Wednesday 2 January 2008

off cuts

I think I may have a hoarding problem... Yesterday, whist trying to put away my new Christmas things, I found not one more thing could possibly fit in my cupboard and I suddenly realised I didn't know what was taking up the space, what was lurking at the back of my wardrobe? (A common problem I'm sure!) I decided to investigate...

I found, amongst other things; 1 bag of used envelopes, 2 large carrier bags full of toilet roll middles, 3 boxes of guillotine off cuts and all of last years Christmas wrapping paper neatly folded and forgotten about for ever more.

Why do I feel the need to keep all this stuff? Hmmm.

Anyway, today I made this book from some of the off cuts and other junk I found stashed in an alternative cupboard at work...


The cover is slightly faded black buckram (although the silly light in my living room had made it look all brown) with black and white end bands...


The endpapers are cut from a mono print I made a while back; an experiment with ink and oil and degreaser. I was trying to recreate the patterns that form when these three things mix, here most of the ink was repelled by the degreaser and the roller left a shadow of where I'd cleaned the plate with a cloth...


Its 5x4 inches, palm size. A few cutting mistakes (when will I learn that if I don't cut something square at the start that it still won't be square at the end? And when will I learn not to use the stanley knife free hand?!) but it could have been a lot worse. Now I just need to think of something to write in it (perhaps a list of the new things I've stashed at the back of my wardrobe...)

7 comments:

Riverlark said...

"when will I learn that if I don't cut something square at the start that it still won't be square at the end?"
....truer words were never spoken, Sarah!

Hyena In Petticoats said...

Happy New Year, Sarah!

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN - I have no room for the new stuff I got over Christmas, but unlike you, instead of investigating and using some of the stuff, I'm just considering buying another bookshelf!

Looking forward to reading about your adventures again this year...

Leah xxx

Amy said...

I'm new to your blog, but I know what you mean. After I dig out of the holiday mess left behind by houseguests, sick kids, etc, I intend to start throwing stuff away. Of course, that won't happen until I finish binding my next journal (which was supposed to be done yesterday!).

Amy Kerr-Menz said...

Hi Sarah :)

I feel like I've been away from blog land for a while (realistically it was only about a week over the Christmas/New Year period)...but Happy New Year!!

I understand the sentiment expressed in your latest blog entry entirely! I moved house just a couple of days before Christmas...and finally had a chance to start unpacking, arranging and organising yesterday. I have reached the conclusion (...again) that I hoard WAY too much!! *laughs*...but it just seems that as soon as you tidy cupboards and diligently throw things out...you need it!!

I hope you will have a creative and inspired 2008. Looking forward to future posts.

xox.

Sarah said...

Hmm... I like the plan of buying another bookcase... yes, that could definitely work! :)

And it's the idea that I *just* might need it one day that stops me throwing things away... but I should be realistic, if i've not used by bag of empty cotton reels for three years is it likely i'll use it in the next? Oh for endless storage space... :)

tiffany... said...

ah... clutter... especially the forgotten clutter! or, rather... treasures!
sarah, what do you do with all your lovely books? do you sell them? (if you don't, i think you should... and, if you do... where can i buy them?)

Sarah said...

Treasures indeed! It broke my heat to throw it all away (recycled at least) but it was taking over my (very small) bedroom... :(

As for my books, I have sold a few... and its something I've been thinking about more recently... perhaps I should put a few in my (as yet unused) etsy shop... what do you think? (I haven't dared so far!)