Mixed Media Trials - New Book

So I am giving this one the title 'From the Inside Out' and showing the inner covers.  The book ( an artist journal) is very near completion with only the papers to insert and the binding to be done.   I say {only}in jest, as past experience would tell me that is not always as simple as it appears.  Having said that however, I have made so many books similar to this type that I've prepared in advance with the beads made, the holes drilled (according to a template I devised) and all I've yet to determine is the type of binding material I will use.  My natural choice would be waxed linen, however, the cover's color doesn't exactly suit the colors of thread I have.  Soooo, that leads to some more variables thrown into the mix.  Shall I DYE it, PAINT it, use it as is, or....?  Time will tell.

I am actually calling this a 'mixed media' book rather than a polymer clay book because I did not use polymer clay totally for the covers. The inner 'lining' is a bit of painted paper that I used to surround a face that I drew with Prismacolor pencils almost two years ago, on one of my travelling days.  I actually did a series of three similar type drawings, and am thinking about making a triptych with the originals.  This was just a scan printed out on the HP Inkjet no less.  But to my pleasant surprise the sealant I use to incorporate the face into the frothy surrounding did not bleed, and although there are a few wrinkled parts, I rather like that quality because it is in keeping with the rest of the paper lining.  The veil fabric is very old....I think about forty years old and it is part of a small stash that remains from the hat making remnants I inherited after the passing of one of my very talented aunts.  I hope she is smiling at its being used.

There are other reasons why I'm calling it a mixed media piece.  I've also incorporated bits of hammered copper into the cover.  All will be 'unveiled' when the book is done and photo'd. 

I'm quite ecstatic that some of the woes that have beset us these past few weeks are now dimishing...we got the air conditioner fixed (yikes was it hot in here for a week ... but nothing compared to the heat my bookclub cronie is suffering in New York); my tickly throat is less tickly and the dry cough is almost gone; and lastly, the main computer is up and running well.  I had to re-install the scanner, but that was minor compared to the other nasty things that we had to deal with.  Oh, yes, we are still dealing with some of the after effects of that storm...the address book was toast as were all my server-based emails (thank goodness for hotmail), and I have to contact some of the co-ordinators of shows that I am supposed to be in during the fall.  I did (fortunately) make copies of many of the entry forms, but not ALL of them, so still have to catch up in that department. 

Speaking of book club...our rather limited size group met yesterday (we did get a one paragraph "report" email from our New York correspondent) for the marathon meeting.  Actually it was a great get-together and we actually discussed our book for over an hour and then made many references to it throughout the afternoon/evening.  It really was more than a book club meeting though...we submerged ourselves in the pool for the first hour, discussed the book (over drinks and hors - d'oeuvres) the next two hours, then feted ourselves with a pot luck (and a bit more vino) for the next two hours.  Finally, we capped it off with a rousing round of Ballderdash...without the gamebits part.  We didn't make our definitions fit the theme of the book, although I am sure that some of them could have been rendered into nuances that were hinted at in the book.  Oh...the book we reviewed?  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  How timely that Charlie Rose had done the piece he did just the night before our gathering.  We Have LOTS of theories...

And now, back to my own book...or shall I say Artist Journal.