Sometimes I Get Lucky

Lest you think I’ve been doing nothing but exploring thrift stores, eating chocolate and gazing out the window (and you would be right), I’ve also been experimenting with French link binding, finished off the marbled book and started the planning for 3 lifelong learning classes for next March.

French link detail.

A long view of the cover.

I once tried to bind a book in a hurry using the French link stitch. It didn’t turn out very well. That was 6 years ago. This time I wasn’t rushed, and I decided not to worry about how it looked in the end. I had better luck this time.

Cover detail. The little bit of glare is from the clear embossing powder I used to plasticize the decorative thingy.

I finally got around to finishing the last detail on the marbled book. A twig and some silk yarn are all it needed.

Prepping for teaching classes in the spring starts with coming up with course descriptions and a photo for the course catalog.

The artist is Pierre-Joseph Redoute (1759-1840).  Oillets et Eglantiers, No. 60., Lith. par Pointel du Portail. Paris, chez Schroth, Editeur, rue Traversiere S’H_ No. 25, Lith. de Villain.

I found this gorgeous lithograph print at a thrift store.  The colors are richer and deeper than they appear in this photo.  At first glance it was the quality of the colors that caught my attention, and I thought it would make a fine decorative paper for a book cover.  On further inspection and a bit of research, I decided that I didn’t want a $200 or possibly $600 (or more) book cover, even if I only paid $7 for it.  If I can believe what I see online, this lovely old print is a rare beauty, but even if I ended up paying too much for it, I’ll treasure it well.

The artist has a background rich in history.  Marie Antoinette commissioned him to paint her roses.  He gave art lessons to Napoleon’s first wife and is said to have invented a method of lithography in which the colors were applied directly to the plate rather than added after the print was made.  He’s an interesting guy, and I hope you’ll look him up.

As I said, sometimes I get lucky.