The Book of Numbers

An illustrated book of numbers

Back in 2018 I made an alphabet book (which you can find here). Once completed I thought about doing a similar book, but with numbers this time. Well it took me four years, but I finally got around to it. So here is the completed book. See the link here for the making of The Book of Numbers.

About the Book

The book consists of twelve pages (24 sides) decorated with collaged ephemera to represent the numbers one to twelve. There is also a title page and an end page. The hand made pages are presented in an adapted vintage ring bound file folder, also decorated to reflect the number theme.

The illustrations have all been chosen to reflect the numbers they represent, for example, rhymes and sayings about or containing a number were sourced to illustrate them, such as – THREE blind mice, lucky SEVEN, or cloud NINE. There are also themes running through the book, such as The Twelve Days of Christmas. I found illustrations to represent each day of Christmas, so I included one on each page. I didn’t realise until after I made the book that from nine onwards, the order of the Ladies Dancing etc is different to the accepted version.

A calendar is included on each page making each number represent a month of the year, so January on number one, February on number two etc. And keeping with the month theme, each number / month has a floral representation, purely because flowers always look good on a collaged page, they soften the many straight lines and add interest.

There is also the Magpie rhyme (One for Sorrow etc), which has also been represented on each page. Every image has a little magpie perched on it with a number, and then the portion of the rhyme to go with it, quite appropriate for this blog!

All the magpie references

I also had a collection of old children’s birthday cards, ages one to nine, so these were incorporated into the designs of those pages.

Vintage birthday card collection

So, here is the finished book, page by page with captions explaining all the number references.

The Book

Front cover.

Inside the front cover and the title page.

Title page. Includes – Bible page from The Book of Numbers, a diary page with numbers, a bingo card, a clock face, tumbling dice, tape measure, tickets, price labels, stamps, piece of old bank note, letters and numbers.

Number One.

Number One, left side. Kelly’s Eye, No. 1 (Bingo call reference). One swallow doesn’t make a summer. One for the road. January pansy. One armed bandit. Unicycle. Ace of clubs. Building with a number one (random image).

Number One, right side. Once in a blue moon. One for sorrow. A partridge in a pear tree. Queen Elizabeth I. January calendar. First birthday card.

Number Two.

Number Two, left side. Queen Elizabeth II. February snowdrops. February calendar. Two spot wood borer (beetle). Twins (random image). Goody Two Shoes. Fruit token (above the shoes).

Number Two, right side. Second birthday card. Bi-plane (random image). Two of diamonds. Two left feet. Two for joy. Two spot ladybird. Two Turtle Doves.

Number Three.

Number Three, left side. Cup of tea, number three (bingo call reference). Bird’s Foot Trefoil (yellow flower top left). March daffodils. March calendar. Richard III. Three Little Pigs. Three for a girl. Hat Trick.

Number Three, right side. Triangle. Three heads (random image). Three more heads (random image). Third birthday card. Three shakes of a lamb’s tail. Three French Hens. Three beans in a pod (random image).

Number Four.

Number Four, left side. April Calendar. Four o’clock (random image). April Tulips. Knock at the door, number four (Bingo call reference). Four eyes (nickname for someone who wears glasses). Four Calling Birds.

Number Four, right side. Four elements. Four for a boy. Four leaf clover. Fourth birthday card. Four spot ladybird. Four hats (random image). Four of hearts. On all fours (skeleton).

Number Five.

Number Five, left side. Five Gold Rings. Five spot ladybird. May Lily-of-the-Valley. May calendar. Five senses. Australian road sign (random image). Five pointed star fish (random image). High five (hand). Five for silver.

Number Five, right side. Olympic rings (Olympic logo). Five of clubs. Domino tile (random image). Fifth birthday card. Five little ducks (went swimming one day). Five soldiers (random image).

Number Six.

Number Six, left side. Six spot burnet (moth). Hit for six (cricket). Six of hearts. June rose. Six feet under (RIP). Half a dozen (eggs). Six legged beetle.

Number Six, right side. June calendar, Sixth birthday card. 666, the number of the Beast (Devil). Six geese a laying. Six for gold. Six pack (random image).

Number Seven.

Number Seven, left side. D7 card (random image). July sweet peas. Lucky Seven. Seven swans a swimming. Seven spot ladybird.

Number Seven, right side. Seven colours of the rainbow. Seven deadly sins. Seventh birthday card. Seven for a secret. July calendar. Seven of spades.

Number Eight.

Number Eight, left side. Henry VIII. August Rudbeckia flower. August calendar. Eight of diamonds. Octopus. Stem of eight leaves (random image).

Number Eight, right side. Eight ball (pool). Octagon (random image). Eight legged spider. Eighth birthday card. Garden gate, number eight (Bingo call reference). Eight for a wish. Eight maids a milking.

Number Nine.

Number Nine, left side. A stitch in time saves nine (needle and thread). Nine spotted moth. Nine o’clock (random image). Nine ladies dancing. Red hot poker (Kniphofia) flower for September. Nine of clubs. September calendar. Cloud nine (cherub on a cloud). Nine lives (cats which extend on to right side page).

Number Nine, right side. Nine planets (random image). Nine for a kiss. Ninth birthday card. Dressed to the nines (gentleman on right). Nine lives (rest of the cats).

Number Nine. All the cats for Nine Lives.

Number Ten.

Number Ten, left side. Number Ten Downing Street. The Ten Commandments. Ten Lords a Leaping. Ten, a surprise you should not miss. Ten of hearts.

Number Ten, right side. Ten spot ladybird. October Pysalis (Chinese Lantern plant). October calendar. Road sign (random image).

Number Eleven.

Number Eleven, left side. November mushroom. Eleven pipers piping. Eleven for health. Eleven players (football team).

Number Eleven, right side. November foliage. November calendar. Legs eleven. Eleventh hour (clock). Turn it up to eleven (radio).

Number Twelve.

Number Twelve, left side. December calendar. Twelve armed starfish (random image). 12 midnight (New Year). Twelve signs of the zodiac. Twelve drummers drumming. Twelve for wealth.

Number Twelve, right side. December holly. Twelve months in a year. Dodecagon (twelve sided shape). Twelfth Night.

End Page and Back Cover.

End Page. One strawberry. Two ladies. Three cherries. Four jewels. Five petals. Six legs. Seven leaves. Eight points. Nine spots. Ten arms. Eleven stars. Twelve points. The skull – The End.

Alison Vainlo 2022