throw me the book

Throw me the book...just not this one. It would hurt.

I've finished the little book and I'm in love with it if i do say so myself. (Some say that such is the way when one follows an inkling whispered in the ear for no other reason than to see what comes of it.) I've even started on a second one (with vintage red rayon ribbon) and have the pages for third, fourth and fifth ones ready! The more I handled this fat little beauty (which sounds like something one might over hear Vinnietheman say with his arm draped over the shoulders of his wife....) the more I thought about the various ways the pages could be filled. The nature of the plaster pages is very textural, extremely porous, and specific. They should be treated more like a gessoed canvas than paper. Plaster, a close relative to gesso, is chalky and toothy and yet will bend to your artistic will with ease. With little exception, what you could do on a gessoed canvas or watercolor paper, you could do on these pages. The pages, as they are, would not be ideal for writing on with the fabulous micron pens but if you were to write on tissue or tracing paper that could then be applied to the plaster with little or no evidence that there is tissue on there at all (depending on the color and weight of the tissue). But, what really would make ME swoon...and I drooled with Bridgette about this idea...is if the pages were turned into mini encaustics....or paintings. Heaven, I tell you...HEAVEN!

I've decided that I'm partial to the small, fat book. It just feels so yummy in the hand and the buttons I crochetted onto the spine knotting adds the little bit of feminity that I wanted it to have...that and the deliciously corally-red vintage french ribbon. I have been collecting battered shell buttons for years. Even before I had no idea what I would do with them. I can tell a shell button from a plastic or glass one from a mile away and, if i'm almost fooled, a little tap on the teeth with said button will tell-tale. Glass has a brighter chink on the teeth than shell. And plastic...ugh - no chink at all. Just a boring, dull, muted, timid thunk. Good thing I ate alot of dirt as a child - built up a strong immune system to combat all the creepies from buttons that have tapped my teeth. My girls too. Strong immune systems. Infact, I will be feeding them soil and rusted nails (extra iron) lasagna tonight for supper.

I'm sad to say that my button collection is shrinking from being crocetted into little treasures like this necklace purchased by a sweet student in Portland this fall. I've prepared a few strands to be worked into more necklaces in the coming weeks and as let the satinny thread slip through my fingers with each looping of the crochet hook, I count the buttons working their way to a new life, one by one, like mala beads and prayers. I will need to make more untimed stops at local antique and thrift shops to see if there are more buttons waiting for a new home....waiting to be given a new life.

In the meantime, I will keep making more books - until I tire of it or I am called to attend to some other important duty. These books are part of a new class I'm submitting to a retreat I'd really love to be a part of. I'm planning to post a book or two on etsy in the near future. We'll see where this leads....

Comments

[Jen]

Well girlie. Scrumpdillyump! You've given me more food for thought and wanting to play in the plaster! xoxo

[Amy]

Oh my word, that is gorgeous, and so tantalizing. How did you make the plaster pages?!

[Chris Meissner]

Holy mackerel! Coolio!

[nina]

little books, little books, oh how we do love little bitty books! x

[grrl+dog]

now you have the rest of us drooling... hope your application is successful, the book is yum.

[wanda miller]

Extremely special and so, "your way" with your creations. love wanda

[Carla Sonheim]

Of course you love this book, Stephanie, because it is BEYOND GORGEOUS. OMG!!!!!!!!

[Deb Taylor]

this little gem is deliciously beautiful!

[Jen crossley]

OMG This book is too die for please bring one to Oz so I can buy it
Jen

[Tina]

Oh, wonderful wonderful wonderful! I love that sweet book and those pages, I can feel their lush surfaces sliding under my fingertips if I close my eyes.

[jennifer lorton]

I love plaster. I apply it to almost every painting that I create. It's so wonderful the way it accepts paint. The book with the bottons is fantastic, I'd love to see it once it's filled.
Thanks, Jennifer
http://blog.jenniferlorton.com

[Peggy Gatto]

The book is lovely as is.....I want to touch it!

[mary ann]

i am STRUCK by the image that is that book. STRUCK as in i can't move it is so fabulous. So i'm gonna just sit and stare a while. don't mind me.

[connie freedman]

the book is fabulous!! it's a wow thing and the plaster pages wrapped around metal, very cool. something i would love to have-as in please teach a class!!!

[bridgette]

love love love what you've created stephanie. It is so different from that first one I saw many moons ago.
I experimented with creating an encaustic page in my plaster book and it actually seemed to be very stable...as in not going to crack and fall apart! woohoo!
Thank you for the inspiration you provide. xo

[julie collings]

dear stephanie,
so wonderful to witness this new creation coming forth. emily in our art group arrived bursting to share the news of this book and declared it is the most gorgeous thing she has ever seen.
of course then we all traveled to see for ourselves this wonder. i am stunned. your book is all she promised, magical.
i am so happy to see your soaring spirit wound through the silk and beads and resting on the metal covers, julie