You may be thinking, "What does a book about book artists have to do with home and organizing?", and yes I'll admit — it may seem a bit far flung to tie into this blog. Yet I still feel compelled to write about it and here's why: a creative book that stimulates the imagination gives one fuel to do something new that they may not have tried before and crafting at home can really make a house a home. Allow me to explain why.
I believe that there is more to a beautiful, organized home than the obvious – good design and expert storage solutions. Feeling supported goes beyond aesthetics and involves what is accomplished and felt within your space. Are you creating things that you enjoy? Are you preparing food that you love? Do you play games with your children that give you both a chance to bond? Are you having satisfying conversations with family members that give you motivation and energy? Are you making things for your home that allow you to personalize your space, giving your surroundings your unique, personal touch?
Jason Thompson, founder and creative director at Rag & Bone Bindery in Rhode Island, has just released his latest book, "Playing With Books, the Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing and Reimagining the Book" which features 26 book-related projects for both beginner and advanced book artists. Such projects include transforming a book into a bag, turning book pages into flowers, creating a flower vase from a book and more. See, I told you that this post could turn out to be home-related! (wink, wink.)
"Playing With Books" includes book art from accomplished artists such as Lisa Kokin, Robert The, Su Blackwell, Georgia Russell, Tracey Bush and more.
Winnie Prentiss, Publisher and Vice President of Quarry Books says, "We are pleased to be involved in such an imaginative and original work like "Playing With Books". Jason has an amazing gift for transforming plain, ordinary books into artistic and inventive works of art. We hope audiences of all ages will enjoy a favorite pastime of making innovative art projects and cherish the memories along with them."
Why not pick up this book and sit down and quietly work on a project or perhaps grab a few friends, a bottle of wine, and put on some inspiring music and create something together? Experimenting with arts and crafts projects at home can be great soul food and help break boring routines and even lift one from a rut. That is why I craft at home — not because I'm an expert at it (some I dare not show anyone because frankly, they look like the work of a toddler!) but because I have fun doing it. This beautiful title is now available at bookstores nationwide or on Amazon.com. Congratulations to Jason and to his team who made this book a reality. Lovely!
(images: jason thompson)
How wonderful! I’ve made kusudama flowers from post it notes….but love the printed one here.
Thanks for the intro to this book. It looks unique and quite interesting.
Oh, Holly, what a beautiful post. I truly enjoyed this because you perfectly encapsulated why I, too, think decorating and creating a home is so important. This book sounds great. I am a book-lover so I love to surround myself with books and the printed word through my decor (letters, framed quotes, etc.) I also love to add my own crafty touches. These days, I am finding myself more drawn to vintage books and come across them all the time. I can’t resist the graphics and writing, though the books are sometimes damaged, so “Playing With Books” seems to offer some creative ways to recycle those damaged finds.