Binding today

It's been a busy week wandering the web and learning where bookbinding stands today. I'm amazed at how much has changed with the rise of (home) craft binding and book art. My mind is bubbling with potential projects. 'Back when' I learned binding, they taught case binding and that was that.

While out a' wandering, at Cailun.info I came across this shopping list. While the circumstances that caused him to compose it are tragic, it's been incredibly useful for deciding what I need to outfit my workbench. I've sent off order to Talas and Hollander, and perused my local art supply store - I'll need to clear some space here in the computer room to store it all.

[mini-rant]
The visit to my local art supply store was a considerable disappointment. It's been a few years since I was in there - and discovering they had moved and downsized was an unpleasant surprise, if I had to guess, having two major chain craft stores move in within a few blocks has hit them pretty hard. But frankly, there's no excuse to have a store so cramped you can hardly move and employees who answer simple questions (like "can you order me this?") with "I dunno".
[end mini-rant]

Since here on the fringes of civilization, that store is pretty much my only hope - I'm thinking there will be a lot of mail order in my future.

The contractor is done with the garage, now to arrange for a weekend when a couple of friends can come over and help me build the shelving. Another milestone passed on the route to a binding bench!

[Note, 8/18/07 - this was originally just a reflection, but since it also includes a rant I'm including it there as well. I'll have to get back to the original reflection someday.]