As artists, I believe that we grow everytime we create a new piece. Our style changes and grows overtime, and new work would build on previous ideas and experiences. (But of course there is always the "breakthough".)

Everytime I make a new book, new ideas develop and feed into the successive pieces. It seems that over these last few months I was really into using multiple bookcloth as a design element for the cover, as well as using extra long ribbons/ties to create some sort of visual effects that extends the practicability of the ties. And most likely I will continue to toy with these ideas in the coming pieces.





Visit Studio CaiLun for more pictures of Ellen's 30th.

In this button-hole book, the cover boards flushed directly onto the spine opening, differs from the usual form that the the cover boards have cut-outs to exaggerate the opening on the spine (see F-T). The inside rainbow sections are just the same as in the previous books that I have made, such as Golden Rainbow Minature Book.

More pictures are posted on Studio Cailun.

When I started knitting, I thought I would do a scarf, well I gave that up immediately and started knitting the covers for the naked bookblock that has been sitting on the desk for months. By the way, you can see the bookblock being sewn in a previous entry. Now it finally has a "jacket," especially during this cold weather. It should feel, oh, so warm and happy.

I didn't knit with yarns, I knitted with the cotton cords that I've used for the spine, I thought they would look better together. But most importantly, I didn't want to make a cozy for the book. It's just not me. Well I don't know whether or when I will make another knitted book, knitted cover just doesn't feel right with me. Perhaps I'll try it again when I have a more interesting idea.


More pictures of Knitted can be found at Studio Cailun.

This is definitely not a novel ideas, many people have made knitted books. I grew up around knitting as my mom is a ultra-pro knitter. She knits all the time, scary lightening fast. I never picked it up from her. My friend Lisa gave me a roll of yarn over the holiday and I finally picked it up, found some videos and instructions on the web, and knitted away. I picked up the techniques quite easily, I guess it's in the genes. But yet, I knitted half a scarf and then gave up. How could my mom do it non-stop everyday? I absolutely admire her for that. But now I wanted to knit the covers for my naked book lying on my desk for months. This is going to be a perfect solution.

After I gave up on the half scarf, I knitted a little tag for my cat using cords. It's going to be so much fun!

Books are mostly put on shelves. Some books are luckier than others, they get to be displayed. I bought an small easel a while ago, basically, you can put anything on it: a postcard, a photograph, a small painting, or a book. So I stationed one of my Golden Leaf books on it and put it on the mantel.

Separately, Morry had an idea that if books are objects of art, then why can't we hang them up on the wall in frames to display them, just like a photograph or a painting? Of course we can do that. So I picked up a few thick picture frames and cubes, stationed them on the mantel (too lazy to hang them up), and housed a few books in them. The effect is exceptionally fun.

I could hang them up on the wall, but then again, I want my books to be touched, held and admired, so they have to be accessible. I also don't want to mount them inside the frames. Having them merely sitting inside the frames seems to be the best way to show them off.

Unlike a 2-D picture, a book can occupy the entire depth of a frame, even the space behind and in front of the frame. Each of these books is sitting at an angle on its frame, posing and showing off their spines and covers in unique perspectives.

Exercise book paper is extremely thin and fragile, it's definitely not good quality paper, but it's nostagic. The rules give a unique quality to the outlook of the book. I thought, why cover them up then? Wouldn't it be interesting if the rules and exposed even when the book is closed?

Then I figured that I could make an undersized cover. By the way, the ribbon is tucked into the spine and sewn with the binding. In this case, the ribbon is more ornamental than functional. There you have it, a book that has outgrown its cover.


For more pictures on this book, visit StudioCailun.com.

Roberta wrote to me earlier in June, and shared some of her handmade books with me. The first book is an album for a couple married under The Gates at Central Park in 2005. The piece of orange fabric on the cover is a sample of the saffron-dyed fabric used in The Gates. The inside is made of silk with Stonehenge paper.


The second book is a coptic. The cover paper was made by crayon rubbing on a Lego board then applying water color over it. It's extremely creative.

Triangle book is different, but it's nothing special. I am not the first person who has done this. But it's worth it. So much work has been put into this relatively small miniature, especially when the pages are perfectly sized to the cover. The stitching is coptic, and the piercing is extremely delicate and fragile, especially on the top of the cover.