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The Bindery: February 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Tuesday, February 27, 2007. It sounds superprofessional in Spanish:. La Encuadernación. The bindery. I don't know how you can get that many syllables to stand for one simple thing, but leave it to the romance languages. In French, it's probably livrefaitparfait, but you would only pronounce the first half. Who am I to be busting on other languages, though, when I love them so much? Posted by margaret @ 3:47 PM. Portland, OR, United States. View my complete profile.

thebindery.blogspot.com

The Bindery: March 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Wednesday, March 21, 2007. Back in the studio, bursting with inspiration. And I know it's not just because of my new bouncy ball chair. Last night I started a couple of weird projects. The first represents another one a these bookbinding skills-for-home furnishings efforts. It started with the bookboard cubes that I made to use as drawers in the too-tall cubbyholes in our closet. My, but they look cool, especially with fronts of Japanese paper. I'll have to add some...

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The Bindery: December 2006

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Thursday, December 07, 2006. Rainy days and bookbinding get me up. Last I logged in here, I was putting happy X-Acto gouges in the new bookbinding table at the bindery, reveling in perfect north and south light, a space big enough for swinging sheets of bookboard, and all materials within easy reach. Looking forward, a real Web site is on the New Year's resolution list for launching in early 2007 ( www.manaobooks.com. Wraparound cover starting in mid-January. Make m...

thebindery.blogspot.com

The Bindery: December 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Friday, December 21, 2007. I love adventure, but I fear change. That's why this parent thing scares the hell out of me. I've never been able to foresee my future, and this is no different. Hell, I never thought I'd get married, much less have a child. I always did better thinking I could bonk, and then feeling awesomely proud when I'd notch my fastest time ever. It's not that I thought I really would run badly, it's just that I didn't dare to assume. I try not to th...

thebindery.blogspot.com

The Bindery: November 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Tuesday, November 13, 2007. The state of Chinese bookbinding: hopeful. Even from just five years ago - my last visit - Beijing is unrecognizable. Everywhere construction cranes pierce the horizon as contractors try to beat the Olympics moratorium that begins Jan. 1. Then the dusting of the city begins; maybe they'll figure out a way to vacuum the air, too. Once we figured out the karaoke machine and drinks were ordered all around (including an entire six-pack for my...

thebindery.blogspot.com

The Bindery: Books start simply

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Tuesday, February 10, 2015. Hard-copy markup and measuring paper. Make up some of the final stages. At last, we are on the home stretch in compiling the art for the Chinese bookbinding book. More than anything, the creation of books takes time and care. Hopefully, my how-to manual and ode to the roots of bookbinding will give readers a chance to slow down, appreciate, and take history into their hands. Posted by margaret @ 8:40 PM. Portland, OR, United States.

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The Bindery: April 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Tuesday, April 03, 2007. Well, I finally figured out what was behind all the busywork in the studio: procrastinating. This weekend I buckled down and took pictures of the Ma Nao Books oeuvre, as it were, for the Web machinations in progress. When I tired of focusing on small objects and crouching behind the tripod, I took the longer view with the lens, and had fun trying to capture the bindery space itself. Now it's on to the words. Posted by margaret @ 12:08 PM.

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The Bindery: Hundreds of years of bookbinding in an hour can make your head spin

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Tuesday, April 28, 2015. Hundreds of years of bookbinding in an hour can make your head spin. But luckily the students at Warner Pacific College could handle it. After a presentation on Chinese bookbinding this month, Warner Pacific students take a look/feel of my book-model petting zoo. As part of Pamela Plimpton's Global Literature class, students read Dai Sijie's Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Four books and a box: the xian. Hard-bound case to hold them.

thebindery.blogspot.com

The Bindery: January 2007

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Welcome to the studio of Ma Nao Books. Wednesday, January 10, 2007. Say oink to Year of the Pig. I love the first days of the new year, it's like I can feel the promise! 2007 looks like a good one so far; after all, I have no major projects looming or under way, so of course I feel the urge to start one. The studio remains just dreamy. I love the natural light coming from so many directions and, when dark, I love the sconces, pendants, and cans. In some ways it's an excellent bookbinding material: It sho...