Ex Libris

<-What on earth is that? It's a pressed fairy... from the books and calendars created by Lady Cottington . So I press flowers in my books...flowers, leaves, feathers anything organic and it came a hilarious surprise to discover some years ago that someone had the silly idea to create a pressed fairy book. The book itself has the most flattened and outrageous poses ever pretending to be smashed between pages and if you get a chance I hope you'll flip through it. These sinuous fantasies scream out in mock pain and contortions that will make you wince but I personally can not turn away and find myself turning the book in all angles while saying "ouch" to their never happened pain.

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Pressed flowers...lovely little unnecessary things that

waft from my phone book, dictionary, any religious study, journal, favorite books...it's a quiet obsession for me to save some blossom from certain oblivion. This little beauty on the right is a Cosmos and they are in season in my garden right now. I do the same thing to leaves and feathers and occasionally I capture some little bug who was minding his business and found himself between Johnson and Johnston unexpectedly. I have a nice official flower press made from turned wood with levers and lacquered. It has some pricey absorbent paper and cardboard for between and turns to increase pressure, etc... but funny, somehow it's the phone book which mostly spills of leaves and petals.

I am completely off subject though, I wanted to tell you that I stole a book. Of course I only intended to borrow it but it had no Ex Libris bookplate (Latin phrase meaning "book thief in possession of anothers book" or so I will lead you to believe. Some say it means "from the library of" but literally, for you snobs, it means "from books") return to sender thingy inside and so... Eventually I found out from the owner who sort of came across as a little unhappy with me. I kindly returned his book and included a note on the back of an Ex Libris sticker to serve as a hint that he would have gotten his book back a lot sooner with a return label attached. This elegant label on the left here comes from Fine Stationary dot com. In spite of the fact that I am personally still missing a few good biblios and yes they had my name and shame on you who have snatched them, I remain confident in the adding of bookplates. For you, dear reader, here are some return labels for your good books in the hopes that rotten scoundrels do not abscond with yours. Purchase and attach with reasonable assurance of the safe return of your good book. Tthe victorian bookplate on the right is free clip art. Customizable bookplates such as the ones here at left and middle are available all over the internet, these from My Own Labels.