-- wrap presents
-- pack
-- clean the house enough so that the catsitter doesn't gag when she walks around
-- post various things in the traditional red box sense
-- drive down to the Bega Valley for the start of the Official Christmas Season.
The bin beside my computer is overflowing with snotty tissues, my head is thumping, and my eyes are watering so much I can hardly see the keybort. Behind me prowl two suspicious cats (they know that when we clean we're either going away or receiving guests, or both), a coughing boy (just behind me in viral descent), and a barely-recovered Best Beloved brandishing something toxic to clean the bathroom. It's a case of everyone pitching in, with the cats leaping on each other to provide comic relief. So I'm guessing that this will probably be my last pre-holiday post.
But I won't go without sharing a sneak preview of my first Ampersand Duck book:
The cover.
The endpapers. I've used the offcuts of the page paper to make the endpapers, and because they're too narrow, I've also used offcuts of the cover paper that has been run through the rollers of the press after printing the cover, giving them a lovely pale metallic green sheen. It looks great.
The title page view.
Usually I'd photoshop these to make them float on the computer screen, etc etc but I'm too poorly. You'll have to wait for a glimpse of the rest of the pages until I'm better too. I've bound 6 copies so far, and they've gone to those who were involved in the project, and now I just have to hope that the school has no other disasters over the holidays so that I can bind the rest when I get back.
Today I gave a copy to Jan Brown, the artist whose drawings are on and through the book. Jan is 84 and pulls no punches. She opened the package and stared at the book, stony-faced. She gazed at the cover, front and back. She opened the back, and worked through the pages from back to front, and then from front to back again. Then she looked at me and said 'It's totally different to what I expected'.
'Different GOOD, or different BAD?', I said, with heart in mouth. All the way through the process of this book, I'd make design decisions based on what Jan would like. She was my inner voice on this trip.
'Good different. It's wonderful,' she said, and gave me an approving smile, and at that moment my holiday started. Except for the being sick and the list above, I'd be floating on a sea of champagne right now. HUZZAR [coughs, sniffles, weakly waves hands in air].
I may get a chance to post from various locations over the next week, but no promises. So have a great Christmas, all of you.
12 comments:
Bugger. Sorry to hear about the sick. If it's any consolation, I woke up with a sore throat, and a splendid cough.I hope that the Bega Valley treats you well, and we oughta get those boys together sometime over the holidays.
You're sick then eh? See what happens when there are wall to wall Labor governments!
Don't say that you weren't warned! John, Lexie Longstockings, the Smirk that never was and Phil the Cadaver were shouting it from the rooftops!
Lucky for you that we have a fine former member of the medical profession at the helm of the Good Ship Lollipop to whom you can turn.
Now off to bed with you with no supper, a flea in your ear and an industrial strength bulk billed camphor block around your neck.
Book looks a honey, I like those colours - keen to see more pics. And here's hoping you recover with speed, them holiday viruses are just so unfair.
That book looks great, I love the red spine and the perfect placement of the cover images. Can't wait to see more of it.
HOOO RAAAAA - good ol' Jan knows quality when she sees it. Well done you. Is it worth pitching a tent inside the Book Studio & placing all yet to be bits inside it? Never tempt the weather gods....
Shall have rum toddies waiting
Bernice is on the money - I was thinking a few brandies mightn't go astray.
Thanks for the shots of the book, fabulous.
HOpe things pick up prestissimo.
1) It's beautiful.
2) Get well soon.
3) Have a great Christmas.
=^^=
I think that book is what people imagine when they say things like 'computers will never take over from the book' in various tones. It's lovely.
Hope you feel better soon.
I want one! What a tease, it has birds on the cover!! Sach
oooh loverly book Duck, would love to see it in the flesh.
hope you all have a great Xmas and you get over teh Sick.
Speedy :-)
xxx
Sorry to hear you're under the weather. Here's hoping it clears up quick so you can leave the tissues behind and get on with enjoying the holidays. Merry Christmas!
Congratulations on the book - looks fantastic!
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