Death of a Book

I have never been a person who could destroy a book. I've put old books in a yard sale. I've given used books to friend. I've donated books to charities, but I have never destroyed a book....until yesterday.  Yesterday afternoon, I came across an art journaling page. The author of the page cut out words from a book as a way to share her thoughts. The look was eclectic and creative--just my taste. She used an older book and the yellowed, worn pages added to the overall look.  I set out on a mission to find a book that I didn't want any longer. When I came across a stack of old paper back book, I questioned whether I could actually destroy a book. It was against my nature. Books are precious. I can't help but think back to the days when Monks wrote every book by hand. They labored over copying the words letter by letter. The intensity of this labor--their patience--their committment--the history of a book is far too important to be destroyed.  After much pondering, and internal struggle, my weaker side gave in and I picked up a pair of scissors and started cutting. The end goal was to find the words to make this quote: "Sometimes, it is so hard to find what I am trying to say".   As I scanned across the pages of the book, the process became more about the word search and less about destroying a book. Soon, I was cutting phrases and words to use later on other projects. There is a piece of Catholic guilt that still stirs within side of me, but the happy little artist is please with the way my project turned out. So just as God closes a door and opens a window, I killed one book to make a new one. Hey, it's the only justification I can live with.

My second project this weekend, brought me outside of my comfort box. I recently purchased a book called "Rebound". This how to book shows amazing ideas for using the extra-ordinary items found around your house to cover a book. Items include, ceral box, potato chip bags, and old sweaters. I found the sweater book to be intriguing.  Although, I didn't have a sweater to use, I did have a velvet jacket that has been in a give-away pile for months. I cut out the front panel of the jacket and hand sewed the edges for a clean look. The signatures include my handmade paper and 20lb typing paper. There are six signatures and they are bound with a long stitch. The long stitch would be much easier to implement, if I had a set of four hands.

A Labor of Love

In honor of Labor Day and the fact that I have put in ridiculously long hours at work, lately, I decided to spend my Labor Day weekend (Saturday) in the art room creating a few new pieces.

Green Craft magazine http://www.stampington.com/html/greenCraft/greencraft_volume1.html has some wonderful eclectic ideas for reusing and re=purposing empty boxes. I love the idea of re-purposing an item.

Over the past few weeks, I've been collecting boxes of all shapes and sizes. When I was cleaning the basement a few weeks ago, I found a flat box that used to house a film carrier. The box measures 5x7 inches. I painted the outside of the box with acrylic paint and then started to draw and dabble with a design. The finished product can be used to store a package of  five photo greeting cards with envelopes.

I also used a Quaker Oats box and made this cute little storage container.

My next project was one that  I wanted to finish in time for the art festival. It's a small 2 x 4 inch journal. Instead of using book board for this journal, I used scrap cardboard. In fact, everything in this journal is left over bits and pieces from larger journals. Since I was in the painting mode, today, I painted the cover instead of covering it with paper. I like the feel of the lighter cover and as you can see, "hearts" seemed to be my theme of the day.

The inside contains five signatures with handmade paper on the outside of each signature.

My final project is something that I've been wanting to make for a long time. I made an "art journal". I love the look of the art journals that I've researched online. Each page contains a different theme, a different design, a different creative message. As I am not an artist in the sense of drawing or painting, my journal will have more to do with words. Perhaps, a few of my poems, or short stories. Perhaps just random thoughts.

A friend of mine sent me two wonderful quotes. Here's one of the two that will make its way in my new book:

You gotta dance like nobody's watching, dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow and love like it's never going to hurt.

As the journal progresses, I'll take photos and post them. I'll also dabble in some drawing and painting around the words. In fact, I've already inserted three very rough water color pieces that I made last summer.

The art journal has eight signatures total. There are two types of signatures in the book. One contains three sheets of Bristol paper for drawing or painting. The other type is my regular signature with handmade paper and plain white 20lb paper for writing.

Those who know me, know that pink is not my color. I'm not sure what moved me to cover this art journal in pink tie-dye, but pink it is....

As entertainment today, I listened to a lot of Simon and Garfunkel. Perhaps that will explain the pink tie-dye and the beads.  Perhaps, in a secret life, I have an alter-ego that really does like 'pink'?

Here's a look at  another of my watercolor experiments.

I'm looking forward to this art journal project. I think it will be a good way to experiment on some projects and to press my creative mind. One website had a list of over 50 ideas to add to this type of journal. That should keep me busy for a few weeks.

 Eight hours in the art room, today was a labor of love --this gift to myself is just what I needed.

Thank You Magna-2011 Main Street Art Festival

Saturday, August 27, 2011
Main Street Magna Utah

8:00am--Beautiful skies, nice weather
8:15am--The temperatures started moving up.
8:16am -It was hot
8:20am--100 degrees

The above timetable may not be exactly accurate, but one thing is a fact. It was hot during the 2011 Main Street Art Festival. There were 70 vendors and many friends, neighbors and first comers to the festival. I would like to thank those followers who stopped by my booth. I appreciate the continued support and gracious comments on my work. 

If you are interested in purchasing a book, or if you would like a custom book, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached via email at papelespeciallyforyou@gmail.com

Thank you Magna for the 2011 Main Street Art Festival.

Magna Art Festival Agust 27, 2011

The second annual Main Street Art Festival in Magna Utah will be held Saturday August 27, 2011. The committee has been working long hours to prepare for this special event. I pulled out my inventory last week, in my efforts to prepare for this event.

I will be at the festival with my journals. I hope you can stop by. Here's a sample of what I'll be bringing. I won't be doing paper making demonstrations this year, but I will be hand sewing the journals together.  I hope to see you there....

Painting with Paper

The cover of the June 2011 Artist magazine displays an incredible work of art called Rare Sight, by Robin Purcell. I was inspired by this incredible watercolor and all the shades and colors within the painting. I wanted to recreate this piece of art but watercolor is not my medium of choice. I spent today painting with paper.



Here's my step by step project.

 Step One--Sketch your design

 Step Two-Chose your paper. Divide your paper into colors. It makes it easier to find the shade you desire.
I used left over scrapes from my journal covers.

 Step Three-Keep your original close at hand. You will refer to it often.

 Step Four- Block out your colors. Add as much of the background first and then concentrate on the highlights.

 Here's the picture... almost complete.

This is one of those art projects that look different from a distance verses up close. The photo on the far right is the close up. You can see each sheet of paper. From a distance, the mountain and valley come into view. This was a fun afternoon project.

Creative meets Amazing

Print, scribble, scrawl, sign, autograph; all words used to describe the end of the year activity  of capturing the special memories from school. Signing year books has been part of our scholastic year activity for as long as year books have been a part of academia. 

But what happens when you combine the practice of capturing a school year memory and the creative thoughts of an amzing woman who wants to give her two incredible daughters a speical gift?

You have my latest paper project.

Denielle Godwin, the Catering and Events Sr. Manager at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City Utah, and mother of two active and creative daughters commissioned me to make a special gift for the girls, after she saw my white on white handmade paper wall hanging.

Denielle thought that the small  sheets of handmade paper would make a unique back drop for her daughters to collect the special  thoughts of their friends and teachers at the end of the year.

I gave Denielle 25 sheets of  coral handmade paper and 25 sheets of goldenrod handmade paper, measuring 2 1/8 by 3 1/4, in size. Denielle gave the sheets to her daughters who took the paper to school and collected their special memories.

She returned the signed stationary to me and I assembled them into these notable treasures.

Friends and teachers alike enjoyed signing this special keepsake.

Close up of the creative exchange

Each sheet is joined with two loops of jute

The top loops hold the collection around several pieces of decorative spikes.



I love this project so much that my husband and I are going to create one for our home. We're going to hand write special thoughts and quotes on handmade daffodil paper. I made over 60 sheets of daffodil paper over the 4th of July weekend. I can't wait for creative to collaborate with amazing again.

A Rainy Mother's Day Project

Now that warm weather is upon us, I juggle my time between my yard projects and my art projects. Saturday was spent in the yard.. The mini golf course project is still in phase one--removing the weeds and grass. Sunday has been spent recovering from the sore muscles and working on art projects. Gray skies filled this Mother's Day making it a rainy day, yet a perfect day to create  a book of love.

When I have more than one type of paper that I'm excited to use, it becomes a challenge for me to decide which is the cover and which is the inside. When I purchased this black paper with gold writing, it was originally intended for the inside cover. After much contemplation, the inside became the outside.

 I purchased enough of the black and gold writing paper to make a side pocket on the inside front cover to this journal. I really enjoy the simplicity of the pockets and the usefulness from a journal perspective. Many times I have tickets or cards or small hand written notes that I want to keep. Instead of scrap booking them in the journal, this little pocket makes a great place to hold special notes.

The handmade paper is made mostly of yellow napkins and only about 25% recycled paper. It has a soft textured feel to it. I was pleased to see how close the color of the handmade paper matches the yellow centers of the daisy paper. There are five signatures consisting of the yellow handmade paper on the outside of each signature and 20lb white paper making up the remainder of the signature.

A Coptic Stitch binds the book together.

I don't want to admit that all my journals contain mistakes, but I can assure you that often I'll poke holes in the wrong side of a cover, or glue an envelope upside down in comparison to the outside pattern. The small round emblem of love and the heart border across the bottom of the handmade paper were added as an after thought on the back inside cover because I wasn't paying attention to the pattern of the writing and I glued the envelop to the top side, leaving the writing turned upside down. The delicate flap will lift up to reveal a secret envelop underneath--thus covering all my silly mistakes. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the special women in my life. Without the influence of these women, I would not be who I am today-- an artsy person who can laugh at my mistakes and  live a life filled with  love and art.