Tag: book

The new Tumblr book format now available !

Posted on by Team Blookup

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The new Tumblr book is here ! It’s true BlookUp books continue to evolve!

Completely redesigned, from the content treatment to the cover appearance, this new blook will delight you with its original format (20x26cm horizontal) and its aesthetic entirely designed to highlight your most beautiful photos and your finest articles!

Test this exclusive book by log in to your account today and import (or re-import) your blog! And to thank you for your loyalty, we offer you a 25% discount with theTUMBLRBLOOK code, valid until 11/30/2017!

tumblr-inner-pagesDo not hesitate to tell us about your experience at sav@blookup.com, our team is here for you if you need anything.
See you soon on BlookUp !

See you soon on BlookUp !

The new Instagram book is here. Print your’s today !

Posted on by Bruno Desthuilliers

The new Instagram book is here ! and it is enough for all your pictures ! It is often said that size doesn’t matter, and that it’s more about how you use it. At BlookUp, we decided not to overlook any aspect of the popular saying!

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Continue reading “The new Instagram book is here. Print your’s today !” →

Tony made the blook of his adventures around the world!

Posted on by Team Blookup

Tell us a little bit about yourself : Your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

My name is Tony D’Aliesio and live in Montreal Quebec Canada.  I have been married for over 25 years with Anna and have 3 daughters.  Vanessa, Alessia and Milena. I enjoy playing many sports from hockey to scuba diving, but one true passion is traveling.  Traveling has been a great passion of mine and thanks to Delta Air Lines, I have been blessed in traveling the world.  Although a retired Delta employee, I continue to take full advantage of traveling to different areas of the world.

A man on a boat in nice, France
Having a good time on a boat in Nice, France!

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What is your blog about and why did you want to address this subject when starting it?

My blog is a summary of every destination that I have  visited.  Whether it may have been for business or leisure, looking back and reliving the moment through words gives me a sense of time, memory and inner fulfillment.  Although every blog consists of very similar contents, there are distinctive differences between them in which I add my thoughts and personal experience.  I want to leave this book with my children for them to read in the future.  It will paint both a visual and descriptive journey of my passion to travel.

What do you like the most about blogging and traveling?

My passion has been traveling the world to experience different cultures, to witness great natural wonders of the world, and a way to tie in all of history’s events with my physical presence.  From standing where the last supper had taken place on Mount Zion in Jerusalem to walking the eerie grounds of Dachau’s concentration camp in Germany, they all add to my character and give me foresight of what is truly important in this life.  

Of all the places you visited, which one is your favorite? 

Many locations I have visited are exceptionally beautiful.  From Australia to Dubai, from Brazil to Shanghai; from the riches of Monaco to the dangers of Jordan……all have their own allure.  Europe in general possess the most elaborate architectural perfection while other locations flourish in natural beauty.  If I had to select from several categories, I would say the Amalfi coast in Italy, Prague in the Czech Republic, and the wonderful Pyramids of Egypt.  Again, there are so many other locations with similar beauty and selecting one is completely impossible.

What countries/places are next on your list?

My next destinations are to visit the cliffs of Moher in Dublin, the glaciers in Anchorage and a safari in Africa.

What part of your  adventures blog are you the most proud of?

I am very proud of the entire blog and with the many destinations involving my children, friends and family, it also acts as a memory scrap book that sparks conversation every time it is flipped opened. In my eyes, a truly piece of art!

a blook a passport and a boarding pass on a bed
Passport, check. Boarding pass, check. Blook, check. We’re good to go!

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Why did you want to turn your adventures  blog into a book?

I decided to turn my blog into a book for occasional reading of my past adventures.  When reading the book, it allows me to relive the past and actually feel the excitement as when it actually happened.  The physical book is also a form of legacy or diary that will be left behind for my children to read.  It will basically be a narrative copulation of all my adventures.

How did you find out about BlookUp?

After blogging the journeys online, I researched for a service that would turn online blogs to a physical book.  I came across several companies but after trying BlookUp, I knew it would offer what I was looking for.  

What did you think about the making process of your blook? Did you encounter any difficulties or issues?

BlookUp was extremely easy to use.  It offered great menu choices as well as allowing the user flexibility to either fully customize the book or simply use their incorporated templates. All of which assures the end result is exactly to your taste and style.

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

The final result is a true representation of what I was seeking.  Clean, concise, and visually pleasing.  My family loves it and will surely remain a piece of history that is nostalgic with more sentimental value as the years pass.  I am currently working on my second book and will surely use BlookUp again.  In fact, I would recommend BlookUp to anyone that would want to convert their online blogs to a physical book.  

The cover of Tony's adventure blook

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Huge thank you to Tony for answering our questions, impressive list of destinations we have here. If you are looking for places to add to your travel bucket-list then have a look at Tony’s blog!

Blogging and printing jokes about politics with Donna Troy!

Posted on by Team Blookup
People have their own way of reacting to politics. In fact,  some get angry, some start lecturing others, some don’t seem to care all that much, and some choose to make fun of it.  Donna Troy falls into the latter category!
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Tell us a little bit about yourself : Your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

I work in payroll and that’s very boring.  In my spare time, I like to write, obviously.  I like to crochet and I have an Etsy shop where I sell my crafts.  I also enjoy yoga.

What is your blog about and why did you want to address this subject when starting it?

My blog has been mostly about making fun of politics in the U.S.  It was my brother’s idea to start the blog.  We were emailing back and forth during the 2016 election and he decided the stuff I was writing would make a good blog.  I didn’t know what I was going to do after the election, but then Trump won so there has been plenty of material.
 

What do you like the most about blogging?

I enjoy making people laugh and having an outlet to make light of things that are troubling.

What part of your blog are you the most proud of?

I think I’m most proud of how my work has progressed from the time I started the blog until now.
 

Why “Namaste, Bitches”?

That started as an inside joke with my friends.  We were all leaving work one night and everyone was talking about what they were going to do that evening.  I said, “Well, I’m off to yoga.  Namaste, Bitches.”  When I began the blog I didn’t think anyone other than my friends would be reading it.  Namaste, Bitches just kind of stuck.

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?

I did that for my parents.  They aren’t technically savvy and my brother was sporadically printing out blogs for them to read.  Again, it was my brother’s idea to get the blog turned into a book.
 

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I found it with a Google search.  I tried a few different sites before I settled on BlookUp.
 

What did you think about the making process of your blook? Did you encounter any difficulties or issues ?

I enjoyed using BlookUp. BlookUp was the most user friendly of the companies I tried.  I liked that I could preview the layout for each blog after editing.  The other companies didn’t have that option.  Uploading the images was also much easier with BlookUp.
 

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

I loved the final result.  As an avid reader and writer, it gave me a little thrill to see my work in book form.  My family and friends loved it as well.
 

Would you recommend BlookUp and/or use it again in the future?

Yes to both!
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Huge thanks to Donna Troy for this interview! Don’t forget to check out her blog if you want to have a good time and follow her on social media:
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Seeing and hearing Iceland with HVISL!

Posted on by Team Blookup

A book you can smell already exists ! Now check out the book that you can listen to?

Hear for yourselves!

Audiobooks, those kind of books one person will read aloud and record so that others can listen to them, are a growing part of books sales nowadays. They mainly prove their practicality for visualy impaired people.

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For those who can afford it, there are some book concepts that combine vision and hearing to enjoy together as a global experience: This is the concept of Hvisl – Whispers of Iceland, both a photo album and sound guide taking you on a trip around Iceland!

The project was created by Chloé Curé and Bertrand Lanthiez, based on their shared experience of Iceland during a 2-weeks trip. Sounds effects were brought by Johannes Mandorfer.

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Their collaboration allows you to appreciate breathtaking pictures of beautiful landscapes and warm interiors, accompanied, as you flip the pages, by the sound of the wind and the waves, a conversation in Icelandic, the cracking of the ice or the bubbling of the geysers…

While you enjoy the atmosphere through your headphones, you will also learn everything you need to know about landscapes formation, local language, climate, mythology… Truly an immersive experience!

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Source | Images: Bertrand Lanthiez 

Turning a cookbook into lasagna (yummy)!

Posted on by Team Blookup

Do you like lasagna made with fresh pasta? You do, but you don’t know the recipe and don’t always have all the ingredients at hand’s reach?

Stop everything you’re doing right now! You’ll have no more excuses preventing you from cooking succulent homemade lasagnas!

German design agency Korefe created for the publishing house Gerstenberg a unique recipe book, a special edition subtly titled “The Real Cookbook” (“Das Echte Und Einzige Kochbuch”)!

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Anybody here to eat the pages, or can I have them just for me ? *_*

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This unusual piece is entirely composed of fresh pasta and each page is engraved with instructions on how to cook your lasagna. Once you’ve followed the recipe, you’ll just have to use the pages as layers for the dish, slipping them between two good ladles of Bolognese sauce, grated Gruyère, onions and ground meat.
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Littéraly no waste, every page will have its use!

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History does not tell us what the garnish is made of, but you will always be able to improvise if you prefer salmon or if you want to try a vegetarian version; Be careful with the recipe though because once the pages are soaked in sauce, you may won’t be able to read them again and check that you have not forgotten an ingredient!
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Once you’re done, put it in the oven…

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Alas, it seems that this limited edition has been drawn only to a single copy for the publishing house (probably the one used for the photos), and that we are far from finding the concept of an edible book in our neighborhood bookshops, shopping malls or online libraries…
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And here’s the final result! Quite teasing!

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What do you think? Real concept to develop or just a marketing thing? in any case, we are are now HUNGRY.

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Source  | Images credits : Korefe

Growing trees out of books!

Posted on by Team Blookup

A small publishing house in Argentina recently made a totally organic book that gives back to nature what it took from it by growing into a tree (Which might remind you of our previous article about the Japanese blooming newspapers). What’s their secret? Well first, unlike the majority of books, this one is made using organic ink along with acid-free pages that allow it to be planted without harming the soils. Seeds are put inside the paper during the making process and will wait until their time comes to grow into a magnificent tree!

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This book tells the story of a man wandering inside the equatorial jungle as seen through the eyes of his son.

 

Pequeño Editor, the publishing house specialized in books for children,  wanted to deliver a message to their young readers: “Books come from trees. Today, a tree comes from a book.”

Even though changing the way we make books on a global scale seems difficult (If not impossible), we have to salute the effort made by the people of this publishing house who do not only show us an eco friendly alternative but also educate children in the process!

“If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children” – Confucius

If you want to know more about Pequeño Editor and their work, be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter page!

Source

 

5th graders make a blog and turn it into a yearbook!

Posted on by Team Blookup

This week we had the pleasure of meeting with Sylvanie Girault who is a teacher at the elementary school Sainte-Marie de Mérignac in France.

She came up with the idea of starting a blog for her group of fifth graders to maintain and decided later on to turn it into a yearbook that each of them could get as a souvenir (at a very fair price 😉). She accepted to answer our questions and share her experience with us!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself: you, your hobbies, your projects…

My name is Sylvanie Girault, mother of three children and have been teaching at the private elementary school Sainte-Marie de Mérignac for 4 years now. My group of fifth graders is made of 30 pupils, all 11 years old. I came up with the idea of making a blog that they will maintain 4 years ago.  I wanted them to be familiar with computers and writing in general. What I had in mind was a blog in which the children would be the authors so that they’d be more familiar with writing and would also have a public reading them. The content of the blog is written by them and them only. I only interact with them through the comments. This year’s group is the fourth to maintain the blog.

Picture of Sylvanie holding a blook in front of a picture of her group

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What is the blog about?

This blog is about highlighting the major events of the year (a yearbook of some sort), such as school trips like our yearly trip to London or even smaller visits in the region: of the City Hall, the Courthouse, Museums, of the Cathedral Saint-Pierre, and many more. These activities are very important for the pedagogical process because they discover and learn things that they would not if they stayed at school, moreover some of them are not familiar with their surroundings. Our school trips are in keeping with the school program and motivate some students that are usually discouraged by the academic way of learning. But more important than that, they can use these trips as a source of inspiration to write articles on the blog about what they saw, felt or understood. Writing allows them to cultivate their curiosity and awareness to their surroundings, and doing that through a computerized tool motivates them as well. Every single one of my pupils has written at least one article on the blog during the year, each of them with their own writing style; this diversity of styles is what makes this blog stand out from a blog maintained by an individual. Since the blog opened, we have published about 70 articles and more than 6 000 pages have been viewed by the students but also their parents. The blog is entirely accessible to the public and anyone can read about the adventures of the group.

A picture of the 40 blooks ready to be picked up

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What articles are you the most proud of?

The articles about our yearly trip to England last October, without a doubt. Every year the group goes to London for 5 days and discovers the English culture. It is without the doubt the highlight of the year that all the students are looking forward to. During these 5 days they will be immersed in the English culture together, discover the gastronomy, local habits, the lifestyle…that is a strong collective experience!

The fifth grade is very dense in term of things to learn and master before going to middle-school. This school trip allows us to get together and strengthen the group’s dynamic hundreds of kilometers away from home. The articles published at that time are more profound because they crystallize this moment they had together.

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Why did you choose to make a book out of it?

I wanted every student to be able to keep a written record of this moment of their life in England with all their friends. During the making of of the book on BlookUp’s platform, I only kept the articles and pictures of the trip to London in order to have a smaller book that would be entirely dedicated to this trip. Besides it makes sense for my students to have a physical object reminding them of the group because fifth grade is the last step before entering middle-school. Some students have known each other for 7 years, since they were in kindergarten; they grew up together and will, for some of them, be separated from each other once they get to middle-school. Having by their side a book reminiscent of their time in elementary school is something truly unique and precious. A few days away from the end of the school year, every student will go home with a book signed by their classmates. I just received the 40 books and will be signing them as well as writing a personal note, if the pupils and their parents ask me to do so.

An example of a blook signed by the teacher and classmates!

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What are the qualities of the platform? What would you improve?

I found it easy to create a blook, the platform is intuitive. I have one regret however, it is the standardized size of the pictures. Of course you can choose between three different sizes but once you picked one, all the pictures will be of the same size, which sometimes results in blank spaces on the pages. I think it would be nice to give people the opportunity to play around with the spaces between the pictures to reduce these empty spaces. Other than that, the quality of the book is impeccable, and the cover lamination is really good.

(This interview was originally in French, but we loved the idea so much we decided to translate it to English and tried to make it as true to the original as possible.)

Back in the days, we had bookmobiles!

Posted on by Team Blookup

Many of you probably don’t remember that time before Amazon!  Before even the internet was a thing, people still managed to bring books home though. Most of them went to the local bookstore or to the library, but what about the country folks or the people living in the suburbs ? The ones who did not have this chance?

Well just like Pepperidge Farm, BlookUp remembers!  Bookmobiles, were the solution to those who lived too far  away from the city and thus did not (or hardly) have access to the riches and joy that brought books. We have to travel back to the late 1850’s in Warrington (England) to see what is believed to be the first bookmobile, a horse-drawn van full of books. Behind this idea was a philanthropist, called George Moore whose project was to spread the goods of literature to the small villages around the city.

An old bookmobile pulled by a horse
The Perambulating library of Harrington in 1859, believed to be the first of its kind.

Needless to say people spread the word and the concept continued growing to the point of reaching the United States. Ultimately horses were replaced by cars, more efficient, and allowing the librarian to carry more books. Bookmobiles eventually reached the peak of their popularity in the mid 20th century before slowly disappearing.

Picture of a bookmobile in the 20's
Photo of a bookmobile in the 1920’s. Credits – Numismatic Bibliomania Society

However there still are a few of them out there, their goal remained the same: diffusing good literature and educating those who need it the most. Many libraries like San Francisco Public Library or Toronto Public Library have bookmobiles driving around the city, who knows maybe one day you’ll see one of these mobile libraries too!

Source

York’s olfactory guidebook!

Posted on by Team Blookup

smell-york-train

Humans’ sense of smell is often compared with that of other “more efficient” mammals such as cats, dogs or their wild counterparts, causing us to underestimate this very useful and powerful sense!

Not only do we sense things and can detect potentially dangerous foods or drinks!  But we also pair smells to images, sounds, memories and we are able to mentally project ourselves thanks to our perception of scents.

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the guidebook is freely available at the Tourist Office…

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In order to play with this great human capacity, the York’s Tourist Office, in England, had the idea of gathering the smells of the city in a unique book called “Smell York”, in which you just need to scratch the paper pages to discover the scents of the streets, from the one hosting an authentic bakery to the one where are.

The local ghosts are living!

“In terms of how we chose the smells”, explains a spokeperson of ‘Visit York’ to the Daly Mail, “each section of the guidebook refers to a month of the year, from January to December, so some scents were chosen based on seasonality while others were chosen simply for their iconic status, such as the heather on the North york Moors.”

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… But don’t expect to carry it everywhere you go!

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“We wanted to get across the wide variety of scents on offer in York, including some unexpected ones (like the smell of a ghost!) and showcase the city, its heritage and the surrounding countryside in a unique and quirky way.”

It is of course more interesting to smell the pages while being blindfolded in order to enjoy a recreational guessing game… Until one of the people you travel with makes you discover THE local fragrance. Clue ? York is a rural area where many horses live, and they provide something very useful for local agriculture…

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If you are more on the poetry side, you can smell tea and chocolate instead

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Here’s a good training that will sharpen your sense of smell and allow you to find your way all over the planet with only your nose’s help!

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Source article | Photos Credits: Solent News & Photo Agency