Ex-Libris Anonymous

English Grammar Journal

admin — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 19:20:00 +0000

The first thing I wanted to do when I pulled this wonderful journal out of its envelope was practice my English skills. Well, not really, but the lovely vintage cover and whimsical page inserts from what seems like old English textbooks throughout the journal convinced me that I did. The blank pages just scream to be be written on, and the way the journal is put together makes that as convenient as possible. The journal is small enough to fit in my purse (although I do carry large bags), but the hard cover and spiral binding ensure that it’s easy enough to write in anywhere, from at home to on the bus to out on the town, if you so desire.

Not often does a journal come along that is so easy to use and also so good-looking, but Ex-Libris Anonymous has done a great job of combining the two. Not only that, but the journals are handmade, which really ensures their quality. Whether you’re writing your innermost thoughts, notes at work, or something creative, this journal is perfect for you.

Written by: Dana Reinoos, August 4th 2007

Small Fomat Handmade Journal

admin — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:11:00 +0000

By Ex-Libris Anonymous

I was a bit surprised this month when a children’s story book, in particular Things I Think Of: Sullivans’ Associates Storybook 6A, formerly the property of Rockwood School District No. 27 in Portland, Oregon, showed up with my review materials. Perhaps our benevolent book fairy had lost her mind? As usual, things were just as they should be and it was my mind that had gone south for the winter… er, summer. It turns out that Portland’s Ex Libris Anonymous makes their handmade journals from recycled books and intersperses seventy-five sheets of acid-free paper with pages from the original text.

Before journaling, I could ponder the uses of a stick found on the beach in Chapter One. “Can a chick sit on a stick?” I don’t advise it. If my imagination is on the fritz, I can flip to an excerpt from chapter four and see “the biggest bird Bill can think of.” But don’t get too attached to what’s in mine because each journal is a unique product, and your book could be completely different. Ex Libris’ website boasts blank, silk screened, large-format, smaller and even (gasp) nudie journals, making for the environmentally conscious journal-er, doodler or serious artist to get a paper product fix with relatively less tree carnage.

Written by: H. V. Cramond, July 7th 2007

Large Format Book Journal

admin — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:04:00 +0000

By Ex-Libris Anonymous

The handmade journal by Ex Libris Anonymous put a huge smile on my face from the first moment I took it out of the box. It’s most definitely one-of-a-kind, made from a fifth grade language arts textbook, complete with the ubiquitous and familiar “THIS BOOK IS THE PROPERTY OF:” emblazoned on the inside of the front cover. If you’re Isaiah D., Jamie, or Emily (1993), this book at one time may have been yours. But Ex Libris Anonymous didn’t stop there, they included pages of the textbook bound in-between the unlined, acid free paper. Whether used as light reading or as writing exercise prompts, the textbook pages are a definite bonus. Also especially fun are the watercolour illustrations on all the textbook pages, and the included textbook chapter title pages, such as “In The Mind’s Eye” and “Fads and Fascinations.”

Oftentimes I’ve received journals I’m afraid to mar or dirty. However, this handmade journal, with its tough, pre-marred cover, is amazingly liberating. It’s spiral bound, so it lays flat on a table, or it can be flipped around to make sketching or writing easy. Maybe it’s the nostalgic idea of writing in my textbook (being “bad”) or the comfortable warmth of the banged-around corners, but I have no qualms about whether or not what I write in this journal is perfect.

Written by: Amy Lynn Hess, June 11th 2007