Pondering a new book

I have had an itch to make another book about domestic abuse and the terrible tragedy that is the regular murder of women by partners or former partners. 

How or why our authorities and systems just can't seem to give the issue the priority it needs just leaves me shaking my head in disbelief. And so, in response, I feel the need to respond in some small way, to keep the story being told, to encourage to look at the issue, to consider it, to respond to it.

I tried an idea when we were in Scotland and it really never did come together. It intrigues me when I start with something firm in my head, but I just cannot realise it in a good or coherent manner. Somehow you know if you have to work that hard for it, it probably isn't a good idea...

I wrote some more notes to myself and then had one of those absolute Ah-ha moments and scribbled it down on a couple of post it notes and headed straight to the studio the next day to see if I could make something of it.

The thought involved some cards in a pocket. I wanted to use red and black and white. I don't have a lot of red paper or card, so I tried to dye some using acrylic ink. I absolutely adored this colour red (Derivan Acrylic Ink, Red)! It got a big tick and I then worked out which paper worked best and what size.

The design element that had been going around in my head for a few weeks of the multiple overlays of the word STOP. I have this self-inking stamp that you can put your own letters into and I have used it for other play work; but this time I thought it would be great for a piece of real work.

So I tested it on a scrap of paper.

And it took me  while to test out how dense I really wanted it to look.

And it turns out I want it REALLY dense!

Back on the trial fold and pocket I was exploring stitching lines and whether to put the title of the book on the pocket somehow?

At first I thought the title could go in a gap where I hadn't stamped; but it didn't seem to give enough definition or purpose; it just looked like it kind of happened, without much thought or intent.

I then thought about maybe making the title out of the same red card and putting it on top of the stamping. This seemed to have more authority somehow.

So far, so good.

And then I had a look at how it might look if I did the density of stamping I was hoping to do. And it still held. The words of the title are handwritten - just an indication of how large the printing might be, and testing out the idea of a border.

Good progress! Ideas tested and trialled, and even a fair few resolved! Next, trying to sort out the multitude of ideas I have for the cover...