on boxes

I've been making more boxes; to go along with the wedding albums I've been making to store the extra photos, and with students at work. I really like the challenges box making poses; getting the measurements just right, the edges all square, all lined up and glued. I like the puzzle of wrapping the box with cloth; where to hide the raw edges and where to cut to get the fit exactly right. I like choosing the lining paper, cutting it to fit and gluing it down, smoothing, avoiding glue finger prints... And the satisfaction when the finished box closes, not too tight not too loose, just right.


Of course it doesn't always go smoothly. Angles not quite ninety degrees, half a millimeter here half a millimeter there. torn paper, forgotten steps, glue splodge. But I think what I like is trying to keep on top of all that, keep it under my control, like juggling lots of balls. At first it seems impossible and you drop one and then another but suddenly one day your brain clicks and your hands just do it (and it took me a good year of practice to learn to juggle so I know what I'm talking about!)


I guess what I'm trying to remind myself is practice makes perfect, or at least better. Practice makes improvement at least, practice leads to that marvelous state where you do something and one day without thinking one thing follows another and its a pleasure...


Anyway. All this box making leaves me with spare boxes. So this ones in my shop.