I've finished alaw for 2011

This is pretty much the same post as I did over at a letter a week 2012, so feel free to return to whatever you were doing before if you have read that one already!

I had planned to include my letters in some form of pop-up book and had even tried a few options and play-books. Of course as soon as I picked up my completed letters to see how they would go - I realised they were not going to look beautiful and/or shine in that format - in fact they would look silly and bent and wobbly.

So...the next idea happened along as I sat in my studio thinking about something else. Luckily this one pulled together right and off I went.

It's a kind of stacking, playing, fiddling, building, sculptural kind of book.  It's a favourite format of mine because it lends itself to so much interaction; so many variations in form; and it offers a little bit of something for everybody.

I used sturdy black mat-board which I cut into 10cm x 10cm squares, and then I glued the letters onto the black - a strong contrast I thought.  I chose to bind it with rainbow coloured threads as well which I think adds a bit of fun.

I had to unpick my first go because I had placed them alphabetically in 5 rows, reading left to right. I started stitching and realised that the binding actually works more like a snake - row 1 left to right; row 2 right to left; row 3 left to right; row 4 right to left and row 5 left to right again.

I like this option better - the letters flow as the binding does; and it also means that the rainbow stitching lines up in sequence as well.  It's the little things that make me happy...

So my folded letters have become a way out folded book and all is well with the world. I am always thrilled when I hit a deadline and am super-happy to have completed my second alphabet for the year before the end of the year. Phewwww!