Where they live now.
3 Mar
There is this process of letting go when it comes to making handmade books. I so rarely keep any of the books I make and so, once the book is finished and I’ve snapped a photo – that’s all that’s left. A picture and a memory.
I’ve been thinking about the books I’ve made and where they live now. Out of curiosity, I sent a mass email to a group of people who’ve purchased a book from me – or received one as a gift. I asked: where is your book now? Below are a few of their responses. I was so honored to see how they used their books to hold onto something special in their lives.
Katie
I made Katie’s book as a Christmas gift in 2008. It was the first chain stitch book I’d ever made. She uses it as a running log – where she tracks her daily runs!
Kate
I made Kate’s wedding album in early 2009. She keeps it tucked away with a few other albums on her bookshelf.
Kate placed pictures of her honeymoon and trip to Florida in the album. Of the pictures, she said, “After looking at those I looked at all the wedding photos and got all sentimental 
We all looked so cute that day!”
Here’s Kate with her book!
Chandra
You guys know her! Chandra won a book of mine in an online auction over at Oh She Glows. She keeps it on an end table in her living room.
And look who’s on one of the first pages! How honored am I? Chandra has filled the pages with photos from the Healthy Living Summit in 2009.
You may recognize a few of these faces! Do you spot yourself?
Amy
I made Amy’s wedding album in early 2009. I’m not sure what’s inside, but the bottlecaps have stayed intact! What a miracle.
Hil
Around Christmas 2009, I made two books for Hil. She gave one to her mother as a gift, who uses it to write affirmations and positive memories from her day. She keeps it tucked away into a bookshelf that’s built into her headboard and writes every night before bed.
As for Hil, she uses her book to write poetry, record dreams and do impressionistic journaling. She likes using her book when she’s feeling more creative or metaphorical.
Cat
Cat’s book was the first softcover book I made.
I thought it might be perfect for her since she has such a busy schedule and might carry it around with her. She plans to create a positive thoughts journal that includes special moments with the children she works with and kudos from supervisors.
Kelly
I made Kelly a hardcover book sometime in September of 2009.
Kelly writes in her book almost daily. When I went to visit, it was quickly filling up with meditation practices and body scans.
Amanda & Andy
You know Amanda, right? Her wedding album was one of my most favorite that I’ve ever made – mainly because of the colors.
She’s working on filling her album with wedding pictures from her reception. She’s planning to have relatives write down some words about the reception on the pages with their pictures.
Final Thoughts
A book is like a person. It comes in different shapes, sizes, personalities and color. What I loved about reading the entries above is that everyone found a home and purpose for their books. I loved hearing from the ladies above, as they each had such different ways of using their books. The one consistent theme I see: the preservation of memories. I’m happy to be a part of that.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this!
You make the most beautiful things
Those books are gorgeous. What talent you have!
you have such a gift, Rose. I can’t wait to really get started on the baby book!
This is awesome Rose! You are so talented.
YOu are so talented, I think it’s fabulous you have a passion for such a wonderful hobby
hope youre having a wonderful wednesday
bec xo
This was a really great post! I love seeing all of your books (they are amazing!) and it is cool to see where they end up. It looks like they are all well taken care of and have lots of love.
So fun to see where all the books have gone and what they hold now! I agree with everyone above, you are very talented!!
Good blog post! I’m glad I got to contribute some photos
Cute! My book lives in my living room on top of the radiator with pictures and phot albums. People always pick it up because … it has a giant spoon on it.
What a sweet post, Rose! You must be so proud, and there must be some kind of lovely sentiment inside you knowing that you played a role in memory-keepsaking!
Your books are beautiful! I loved this post and all the thought that went into it! Have a great day!
Fantastic post! Should I still send you pics of how I’m using it?