Self-Mailers... they do everything but walk to the mailbox themselves

Okay, they totally don't.  BUT!  They are still pretty cool.  Remember passing notes in high school?  Sometimes you folded them in half, then in half the other way, then in half once more; but other times they were folded in such a way that they stayed together and made a nice stiff little packet that was easy to pass back and forth.

These are like those!  (The second "those," not the first "those".  The first "those" are boring.)

The deal was to figure out a way to fold your letter so it could go through the mail system safely, without going into an envelope.  This fold isn't one that I used in high school but it's actually pretty cool.  When you're done, you end up with a little corner pocket that folds over the top right corner, and loosely keeps it together.  I made sure to cover the edge with a stamp so it holds together until it reaches its new home.  I know the "start here" is pretty tiny - I hope these lovely ladies see that before they just rip n tear into the envelope and destroy it.  I kind of gave myself a mental picture there.  Ha!

Nothing really fancy for the back, just some more decoration and a declaration of what this colourful, extremely light "envelope" is all about.

 All doodled up in pencil crayon and ready to roll  Like me.  Gotta jet.  Bye!

Love Shelley!

Oh, right... the round robin

I guess you want to see MY book too, right?

I started with a small Field Notes memo book, and collaged used postage on the cover.  I wanted it to be really light to mail so it wouldn't cost everyone too much.  In a swap like this, you want to make it as easy as possible for people, so your book doesn't get held up.

It's traditional to put your contact info inside the cover in case it should get lost; and the sign-in page is optional but most people do it.  Otherwise you end up with really cool pages that are signed with an inscrutable mark and later you have no idea who worked in it or when.  And then how do you go about stalking your favourite artists?!  So clearly we need a sign-in page.

Also traditional: do the first spread yourself.  It sets the tone, plus lets the other participants know that you're willing to do some work, that you're not just sending out an empty book to scam art from other people.  (It happens.)

I don't imagine I'll see this book again until around Christmas.  I'm fine with that - it will be a nice juicy surprise when I do receive it!

Okay, now go step away from the computer.  You should get some fresh air.  I'm going to go see what the chickens are up to.

Love Shelley!

I know it's shark week, but...

I like the octopus a lot better than boring old grey sharks.  Lookit the COLOURS!

This is for a round robin journal swap I'm in - everyone does one 2-page spread and then sends it along in a timely fashion, and eventually you get your own journal back, full of all the other participants' glorious artwork.  It's fun to see what books people choose (this one was actually hand-made) and what kind of paper you get to work on.  This one was a very light kraft paper so I knew I wouldn't be able to use any wet media.  I ended up going with Verithin pencil crayons and finished it up with a black china marker.  Unfortunately the china marker sort of took it from "fine art" to "colouring book" but luckily for me, I like it.

Hope you're rockin' your day,

Love Shelley!

In over my head... again.

So a couple (few?) weeks ago I saw a really cool hand-made book online.  I THOUGHT I had pinned it, but do you think I can find it?  Noooooo.  I decided to try to make one myself anyway.

It involves a cardboard box, preferably short and stocky, and an x-acto knife, to start with.

Then about a bazillion pieces of salvaged/recycled/vintage/cool paper to make the signatures.  That part only took oh, about FOURTEEN HOURS.  Then stitching in the signatures, which had me saying a few bad words, while I stabbed my fingers repeatedly.  Don't worry though - I also infused this book with LOVE, not just blood.*

The result is this.  THE chunkiest little book I've ever made.  It's 4 ¾" wide, 5 ¾" high, and 3 ¾" deep.  THREE AND THREE-QUARTER INCHES.  I'm pretty sure that's even bigger than a box of Pop-Tarts.  (Yum, Pop-Tarts...)

Hardly ANY goofs with the binding (that couldn't be covered up with the vintage ribbon).

The front and back cover are both collaged with used postage stamps from various sources**.

The inside is stuffed with over 400 pages (that's over 800 writing/drawing/arting surfaces!) of dictionary pages, illustrations, maps, music, weather reports, ledger papers, things in different languages (including Braille), and all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff.  You'd be surprised how much of your stash you have to use up to create this size of a book.  I'm almost ready to start collecting again!***

Here it is open, in all its glory.  Ready for someone to fill it with memories, writing, doodles, receipts, lists, all kinds of bits and pieces of fun.  It won't be me though.  I love this book but I'm setting it free into the world, on account of it doesn't fit in my pocket and therefore is Not The Book For Me.  I put it into my etsy shop this afternoon.

*Don't worry, there's no actual blood in the book.  So no buying it to do spells.

**Most of which are completely legit, and none of which included this stamp that arrived on today's mail.

***BAHAHAHAHA as if I ever stopped.

DID YOU MISS ME?

Because I sure miss making stuff to post here.  Lately there hasn't been too much creative stuff going on, but today I stole some time from the "should-do" conscience-type stuff and did a page in my art journal.

I started with this handsome fella.  My daughter is completely grossed out and wouldn't come near me the whole time I was working on this page, so now I'm going to make a photocopy of him and put it on a popsicle stick and hold it up when I want to be left alone.

Collage, spray inks, some tape, Inktense pencils and some Sharpie paint pens...

Then a regular brush marker, more Sharpie, and some Warm White gouache...

But then it was too light, so I went back and added some more colour with the Inktense pencils again.  Oh, and a shirt.  Dude was looking a little freaky just hanging there in the middle of the page.

Totally thought about stopping right here and letting the rest go unsaid.  Nice clean areas on the page, could possibly come back later and add to it... but no.

Why stop when you can give him a Where's Waldo t-shirt and then wildly overshare with the internet?

Anyway, the next page is already planned out and it's pretty much a response to this page.  Yes, I know.  That's dumb.  How does one respond to oneself?  Well, stay tuned and you'll see.

Until then...

Love Shelley!