Detours on the quest for the perfect book

So the search is on! I mentioned in my blog entry Ode to playfulness, that I had invited 12 women to create an inspiring, year-long journal together. All 12 of them are on board now, and after 2 weeks of searching all the shops nearby, I am having a very tough time finding a journal with enough pages in it to give each of the 12 women enough space to do their thing over the next year. Today someone recommended I check out http://www.etsy.com/ which I had never heart of before (and now that I have, I realize WHY the universe kept this a secret from me for so long, because it is an amazing resource if you are looking for hand made things from around the world, and I would be even more broke than I already am if I had discovered it earlier!!) I have still not found a journal with at least 120 pages, but what I did find are a couple of very, very cool companies that make journals, so I wanted to share them with you here, in case, like me, the idea of an entire book of blank, beautifully textured paper wrapped in a one-of-a-kind cover, makes you want to leap for joy.

The first company that I came across that impressed me immensely, but that I will have to save up to purchase anything from, is Bibliographica. Rarely do I see such beautiful journals.

Photograph from Bibliographica's Etsy page.

I love that you can actually write in this miniature journal! Photograph is from Bibliographica's Etsy page.

The idea of actually being able to write in one of these creations is a dream. The creator of these tiny works of art, Louise, is also a photographer. She is from New Zealand, and has a blog that you can check out as well. I don't know what it is about New Zealand...I keep coming across amazing artists that hail from the island. Must be all those spectacular landscapes and fresh air! 

Another work of art that I am excited about is this journal, from Purple Paint. It looks like this on the outside:

Photograph from Purple Paint's Etsy site.

and like this on the inside:

Photograph from Purple Paint's Etsy site

Is that not beautiful? I have to tell you, I wish I were looking for a shorter journal, because if I was, i would have snatched this baby up immediately! Purple Paint also has a blog, if you want to read more. And if you think you want to purchase this beautiful creation, I would get snapping. My understanding is that it is one of a kind!

I had better get back to my search. If you come across any journals that have at least 120 blank pages in them with good firm front and back covers on them that look like they would survive a journey around the world, please tell me where to find them. I have the month of January, and it is quickly slipping away, so I want to find something this week so that I can get to work adding my contribution before I mail the journal off to my dear friend Rachel who is doing February!

Hope this has gotten your creative juices flowing! I am casting longing glances at my own journal's white, white pages, lying on the table beside me, and wishing that it were as colourful as the book above. Maybe it is time to crack out the paints and pastels!!