Words of Love

In the box.

I have enjoyed this long winter in my cozy studio. I have used some of my time to complete a limited edition of 12, entitled Words of Love. The box measures about 3" wide x 2 5/8" tall and the book (when open) measures about 3" wide.

What I have learned so far is, working on an edition really hones your book- and box-making skills. (Yo!) Through repetition, you train your muscles and brain to remember the tasks better. I highly recommend doing one if you've never tried one. You could start with a small edition of 3 and then decide if it's for you. 

Peeking inside.

Another thing-whenever possible, make an extra book for yourself. Photos of your work are an essential record of your creations, but I think artist books also must be held and explored to be understood. Exceptions of course, are delicate or very valuable pieces.

This limited edition book is a 3-d heart shape when open and comes in a handmade box with a sewn, paper heart button and braided linen thread closure. The box is covered in handpainted paper, embellished to look and feel like leather. The lid's sturdy hinge is bookcloth. A curved piece in the box accommodates the shape of the book so that the spine is properly displayed when the box is opened. 

Sewn to the outside of the spine is a braided pull made from linen thread, to ease removal of this snugly-fit book. Words of Love is bound with long stitch over bookcloth tape, as taught to me by Dolph Smith. There are words inside the book that remind us of love, like: devotion, affection, amour and cherish, among others. All the papers are handpainted with watercolor and ink in the rich hues of red, burgundy, golden yellow and black. They are numbered, in the back, at the colophon. The edition is for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ParkhurstBookArts

Book and box.

So what's next? Another edition, I think.

I've been eyeing an envelope containing grayish-beige, cardboard circles. They are some of the leftovers from fireworks rockets. I gathered them over a period of 2 years from my community's beach park on the day after the 4th of July. They had landed in the water and then washed back up on shore with the next high tide. They are many different sizes and there are a few squarish ones, but mostly they are the size of coins and have a 1/8" hole in the center. And best of all, they are textured and remind me of old concrete. They look like ancient paper washers (same shape as round metal washers from the hardware store). They are made from a cheap cardboard, so I'm in the process of giving each one a coating or two of clear acrylic matte medium. Then we will see what happens...

Happy creating everybody!

Words of Love