Connecting Peninsulas

I’ve been laboring over my Guild of Book Workers “Midwest Geographies” entry since December.  I took it to FedEx today! The exhibit will open March 28 at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

The overlaid dust jacket for Above Below features “Starry Night” and “Snow” Cave Paper. For Miracle Bridge, I trimmed and folded a Mackinac Bridge poster. Peninsula[s] uses birchbark covers with the title Coptic-stitched on the spine. The [s] denotes a letter that wasn’t there in the original title (Peninsula). Because: It’s PeninsulaS, youse guys!

Above Below and Miracle Bridge at Mackinac keep their original dustjackets, washed and repaired. 

Wrapped bricks and weights hold the tray tight to the cover as it dries. Waste paper lines the cover.

The coordinating clamshell box, with an image of the Mackinac Bridge, is bookcloth and distressed Tyvek. (I didn't know that Tyvek discolors when wet. Paste soaked through and turned the image a blotchy sepia tone. I tried another layer. Just as awful. I ripped it off, completely frustrated. Darryl said, "It looks great like that!" So that's how the box cover became "distressed.")

The interior of the clamshell box. The multi-section slipcase is made of Cave “Layered Indigo,” which reminds me of deep, mysterious water.

Slipcase, books, and custom clamshell box. At times, I thought I'd  never finish.

Birchbark cover and button closure.