Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Stacks o' Stacks!


Hop on over to Seth Apter's The Altered Page today and see everybody's stacks - of books, of journals, of paper and, as they say, So Much More!!




Here's mine - stacks of vintage books, purchased on our England trip several years ago. I found them at jumble sales, boot sales, second-hand bookshops on Charing Cross Road and street markets, including the huge one on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. They provide endless inspiration, great xerox copies of pictures and text and are just so lovely to look at.



Thanks to Seth for the idea -
go check out everyone's stacks!


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34 comments:

  1. SethSeptember 21, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    This is so inspiring. I love vintage books & book covers and would be so happy to be able to browse your collection.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM

    Oh, those books! I love old books. How did you get them all home from England?

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  3. bohemiannie! artSeptember 21, 2011 at 10:09 AM

    These books are gorgeous! Seems like I've already left a comment here but I'm glad I stopped again!

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  4. DianneSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    amazing stack of vintage books...and even better combined with the lovely stone background! wonderful muted colors and ancient bindings...

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  5. Marylinn KellySeptember 21, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    Beautiful stacks, perfect stacks of what most of us love best. A joy to behold. xo

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  6. donna joySeptember 21, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Love your stacks! I'm a vintage book junkie myself. can't stay away from them~

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  7. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    Seth - Any time you're out here on the coast - drop by! Thanks for hosting Stacks.
    Erin

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  8. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    Claudine - I crammed all my clothes into a carry-on duffel and used my two suitcases to hold books (and other flea market finds). I was just lucky they came in under the weight limit!
    Ein

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  9. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    bohemiannie - They are beautiful, I love the muted colours and designs and marbled edges.
    Erin

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  10. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:49 PM

    Dianne - The back ground is our fireplace that we designed and had put in when we moved here seven years ago. It provides the perfect contrast for the softer paper and boards of the books.
    Erin

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  11. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Marylinn - So true - we may call ourselves paper artists, collagists, journalists, whatever - but for many of us books are our first love and what fuels our creativity.
    Erin

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  12. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    Donnaj - Books! I work with them all day at my job as a librarian and then I surround myself with them in my home and my art work. Can't live without them!
    Erin

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  13. ~*~Patty SSeptember 21, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    gorgeous and precious book stacks you have there...I am imagining a VERY heavy suitcase ;)
    Stack On
    oxo

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  14. CarolSeptember 21, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    Books! The most wonderful things to have, hold, collect, love - oh, and read of course. I collect children's books from 1890s to 1950s and I just love them. My stacks are books I've made or just the teetering piles I have in front of my overfilled bookcases. Love your stacks.

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  15. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    Patty - Very, very heavy! But so worth it.
    Erin

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  16. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 21, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    Carol - Yes, these pictures are of decorative stacks, there wasn't room for ALL the stacks, by the bookshelves, by the art table, by the bed...
    Erin

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  17. audreySeptember 22, 2011 at 7:28 AM

    Oh, I love these books. I love the colors! They are beautiful and I don't blame you for bringing them all back with you. Wonderful STACK photographs!
    audrey

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  18. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 22, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    Audrey - It was difficult to decide, there were so many wonderful old books available and at inexpensive prices. I'm very happy with what I did bring back and it was fun to have this chance to show them off!
    Erin

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  19. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    what gorgeous books you have! these are so pretty, all stacked up here.

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  20. fairyrocksSeptember 22, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    Stackem and rackem. Thanks for the closeups I LOVE old books!! Great stack!!

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  21. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    Wonderful stacks! Very cool indeed!!

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  22. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 23, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    alteredbits - Thanks Wasn't it fun showing off our stacks?!
    Erin

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  23. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 23, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    fairyrocks - I always like to do close-ups, so one can get that real "magnifying glass" view.
    Erin

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  24. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 23, 2011 at 6:52 AM

    Dave - Thanks for dropping by and for your kind words.
    Erin

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  25. AmandaSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    That is a delicious stack!!

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  26. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 23, 2011 at 10:39 AM

    Amanda - Maybe that's why we say we "devour" books!
    Erin

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  27. Parabolic MuseSeptember 23, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    oh, of COURSE books! Your books make Powells bookstore JEALOUS!!

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  28. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 23, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    Chris - Not quite! Margot and I visited Powell's last March on our trip to Portland, and it was amazing - 3 stories - an entire city block - they pass out a map at the door so you can find your way around. Now, they got stacks!!
    Erin

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  29. AndriaSeptember 24, 2011 at 5:48 AM

    Great stack...love those gorgeous vintage spines!

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  30. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 24, 2011 at 6:37 AM

    Andria - I am enamored with old book spines, I often peruse used book stores and go for books that are falling apart to get the beautiful spines and use them in my collage and assemblage work.
    Erin

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  31. Bleubeard and ElizabethSeptember 25, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    I can tell you love old books. And I bet a few of these will make it into artwork, too. Gotta love old books for collage. And your stack is full of them! Sorry I'm late arriving here, but I'm determined to see all the stacks by the end of today.

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  32. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 25, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    Bluebeard and Elizabeth - A lovely way to spend a Sunday. I love the fact that every part of an old book makes great art fodder - the covers, the spines, the endpapers, the pages, the illustrations. Even the stuff under the spine that holds the signatures together - it's all treasure!
    Erin

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  33. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    holy cow...now that's a stack of books! love old books.

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  34. Erin in Morro BaySeptember 27, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    jae - And that's just a very small amount of the lovely old books that are all over my house!
    Erin

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