Chemistry Award

This week was spent working on a chemistry award to be given to one of Himself's freshman chemistry students. The actual award is a book. Book, it's over 8 inches in depth so should really be called a tome. The top freshman student is awarded a very expensive, reference tome from a publisher.

The publisher sends along a 5" x 7" bookplate printed on slick, crack and peel paper which is to be stuck to the inside front cover. The lines to write the student's name and the name of the school are 2 3/4" long. Try fitting Massachusetts Bay Community College in that space! Oh, it can be done, with a pin!

So several years ago when Himself asked me to fill out the bookplate, after much frowning, I worked up a design I could do something with and which would be suitable for framing.

The book hasn't been awarded for the past couple of years. The publisher was bought out by another company.

A few weeks ago, Himself brings home the tome and asks me to fill in the award. No problem! No problem until I couldn't find the clipart scroll design I used! I tried designing something else, but the old design was stuck in my head and nothing else would do. Fortunately, in my electronic portfolio, I found a high resolution scan of a previous award. Through the magic of Paint Shop Pro, I was able to remove the text. The scroll was then brought into Publisher and the new text typed in. The award was printed on Diploma Parchment from my Canon laser printer.

I was using a new (for me) nib. A Gillott #5005, from a box given to me a million years ago by a friend transplanted from MA to Portland, OR. Not sure if it was me, the nib, the paper or the Moon Palace sumi ink. Gouache was used for the illuminations and to paint the ivy leaves. The award was okay so I did another one. The best of the two would go to the student.

Oh, I should mention I was working on this Monday last, thinking I had plenty of time because graduation wasn't until the end of the month. I was thinking the award was going to a graduating student and I had all the time in the world. Himself asked if the award would be finished on Thursday. Thursday! I thought I had another week! Tuesday was a shot day because I had to take the Weebles grocery shopping. So Wednesay, I trotted my curvaceous behind downstairs to print out another certificate and no more Diploma Parchment! I had a ton of Arches Text Wove so ripped a sheet of that down and trimmed to go through the printer. Normally I don't like to write on the Text Wove. I find the paper too soft, but love it to make paste paper.

Well, I don't know whether it was me, the nibs, the paper or the ink, but the Arches Text Wove was lovely to write on. It looked better than the first one. I made a trip to Staples and bought a black presentation folder and stuck the award in using photo corners.

After working toot sweet, after slaving to meet the "I need this yesterday" deadline, what does Himself do? Yup, right out of the house Thursday morning without taking the award or book! Absent-minded professor is not an oxymoron.