did a lot of laying around her lovely apartment watching Melrose Place and football and some haunting of familiar places, like Chipotle and Bangkok 54 and the Falls Church. Mostly, it was wonderful to see Emily and Mary Katharine and enjoy time with friends knowing that there was no schoolwork to be done.
The rest of my week was spent at Jordan's house in Pennsburg making books. Over Christmas I used a gift card from his mom to purchase enough supplies to make a bunch. So, while I was there, with no schoolwork, I managed to make nine, of which I will be posting photos in the next few days. My goal is to get them listed on Etsy by Wednesday afternoon. My other goal is to actually sell one. The problem is, now that Christmas is over, Etsy sales are moving rather slowly. Worst case scenario, I have a huge stock for next Christmas season. One of the books I made was a photo album Sarah, Jordan's mom, commissioned as a gift for her younger sister's wedding gift. It's one of the best and prettiest books I've ever made, but I forgot to take pictures. DOH! This semester, I plan to make one book a week for fun and, hopefully, for just a little profit since I can't keep them all and not everyone I know wants a book for his or her birthday.
If there's something I left out and you'd like to know, just leave a comment and maybe I'll answer with a blog post dedicated to you!
Maryland Lighthouses
Someone at UNC used one of my early digital pictures in a project. If you go here and scroll about three quarters of the way down, to Western Shore Lighthouses...there it is. It's like the one to the left, only bigger.They listed it as an anonymous Creative Commons photo, even though they were able to link back to the source. I think I'm going to email whoever wrote that.
EDIT: I emailed Russ Rowlett, the creator of the website and a professor of Math at UNC-Chapel Hill, and he kindly credited my photo. Awesome!
Finals
This place has a way of making me anxious like no other place in my life ever has before. Two days ago, Jordan and I were in Pennsburg, enjoying some down time, doing at a little studying at the same time, then we came back here. We came back here and, immediately, I felt overwhelmed by everything. It was almost as if there was a basket full of stuff that I was able to leave here at school, but as soon as I got back it was sitting here waiting for me.
It's nothing I can't handle, but it's a bunch of stuff that I don't want to handle. Stuff like field ed and finals and papers and all that jazz... The problem is that the stuff I don't want to handle is the stuff that should be done immediately. Whenever this time in the semester comes along, I have to continually remind myself that the work always gets done and I'm not going to fail.
It's nothing I can't handle, but it's a bunch of stuff that I don't want to handle. Stuff like field ed and finals and papers and all that jazz... The problem is that the stuff I don't want to handle is the stuff that should be done immediately. Whenever this time in the semester comes along, I have to continually remind myself that the work always gets done and I'm not going to fail.
Need an Opinion...
What do y'all think...
Is this one better...
...or this one?
It's the new year and I just don't have the energy or desire to write a long post about it. Give me a few weeks; then finals will be over and I might feel like writing for fun again.
Is this one better...
...or this one?
It's the new year and I just don't have the energy or desire to write a long post about it. Give me a few weeks; then finals will be over and I might feel like writing for fun again.
Sparkle & Glow
Yes, it's a day late, but better late than never. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Merry Merry Merry
Not only is this a Christmas post, it is my first post in a week, it is my 700th post and it is a post about how awesome I am. I recently completed a tutorial about how to make a book because bookbinding is something I'm getting into these days. Well, on the 23rd of December, the Craft Magazine blog linked to my tutorial as part of their post full of ideas for last-minute gifts for boys. Mine was the first one mentioned!!! And, they posted a picture of the journal I recently made for the boy. Yay for Christmas! Yay for 700 posts! Yay for making books! Yay for being linked on a cool blog! Woot!!
My First Book (for Sale)
I listed my first book for sale over at Etsy. If you want to check out my shop, which mostly contains photos, click here.
I'll never be able to list a lot at a time, but I'll be putting up a few more books up after Christmas break and there are always photos to be purchased. I'm also willing to work with people on custom orders if you have something you'd really like.
Start to Finish
Hey friends! I just made a tutorial for making a simple book. If you're up for a little challenge, please try to follow my instructions and let me know if they are sufficient. If you don't want a challenge, just read through the instructions and let me know if you think certain things are unclear.
To see the tutorial, click here. A slideshow will begin. To read the captions which give the instructions, just click on the picture. If it's too fast, you can slow it down using the buttons in the bottom left corner. For a few days, you can also just click here to go to my flickr page and view the photos in non-slideshow format.
My So-Called Life!!!
If you go to abc.com and click on the link for full episodes and launch the player, you can actually watch the first episode of My So-Called Life. Blast from the past, no doubt!
Another...and Another
The bookbinding bug lives! I can't stop myself. I see beautiful paper and I want...NO, I need, to make it into a book. Since last Friday, I've made two more pretty things and thought y'all might like to see a few pictures.
This one I made especially for me. The paper on the front cover called to me from the shelf as I was in Michael's one day. It probably would have made me happy to use it on the back, as well, but some part of me likes to have variety, so I chose a coordinating sheet, which is not visible in this shot, but it provided the green dot visible in the top right corner. Another bit of the J.Crew shoebox was used for the cover board and some green embroidery floss sacrificed itself for the binding. I made the book over 500 pages. Yes, that is a lot, but I like big fat books. Believe me, it's perfect!
This book is my first commissioned job. Jordan's mom wanted to give one of her students a sketchbook/journal for Christmas, so she bought the supplies and I made the book. Basically, she bought a regular sketchbook and I used the thick board on the back and the pages to make a pretty sketchbook. My habit of binding too tightly came into play, so I built in an elastic strip to keep it closed.
These pictures are my favorites, but don't show much detail, so if you want to see more check out my picture set of homemade books.
These pictures are my favorites, but don't show much detail, so if you want to see more check out my picture set of homemade books.
Laid Bare...Almost
Written two weeks ago...
Most of you, my faithful readers, will not be surprised when I tell you that this has been a tough semester for me. The infrequent, somewhat cryptic posts could have clued you in. Or, if you know me outside the blogosphere, the constant look of confusion may have done it for you. Anyway, it's the hardness of life that's kept me from posting because some things really are too personal. Today, though, I've felt prompted to share a little bit, at least.
Some of you may read the word "semester" and think that I'm struggling academically. But, other than having difficulty finding the motivation to complete the work, school hasn't been much of a problem. I've been learning some things and enjoying my classmates. Preaching has been especially good, which is a huge surprise to me.
My current struggles have been more internal; emotional and spiritual. For the past fifteen years or so, I've believed myself to be a basically stoic person. I've begun learning, though, that I am not so much a stoic as a stuffer. Ever since I can remember I have distanced myself from my emotions and now, suddenly, all of the emotions that I'd stuffed down inside myself have decided it's time to come out. The best illustration I can think of is how the Titans were released from their bonds to wreak havoc on the earth in Hercules. (Yes, I just referenced the Disney version of a Greek myth.)
Of course, in the midst of unexpected and unprecendented mood swings, I haven't been able to explain it quite so succinctly before. It's taken me several months of thinking about and talking about these things to understand what's going on with me. And, I'm sure there's still a lot more to understand...
This new understanding hit me in a fresh way as I was listening to a classmate's sermon on Matthew 11:16-19, which goes like this:
Sometimes, I wish I could go back to not feeling because pain hurts. (Obvious, huh?) But, at the same time, I now realize that not feeling pain and sorrow also deadened my ability to feel joy and happiness and I know that I don't want to go back to that. I want to cry when I need to cry and jump up and down when it's time to do that. If you've ever been disappointed in my reactions to your news in the past, know that I am feeling them now, intensely. And, while I can't promise that I will have the right reaction when you bring me your joys and sorrows in the future, I can promise that I will try to experience them both with you.
I am Elliott and I feel.
Most of you, my faithful readers, will not be surprised when I tell you that this has been a tough semester for me. The infrequent, somewhat cryptic posts could have clued you in. Or, if you know me outside the blogosphere, the constant look of confusion may have done it for you. Anyway, it's the hardness of life that's kept me from posting because some things really are too personal. Today, though, I've felt prompted to share a little bit, at least.
Some of you may read the word "semester" and think that I'm struggling academically. But, other than having difficulty finding the motivation to complete the work, school hasn't been much of a problem. I've been learning some things and enjoying my classmates. Preaching has been especially good, which is a huge surprise to me.
My current struggles have been more internal; emotional and spiritual. For the past fifteen years or so, I've believed myself to be a basically stoic person. I've begun learning, though, that I am not so much a stoic as a stuffer. Ever since I can remember I have distanced myself from my emotions and now, suddenly, all of the emotions that I'd stuffed down inside myself have decided it's time to come out. The best illustration I can think of is how the Titans were released from their bonds to wreak havoc on the earth in Hercules. (Yes, I just referenced the Disney version of a Greek myth.)
Of course, in the midst of unexpected and unprecendented mood swings, I haven't been able to explain it quite so succinctly before. It's taken me several months of thinking about and talking about these things to understand what's going on with me. And, I'm sure there's still a lot more to understand...
This new understanding hit me in a fresh way as I was listening to a classmate's sermon on Matthew 11:16-19, which goes like this:
"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."The constant refrain in Jason's sermon was that the people just didn't get it. But, one thing he said was especially striking to me. I can't quote him directly, but the gist was that weddings and funerals should be two life events to which we are intensely connected emotionally. Yet, the unresponsive children in this passage were able to contemplate both with dispassion. And, then I remembered all the times my friends had shared news with me, news of engagements and illnesses, of exciting opportunities and huge disappointments, to which I responded with a meager "congratulations" or a wan smile, when I should have been crying or rejoicing with them. The joy and pain that I should have shared with my friends was absent because I had learned not to feel.
Sometimes, I wish I could go back to not feeling because pain hurts. (Obvious, huh?) But, at the same time, I now realize that not feeling pain and sorrow also deadened my ability to feel joy and happiness and I know that I don't want to go back to that. I want to cry when I need to cry and jump up and down when it's time to do that. If you've ever been disappointed in my reactions to your news in the past, know that I am feeling them now, intensely. And, while I can't promise that I will have the right reaction when you bring me your joys and sorrows in the future, I can promise that I will try to experience them both with you.
I am Elliott and I feel.
Both Sides Now
I made another book. This one has a pretty obvious mistake, but I think it's beautiful nonetheless. Originally, I was going to keep this one, but I suddenly realized that if I never gave any of these away I would eventually have to stop making them.
Another One
I made another book today. It took me about three hours from start to finish; not too shabby for an amateur. Here are some photos:
It's just a tad bit larger than a quarter sheet of printer paper (4.25"x5.5") and contains 120 leaves or 240 pages. For the covers, I used pieces of cardboard from a J.Crew shoe box that I found in the recycling bin downstairs and paper that I bought from a designer on Etsy.com.
For the binding, I used blue DMC embroidery floss that I waxed with my nifty waxing contraption purchased in from Talas in NYC. My first book's binding was a little floppy, so I overcompensated a little, making this one too tight. But, honestly, I'd rather have to use some outside means to keep it closed than have it all sloppy.
The same paper that I used for the covers, I used for the signature wrappers. Signature wrappers seemed like such a silly idea until I put them to use, now I realize that they just make the book that much prettier! This picture shows why I love coptic binding. Journals that lie flat on their own are awesome.
If I weren't such a perfectionist, I would try to sell this one. But, I don't think I could charge someone for the rough corners and raggedy edges and too-tight binding... Anyway, I really love doing this. I think my next binding project will be upcycling on my favorite children's books, Katie the Kitten.
It's just a tad bit larger than a quarter sheet of printer paper (4.25"x5.5") and contains 120 leaves or 240 pages. For the covers, I used pieces of cardboard from a J.Crew shoe box that I found in the recycling bin downstairs and paper that I bought from a designer on Etsy.com.
For the binding, I used blue DMC embroidery floss that I waxed with my nifty waxing contraption purchased in from Talas in NYC. My first book's binding was a little floppy, so I overcompensated a little, making this one too tight. But, honestly, I'd rather have to use some outside means to keep it closed than have it all sloppy.
The same paper that I used for the covers, I used for the signature wrappers. Signature wrappers seemed like such a silly idea until I put them to use, now I realize that they just make the book that much prettier! This picture shows why I love coptic binding. Journals that lie flat on their own are awesome.If I weren't such a perfectionist, I would try to sell this one. But, I don't think I could charge someone for the rough corners and raggedy edges and too-tight binding... Anyway, I really love doing this. I think my next binding project will be upcycling on my favorite children's books, Katie the Kitten.
My First Sale!
Friends, I have some exciting news. I made my very first sale on Etsy. Someone bought an 8x10 of the photo to the right. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it was such an awesome feeling for someone to actually be willing to spend money on some of my artwork.Anyway, if you're looking for Christmas presents and think some of your friends and family might like some of my work, please stop by my Etsy shop and place an order. Any special requests are welcome! Almost all of the non-people pictures on my flickr page are fair game!
So Done
When I get busy and stressed out, my first reaction is to stop doing whatever it is I am supposed to be doing and find something that does not need to be done or, at least, doesn't need to be done until after something else. That's what I'm doing right now. I have a midterm exam tomorrow in my church history class and instead of studying, I am writing a blog entry. Before this, I was looking at Etsy. I can't afford to buy a single thing I want on Etsy, but I constantly torture myself by looking at it.
Anyway, I thought I would take a moment to lament before I got back to doing something that actually needs to be done.
Anyway, I thought I would take a moment to lament before I got back to doing something that actually needs to be done.
Go! Buy!!
So, I've listed some of my photographs on Etsy. If you love me and you love my photos, please stop by and see if you might like to purchase some. Slap 'em in a cute frame and you've got an instant Christmas gift.
| Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade anybodyinthere.etsy.com |
I Did It...
I love making things and giving them to people, so I took a pledge to either make or buy homemade things for people this Christmas. Maybe you should think about it, too... Go to Etsy. Not everything homemade has to be expensive.
If you want to, you could even buy some of my photos, which are handmade by me, for Christmas gifts. A link to that action will be forthcoming shortly!
If you want to, you could even buy some of my photos, which are handmade by me, for Christmas gifts. A link to that action will be forthcoming shortly!
So Not Done
My systematic theology midterm was due today. I sent it to my preceptor several hours ago and wish that I was never going to see it again. You could say it's not good, but that would be an understatement. It's not only not good, it's terrible. I feel sort of ashamed of turning it in. It's not that I didn't try. I tried! I tried so hard. I thought about the questions, I read and reread the material, I spent hours writing, but none of it worked.
With the rest of my week, I get to write my first sermon ever, make a paper proposal, and take an in-class midterm. I'm going to try to make the most of it, but it's all a little overwhelming. Feel free to pray for me.
With the rest of my week, I get to write my first sermon ever, make a paper proposal, and take an in-class midterm. I'm going to try to make the most of it, but it's all a little overwhelming. Feel free to pray for me.
Another Hoop
There is a requirement here at Princeton Theological Seminary that all students complete two field education placements. As of now, the middle of my third semester, I have still not even seriously contemplated how I am going to fulfill this requirement. Recently, in the midst of finding so little motivation to do my schoolwork that it's unbelievable, I've begun to think that a good way to "fulfill" said requirement would be to drop out.
I know I won't actually drop out of school, but it seems a pretty tempting option sometimes.
I know I won't actually drop out of school, but it seems a pretty tempting option sometimes.
I Tried...
I sort of liked my new blog template, for a while, but it ended up just being too complicated to add or change anything on it. So I've switched back to my old theme until such a time when I can actually spend 25 hours working on customizing a template that I like better than the one I have.
Change
Just got back today from a few days in Ithaca, NY, with, Rebecca, one of my two lovely college roommates. While she was volunteering on Friday afternoon, I bummed around the house for several hours and then decided to take some photos of the waterlogged leaves on her deck.
Poetry Is Hard
For my class on the Epistle to the Hebrews, I have to write a paper reflecting on all of or some portion of the first six chapters of the letter. Dr. Wagner encourages creativity, so our reflections can take the form of art, poetry, or music if we would rather not pursue the more traditional formats.
So, because I've been feeling a little more artsy and less smartsy lately, I've chosen to write a little poetry. (My next project will probably take the form of photography.)
Some of you might think I'm taking the easy way out with all this creativity nonsense, but let me tell you, it's mighty difficult to write a poem that isn't complete garbage. Perhaps Dr. Wagner and Amy Peeler don't know good poetry from bad, but I doubt that's the case.
Letting the text guide my words without letting them put me in a strait jacket is tricky. Finding exactly the right words and transitions to express what I want to is like walking on a high wire. I probably could have written a more traditional reflection in less than an hour, but I've been agonizing over this poem for the past two days!
Maybe this is just my way of avoiding the other work that I have to do... Who knows? Whatever it is, it's a good thing it's satisfying because it's taking a freaking long time!
So, because I've been feeling a little more artsy and less smartsy lately, I've chosen to write a little poetry. (My next project will probably take the form of photography.)
Some of you might think I'm taking the easy way out with all this creativity nonsense, but let me tell you, it's mighty difficult to write a poem that isn't complete garbage. Perhaps Dr. Wagner and Amy Peeler don't know good poetry from bad, but I doubt that's the case.
Letting the text guide my words without letting them put me in a strait jacket is tricky. Finding exactly the right words and transitions to express what I want to is like walking on a high wire. I probably could have written a more traditional reflection in less than an hour, but I've been agonizing over this poem for the past two days!
Maybe this is just my way of avoiding the other work that I have to do... Who knows? Whatever it is, it's a good thing it's satisfying because it's taking a freaking long time!
Bound...
So, I mentioned before that I was interested in taking up bookbinding as a new hobby. Well, folks, I've gone and done it. As of Friday, I completely the binding of my first ever book. It's a tiny baby of a book, and it looks a little rough, but it was 100% handmade by yours truly.
Here's a picture (click on this one to see some other perspectives):
Because I don't have "real" bookbinding supplies, I had to improvise a lot. It was a fun process. The paper I used is standard printer paper in various shades. Each page is the size of 1/8 of a sheet. For the cover papers of the end signatures, I used an award certificate I'd received that was printed on cardstock. The covers are made from davey board that I salvaged from a book Andrea helped me make senior year of college. The beautiful blue thread that I used for the coptic stitch binding is blue embroidery floss, which I waxed using a scented candle.
In all, I spent between 6 and 8 hours working on this little gem. It was a very satisfying endeavor and now I have something useful that didn't cost me anything but some time and a little effort. I was a little worried that the coptic stitch would be beyond me, but it turns out that my sewing talent helped with that part of the project.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in having me make a book for them or for a gift for someone else, let me know...I bet we could work out a good deal. And, the end result would be enjoyment for me and for you.
Here's a picture (click on this one to see some other perspectives):
Because I don't have "real" bookbinding supplies, I had to improvise a lot. It was a fun process. The paper I used is standard printer paper in various shades. Each page is the size of 1/8 of a sheet. For the cover papers of the end signatures, I used an award certificate I'd received that was printed on cardstock. The covers are made from davey board that I salvaged from a book Andrea helped me make senior year of college. The beautiful blue thread that I used for the coptic stitch binding is blue embroidery floss, which I waxed using a scented candle.
In all, I spent between 6 and 8 hours working on this little gem. It was a very satisfying endeavor and now I have something useful that didn't cost me anything but some time and a little effort. I was a little worried that the coptic stitch would be beyond me, but it turns out that my sewing talent helped with that part of the project.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in having me make a book for them or for a gift for someone else, let me know...I bet we could work out a good deal. And, the end result would be enjoyment for me and for you.
Taking Care of Business
After classes end today, reading week has begun. It will be a good time to catch up on some work and, for me, a good time to get off campus, too. I'm looking forward to a visit with my lovely, long-lost roommate, Rebecca. I'll be heading up to Ithaca, by way of NYC, on Wednesday and coming back to PTS on Saturday evening. It's hard to believe that I haven't seen her since last Christmas! That's a long time, people.
Over the next week I have a a sermon, an exegesis paper, a reflection paper, a midrash, and a midterm to write. There's also some reading and translating and studying for an in-class midterm thrown into the mix just for kicks. I just take comfort in the fact that the work always gets done.
So, the upcoming week should be good and busy... Yeah, that's all I've got.
Over the next week I have a a sermon, an exegesis paper, a reflection paper, a midrash, and a midterm to write. There's also some reading and translating and studying for an in-class midterm thrown into the mix just for kicks. I just take comfort in the fact that the work always gets done.
So, the upcoming week should be good and busy... Yeah, that's all I've got.
When I Grow Up...
Sometimes, while living in Virginia with Emily, she would sometimes ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My most frequent answer was, "I don't really know," or a shrug of my shoulders.
Now that I'm in graduate school, the same question looms every time I prepare for another class, every time I write a paper, every time I sign another student loan document. What do I want to be when I grow up?
Since arriving at seminary, my answer to that query has been "I want to study the Old Testament," or "I want to work in church education," or something along those lines. The problem is, that answer doesn't ring true anymore. Maybe it's the result of being in school almost constantly for twelve of the past thirteen months, but the thought of studying for another five years after the completion of my current degree program sounds, well, awful.
In the past few months, as I've become more interested in photography and, more recently, interested in the art of bookbinding, I've begun to contemplate whether it would be possible for me to pursue such things as a career or, at least, as a hobby that pays. I'd be glad to have a more traditional 9-5 to pay the bills, but my dream is that I wouldn't need to. I could tend a large vegetable garden behind a modest home, make books, sew things, take photos, cook large, delicious, mainly vegetarian meals, indulge in hospitality, and sell beautiful things to people who might appreciate them.
Can I dream such daring things? Or would such a path be a waste of the knowledge and skill I've acquired at college and now graduate school?
Now that I'm in graduate school, the same question looms every time I prepare for another class, every time I write a paper, every time I sign another student loan document. What do I want to be when I grow up?
Since arriving at seminary, my answer to that query has been "I want to study the Old Testament," or "I want to work in church education," or something along those lines. The problem is, that answer doesn't ring true anymore. Maybe it's the result of being in school almost constantly for twelve of the past thirteen months, but the thought of studying for another five years after the completion of my current degree program sounds, well, awful.
In the past few months, as I've become more interested in photography and, more recently, interested in the art of bookbinding, I've begun to contemplate whether it would be possible for me to pursue such things as a career or, at least, as a hobby that pays. I'd be glad to have a more traditional 9-5 to pay the bills, but my dream is that I wouldn't need to. I could tend a large vegetable garden behind a modest home, make books, sew things, take photos, cook large, delicious, mainly vegetarian meals, indulge in hospitality, and sell beautiful things to people who might appreciate them.
Can I dream such daring things? Or would such a path be a waste of the knowledge and skill I've acquired at college and now graduate school?
To those who ruined my lunch,
Sometimes I like to meet new people. There are days when I become extra perky for a few hours and have fun asking all the same questions I've asked a million times before. Today was not that day.
I wish that you had not been so interested in rescuing me from my solitude. Sometimes I don't mind being alone in public places. Maybe I would like to let my thoughts wander and enjoy the taste of my food without conversation.
It's not that I'm really ungrateful, but as soon as you sat with me I knew that the more would follow. And, after they sat down with us, I knew that conversation would turn into friend-talk. Friend-talk is wonderful, I love doing it myself, but it's exclusive. So, no matter what I do to break in and no matter what you do to include me, it doesn't work.
So, conversation became stilted and ordinary, which made me want to finish my food as quickly as possible and leave. It made me want to leave the table I was sitting at so peacefully, all by myself. Then, when I wanted to leave, I felt it necessary to stay for a few more minutes just to make sure it didn't look like I was trying to get away from y'all, even though I did.
Anyway, the next time you see someone sitting alone, don't assume they want company. Sometimes they don't.
Yours truly,
Cranky McCrankypants
I wish that you had not been so interested in rescuing me from my solitude. Sometimes I don't mind being alone in public places. Maybe I would like to let my thoughts wander and enjoy the taste of my food without conversation.
It's not that I'm really ungrateful, but as soon as you sat with me I knew that the more would follow. And, after they sat down with us, I knew that conversation would turn into friend-talk. Friend-talk is wonderful, I love doing it myself, but it's exclusive. So, no matter what I do to break in and no matter what you do to include me, it doesn't work.
So, conversation became stilted and ordinary, which made me want to finish my food as quickly as possible and leave. It made me want to leave the table I was sitting at so peacefully, all by myself. Then, when I wanted to leave, I felt it necessary to stay for a few more minutes just to make sure it didn't look like I was trying to get away from y'all, even though I did.
Anyway, the next time you see someone sitting alone, don't assume they want company. Sometimes they don't.
Yours truly,
Cranky McCrankypants
Etsy Your Heart Out!
I have to tell you, I am addicted to a site I recently discovered, called Etsy. It's like eBay or Amazon for all things handmade. You can purchase everything from handmade books to one-of-a-kind sculpture to fine furniture and jewelry. Obviously, there is also plenty of crap and some of the stuff is way overpriced, but there are a lot of great sellers on the site that make some really wonderful items.I've only purchased two items from Etsy since my poor grad student status automatically negates much frivolous spending, but I still love to snoop around the place thinking of things that I could make, either for myself or as gifts. A particularly fantastic part of the site is that most of the sellers are willing to work with customers to create personalized, one-of-a-kind items, so that you get exactly what you're looking for.
My favorite seller, so far, is Froydis. She uses old, falling apart books and dust jackets to make beautiful hand-bound journals. I can only hope to someday make books that look half as good as hers. The whole site makes me want to give up on school and start making books and selling framed photos...
Anyway, if you like crafty/artsy things or if you need a gift for someone who does, Etsy is a good place to start and finish your search.
Awesome Things That Happen When You Don't Have Money OR Insurance
Several weeks ago, I noticed that one arm of my eyeglasses was beginning to come off. This situation was distressing because I need my glasses to see stuff, y'know? Since I noticed this, I have been extra careful... The problem is that being careful only lasts so long.
This morning, as I was putting my glasses on, the arm that had been threatening to fall off, finally gave way. It's not a tragedy; I have another pair of glasses. It's just that these glasses are blue and plastic and make me look like I'm trying to be a sassy emo chick. Not to mention, the prescription isn't too far wrong, but it's also not completely right.
I guess I'll go talk to the financial aid office and see if I can get a few more dollars in student loans for next semester to cover a new pair. For now, I guess I'll be a sassy emo chick...
This morning, as I was putting my glasses on, the arm that had been threatening to fall off, finally gave way. It's not a tragedy; I have another pair of glasses. It's just that these glasses are blue and plastic and make me look like I'm trying to be a sassy emo chick. Not to mention, the prescription isn't too far wrong, but it's also not completely right.
I guess I'll go talk to the financial aid office and see if I can get a few more dollars in student loans for next semester to cover a new pair. For now, I guess I'll be a sassy emo chick...
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