makeStuff: wood bookmarks

I saw some of these on Reddit a few months ago, but didn't think anything of it at the time.  Then, when I was cleaning up some scraps from a board I made awhile back, I realized I had the perfect source material to try my hand at making some of these.

I don't have a zero-clearance plate for my table saw (should really get one) so I used the redneck trick of putting painters tape over the sawblade then raising it slowly.  Pro Tip, next time actually cut a slice with your work knife, then raise the blade.  Less frustrating.  

Anyway, I used a homemade thin-strip rig to CAREFULLY rip two super-thin strips off a piece of scrap.   I used an orbital sander with 120 grit to remove saw marks, then used a sander block with 150 grit to smooth the pieces out a little better.  My first cut was thicker than the second, so I tried to taper those edges in a bit, to some degree of success.  Once I was satisfied, I switched the block to 300 grit and cleaned em up.

Normally I use mineral oil and then butcher block conditioner on my boards, but since nobody wants oily pages in their books, I went for a very light treatment with the butcher block conditioner, then wiped down thoroughly.  Lastly, I wrapped the two completed bookmarks in paper towels and will let them dry for a few days.  I'll check them periodically and remove any excess conditioner that might seep out, but I'm not expecting much.   

The wood here is maple on the ends, with purpleheart in the middle.