New Year Journal

I tried to get a copy of a mass produced journal I designed for DaySpring to write in for 2015 but production samples weren't available yet. Finally, a few hours before midnight, I decided to take a piece of scrap leather and some old blueprints and make one for myself. I worked late into the wee hours of New Years Day to finish it and it was actually the first journal I've written in before it was bound. 

Scrabble board book

Yesterday I had a couple extra minutes (actually, I was supposed to be working on taxes) so I cut up an old Scrabble board and made a blank journal with some recycled paper.  Recycled as in I took it out of the recycle bin. It was mostly blank. 

The writing on the wall; today's project

Words above the bed has been on the honey-do list for a while. Checked that one off the list today! I thought about ordering vinyl but wanted a more casual look.

Crown journal

192 pages, handmade paper, light tan leather with stencil art on the cover. $20.
3.25" x 5.75"

Journals on hand for sale

Rich dark brown leather makes the "Sumter" journal durable and useable. 192 pages; handmade paper. $30
7.25" x 4.25"

Another handbound journal

5.75" x 3.5" with 192 pages, handmade paper and rich, dark brown leather. Unique "buttonhole" spine design. These journals lay nice and flat when opened. $25.

When you think of Italy, you might think of large places like the Roman Colosseum, the leaning tower of Pisa, and San Marco Plaza in Venice. But for the past month, as I spent time with the people of Italy traveling from Rome north through Tuscany and on to the French border near Bobbio Pellice, I was reminded again how small space is in Italy. The farms are small, most homes are small, some apartments are downright tiny, and of course most cars are small because the parking places are always too small and far between.

In the middle of my trip, near Florence, we visited some friends who live in the most tiny homes. They are part of a mobile ministry, using about 85 "containers" for living quarters, offices, the kitchen, laundry, and even showers and restrooms. They're used to tiny spaces and being efficient in every way. (Amazing the delicious meals we enjoyed around huge outdoor tables!)

One of the team members, a Crocodile Dundee look-alike from France, made a great impression on me with a tiny house he built from trash. Dominic collected wood scraps from wood pallets and discarded windows to build an amazingly creative and beautiful cabin.  The most impressive part of his story is that he not only built once, but that he disassembles and rebuilds it every time the team moves to a different city. (The other container "homes" are transported by truck intact.)

The front of the cabin.

The cabin is heated with wood via this nice heat/cook stove.

 Handmade furniture throughout. Notice the use of bark-on logs for the legs of the bed.

 The cabin includes cubbies for artsy but useful objects.

 Off-the-grid lighting.

 The terrace with handmade dining furniture

The water supply.

I love the three little windows set high in the back side of the cabin.

Amazing use of boards that are too short and too small to create a sufficient structural support.