by Steve | Apr 21, 2013 | Notebooks |
The Spring 2013 edition of Field Notes showed up in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago. This time, they chose three images typical of the “American Vista” and printed them in with what they describe as “1960s imprecision.” The images on each cover are slightly out of register and in a storage way it’s a nice change from the crisp precision of your standard laser printer.
An America the Beautiful waterside decal is included and Field Notes thoughtfully provided an installation video to make sure you get it right.
On the downside, it seems as though there is some sort of curse on my Field Notes subscription. This is my third year as a Field Notes subscriber and it seems as though each shipment alway has a kind not from the Post Office attached to it. What’s the deal Mr. Postmaster?
by Steve | Oct 14, 2011 | Notebooks, Recently Bound |
I’ve been working on wrapping up my trades so I can pack them up and ship them to Port Townsend. Today, I completed all of the Emergency Journaling Kits. I made 20 of these to give away so I’m afraid I’m going to have to be a little selective about who gets them. Here’s a shot of them as they’re about to get packed up.
A couple of people have asked what’s inside so here’s a detail shot of the contents. Each kit contains 10 sheets of Fabriano Artistico, a 0.3 Micron pen, a micropalette with Daniel Smith watercolors and a small paintbrush for the watercolors.
by Steve | Nov 18, 2010 | Notebooks |
I bumped into Tracy Moore online a few days ago and it reminded me that the annual PLAY Retreat is just around the corner. There’s an informal custom of bringing a small giveaway and each year I create a sketchbook for all the other attendees, they’ve been so well received that I’ve kept the form factor each year I just change the design. In 2009, I gave out a matched pair, a sketchbook and a cahier bundled together with a printed band, but I waited until the last minute to make them last year so it was just the sketchbook.
This year, I decided to start early for a change and I’ve created a prototype for the cahier. I’ve decided to go a little larger with the artwork on the cover this year and after tinkering with several different paper combinations, I’m going with some earth tones this year. Here’s a shot of the prototype:
by Steve | Nov 15, 2010 | Notebooks |
I have a certain fondness for small works of art, their size draws you in and conveys a sense of intimacy. That fondness extends to my bookbinding and I often do multiple edition bindings. More than likely that’s what drew me to the County Fair Edition of Field Notes. Fifty books in a custom box, each book representing a different state, what’s not to like? Last week was a little busy and I didn’t want to rush through opening the package so it got put away until today. The county Fair Edition comes in a cardboard box with a map of the United States printed on the top with the familiar Field Notes logo printed on top of the map. The Great Seal of Field Notes Brand is printed on the lower left corner of the lid. The whole package is tied up with some sisal twine.
Opening the box reveals 50 Field Notes books each one representing one of the United States. The stock used for the covers is blue, yellow and red which represents the win, place and show ribbons given out at the fair. Ot the back of each cover, you’ll find details about the state that book represents. For example on the Arizona book, you’ll find out that the state bird is the Cactus Wren, and that Arizona was admitted to the Union of February 12th, 1912. Ironically, the Arizona book is blue.
Finally, the set also comes with six of their click pens, a Field Notes General Purpose Band of Rubber, a special County Fair button and a Field Notes Blue Ribbon.
Will I ever write in these? Who knows — I bought them chiefly as a bookbinding curiosity that I can sit on my shelf as art object. That said, it’s possible I might have to use them someday if i every use up all my other pocket notebooks, possible but given the number of notebooks in the house unlikely.
by Steve | Jan 16, 2009 | Notebooks |
Like a lot of other book geeks I like Moleskines. Moleskines interest me because they are a study in the confluence of simplicity, utility, excellence but most of all, marketing. What I don’t like about Moleskines of course is the price. As Borders began winding down their operations though they were liquidating all stationary items at 40% off and as luck would have it they labeled Moleskines as stationary. I was able to grab whatever was left and I scored several ruled journals, about 7 Volants and a load of Cahiers. I was happy to have grabbed the Cahiers; a few months ago I had read an article in HOW Magazine about an artist who was using her Gocco to print artwork on the cover of Moleskine Cahiers and them selling them on Etsy. That’s probably what was on my mind when I bought them, I have a journaling retreat coming up in a couple of weeks and need something to give away. I thought I would just Gocco the Cahiers and use them as my giveaway; and then it hit me, I didn’t have enough of them.
