DARLING LITTLE BOOKS

When I teach a Coptic books class, I always need to take sample books with me, and have been in the habit of making some miniatures (3in x 2in) because not only are they easy to carry with me, but also because there is just something very charming about having a book so small that it nestles in the palm of your hand.

I’ve found that I had rather a lot of them, and finally wrestled myself into letting them go – and have sold them on eBay (8 of them!)

As I’ve done nothing but moan about my computer for the last forever, I thought you might like to see some of my art work.
 
If you want to have a go yourself, I have tutorials for sale in my Etsy shop and also have put my first attempt at PayPal buttons on my Bookbinding page (tab under header). It’ll be interesting to see if the buttons work!


Anyhow, hope you like the little books and that they give you some ideas re decoration etc.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME & 2 GIVEAWAYS

Strictly speaking, it's my birthday Friday 31st, but as I'm writing my Pink Saturday post as we speak, it's my birthday post as well.


Peter didn't make a cake, but he did do a fruit jelly! With real strawberries!


It's funny - I have never been a lover of the colour pink, but since I started posting on Pink Saturdays I'm looking at the colour in a whole new light. And guess what - every single one of my cards were pink! Spooky...





Therefore, in honour of the day, I am giving away TWO books - a coptic book and one of my Japanese stab-bound albums. All you have to do is leave a comment, and I'll use the Random Number thingie to pick two winners. I will do the draw on Sunday, so if your time line is different from mine, it still gives you a chance to enter.

So good luck everyone - I'll announce the winners and email them for their addresses so I can send their books in the week.

Make sure there's an email address or blog address along with your comment, so that I can contact you!




Go here to visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound and to see all the other Pink Saturday posts!

GOTTA TAKE SOME CLASSES

Well, that's IT - I've made the decision and gone ahead and booked classes at my local Adult Education centres.



I have been reading online about Art Unravelled and other wonderful classes held in the States - but unless I win the lottery, it's a non-starter.

I saw the brochure in my local library, I though "why not?" and am now busily making myself some sketchbooks (I'll need a separate sketchbook for each class).

I decided to make some more coptic books like this lot (top and below). The biggest (top left, with laminated paper cover - tissues, Sanwa and Joss papers - similar to fabric paper but without stitchery) is A4, so when open I have an A3 surface).

So I am now signed up for:

• Life Drawing (I badly want to improve my drawing skills and have always been a lot more interested in the human body than boring old still lifes)
• Jewellery (silver smithing, not the sort of jewellery I normally do: stringing beads, soldering collage charms etc) so it will be interesting to take an actual proper course and see what's going on.
• Drawing & Mixed Media (wonder if it's OUR sort of mixed media?)

There's always something new to learn, some new "take" on a subject. Which also refreshes and renews the art we all do.

Feeling inspired, energised and full of enthusiasm I also bought Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit" - in the hopes I will get into the habit of doing a little bit of art every day. I't certainly interesting so far! And I'm interspersing this with some great kids' books: the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye and have just started Ptolemy's Gate) which are great, rollicking fun - I'm enjoying them very much. All this is getting sandwiched in between watching the Olympics (we're THIRD in the medals tables so far - can't believe it!).