holy crap

holy crap I leave for the airport to begin my journey to rome in about nine hours.

I probably won't update this blog too much while I'm there, but you can check out my travel blog here:
www.abconnell.blogspot.com

scrap pads

I made these little note/scrap pads as thank you gifts for my coworkers, and I really like them.. might make one for myself.

The finished size of each book is 3.5" x 7.5" and has about 20 sheets in them. I wanted to use some nicer paper, but didn't have very much of any one kind, so I decided to use four or five types of paper in each, hence the "scrap" pad.

I covered some chipboard with a couple different kinds of fabric that I found in my basement (more scraps!), since again, I didn't really have any interesting paper to cover them with. Originally, I wanted to bind them just using a rubber band, and the paper I did have would not have looked very nice with the rubber band.

I decided against the rubber band and just used a bundle of embroidery thread to hold it together, but the principle is the same. The pages are all single sheets, with the notches cut in the side. The thread just makes a loop around the whole bundle, but the notches keep anything from slipping out.

Since I used chipboard for the covers, I hinged the front board on each one to make the pad easier to use. This was done cutting the cover into two pieces, then securing them together using a piece of book cloth, leaving a small gap where the hinge should be.

Overall, I think they turned out well. The only thing I am concerned about is the fabric fraying, but hopefully I glued the edges well enough that it shouldn't happen.

how 'bout some cows?

or a sheep? a goat? man-b'loons?

design and science

I got a chance to write a post for the blog of Affina, the firm I intern at, and it was posted today.

Check it my entry on growing up in an engineering family HERE.

I like brains.

Hats make the best zombies because nobody would ever suspect them... plus they have easy access to the brains. You'd better start watching what you put on your head.

finished design is about 2.5" x 3"

uuuUUUUUUuuunnnnggghhhh

I love how the brain turned out.