it's a book! it's a purse! it's a book purse!

[meitachi]

Yesterday, intomorning and celerywench and I wandered through Eastern Market, shopping and eating and having ridiculous conversations, as you do. One of the highlights of the trip was stumbling upon the tent/shop (tent-shop!) of Rebound Designs.

The owner handmakes one-of-a-kind Book Purses out of old hardcovers whose pages have been recycled or destroyed. She matches it with a beautiful fabric, handmakes a beaded handle, and voila - some of the most beautiful purses I have ever seen.

Here are some examples:

Pride & Prejudice


American Gods & Anansi Boys


The Secret Garden


She ranges from Nancy Drew and Wizard of Oz to Dracula and The Hobbit and Jane Eyre and Ulysses. Just. They are absolutely gorgeous, and she matches the fabrics so well.

She also does iPad and Nook covers, and absolutely takes custom orders. You should go browse.

I wanted practically every one I saw, but I ended up torn between a garishly beautiful red-and-black Dracula purse and an incredibly subtle red Jane Austen purse - the owner ended up convincing me to the Jane Austen one, since they literally do not make those covers anymore, whereas the Dracula version is still in print.

So here is my purse:

It's a book!


It's a purse!


It's a BOOK PURSE.



And celerywench ended up with The Little Princess in a gorgeous peacock blue with gold accents.



I don't think the pictures do these book purses justice, and there is something just so absolutely great about getting to show off my love of the books I grew up with or plan to grow old with, and carry around my shit, knowing no on else out there has a purse quite like mine.

And here's a tip, imparted upon us by the wise owner (who was actually really funny and warm and great to talk to about how we hated Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights BUT THE BOOK COVERS WERE SO PRETTY OH GOD and then also about how the trashy Sweet Valley series was ♥): When you're not using your purse, you can tuck the handles in and prop it up on your bookshelf. Mind blown.


In a strange twist of fate, I got back from my day out yesterday to find that sickletongue had just made a post about book purses. And I hadn't even known these existed before yesterday! Freaky. But so gorgeous.

So, a plug. Check 'em out?

(That obnoxiously orange shirt I'm wearing? Yeah, it's my G shirt. You'll see more of it. Very soon.)

Comments

[sickletongue.livejournal.com]

I love them!! I have my eye on that Edgar Allan Poe book purse on that site ;) Damn it and you guys are so cute too! I want to hug you!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Ugh I already love LOVE old hardcovers and how pretty they are, but paired together with gorgeous fabric and made practical for common usage? I'm so won over.

The Poe one was also gorgeous. Just. All of them. *___*

♥!

[peachpastiche.livejournal.com]

Oh my god these are beautiful ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[meiface.livejournal.com]

THEY REALLY ARE I WANT ALLLLLLL OF THEM

ugh or maybe just... I miss books. ;__; ♥

[celerywench.livejournal.com]

NOOOOO YOU LET OUT THE SECRET! THE BOOK GARDEN IS NO LONGER SACRED!!

...ooo. a book garden. that would be really cool. *-*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Everyone will buy them and then there will be none! ;A;

[meiface.livejournal.com]

It basically made me go OMG THIS WOMAN IS A GENIUS HOW HAS NO ONE DONE THIS BEFORE? Ugh, so pretty. Of course, now I just want to reread everything too.

[sweetcherrytree.livejournal.com]

those are adorable! i want one!

and i'm assuming your shirt says something like fly like a g6

[meiface.livejournal.com]

...yes. :D THERE IS AN EPIC FLYERS POST COMING NOW THAT I HAVE SHIRT. Ugh, so fly.

Also, yes, these pics of books have just made me long for all my books at home so I can reread them.

[jibrailis.livejournal.com]

dfsajl;alj;a right in my weak spot.

ohhh, it looks like they have an Etsy shop. Excuse me while I spend luxurious amounts of money on gorgeous things.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Right?!

Which one is screaming YES at your heart, N? I want to know. *___* (Or at least which is screaming loudest, because they are all kind of screaming at me, let's be honest.)

[forochel.livejournal.com]

THE HOBBIT!!!!!!!!!




why didn't you take a photograph of that, why? >:

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Because it's on her site (http://www.etsy.com/listing/100051550/artomatic-2012-book-purse-the-hobbit)! (And so is The Silmarillion (http://www.etsy.com/listing/100048617/artomatic-2012-book-purse-the).)

[altri-uccelli.livejournal.com]

The red Austen purse is GORGEOUS. Love that spine.

I'm super excited about the prospect of a G post and a better view of your shirt. Did you see this picture from yesterday?
(http://imgur.com/envS5)
Shirtless G is delectable, but I can't believe he was playing with both wrists hurt. ;_;

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I am sort of torn about how subtle it is - so easily disguised as a normal purse! So great! And yet, part of me wants to have an obnoxious LOOK THIS IS A BOOK LOOK AT HOW COOL IT IS effect, so maybe for my birthday or way later on in the year I'll get another bag. They're basically ALL so great. :D

and I DID SEE THAT PICTURE YESTERDAY AND ASKJF. G ugh all the Flyers injuries ugh aslkdj hey Danny should help G out there if both wrists are out of commission oh my god I have so many Flyers feelings right now, I feel a little bad. Like, Canes, let's hurry and have a new season so I can remember how you're my #1 team, I SWEAR. /o\

Also I should stop being lazy and go make or acquire some Flyers/Caps/etc. icons...

[acornmama.livejournal.com]

Those are beautifully done. I am not even a purse fan but they are so cute and the lure of the wonderful books makes them something to really appreciate.

Isn't is wonderful how the world works? First you didn't know about it, and now it is coming at you from the wildest places.!!!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Aren't they?

I usually am not all about purses either, but these were just so creative and gorgeous I was blown away.

[airplanewishes.livejournal.com]

That is so pretty and awesome. I want one!!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I wish everyone could have one!! (I wonder if I'm driving her business any lol or maybe at least her site hit counts? :D?)

[meritjubet.livejournal.com]

I've seen some of these around! If only they didn't have little handbags since I have to carry them all the time /weird. That Secret Garden purse is so pretty but! *___*

I read Jane Eyre during a stage when I was trying to literary. I liked the parts when she wasn't a governess? ^^; and then the ending. Oh my. Probably started my hatred of the 'good woman saves a man' trope. Not to mention the treatment of Bertha :/

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Yeah they're not entirely practical depending on how much stuff you need to carry with you daily. It's more like a clutch... But I will make use of it, dammit.

I want to reread a lot of these books just from staring at the purses. :D Maybe not Jane Eyre but some of the other ones.

[downtohades.livejournal.com]

Oh my, those are ridiculously gorgeous. This is the first time I’ve been blown away by purses!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Same! :D

Also lol your icon. ♥

[herocountry.livejournal.com]

omfg these are SO PRETTY *_______________________*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Right?! WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE BEST TORI? askldfjd

omg your icon your face.

[kitschful]

y'all are so cuuuuuute. also, want one so bad.
*______* sigh. the little women one.. also silmarillion. also pride and prejudice. and ugh a little princess so jelly so jelly

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I WISH YOU COULD COME HANG WITH US, CATH. ♥ Or maybe one day we'll make it up to Montreal - Lille's excuse is the Habs. Yeah.

Boooooooks.

[arccie.livejournal.com]

Gah! I want one! (Even though I don't use handbags.)

What a fantastic idea.

...but it wouldn't go with the rest of the books on my shelves. They're off the shelf paperbacks and the book-purse would be like ye old royalty. My books would get an inferiority complex.

But that price. Hmm. Who am I kidding. Still tempted.



Umm, just to randomly hit you up...how busy are you likely to be in June? I have a dilemma with the fanfic competition I run because one of the judges has had to withdraw. Would you (or possibly anyone you know) be available and interested? *bats eyelashes hopefully*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Right? It's just such a creative idea!

And I usually prefer paperbacks too, and I hate hardcovers because I hate dust jackets, but more classic hardcovers like this I would love to eventually acquire... Build a library over a lifetime. *___*

Hmm, I'm not too busy in June, I think, except for two weekends. What would being a judge entail?

[papered.livejournal.com]

MEI MEI THOSE ARE SO GORGEOUS and I want one even though I carry around far too much shit in my bag for it to be practical. BUT IT'S SO LOVELY. <33

[meiface.livejournal.com]

haha yeah I tend to carry too much stuff around too, but I will find occasions where I can not haul around my entire life in my bag and be okay using this! :D

The ironic thing is, it's not even suitable if I wanted to bring a book to read with me.

But! Soooo pretty.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

LIKE UR FACE