What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Here are some pics of pages from myself and other artists and of the collating process of the fat books I volunteered to bind and distribute for two groups: ZNE Artists and Poets http://www.znepoetry.com/ and Arte Du Blythe http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Arte_du_Blythe/.

I talked about the Blythe book here http://bly-me.blogspot.com/2008/05/blythe-and-animals-for-cause.html. It is progressing nicely. After all of the pages have arrived, the books will be wire bound and within, a full set of pages between handmade covers returned to each participant. So, that's 392 pages to collate plus covers! The final books also include embellishments, beads, yarn, fibers etc for the spine, pages and covers, so it has been quite a project for everyone- not to mention everyone who wished to participate created 28 or more original pages. That was a daunting task in itself. But as you will soon see when the finished book is shown in a future post, it will have been well worth it.

Why is it called a 'fat book'? The books are a chunky four inches by four inches square and each page is very textural. Embellishments to the edges may dangle off, raise up, etc., making the book a three-dimensional piece of amazement.

Even more exciting is the fact that one book will be auctioned off to benefit A Place to Bark http://aplacetobark.blogspot.com/, a no-kill animal rescue facility in Tennessee run by the very capable Bernie Berlin, herself a published artist.
I will be taking a class from Bernie in August in California at http://www.znecon.com/ and plan to ask Bernie to sign the book for the lucky auction winner. Watch for more info right here about that auction.

The ZNE Artists and Poets book is a collection of self-portraits from nine artists, plus handmade covers of Mulberry paper by Laurie Blau-Marshall, Washington, of Living Out Loud http://loudlife-laurieblaumarshall.blogspot.com/; Cathy Minerva of Georgia and also embellishments by Stacey Merrill and Jodi Barone of Vines, http://www.wildvines.blogspot.com/, the group moderator. Allison Berringer of http://musingsofnosilla.blogspot.com/ and Hope/Harvestorm also created group logos or blog buttons that are featured in the book.

So, as you can see, it was truly a collaborative effort. That explains why I was glad to spend tonight in my kitchen with 535 four inch squares spread all over everywhere during the collating process! I'll probably be seeing them in my sleep.

Moi

Moi
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

And now, just another silly Flickr play toy, the Warholizer, by Big Huge Labs.com. This is my self-portrait for the ZNE Artists and Poets fat book page swap which I am hosting and binding. This is a 4 x 4 inch doodle I created with Zentangle-style hair, using a Sharpie fine tip.

Be There, or Be a 4 x 4

It was kind of a weekend for squares, as I spent most of my time making 4 x 4 book pages for The Artists of Chubbyville on Yahoo! All Originals Page Swaps for February and March. I also contemplated my covers for my 2007 Fat Book of all original pages by me and other artists. The book looks great with all the danglies, and I can't wait to photograph it. I found some cool pink paper beads on etsy that will be just perfect for spine danglers. I have been saving them for about six months for the perfect project, and this is it.

My page at top, entitled "Chaos," pretty much represents me trying to cram all of my projects into two-day weekends (whose idea was a two-day weekend anyway? Oh, yeah, well....). I mean, geez, how can one possibly sleep in, cook those good weekends meals, go out a bit too, shop, clean, pack for the coming week, tend to ebay and etsy (both buying and selling), get caught up on reading (just finished Sue Grafton's 'T'-excellent), read all the latest art, fashion and gossip mags, email, blog and have any time left to breathe? Eep!

The birdy page is "Birds of a Feather should Feather Their Nests Together." I could elaborate, but I won't!

The two top and the bottom pics are a self portrait for the ZNE Artists and Poets group http://www.znepoetry.com/. I'm likin' the front, and its zentangle-ish feel. I HATE writing descriptive stuff about myself, which anyone who knows me will not believe. But, it's true. So there's my words for all the world to see, in no particular order, mix and match.

If there is enough interest we will make a fat book out of our 4 x 4 self portraits.

And speaking of fat books, which I guess I am in depth, The Arte du Blythe group on Yahoo, which I now moderate, is fixin' to do a Blythe fat book swap as well as an auction copy for charity to support artist Bernie Berlin's no-kill animal sanctuary, A Place to Bark (see blog badge at right) http://aplacetobark.blogspot.com/.

Not one of these fat books is top secret, proprietary or closed; just give me a shout if you want more info to join! You can be square, too!

Bunnies and Chicks and Eggs, Oh My!

This really isn't a hodge podge. It makes perfect sense to me anyway. I'll call it a visual chronicle of my weekend. You don't see any eating or sleeping pictured here, do you? First off, we have Ma Bunny and her baby bunlets paper mache'd into an egg for The Shabby Cottage Studio Design Team February project. You can find the lovely papers and collage images here http://www.shabbycottagestudio.com/ as well as projects from my Seven Shabby Sisters. Congrats to Shabby Sister Carole Dawn Brinkley http://cdsartisticendeavors.blogspot.com/, who just found out she is to be in the next Artful Blogging magazine by Somerset/Stampington http://www.stampington.com/ and Shabby 'Mom' Gail Schmidt, owner of SCS, will be featured in Stampington's Digital issue coming out any minute. Stars*Go*Blue's Debora Lockard http://www.artbydebora.etsy.com/ will also be featured.

Vintage Vavoom by the editors of Romantic Homes magazine is pictured because I am in the process of reading and reviewing it for my new gig on http://www.vintageindie.com/, run by the fabulous Gabreial, whom I met on the Cottage Style Street Team for Etsy. Search by the acronym CSST on http://www.etsy.com/ for wonderful treasures. I'll also be writing about great little vintage indie shops found along the way in my travels, and reviewing other books and mags.

Next up is the darling chickie box I received from Vivian Neroni http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/ in our own little swap. The chick is hand sculpted paper clay, and the inside of the box bears a treasure. I just love it!

Finally, here is the handmade journal for the ZNE Artists and Poets group journal swap. My assignment was to make a journal for Allison Berringer http://musingsofnosilla.blogspot.com/ of Canada. I chose handmade paper for the cover and inside, stamped birds and feathers on the cover, and a feather motif on the inside pages. Then, I embellished the cover with paper flowers, brads, glitter and feathers. I bound this myself with my new Zutter binder. Never you mind that I assembled it with the cover upside down the first go-'round. To complete the journal, I added fibers and beads to the spine, and put two poems inside. One was Trees by Joyce Kilmer for nature-lover Allison, and one was to be a favorite of mine, which I will leave you with here, by e. e. cummings.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

by E. E. Cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men (both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that no-one loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then) they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

no one and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Who Wants to Go Out when You can Just Nest?

I'm nesting when I should be flying. Something like that. I have to go to St. Louis Monday for a three-day trip for work, and instead of packing, or even making list, all I can think about is making nests. That, and finishing about a gazillion other art projects by Sunday night, or at least before my plane takes off Monday morning.

I did devote some time to shopping Friday night and Saturday, which is one of the first times I have ventured to a mall, or a non artsy-store since well before Christmas. I think my last clothes shopping adventure was October in Myrtle Beach. I've just been nesting throughout this relentless Midwest winter- which makes that first spring shopping trip that much more difficult. But enough about that- (I could have once had a shopping blog!)- now, back to nesting.

The pink birdie in the photo second from the top started my obsession. This one was actually made on the same Myrtle Beach vacation as the aforementioned shopping trip. I just recently sold it on ebay, and discovering other people liked little birdies in little nesties spurred me on to make more. So, The Little Love Bird above has been sent to my etsy site http://www.hpsgsmith.etsy.com/.

Heather of Speckled Egg's Sweet Little Nest Swap http://speckled-egg.blogspot.com/ encouraged me further with her swap, and the darling nest I got from Sarah of http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ just added to the frenzy of hunting and gathering. So, If course one assignment was to make Sarah a nest in return (green birdie above). You can't see it, but it has a great rhinestone brooch to add sparkle to the front.

Then, I spied a darling paper clay Easter chickie paper box made by Vivian of http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/ and I asked her if she would like to trade for something. Sure enough, she asked for one of my pink curly bird nests, so that's her nest above also, "Little Miss Whimsy," with her "sneak peek" being the first photo. Vivian! Stop reading, and close your eyes!

I have two birdies and nests left to do- a yellow bird and a tan one, that one of my cats had a little fun with when I wasn't looking. That one will need a lot of vintage baubles added!

I'd keep going, but I have yet to make a handmade poetry journal for fellow ZNE Artists and Poets member Allison Berringer, http://musingsofnosilla.blogspot.com/ in our journal swap. This, too, needs to go out Monday, flying off to Canada and not to Missouri with me. A couple last packages have to be done up by tomorrow night-western US ephemera for ARTchick Jeri of http://artfulgathering.typepad.com/ and an ephemera and supply goody box for Teri aka pumpkinseedmama on Flickr, and ebay and etsy and swapbot and ZNE and wherever else we all hang out~ another great reason to nest ~ the internet art and blogging and buying/selling communities!

New Technique, New WIP

This might look kind of child-like; not sure what I think about it yet. It is a new technique I am practicing from Karen Michel's Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, the January ZNE Book Club study material. This technique involved painting and collaging on gessoed newspaper and using a magazine photo or actual photo to blend into the piece. It was fun, but I don't like my lines, so I just keep messing with it. The leafy scene was also to depict the renga below that I participated in for the ZNE Artists and Poets group.

Foliage falls in a fiery ballet

around me now, around me now.

I surround myself in my cocoon,

safe in the silence.

Alas, Epiphany's voice calls to join in the Autumnal dance.

More about renga style, a second renga and other works of art from the participating poets can be found at ZNE Artists and Poets http://chelise.typepad.com/zne_art_poetry/2008/01/i-dream-of-da-1.html.

Word Candy? There IS Such a Thing!

I'm usually talking about eye candy all the time, oohing and ahhing over the latest creations of my artsy friends. Still can't get over the beautiful eye candy below in the Valentine heart box of supplies swap. With 50 or so people swapping heart boxes, one has to remember all the actual candy 'candy' that had to be consumed to empty those boxes. Tough work, but someone had to do it!

So today, in another calorie-free repaste, I can share with you some awesome Word Candy: a new blog launches today at http://www.znepoetry.com/. I am thrilled to say I am connected to this wonderful project, not only by being a member of ZNE, but by being a member of the ZNE Art and Poetry sub-group and by my usual 'pick-me, pick-me!' volunteerism which now has me helping to moderate the blog.

Each week I'll be uploading a finished group poem from the ZNE Verses project, a line-at-a-time effort open to more than 600 ZNE members on our network. ZNE actually has about 1,200 members worldwide, but not everyone is active on the private network we have on Ning. Most poems will also have one or more pieces of artwork with them, as well as some will have soundtracks selected by members. It's just a beautiful collaboration!

On top of this, the blog serves as the showcase for the individual poetry efforts of the sub-group as well as any ZNE member. So, it truly is word candy! Our next group project, a Renga, will be posted shortly. The talented artist and poet Jodi Barone http://wildvines.blogspot.com/ heads up this project. We are guided by the fearless leader of ZNE, Chelise Hery http://chelise.typepad.com/, a multi-blogger, artist and poet in her own right/write.

Here's our first ZNE Verse of 2008, but you'll have to head on over to http://www.znepoetry.com/ to see the finished artwork and music. Please do.

She Dreams in Color

I

So scared of the words with the sharpest edges,
construed meaning that has me standing on proverbial ledges.
Seeking the way across the endless abyss of dreams,
language fails me, a misspoken word derails me, so, instead I'll turn to the images from which my psyche streams.
In my mirror, the words swirl about my face causing an ethereal tattoo, ever changing yet remaining the same.
I close my eyes to it and again wonder if I am to blame.
To all that has been said, I will answer in blood red and cry in cerulean blue.

I dream of a spirit who dances in the air around me, she whisperswho is blaming who?
Thoughts still linger like salt on an open wound,
knowing I must finish the colors of my life, only to sleep and fall back into the abyss of dreams and wonder again, who is blaming who?

Shadows appear in the midst of light,
and then I look, and look again, and seethe clear bright light of truth shine out from me.
I am left to interpret words unspoken under a January moon.
My soul seeks the light, that I may emerge strong and new,
singing songs of life, a new celestial tune.

The necessary brush strokes now completed, I sing beneath a ghostly moon.The stars above sing with me, many and yet few.Again the sleep will come, and I will paint my life anew.

II

She dreams at night in color and paints in black and white,
shelter for the vivid thoughts her brush is compelled to write.
She lives her real life in her dreams.
The myriad of colors in her soul long to find the light;
A rainbow of colors guides the night.
Rich reds, deep purples, shades of green and aureolin blue dance in sharp contrast
to what her soul knows to be true.
In her hands, colors are woven together in patterns rich with hope:red splashes of passion, of longing and dreams.
Yet she wakes and finds her world is still black and white.
She asks, “Gatekeeper, gatekeeper, guardian of my dreams, pleaselet me pass further into the life that bubbles in the tree's vibrant greens.Why must I sleep?All of life is a dream?”
In time she will complete the canvas of her life.But for now, she dreams in color and wakes to black and white.


III

Digging through the rubble of the past,swept into a still pile in a far corner of my mind,
I see the light where I was once blind.
Trying to dust away the cobwebs of what once was,
I find the remnants of forgotten momentsshining under the grime, worth saving;
their lives have touched mine.
Gathering these precious memories, I smileas they sink into the cool depths of my soul:healing the hurts they find there,bringing peace and the promise of joy to come,dancing in the slowly rising sun.
Continuing the housekeeping of my spirit,I know contentment will come,the ebb and flow of my very essenceto evolve, never ending.


By ZNE Members in order: Gina Smith, Chelise Hery, Cathy Minerva, Niki Ginder, Jodi Barone, Heidi Eberle, June Sanders, Allison Berringer, Marion Barnett, Laurie Blau-Marshall, Donna Cook, Kathryn Virello.