Cookbooks and Daughters

I have two daughters that are at the edge of not living at home anymore.

They both were interested in having cookbooks, and since I love making books. . .  

I made them cook books. 

This one is decorated with the paper from used tea bags

with a collage from my hand decorated paper added.

I love the colours and patterns the tea leaves make as the bags are drying. 

Daughter # 2 (birth order that is) loves grey, 

so I added some greys and blues to the cover  

before adding a copy of some birds i drew 

and a smattering of collage bits. 

I have no doubts these books will be filled with yummy recipes

and enjoyed for many years to come. 

Playing with Birds

I really enjoy incorporating my drawings into collage. 

The bird in this creation is a copy of a drawing I did sometime ago. 

I then added bits and pieces and some scribbles to create this piece.

Below is a bit of the original drawing as well as another creation this bird has shown up in. 

The same thing happened with this piece.

A bird drawing that ended up in a whirlwind of collage and scribbles.

And below is the same bird showing up in different creations. 

Finally Finished

I started this book quite some time ago

It has many layers of paint, ink, collage, pencil.

And yes - I showed you the covers some time ago.

But it took me a long time to get around to finishing it off. 

I am going to be teaching a course on making

these style of journals at a Arts Underground in Whitehorse

And this little but fat journal was made from the leftover bits

from the big journal making project. 

I love when one project inspires another project. 

Collaged Birds

I attended an arts festival last week,

in which I demonstrated how I make

animal collages. 

I began this bird at the demonstration,

but found I ended up adding lots more

bits and pieces too him once I got home. 

I forgot to take any pictures of it before the final bits were added.

All of the bits of paper in this collage 

are from papers that I decorated

by colouring and stamping and mark making onto.

(tea bags, tissue, my handmade paper)

I prefer using paper I have decorated in my collages

but occasionally a bit of old envelope of something

also appears.

This was the next piece I created during my demonstration

It too was added to once I was home.

(once again I have no before picture)

You can see bits of papers using Seth's stamps 

(see previous post for more about his new stamps)

....in  the legs, wing, tail, ground & behind the eye and the beak.

Collage Fun - Just Tear and Paste!

I then had a bit of fun playing with these birds on my computer. 

Pencil and Collage

I continue on working in my 'For the Love of Play' journal.

The pages started with a few stamps, and then some bits of collage

and were finished with some pencil drawings. 

I enjoyed creating these pages so much that I continued on 

with the same supplies on the next pages. 

I have to move on to a different project now, 

so not sure when I will get back to playing in this little journal

that I enjoy so much.

Fixed!

This is an accordion book I made about a year ago.

I like the inside view..... I just never liked the cover.

Here you can see the old cover - the bird looking too dark and frightening. 

And so I fixed it ..... finally.

Now the whole book makes me happy. 

I have also been continuing on with my drawing/painting work

for the Sketchbookery online course I am taking with Mary Ann Moss. 

Most people are on the beginning of the 4th and final week

but I am still working on week 1 and slowly moving into week 2.

I have access to it for a whole year, and it may just take me that long to get through it!