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For years now I have made
themed books filled with pictures which I use for inspiration
in my designing work - I call them source books. I use children’?s
scrapbooks, but why not take things a step further and make
the actual books yourself as well? Or store more in them than
just cutouts? Arne and Carlos latest book is about all that
and more.
As with their knitting and crochet books, this one is sumptuously
illustrated with the pair’s idea books. The book starts
with how to make your own, talking about different sizes for
various purposes (such as taking on vacation) and goes on
with instructions on how to make them. This is not a book
on bookbinding with all the tools required; instead it is
a much simpler method involving recycling, lots of paper and
the sort of tools you probably already have. There are ideas
for covers, various ways of making the books up depending
on what you have (sewing machine, for example) in lots of
easy stages complete with large photographs. The pair has
picked up some special tools in second hand stores, like a
book press, but you can manage without this - I use a stack
of heavy books. The making methods fill the first half of
the book and I like the many options in the stages and materials;
the second half is about what goes into the idea books. There
are plenty of large images of pages from the pair’s
books and suggestions for decorations, themes and inclusions.
As well as having idea books on favorite themes like children’s
drawings and Christmas, you can make them about a house you
are doing up, an upcoming wedding, family tree, gardening
yearbook and more. Use things like bubblewrap to make backgrounds,
make your own stencils or use lace scraps, it is all about
having fun and making something that is useful and inspiring;
I know I get a lot of use out of mine. At the back is a fold-out
sheet with some frames and a family tree chart to copy and
use. This is the only book I have ever seen on this theme
and a great way of getting anybody into making their own idea
book.
If you cannot find a good range of papercraft materials locally,
try www.searchpress.com
for a list of suppliers.
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