It's a Thanksgive-away!

Boom Box Bindery is teaming up with Orange Blossom Ink to give a big thanks to all of our friendly readers. It sure means a whole lot to us when you stop by!

As our way of thanking you for your bloggy friendship and support, we’d like to give you the chance to enter to win one of our collaborative projects. You may remember the stationery boxes we made a number of months ago in preparation for a craft market. We happen to have two of those left and would just love to send them out to a pair of our you! Each handmade box features a set of eight cards with four sweet patterns that compliment the boxes.

To embrace the spirit of the season, all you have to do is leave a comment on one of our Thanksgive-away posts and tell us about something you’re thankful for! Feel free to comment on both blogs to double your chances. While you're at it, click on over to follow Boom Box Bindery on Twitter, Facebook, or Blogger!

We’ll use a random number generator to select a winning comment from each of our blogs and those winners will be announced on Thanksgiving Day! The winners will receive the stationery set pictured on the blog of their winning entries.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Flag Book Button Closure

When this flag book was posted on the Bookbinding Team blog, Olive Art commented with a question of how I attached the button and thread. I gave a short description; I attached the button and string by punching a hole through the cover board and the valley of my first accordion fold. I used one length of string, with the ends knotted underneath the button.
But after writing that, I thought it might be nice to offer a visual description.

Click on the diagram above for a larger view. If you start with the red arrow, you should be able to follow the path my thread took.

Fishy Flag Book

Here are some photos of the flag book I made for the Bookbinding Team Swap in September. Here's a link for the entry about it over on the team blog, and here's a link for all of the books involved.

I've been working on a diagram to illustrate how I attached my button and closure thread, and will post it later this week.

I loved setting this little book in the sunlight and observing all of the shadows that danced around it.

San Francisco Treats: GBW Standards Underway

Josh and I are in San Francisco for the GBW meeting, and it is glorious! We arrived on Wednesday and hit the ground running. Checked in at our hotel, figured out the public transport & found Ike's Place for lunch. Ever since seeing Ike's on Man vs. Food, we knew we had to try those delicious sammies, and goodness gracious! they were as good as they looked on tv! After lunch we walked and walked and.... eventually wound up at the Tonga Room another planned destination where we got our tiki fix!

Thursday was another wonderful and full day complete with a bookbinding tour of San Fran, and the opening reception where we got to browse through the Marking Time Exhibit at the SFPL. I'll post more details about my trip in the coming weeks, but now I'm off to an NBSS reunion breakfast where I'm excited to do some more catching up with classmates and meet other fellow grads.

Rosewood Folder & Walnut Box

Today was an exceptional start to the week! I'm having fun getting prepared for our trip to San Francisco for the Guild of Book Workers Seminar. It was a productive day in the bindery. My friend Glenn brought some pumpkin bread over, which made for a wonderful fall feeling that is otherwise amiss here in warm Orlando. And now I get to watch the top 20 on So You Think You Can Dance!

All of the above are so wonderful, but the very best thing was something special that came in the mail. On Friday I got a notice that I had a package to pick up at the office which wouldn't be open again until Monday. I had all weekend to wonder what sort of mail was in store for me.

Last month, when I called Randy Arnold for his interview, I got more than than I requested and made a new friend! In these photos you can see the beautiful folder that I received from my friend. It was a delight to see that the package was from him, and a thrill to see what was inside. First of all, look at that great packaging! The earth tones compliment his work perfectly. Pictures don't quite capture how nice it is to hold this rosewood folder, and how perfectly it fits into its handsome walnut box. You can see more photos of this folder on Randy's blog, and visit his shop to add some tools to your wish list!

Thanks a million, Randy, for my new prized possession! If any of you happen to be headed to the Guild meeting this week, I'll plan to bring my new folder along. Let me know if you'd like to get your hands on it, and I will have a show & tell!