Chris Straughn
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cas60625.bsky.social
Chris Straughn
@cas60625.bsky.social
32 followers 49 following 72 posts
Librarian and linguist, owner of ElegantLexicon.com
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cas60625.bsky.social
Could they not have found a better image? Did they take the paint cup away from this child or let her eat it? #govdocs
The cover of a book entitled "Lead poisoning prevention act" with a photograph of a small child eating paint chips
October 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
For any librarians who dislike weeding, may I present:
The title page of a book entitled "Gay Parties for All Occasions" The title page of a book entitled "Your Child Can Be Happy in Bed: Over 200 Ways Children Can Entertain Themselves"
September 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
This silver and yellow color scheme is going to look so good. #bookbinding
The top edge of an unfinished book with silver wrapped endbands
July 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
My attempts at repairing these little bird guides were less than perfect, but I'm thrilled with the slipcase I made for them. #bookbinding
Three small books in a stack: The Blue, Red, and Green Books of Birds of America A blue slipcase with a thumb notch with three books poking out A standing blue slipcase lined with decorative paper with three books behind it
July 4, 2025 at 2:57 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
And here's a great blue heron in the same location later in the day #heron #bird
A heron standing in the Chicago River
May 28, 2025 at 9:52 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
The black crowned night herons are back! Love these weirdos. #bird #Chicagoriver
A black crowned night heron perched on a rock in the middle of the Chicago River.
May 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Well that's unfortunate
The spine of a book that says "The Other Flute Dick"
May 25, 2025 at 11:14 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
The ducks, they want to learn! #ducks
Two mallard ducks sitting in the outer entrance to a university building
May 14, 2025 at 11:54 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Tenure!
The front of a pin bearing the seal of Northeastern Illinois University
April 17, 2025 at 11:55 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
The latest bind. This is a variation on sewn board binding with larger boards to accommodate endbands. I mixed things up by adding some colored pages and a variety of graph papers and ruled lines. The spine is a faux leather and the cover is lokta from Cognitive Surplus. #bookbinding
A front view of a small notebook. The cover has an image of a skull The top view of a small notebook, showing different colored pages and pages with a variety of graph patterns
April 9, 2025 at 8:02 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
The latest bind. This is my first real attempt at sewn headbands. I also used faux leather for the first time. I'm not sure I like it. I still need to tidy up the endpapers and apply a title. #bookbinding
A book with a brown faux leather spine and blue cover A front view of a book with a faux leather spine and blue cover The interior of a book showing decorative blue and gold endpapers
April 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
A little headband sewing and spine lining on a rainy Sunday
A partially sewn book headband An unbound book in a press with a variety of spine linings
March 30, 2025 at 10:31 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Happy spring everyone!
A snowy college campus with a path in the foreground and brown buildings in the background
March 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Making this ridiculous display is what got me through the week. It'll go out on a table with government publications on fossils. The weird creature is Tullimonstrum gregarium, Illinois' state fossil
A stuffed Tullimonstrum gregarium on a display stand
February 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Nothing to do on a freezing cold day but nap above the radiators.
A gray tabby sprawled out on a kitchen counter
January 21, 2025 at 2:31 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
The results of the previously posted spattered paper. I used Peter Verhayen's gebrochene Rücken style with a flat back. I'm so glad I switched to this covering from the paste paper I had initially planned. #bookbinding
An open book with a cloth spine and blue covers with spattered colors An open book with white spattered endpapers surrounded by a blue spattered cover
January 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM
cas60625.bsky.social

I haven't been happy with the paste paper I made for the book I'm currently working on, so I used a splatter effect on some blue paper. I think it will contrast nicely with the splatters I did on the endpapers. #bookbinding
A blue sheet of paper with a background of white splatters, black splatters on the edges, and copper splatters down the center A folded white endpaper with black, blue, and copper splatters
January 1, 2025 at 5:36 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
I treated myself to a tool bag to organize my bookbinding supplies. (And some lovely brass calipers.) Home improvement stores are the way to go. #bookbinding
A tool bag full of bookbinding supplies
December 27, 2024 at 7:18 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
I have a very good reason for being in the boiler room making bloody sheets...
A sheet draped over a sawhorse with splatters of bright red ink
December 18, 2024 at 10:17 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Just finished this Tunnelbindung inspired book to give to my godmother for Christmas. I love the crane figures on this red paper. #bookbinding
A small book with a black spine and red cover with gold crane figures
December 8, 2024 at 6:07 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
Images of said cakes. The one in the left has been veganised
Two cakes on a counter A slice of cake on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream
December 4, 2024 at 1:42 AM
cas60625.bsky.social
Sometimes it's more like I'm putting in a puppet show than playing
A gray tabby cat sitting on the floor looking at a toy bee on a string
December 4, 2024 at 1:27 AM
cas60625.bsky.social
My annual display of government cookbooks. My colleagues actually made the sausage cake recipe and it was... not good. Very dry. #govdocs #cookbook
A display of several cookbooks on a wide counter A book with images of seafood and the text "Notions for Nibbling". (The full title is Nautical Notions for Nibbling) The cover of a cookbook showing three people seated at a table. The title is "From our house to yours... family favorites of Gov. And Mrs. Richard B. Ogilvie and Elizabeth." A recipe for sausage cake
November 19, 2024 at 4:19 PM
cas60625.bsky.social
A few more delightful #govdocs from our collection
A folded pamphlet entitled "Strictly for Teenagers: some facts about venereal disease" The interior of the VD pamphlet, portraying two teenagers with the headline "Let's talk frankly about venereal disease" A pamphlet entitled "the dangers of flammable clothing" with an image of a young girl roasting food on a stick over a bonfire"
November 19, 2024 at 1:10 AM
cas60625.bsky.social
Ugh... What's with images getting compressed?
November 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM