Panel Book

This is a panel book made by Elissa Campbell, who was so gracious as to let me put photos of it in my new book. I just LOVE this construction, and am making one myself to see how it is done. Elissa learned it in a workshop with Julie Chen. I will post a photo of mine when it is finished. Anyone else out there familiar with the panel book construction?

Pizza Book

I am on what I hope is the home stretch of my mixed media book. I have all the final photographs and am busily writing captions for many of them. I want to share ALL the photos on my blog, but I don't think that would go over so well with the publisher. Here is one, though, which may or may not make it into the book. It is my "Pizza Book" for pizza recipes. The cover is made from a fused fiber sheet, fused to a stiff interfacing. The tomatoes and basil leaves are cut from fabric I designed for Free Spirit Fabrics several years ago. I just love these tomato slices! They are fused to the background and then stitched by machine. I added a few beads to the tomato seeds. This is a one-signature book sewn in a few places to the cover at the spine. Now I have to compile all my pizza recipes. Anyone want to send me a recipe? If anyone wants a few tomato slices I'd be happy to send them.

Sneak Preview

I had a photo shoot last week in my studio for the how-to sequences in my new book. I thought I'd share the visual how-to on the paper bag posted on Feb. 26. This was a really fun project, and it's just paper, paint, and a bit of marabou! Stuff it with soaps and creams as a great girl gift, or chocolate, or a handmade something... More detailed instructions plus variations will be found in the book (due out in spring of 2011).

First, paint some paper (I use cheap drawing paper or the back of a paper grocery bag) make a pattern for your bag. Cut out an oval the shape you want the bag; measure its perimeter, and then cut out a piece of your painted paper the length of the oval's perimeter plus an inch for overlap, by the desired height of the bag plus a half inch for the fold-under. Fold under a half inch, and cut notches as shown (1).

Next, glue the notched folded over edge of the bag to the oval bottom as shown. Do this a few notches at a time, slowly and carefully (2).


You can also work from the outside (3).


When you have glued all the notches, glue up the seam in the side of the bag, and then glue another oval piece to the bottom to cover the notches (4).


Now, if you like, tack-stitch a length of marabou to the top rim of the bag and glue handles to the inside. Or you could embellish it with any kind of trim you like. Feathers, lace, beads, ribbons, etc. Put something luxurious in the bag and give it to someone you love.

Workshop Photo

OK, here are the photos for the workshop at Scrapbook Cupboard (see post from Feb, 25).

Paper Dolls

I'm almost on the home stretch of writing my collage and mixed media book - I had a photo shoot yesterday with George Bouret, who is doing the hands-on how-to sequence photographs, and I have what I hope is the final shoot on Monday with John Polak, who is photographing the finished pieces. Then I have about three weeks to finish the manuscript. YIKES!!!! Today I received two beautiful handmade books made by Elissa Campbell, whose work I just found on the web a few days ago. I am so excited to be able to have these two pieces in my book. So why am I posting pictures of paper dolls? Just for fun. I made these a few weeks ago; I don't know if these exact pieces will be in my book, but I do have a section on paper and mixed media dolls. With some fabulous contributions from real doll artists. After the book is done (end of March), I want to spend some time exploring paper dolls, collage figures, and a whole bunch of stuff I've not had time to do while working on this project. Those collage dresses a few posts back? Love to explore that format in more depth. Thanks to all of you who are stopping by my blog and commenting! It really helps me feel connected.