#Nagspeake

[lemonysnicket]

adventures in bookbinding: making the negret colophon playing card book!

it's diy girl summer and i am Bored. time to attempt a completely new craft with zero research except for like. 3 youtube videos!

so, to start off, i suppose i will ramble a wee bit about my plans/goals/reasoning. truth be told, i just really really like my blorbo who book binds and i think it would be very fun to become Just like him for real. therefore we will be embarking on a journey!! to become my blorbo and also find something crafty to do today. quick psa that this is not a real tutorial because i have absolutely zero experience, but more of a general guide and/or craft with me! let's do this in sectionssss!!

1 - the plan!!

so for my first bookbinding project we are going to do something small, starting out by being silly and taking a page (lol) out of negret colophon's book (lol....) when he makes a tiny book and uses two playing cards as the covers. this will give me a little tiny trial run so i can learn the basic skills and use easily available materials around my house!! afterwards i think i'll sketch out a more ambitious journal idea - i have lots of fabric lying around that would work perfectly to cover a cardboard cover. wow, that's wordy! so! without further ado let's begin :) negret's little bookbinding project is described in the first chapter of raconteurs in this little excerpt here.

seems simple enough!! also the absolute perfect beginner project. it is tiny and the materials consist of Literally Anything. let's get groovy!!

2. materials!!

here's what we're working with:

playing cards! i found a deck lying around in a random drawer somewhere and chances are you have one laying around too. i chose the ace of spades and diamonds, because the text specifies a pair of aces but i couldn't find a matching pair, lol. i was also very tempted to choose one of the king cards as an homage to maisie's story later on (and because the king cards are absolutely gorgeous and detailed) but we're sticking to canon right now. we'll use the other cards for a future project.

needles!! a lot of the tutorials i see use very big or thick needles but i don't have those and this is also a very small project, not a huge journal, so any can work.

thread!! use whatever color you would like! at this point i was very indecisive because i have a lot of options and they're all quite pretty colors, but i settled on red later.

an assortment of papers!! use literally whatever you have lying around. for me, i managed to dig up the one scrap of newspaper in my house, since that's specifically listed, but most of my pages were from a book i sacrificed for an old art project, magazines and flyers, a lot of which were college mail because we're at that point in my life, lol. this is a recycling sort of project. choose anything! the more variety the better :)

i didn't display these in the photo, but if you have an awl, use an awl! i do not have one so i improvised, which i'll elaborate upon later. also, scissors! to cut the pages to scale. a ruler also came in handy :)

alright, now that we have all our tools in order, it's time to get into it :)

3. creating the pages!!

our first step is to measure our playing cards! you might not have to do this step because i'm fairly certain most cards are uniform in size/make, but check just in case, lol.

my cards measured to be 2.5" wide and 3.5" tall. i am no mathematician but using my singular brain cell i deduced that the papers should be twice the width of our cover, since those will fold to be the same size. so, using my Expert calculations, i made a little template cut from an index card measuring 3.5" x 5".

now we get to cutting!! using your various materials, cut out a bunch of papers to the size of your template. i just cut around it because i could not be bothered enough to waste time tracing, lol. i didn't go in with a plan, but i cut 16 papers to this size, which ended up being perfect. here are all my pages !! look at all the colors and textures!! the fun thing about the project being so small is that you can specifically cut the pages as the most interesting photos or sections, or you can even do it at angles too. as long as it ends up the right size, anything is fair game

now, we're going to make the papers into signatures! i just learned this word today lol. essentially, we will be grouping our papers and then folding those in half to become little mini books/pages. since i had 16 papers, i made 4 signatures with 4 pages each.

at this point i was tempted to go cut up more and make a fifth signature, but i decided against it since i didn't want the book to become too thick, and 4 sets with 4 papers each ended up being just about right. one of the tutorials i watched suggested that you group your signatures with paperclips or bobby pins, and at the time i waved off the suggestion but i totally agree now. i didn't have any clips to work with and i managed fine without them, but it definitely would have been easier if i had. so if you have them, use them! it'll make your life better lol. at this point you can stack your signatures together and itll look like a book!

oh yeah now we're cooking!!

4. preparing for binding!!

it was at this point in the process where i ventured out from knowing what i was doing to completely balling, but everything turned out okay and i'll walk you through it! our next step is to create the holes with which we will sew our signatures together. we're going to mark those off. once again i have zero clue how to do math but i managed to use my giant incredible smooth brain one more time to mark my template with a few equidistant points with which we can mark our signatures.

in case it's not clear, i kind of just counted the lines and then had to look up how much that was, but you can also just eyeball it if you're good enough. side note, i added two more holes after this, with one just below the very top and one just below the very bottom.

pardon my very unsightly nails, lol - here's how i used my template to mark the very center of each of my signature. you'll want to mark the point on the center line where you folded it while keeping the pages of each signature together. HOPEFULLY WITH A PAPERCLIP. and without further ado it's time for the stabbing!

now...here's where i got a little bit sacrilegious. you'll recall that earlier i mentioned how i don't have an awl in my possession yet? well, i managed to improvise a solution...

yes that is a sewing pin. IN MY DEFENSE it's all i had, and functionally it's basically the same as an awl! just on a much smaller scale. it worked out though - i imagine that if i'd been using thicker paper it would have posed a bit of a problem but for this project specifically, it was fine. do not kill me book binders. now it's time to get serious...

5. the binding

everyone stay calm! stay calm! it will be okay. i was lowkey intimidated by this part as this was Truly out of my depth of expertise, but i promise it's not that complicated. you're going to get your needle and thread now - i settled upon this gorgeous red color because it contrasted nicely with the playing cards, and there really wasn't much red in the papers i chose.

gorgeous!! tbh i always knew i'd go with the red because i've always envisioned the book with red thread anyways. like come on look at my very first drawing of negret WITH it. literally the exact same materials. i simply had to.

okay. now to the binding part. i don't have any real photos or insights or instructions for this whole stage because 1. i was deep in focus mode and 2. entirely relied on a tutorial for this part. here's the tutorial i used - massive shoutout to this lovely lady ! my spine didn't turn out nearly as neat as hers because i did not properly follow directions for the first bunch of knots (and i had to kind of improvise with the cover) but here's how it turned out!

not too bad for my first book, lol. try not to stress out about it being perfect because this book is not supposed to be perfect! the imperfections give it character. worst case scenario, if you really mess up, your eclectic book is just a little more eclectic than intended. and that's never a crime :)

now the one problem i had to figure out on my own was how to attach the covers, since most tutorials explain how to attach actual big separate covers and not - essentially paper. i ended up just... attaching them as if they were another page or signature to the front and back. my holes on the covers were a few millimeters away from the edge, though, since there's no crease or fold to align them with. what i did was essentially do the first knots/stitching on the signature like the tutorial said, but for each hole i sewed through in the first/last signature, i also made an additional loop through the adjacent hole on the cover. you can kind of see how i passed my needle through like instructed and then took a little extra detour to stitch the card as well. in some places i ended up making new holes in the signature too that were closer to where the cards' holes lined up?? try not to do that but it worked and it looks fine so really whatever makes it attach and hold is perfect.

6. bask in your glory!!!

aaaand that's it!! you did it!! this was a ton of fun to work on and i absolutely loved making this little adventure into a new craft with something so near and dear to my heart. if you make one please be sure to tag me!! i would love love LOVE to see :) here's an additional picture of my little monster (+ next to the legend himself. art credit to me lol. look the books are twinning!!)

[angsty-worm]

was Greenglass House anyone else’s childhood book? Or Kate Milford in general? Cause they’re probably my favorite middle-grade books of all time and I need to talk about them

[eyeballsoup7310]

I’m never drawing grass again dude this thing drove me insane

Anyways. Yeah. Petra as that one Ophelia painting 👍 shout out to sad bone lady she’s cool

[sentientcitysmackdown]

ROUND 1, MATCHUP 12

[ID: The cover of the book Greenglass House by Kate Milford and a map of Ankh-Morpork from Discworld, with the letters "VS." between them. End ID.]

Nagspeake is home to at least a couple sentient houses, which are the smaller domesticated form of sentient cities, and also the iron there is alive!! Ankh-Morpork is the worst and also best but generally just Most city there is. I shan't waste words (this round): which one?

[blue-vein-tavern]

this just got like 2 more notes out of nowhere so i am bringing it back because!! trans!!!! sullivan!!!!!!! bi!!!!! sorcha!!!!

love it when i read something and go "thats gay" as a joke before taking a second to think about it and realizing that theres nothing else the author couldve been implying except for "thats gay"

[necromycologist]

its DISMAL out here as a “city that is Alive ” enjoyer and a London hater. like Oh your city is alive? its a presence and a character in and of itself?? yeah right. its fucking londinium again. >:/

[accidental-spice]

Hi. I know what Greenglass House is. I love it. Would you like to rant with me?

*gasps* YOU DO?????

I would love nothing more!!!!! Isn't it utterly fabulous?!?!

I must know all your thoughts! Who's your favorite character(s)? Have you read Ghosts of Greenglass House and/or The Thief Knot and/or The Left-Handed Fate? Did you guess all the plot twists? (I know I didn't 🤣) Do you also now wish you could visit Nagspeake?

Thanks for the ask!!

[muse-write]

Tiny fandoms made up of three or four people on Tumblr are always the best! I’m honestly really surprised Greenglass House is as obscure as it is--but maybe it’s just because it’s middle grade. It seems like the kind of series Tumblr would enjoy BECAUSE of the lore and worldbuilding.

I’d heard of The Left-Handed Fate, but I didn’t realize it was related to this series! Yay, one more book to read! After reading The Thief Knot I plan on reading Bluecrowne, which I think is about Lucy and Liao? I’m so excited to read about the history of the inn and how it started as a smuggler’s safe house. Nagspeake is so interesting, how the people there are so proud of their smuggler folk heroes and yet have to keep that on the down-low due to Deacon and Morvengarde.

Also...can I say how wonderful the names in these books are? Hakelbarend, Michael Whitcher, Holystone, De Cary Vinge, Fenster, Cantlebone...they all straddle that line between being outright whimsical and managing to be grounded, and they’re so fun to say out loud!

You've read the Greenglass House books?!?! I would love to hear all your thoughts on them!!

Yay, there’s a fandom for these books (as it deserves)!

I’ve read Greenglass House, The Ghosts of Greenglass House, and I’ve just started The Thief Knot. The setting is what stands out to me the most; I fell in love with the stained glass and the smuggler’s inn and the unmappable river, and I love how everything lends itself to a puzzle or mystery. I read plenty of middle grade mysteries when I was younger, and as much as I love this series now, I would have loved it even more when I was ten or eleven. It also seems like the entire first book is a love letter to DnD, and even though I’ve never played I can feel the love and affection the author has for roleplaying games, and she understands why that would appeal to kids AND adults.

There’s also such a diversity of characters, and I love how no one is exactly what they seem, for good or bad. I want an entire spinoff about Hakelbarend and Violet Cross. The lore of these books just gets deeper and deeper the more I read, I love how it began with simple stories being told (maybe true, maybe not) and then proceeded to stories ans folklore becoming a tangible part of the world (with ghosts and legendary smugglers just showing up sometimes).

And MILO! What a wonderful character! He solves mysteries and observes things and finds new parts of himself through the characters he plays and he’s ALLOWED to do this even though his parents are fairly active parts of his life and everything that goes down.

[the-beee-charmer]

Greenglass House traditional/digital painting (my art)

Instagram: aesth_attic_art

[lemonysnicket]

ahhh just realized i never posted this! made a sullivan inspired sketchbook (which i have yet to write the post on but i will share soon) so i had to break it in with a page of the man himself! he is so lovely and tragic and i am so normal about him . transgender legend

[pussreboots]

[blue-vein-tavern]

exactly one (1) chapter into bluecrowne and im already losing my mind

[nice2meetyouu]

"'Yung iba nang-eeducate naman without insulting others."

More like ingat na ingat lang 'yung iba at limitado ang galaw (o salita), kasi kung magpapakatotoo sila, magkaka-death threat din sila o makakasuhan o magsusuffer sa some adverse event.

'Yung kaklase ko nagspeak up lang about sa isang famous singer na nagvlog na hindi raw inasikaso 'yung asawa nya sa ospital. Nandu'n sya e. Sabi nya inasikaso naman. May mga nagmessage pa raw sa kanya ng BOBO KA, SANA MAMATAY KA NA, at iba pa.

Ang dali talagang makaoffend dito.

[accidental-spice]

*quietly saddles up next to you*

*pokes indexes fingers together*

*whispers so as not to be obnoxious: …got any book recommendations?

*gasps with joy* of COURSE!!!!!!!! And don't worry, I could NEVER find you obnoxious, anon! I love giving book recs!!!

I'll give you an assortment, based on various different genres and tropes!

So, fantasy is my main wheelhouse, of all sorts. Particularly, Christian fantasy. If you like, say, Lord of the Rings, I highly recommend the Dragonkeeper Chronicles, by Donita K. Paul. There are tiny pocket-sized dragons!!!! And the depiction of Christianity is so well done!!

More recs under the cut...

Another Christian fantasy book! If you like elves, Moonscript by H. S. J. Williams is INCREDIBLE. There's found family. And redemption!! And a SMUGGLER. Plus, it's good if you like more of a platonic focus, as opposed to romance, but there's still background romance! Absolutely INCREDIBLE. Makes me cry

Another Christian fiction series I love is the Out of Time trilogy, by Nadine Brandes. It's about a post apocalyptic/futuristic world where everyone has a Clock that tells them how long they have to live. The main couple is GOALS

Another fantasy series I love is The Vengekeep Prophecies, by Brian Farrey. It's about a hilarious family of thieves!!! Plus, their magic system is really unique!!

In the not as fantasy realm, I ADORE this steampunk duology by Joel Ross! The first one is called The Fog Diver! It's about a post-apocalyptic world where all but the highest mountains have been enveloped in a deadly Fog. There are airpirates in this one, who I ADORE, and a found family!!

A more modern day book I love is The Trouble With Shooting Stars! It's about a girl who's recently been injured in an accident, and her new neighbors, who are magical!!

Oh, if you've read, say, Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, or if you're into wilderness survival, that sort of thing, I definitely recommend My Side of the Mountain, which is about a kid named Sam Gribley who's like, screw it, and moves out of his parents house to live off the land on a mountain. It's SO good

Last, but FAR from least, I recommend Greenglass House, by Kate Milford. It's a mystery set during Christmas in this really cool fictional town called Nagspeake, at a smuggler's inn.

Let me know if you want more recommendations, especially if none of these appeal to you, and I hope you enjoy them!!!

[noctem-novelle]

“This story’s true, and true stories don’t have endings, because things just keep going.”

Book: Greenglass House - Kate Milford

Genre: Middle Grade // Mystery & Suspense

Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

If you like mysteries, ghost stories, or role-playing games, you’ll like Greenglass House. If you like mysteries, ghost stories, AND role-playing games, you’ll LOVE Greenglass House. It’s the first book in an ongoing series about a boy (Milo) who lives at an inn (Greenglass House) run by his parents. 

It’s winter in Nagspeak, and the inn is supposed to be quiet, but one guest arrives and then another. And another. And another. When things start to go missing, Milo assumes that the culprit is one of their unexpected tenants. In order to find clues, Milo cloaks himself in the persona of his new rpg character, the ever-observant Negret. With his friend Meddy by his side, Milo uncovers the secrets of Greenglass House and its morally ambiguous guests.

I bought Greenglass House for my little sister and started reading it on the bus because commuting is boring. After a few pages, I was hooked and I wound up having to borrow the book from my sister so that I could finish it. Milo was a great, multi-faceted character. As an adopted child, he spends a lot of time considering his Chinese birth-family and how he fits in between them and his adoptive parents. It’s also interesting to read a book where every single character has a complicated moral compass.

I definitely recommend Greenglass House to anyone looking for a middle-grade mystery, or even just a mystery in general. It’s an ideal winter read, too, so get cozy and dive into Smuggler’s Bay. 

The sequel, Ghosts of Greenglass House, was released in October 2017.

Relevant tags for Greenglass House:

middle grade // mystery // POC // beautiful covers