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ECENTLY we had the pleasure of being interviewed by Henkel Glues & Gunges for the winter edition of Paper and Pencils Quarterly. So grab that darling little gold fine-liner you’ve been saving for a big project – because you're coming with us into the world of forcing a 5
ECENTLY we had the pleasure of being interviewed by Henkel Glues & Gunges for the winter edition of Paper and Pencils Quarterly. So grab that darling little gold fine-liner you’ve been saving for a big project – because you're coming
ECENTLY we had the pleasure of being interviewed by Henkel Glues & Gunges for the winter edition of Paper and Pencils Quarterly. So grab that darling little gold fine-liner you’ve been saving for a big project – because you're coming
ECENTLY we had the pleasure of being interviewed by Henkel Glues & Gunges for the winter edition of Paper and Pencils Quarterly. So grab that darling little gold fine-liner you’ve been saving for a big project – because you're coming
ECENTLY we had the pleasure of being interviewed by Henkel Glues & Gunges for the winter edition of Paper
kilogram stack of receipt cuttings and scalpel-cut photos into your friends' hands at every possible opportunity.
Get in, pal. We’re going
with us into the world of forcing a 5 kilogram stack of receipt cuttings and scalpel-cut photos into your friends' hands at every possible opportunity.
Get in, pal. We’re going
with us into the world of forcing a 5 kilogram stack of receipt cuttings and scalpel-cut photos into your friends' hands at every possible opportunity.
Get in, pal. We’re going
with us into the world of forcing a 5 kilogram stack of receipt cuttings and scalpel-cut photos into your friends' hands at every possible opportunity.
Get in, pal. We’re going
and Pencils Quarterly. So grab that darling little gold fine-liner you’ve been saving for a big project – because you're coming with us into the world of forcing a 5 kilogram stack of receipt cuttings and scalpel-cut photos into your friends' hands at every possible opportunity.
Get in, pal. We’re going
Words by Mr Pritt. Originally published by Henkel Glues & Gunges. Photos courtesy of HvK.
Words by Mr Pritt. Originally published by Henkel Glues & Gunges. Photos courtesy of HvK.
Words by Mr Pritt. Originally published by Henkel Glues & Gunges. Photos courtesy of HvK.
Words by Mr Pritt. Originally published by Henkel Glues & Gunges. Photos courtesy of HvK.
Words by Mr Pritt. Originally published by Henkel Glues & Gunges. Photos courtesy of HvK.
Chapter 1: Why We Scrapbook or: Looking Back to See Forwards
So, Emily and Konnaire, tell us – what got you into scrapbooking?
Emily:
The Kirsch Family has a long tradition of scrapbooking. As a child, my mother used it as a creative way to sneak her holiday treasures home. Unfortunately she never managed to win the argument that colourful and shapely seaweed was worth conserving. As a parent, she used scrapbooking as a way to sneak handwriting practice into our summer holidays, and so scrapbooking became a staple.
My first scrapbook is from a holiday to Northumberland when I was five. My favourite part of scrapbooking at this age was definitely the jigsaw puzzle of arranging leaflets, postcards, quiz sheets and ticket stubs across the pages. By eleven I had become obsessed with postcards, and would spend my holiday noting where the best value postcards could be found in order to maximise on scrapbook fodder. Still to this day, I can’t help but note the inflation of postcard prices.
Konnaire:
This is significant, as Emily’s earliest scrapbook began our own journey long before we had ever visited together. Spilling over the pages of a five year old’s memories of all the things at Bamburgh Castle she found ‘interestring’, two plans were hatched: we would go to the borders and relive this holiday as a couple, and we would begin our own scrapbook from the loot collected in our time together as a couple. So far, the only location featured twice in our scrapbook is Northumberland.
Chapter 2: Sourcing or: The Thrill of the Hunt
That all sounds wonderful. So tell us, how does one go about collecting these items? What should we look out for?
Emily:
These days, scrap can be hard to come by – so it’s vital that you take this stage seriously. If you’re anything like us, you want your scrapbook to be bursting at the seams: for its spine to be bent in protest of all your memories; its pages thick with layers of paper, glue, washi tape, and glossy photos. But for this to happen you need to be constantly aware of the opportunity for scrap, and prepared to seize it.
When was the last time that you received a physical ticket? Are they giving away fun and colourful quiz sheets for kids? You’ll need that for your title page. Bought a coffee from the castle cafe? Keep that receipt – it says the name of the castle on it, and it’s time stamped. Went for a crisp autumnal walk through the forest? Keep your eye out for the perfect leaf. And perhaps our personal favourite: don’t go anywhere without a crayon and some paper. You just never know when the perfect brass rubbing will present itself. In our experience, it’s when you least expect it.
Konnaire:
I’ll add to that. Don’t be afraid to linger, to ask for that stamp, or to see if there are any fun freebies on your travels. People are always happy to help, and seem to always want to hear more about the other wares you’ve gathered that day.
Keep an eye out in your day-to-day, too, for any texture, graphic or oddments you might find. For example, the inside of an outlook envelope provides an excellent border material, while the plastic window could be used to blur something to comedic effect. The only limits are your imagination and your willingness to hoard.
Another gathering avenue – or gathernue if you will (you won’t) – is the humble charity shop. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to the miscellany-minded adult, a charity shop can harbour all sorts of goodies to smoothen your scrapping ride. A Historic Houses guidebook from 2008? For 60p? Snatched. A photobook of all the different flora on Madeira? From the 80s? For a quid? You can bet you’ll have used half of that up before you’ve finished book one. Book one? That’ll be in a charity shop, too.
We even managed to find something we lovingly call ‘The Budget’ – our very own bright red file organiser we’ve drawn our own gold logo onto – for organising our loot by material, pattern and colour.
Chapter 3: The Lost Art of Graphic Design or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pritt Stick
Incredible insights. Talk us through how you see the vision come to life. Feel free to continue to advertise for Henkel Glues & Gunges.
Incredible insights. Talk us through how you see the vision come to life. Feel free to continue to advertise for Henkel Glues & Gunges.
Emily:
I’m sure that if you type ‘scrapbook’ into Amazon, all you’ll see are ring-bound photo albums with stylish black pages. But let me tell you: there is nothing less inspiring than a blank page. So, rather than spending £15.99 on an awkward book that’s too large to live anywhere other than in a box in the loft, we’d recommend visiting your local seconds or charity shops.
For this hunt, you need to find the kind of place that takes every donation. Seek the shelf full of reference books that you know took pride of place in a Waterstones display forty years ago. Most of these books will have two layers of dust on them; one from the original owner, and another from the charity shop. We’d recommend scientific textbooks for their colourful (and sometimes peculiar) diagrams that serve as excellent inspiration for scrap arrangement. Our current book is a copy of Frontiers of Science, published in 1960.
Konnaire:
Then comes the actual arrangement. Some pages lend themselves to layout better than others, and likewise some scrap yields naturally present a direction pretty quickly. Some of my favourite pages are the ones where one of us has sat bolt upright with an exclamation of ‘I’ve got it! Let me cook!’ And so it begins. You fall quickly into the Art Director or Junior role, either leading or struggling to keep up. When you both do it at the same time? Flow state bliss. We did this recently with a couple of pages dedicated to going to Chatham Dockyards with our friend Ed, and came to the surface with some incredibly complimentary stuff.
Other times you find yourself working against the constraints of the page, the scrap, or the story. But don’t worry – if it’s worth remembering then it’ll get stuck down in some shape or form.
Chapter 4: Things Will Never be the Same Again
Chapter 4: Things Will Never be the Same Again
How would you say embarking on a project like this has changed your lives?
Emily:
If something is worth documenting in our most prized possession then we’re happy to spend hours carefully measuring puffin heads in magazines, and hunting through newspapers for the perfectly sized letter ‘P’. I’m sure entire days of our lives have been dedicated to the cause, and that can sometimes make it feel daunting. I’ve been known to have tired-toddler-scale tantrums over my lack of creativity, with foot stomps, and “I can’t do it”s banded around. The fatter the book gets, the easier it is for me to remind myself that actually I can do this, and I enjoy it too.
There’s no doubt that between scrap hunting and scrap sticking, scrapbooking can quickly take over your life. We’re endlessly proud of our creation – and while we take great joy from sharing it with others, I think I speak for both of us when I say that going through it together brings us the most joy. We know all the in-jokes and Easter eggs. We know how long it took to make a miniature knot board, painstakingly border those trifle photos, and design advertisements for stuffed monkeys. If anything, the act of recording all our favourite memories has created so many more.
Listener's takeover.
It’s August in Montreal and the forget-me-nots, true to their name, have mustered the mightiest of flowering stalks. Reams of azure dwarf the neighbouring rudbeckia, yet even amongst all the strength of this bumper crop, tender stems still bend under the weight of a bumblebee.
“It’s quite a large bumblebee!”, I imagine it saying defiantly… Accurately.
I’d thought of swapping them for a cultivar from my mom’s garden next year, but now I fear they may be onto me and I can no longer bring myself to do it. Such is the nature of tending a garden: try to shape it and it will shape you in return.
Over the years my garden has become something of a therapist, gently feeding me its questions through a series of metaphors. Fresh sprouts ask me what seeds I’ve been planting in my own life. A tiny sunflower blooming in a downpour is a warm hug just when I need it the most.
As I write from this terracotta palace, with its napping-cat Capitaine and chattering sparrows, I can’t help but wonder what my next seasons will hold. The blue bumper crop urges me to quit trying to predict the future, and for a few moments I look around, lay back, and oblige.
You can read more from Jonathan on his incredible website.
Next month could be you! Submit by email to desk@vonkirschnell.haus
Sound of the month.
We know this sound well, but what do you think it is, listener? Hover to reveal ↓
We know this sound well, but what do you think it is, listener? Tap to reveal ↓
This month's sound is a ginormous stone ball rolling in an even bigger stone bowl at the Tout Quarry Nature Reserve and Sculpture Park, Portland, Dorset.