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Monday, April 30, 2012

The books get together

After a busy old morning with work-work, I got to enjoy my afternoon!  I tidied the studio a tad (not toooo much) and Susan and her daughter Pip came over for what felt like a reunion of the books. They had parted ways last Monday and today they got to see each other in all their finery.

It was lovely to bring them together again; to pore over what had happened since we last saw them and to discover what we had each decided to do with those last little bits that teased us with options.

My book is rather large (about 60cm wide x 15 cm high) which makes it hard to photograph so apologies for the sheet in the background, but you get the idea...

You can see I worked with Susan's brilliant insight re the pebble and attached it to the back cover, then cut out holes in each of the pages so that it nestled in place.  I played with white pebbles, but settled on grey for strength. The use of a pebble also seems to match my other pebble scrabble and pebble wrapping thing that is going on, so it felt right.  It was a bit scary making the cuts into the pages after they were otherwise finished tho.


Our two covers. Susan has called her book "In Between the Mountains" and mine is called "Seeking Solitude". Both seem to match the work nicely.


We both got a bit infatuated with the edges and the paper and the threads.


We chose one page from each of the books which involved the work of the other to photograph.  You can see all my long dangling threads from the machine sewing and some lovely Habu thread in Susan's. My original ink marks lie below Susan't tracing paper with piercing. My threaded sheets of white paper are now layered with some of Susan's etchings...


I love the way the random threads play - they fill me with happiness.


Tonally, its amazing to see how sympathetic the books are with each other.  Each of them holds the mark of the other, but is clearly the work of the owner as well. It was a lovely way to work and to create something of beauty, together. Thank you Susan.

And to finish...more threads! I will talk more about my own book tomorrow maybe, and let you see how it panned out.


We celebrated with a glass of French Champagne - Pip, Barry, Susan and I sitting on the deck with the valley and mountains below. Life is good.

19 comments:

  1. love it... every little bit.... (but most especially the glass of french champers at the end..... )

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  2. Once again you've managed a post that has left my brain incapable of intelligent speech. Both books are splendid! The threads, the stitching, the marks, the stone. Oh! The stone that's visible on every page!!! And the holes cut out to allow it. It may have felt like sacrilege to do to cut them, but the result is anything but.

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  3. Beautiful story, beautiful books, LOVE the cut outs and the rock, and champers on the deck for a bonus xoxox

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  4. Just gorgeous....those beautiful surfaces and texture and marks work so well together! And those thread....dancing lines....they make me quite happy too! What a great experience you and Susan shared!!! Thanks for sharing with us!

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  5. I cannot tell you how much these books have my heart a-fluttering! I agree, the cut out pebble is utterly wonderful.

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  6. I l.o.v.e these books! Just everything about them speaks to me.

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  7. So very beautiful Fiona, I love your exquisite creations. x

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  8. I love them. They are so tactile-looking that I can almost feel them. And they do complement each other remarkably well. I'm looking forward to seeing a bit more. Must hop over to Susan's blog now and see if she has more photos!

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  9. Fiona, These are so beautiful. Like Ronnie above I love every element of it. So many elements yet so delicate.i'm looking forward to a hearing more about it tomorrow.

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  10. These books are so unusual and have a very effective beauty. I used to make lots of little books and you have just inspired me to have another bookmaking session.
    Cheers!
    :)
    xx

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  11. The transparencies, the whites - the pebble - I get a feeling of fog and mist from these. (with which I am rather obsessessed)

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  12. What a lovely collaboration Fiona - the resulting books are fabulous - I am trying to get my head round the scale - I find making a large book rather daunting when it comes to putting it together - beautiful work

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  13. Thanks Dinah!

    Glad you like, Ronnie - and yes the bubbles were a fine way to finish.

    Oh Jennifer- I'm so glad you've enjoyed them! The pebble was inspired, but then to cut, oh my goodness, I just had to breathe and tell myself I could always make the pages shorter if trouble hit...

    Thanks N - a good combo indeed - in particular the recipe for decks and bubbles!

    Thanks Patti - the dancing lines and threads - much happiness every time I see them and play with them.

    Hi Suzie - it's nice to know they can reach across the miles and flutter hearts a bit...it has been a really enjoyable process and it was so nice to have the two books together for a bit.

    Oh Leslie - thank you. I l.o.v.e that you loved them! They whisper quietly and gently don't they?

    Thank you Louise - mine is a tad bigger than your beautiful necklace books; but the joy of making books abounds.

    Hi Sam - lovely to have you stop by and drop a note. They are both very tactile and feel lovely - very much about holding and touching...

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  14. Thank you Eithna - there is softness in them both and they are like sisters, not twins. Clearly related but quite unique!

    Hello Sue - thanks for commenting! I hope you enjoy your session with book-making; it's a lovely way to spend your time...go well.

    Ah Valerianna - yes, soft mist, fog, gently draping our days. We are often misty on the mountain so perhaps that has come thru? Glad you enjoyed them.

    Thank you Rosie - this was my biggest book yet maybe 24 inches wide? So it seems a bit monumental but also remains quite intimate. Interesting...

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  15. Words don't fail me Fiona, they just seem superfluous when the beautiful pictures say it all. What a joyous collaboration.

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  16. Thank you Lesley - yes joyous and delightful and exhilarating at times...I'm glad you enjoyed their time together.

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  17. An exquisite bookmaker's pas de deux! Lovely and inspiring work.

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  18. Thank you Jane - they are lovely together!

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.