Over the Counter #210

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner. This week it's the written word.....

Fist up was Book Art: Creative ideas to transform your books - decoration, stationery, display scenes and more by Clare Youngs.

From the publisher, Cico Books:

"Do you have a shelf of old books that you love, but rarely touch? Well, why not give them a new lease of life and use them to create one of the 35 beautiful projects Clare Youngs has developed?

 

 Faced with a house move and an excess of books, Clare decided rather than get rid of some, she would combine them with her passion for crafting to make pretty gifts and items to decorate her new home. Divided into five chapters, discover greetings cards, stationery, animals, and display scenes that use pages from all kinds of books. The beautiful typography and vintage artworks will provide interesting color and pattern to designs such as the owl and pussycat pop-up scene. The illustrations in children’s books give a retro feel to bunting to decorate a room, while atlases work well on lampshades or birthday cards. Use elegant images from interiors books to decorate a wardrobe or cut away at a hardback book to make display scenes like the cliff and lighthouse scene. Each project comes with step-by-step instructions and artworks. There are also templates and a techniques section at the back to help first-time crafters, plus time-saving tips that confident crafters will appreciate."

 

Next up was Snail Mail My Email: Handwritten Letters in a Digital World by Ivan Cash.

 

From the publisher, Sourcebooks:

 

"We live in a fast-paced world, where emails reign supreme as a form of communication. Feeling nostalgic for the almost forgotten written letter, Ivan Cash decided to stage a comeback tour on its behalf. He invited anyone in the world to send him a 100 word email, and in return he would illustrate it into a letter and mail it for free.

 

On day four of the project, he got more than 1,000 requests. A team of volunteers helped Ivan create over 10,000 letters—or more accurately, works of art—which were sent to happy recipients. Snail Mail My Email is a. collection of the most memorable letters and moments from the project, and a reminder of the power of personal connection in a world of instant communication." 

 

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But... I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)