Thursday, April 10, 2014

Bookplates and Book Bags

Just for fun, here are a couple of links to some bookish things that are practical and pretty. 

Bookplates: I love this art nouveau one from Etsy seller cricicis.


Book bags: I have many totes but may have to add this one by Etsy seller jenhewett to my collection. The gold on gray is stunning.  


What are your picks?

11 comments:

  1. Like you I am constantly scouring Library Book Sales and the odd Charity Shop for that special book, as if I don’t have enough! No doubt you too have found unique Book markers still embedded there-in which at times give a hint of where the book may have originated, or tells me something about the owner when it is a special hand-made item showing some skills in stamping, paper-making etc. The variety is most interesting. One book marker I found is a card/note offering the reader (?) a “loan” of this particular volume of poetry until its back in print at which time the borrower can acquire their own copy and return this… I wonder was it ever returned?

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    1. What a wonderful story, Tullik. Someday I hope to find a hundred dollar bill that some wealthy reader used as a bookmark! Mostly I find yellowed pieces of scrap paper or those horrible computer-generated library date due receipts. There is a website full of photos of highlighting objects that folks used to keep their place amongst the pages - www.forgottenbookmarks.com - Give it a look. Quite fun!

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    2. By the way, Tullik, I am always fascinated by inscriptions found in older books. Usually the handwriting is so lovely. And today, they don't even teach cursive in schools! What a shame.

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    3. Yes indeed Belle, I have some poetry books of the mid-1800’s that have dedications and marginalia in the tiniest and most beautiful script. I often wonder about the person who penned it. I have a 1928 printing of “Collected Poems of Thomas Hardy” which I rescued from the recycling bin at the library , it was donated but the scrutineer decided it was too shabby for the sale. As I was volunteering that day I spotted this (my “book in distress” antenna went off!). Yes it is most shabby and been through many hands and well-read (a wonderful thing). Apart from holding the most wonderful poems, (he like D.H. Lawrence in my ‘umble opinion was a better poet than novelist) there are several interesting inscriptions on the fly-leaf. It is a I can see it was purchased at a used a book-stall in Mallorca, Spain. Then there is an address in a different hand in Wisconsin and it now has ended up in deepest darkest remote BC!!! I refer to it constantly, when I read this poem (one of my favourites) I am so glad I gave it a home.
      “I found her out there
      On a slope few see,
      That falls westwardly
      To the sharp-edged air,
      Where the ocean breaks
      On the purple strand,
      And the hurricane shakes
      The solid land.
      I brought her here,
      And have laid her to rest
      In a noiseless nest
      No sea beats near.
      She will never be stirred
      In her loamy cell
      By the waves long heard
      And loved so well.”

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    4. What a wonderful find, Tullik. I love the geographic genealogy! As to Mr. Hardy, I am not that familiar with his poetry (your example is lovely) and will be on the lookout for more of his words. Thanks for rescuing him from the dust bin!

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  2. Here's a pick for you--the bookmarks from the Book Depository contest: http://www.bookdepository.com/bookmarks2014. Danielle mentioned this on her blog and I'd like to have several of them.

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    1. Thanks, Kathy. I love these winners and now am entranced with gazing at the pages of the 4000 entries. I have been experimenting with making bookmarks using watercolors. Maybe I should enter the competition next year!

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  3. They are both gorgeous - I think that's the best bookplate. I have the My Book Club Only Reads Wine Labels tote, so I'm biased re that one!

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    1. Hi, Vicki. I don't belong to a book club but I understand that wine labels are very popular choices for discussion! Thanks for chiming in!

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  4. I love the Etsy bookplates! I have a soft spot for all bookplates, but somehow have never bought them. I saw some in a catalogue (?) that reminded me of you: they looked like old library due-date sheets.

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    1. Kat, I am so obsessive about not writing in my books that even though I have a pack of Ex Libris bookplates, I won't paste them in my books. Maybe I could just use them as bookmarks. I do enjoy looking at the artistic ones and delight in finding bookplates in vintage books. I love the idea of the library due-date ones. I will be on the lookout.

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