Owls, art books,creativity and more

In answer to the comment from Sue.The owl book was one I made and embroidered a few years ago. I used to take part in an art book/page exchange. You made as many copies of a page on a particular subject as there were players, sent them to the hostess along with your book covers. She bound the book and in some cases beaded them, with copies of each persons artwork. Normally anything from 12 to 30+ people took part. So you ended up with a limited edition book each time. They all had different artwork on a theme, for example birds as in my owl book. Some wrote poetry and short stories to go with the artwork. I do have quite a few books from these exchanges. Obviously each persons book would also look different as you sent in your own front and back covers. I hostessed quite a few of these swaps as well as joined in others. The owl book was a particular favourite as it was my first time binding a book. Mr Mog did the holes and got it wrong the first time on my cover hence the additional set of holes to the right:) I think it made it even more unique.
This book was for a celestial theme
I randomly dyed cotton and added salt to change the colour.I padded the cover in parts so it feels almost quilted.

This was my page in the book. You also had to add a vellum or other clear front page before it with your details and on this I put "We are all a part of the universe"

This next one was a collaboration on the dragonfly theme:)

Can you see the beaded dragonfly on the cover? The cover was thick card or mounting board that I liberally splattered with colour.
I thought a haiku went well with the picture, the colour on the wings was actually sari fabric I scanned then printed then cut out to add to the wings.It is also lightly glittered. The cover sheet reads, "The original idea for my dragonfly came from a line drawing in our local wildlife magazine. I made up the haiku. Then scanned sari silk for the embossed dragonfly. "

Next was on the theme Given to fly.
The cover is mount board painted with various metallic paints, mulberry paper added, wild geese embossed in gold on top, the goose is stamped on more mulberry paper. The charms include butterflies, a fairy and a bee.
My page of stamped, coloured images
I came up with the words for the cover sheet also.

This next was a holiday journal page book. We all did a page of Christmas/New year/Yule ideas and impressions then I bound them. The face charm was to represent Janus, looking both ways into the old and into the new year.Commercial fabric that I added glitter to.

The Christmas Haiku was by Wes Magee

This next book was just one I made that has blank pages in
Hand dyed fabric with salt sprinkled on before it dried, various fabrics, silk tops etc added then embroidered. Stab bound.
The pages are all mulberry paper. This is ready to use for whatever comes to mind:)


This next one was on a Tropicana theme. Different size format for this one. Cover is tropical print fabric with different tropical ties.
Foam painted.stamped, embossed and gilded.

My page with feather. My writing. All the pages in thisbook were showcased differently.

This next was a similar idea but you made tags. Cover is Clay, stamped embossed and beaded. Theme goddesses.

My tag was sponged background, stamped goddess layered on to background and gilded. Goddess definition quote stamped.
Hope you liked this glimpse of my art books. I have a yen to maybe do another collaborative after going back through these.
It reminded me of one of my journal pages where I did a piece on artists block.
I wrote;-
Swim in the sea of creativity.
Dip your hand in the creative soup.
Imagination
+
Creation
=
Elation.

Also on the same page I'd written a quote from Maryanne Redmacher Hersey

Live with intention
Walk to the edge
Listen hard
Practice wellness
Play with abandon
Laugh
Choose with no regret
Continue to learn
Appreciate your friends
Do what you love
Live as if this is all there is

Also this quote from George Bernard Shaw;-

Imagination is the beginning of creation
You imagine what you desire
You will what you imagine
and at last you create what you will