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i added new, thick pages (foam core) so there will be more room to play in. that's what the above page is made out of. will send along the ribbony stuff for the sticks. here are some side shots, even though the twigs aren't all cut.
sorry again for the crap photos. i'll really replace them soon but i got a couple emails wanting peeks so... here are some bad ones. ;)i will be cured by tomorrow and will work on finishing pages and taking great photos (with the camera on the proper setting and with the room light on this time, haha).
p.s. i've used some goodies i've gotten from lisa j and debs. it felt sooo right!
10/21 UPDATE:
i'm pretty behind on updates, i think! since my last post, i have added some things to my book. i lined the outer cover with black handmade banana leaf paper (which the top piece will be affixed to once i'm done) and the inside with red velvet... kind of like a museum exhibit.
the pocket will be sewn into the back at the end in case anyone wants to sew on any sort of little trinket while they have it. a note from each participating artist and or other goodies will be placed in the pocket.
i've nearly completed the second page (the bone page is first, but i have to do that afterward -- you'll see why when you get it). basically, it's a story about a lady and her life. the passing of her husband, how he died, etc. it's a totally made up story but i had to research surnames and origins, first names/origins, fonts used in 1920s publications, etc. i wrote her obituary as well as a couple of diary pages and basically confessed her "forgotten" sin -- only she never really forgot. she almost never left her house for nearly 50 years, at least not until the last 2 or 3, and really had a sad life. that's why she looks so miserable. horrible photo, i know.
here is the back of the bundle of goodies:
all spread out (feel free to untie the twine when you get it to read everything -- quite a fascinating story, lol). even the peacock feature ties into the whole story.:
all of this will fit sweetly into a pocket i fashioned out of one of the fold-down pages. the pocket, of course, will be embellished and decorated to fit with the story of it all, but i haven't gotten that far yet.
i received an email today that my dick blick order finally shipped (only placed the damn order like 8 days ago) so i'll have my black patina for the front piece soon!next steps: bone page, medical slide page and omg, i have no idea what i will do for the forth. how can anatomy fit into "forgotten"? (wait! i forgot i had a spleen!!)
(i'm starting to sound like miss debrina with all these holes and poking and shoving)
ReplyDeleteI love your idea! I don't fancy your parcel being opened at the business end of the sorting centre and having them find sticks...what if they confiscated your book! omg. But I for one definately think you should keep your sticks...and just put them in when it gets home. If you want to keep it bound like that for the trip maybe you could subsitute the sticks with paintbrushes? Or dowelling?
ReplyDeleteHaha your too funny. Just read your captions:) lol
ReplyDeleteor chopsticks! they are still "sticks" but i would think that would be okay, don't you?
ReplyDeleteso glad you like it! i think it could potentially be fun. i used thick watercolor paper so lots could be done with it, i think.
your second comment wasn't here when i replied at first, lol. i wanted to make things more explanatory. ;)
ReplyDeleteOooh scary, Deb's you didn't tell us Alicia does mind reading too!
ReplyDeleteWas just wondering what sort of paper this was!
oh yes, i'm a mind reader indeed!
ReplyDeleteand if we were going to have 8+ people, the idea was to have a full back cover and then two sets of pages that opened outwards like double doors. think i mentioned that before. but since we have less people, i think just single will suffice. plus it's about 5" x 7" and we certainly don't need to be searching for something double-sized to ship it, i don't think.
Mines 8" by 5" or there-a-bouts so it looks like all our books will be similar in size so far:)
ReplyDeletenice! that's perfect indeed!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea, stick with it! no pun intended.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the sticks anyway? are they endangered?
ty. :)
ReplyDeleteshe mentioned the reason, but i think it's in the other thread. anything plant-like that could be alicve or having something living in it is banned from being sent, basically.
Lol. endangered sticks.
ReplyDeleteChop sticks - now that's a cool idea. Don't know if you'll see this update I'm writing as I'm either jinxed or NZ really is a third world country and we have crap broadband.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like all our books are roughly the same size. Pity the Americans haven't discovered metrics yet, aye Lisa? And Kim, when you are reading this, we'll be able to gang up on the Americans! Woohoo! Hey, I love the page set up, Alicia. Great set of signatures. We have the most amazing book-making and printing course available down at Victoria University in Wellington. I'm thinking I'd like to do the course now...
oooh, wish i lived close enough to come take it with you! i'm not sure of my books exact size but it does look similar indeed. and yep, we're crap at metrics. we americans are pretty ignorant (thank you school systems!).
ReplyDeleteYou ladies are cracking me up! My book is 91.4 cm x 91.4cm I hope that's not to big..I've always wanted to work large scale.
ReplyDeletejust kidding. roughly 8" x 6" and there will be no ganging up on us metric deficient Americanos.
ugh, the centimeter thing again! ooh, you crack me up!! i started to look it up before reading your whole msg. ;) i thought you got all proper and metric on me there for a second and felt REALLY ganged up on! so looks like all of ours are similarly sized, i think. going to go peek to see if you posted any photos yet.
ReplyDeleteoooh, and my theme is either going to be macabre or of darkness/from the darkness (which could be interpreted as almost anything -- dark in hue like a crow, or dark in nature like a crime scene photo or....? i may do a ghost page or... i don't know yet.). thinking out loud here.
ReplyDeletecripes. i just finished my pages, and cut a proper sized cover, but my camera has decided to finally die. this is lame. it's broken about 10 times in the past 8 weeks and i've fixed it every time but i think this time it's finally kicked the bucket.
ReplyDeletenever mind -- i slammed the crud out of the camera and it works now. posting newest photos above...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pictures, Alicia! Oh the spine and the sticks are to die for! Gorgeous!! You guys make me want to go and bust a gut over mine now...so I'm off to the studio...
ReplyDeletewoohoooo! and if it turns out, i put a multi-demensional "thing" on the front with copper sheeting that has a huge hole (very much unlike yours) that holds a couple of wee bottles. we'll see how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I can't wait to turn all the pages and see them for real. I like the fabric pocket piece too. What are those sticks? I don't mean to be *a stick in the mud* but we really need to make sure our sticks don't get stuck in customs.
ReplyDeleteTo much sugar and birthday party food for me... lol
fig sticks (just had to look up my receipt). chopsticks will be the placeholder, though. if i could sew, the pocket would be pretty! ;) i'll probably just glue it on or maybe wait until the end to see what looks best with everyone's pages.
ReplyDeleteooh, and in reference to my above additions and notes, the copper thing for the cover is SUPER light. it's only two layers of foam core board and very thin copper, the rest being just paper. i'll post it for you to see soon, but wanted to sure you that it's not going to weigh a ton or be expensive to ship.
ReplyDeleteOkay you guys, lovin the book and theme Alicia, I soo have ideas for this! Love the sticks idea, I almost went that road to but changed my mind last minute. Haha metrically deficient Americans, what a hoot! Quite like the idea of a large scale though for something different, just not too large for postage I guess! I think I'll be heading off to the studio now to get started on my ideas for the covers. No peeks yet either so you will all have to just wait, but it will involve wax I think!
ReplyDeleteoooh, i love wax! a teeny tiny part of mine has a bit of wax too. i SOOO can't wait to see yours! once you start and post stuff, that is. so fantastically fun! how large are we talking here? like a hundred centimeters or something? (that's over 39 inches, just so you know! i TOTALLY know how to use a cm to in converter.) ;) do you have any theme ideas yet? i CANNOT wait to see your ideas with this book too. and ohoh, i keep forgetting to tell you (forgot for a whole two days) -- guess what book i finally bought?
ReplyDeleteWow, you're book and theme rocks Alicia. I am going to have to ferret about and see what forgotten things I can find....lovely little pocket too!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Kim! Glad to see you made it here, I didn't realise I was the only one who could invite you! and then I couldn't coz I didn't know your email...and now I have it twice! lol. Sending a proper invite shortly:)
Hoping to play with my book today...not sure what my chances are. 2 kids back at school, 1 home on bed rest maybe I can squeak some time in after their paper run...I hope!!
thanks so much, sweets. :) it doesn't HAVE to be forgotten... it can be... unforgotten. ;) i am going to do a something weird and anatomical thing on one of my pages once i can figure out how that would even tie in, and maybe something ghostly on another (she's coming back to haunt him because he has forgotten her!).
ReplyDeletedid you get any time on your book?
That vinegar salt painting technique sounds fun...looking forward to your pic!
ReplyDeleteand Yes, a little time on my book!
And I'm like..."woah" and "wow" and "woah.." Alicia, you have the most astounding talent! The fly is PERFECT!!!!! The theme is PERFECT!!!! The book is PERFECT!!! OMG. I just can't get over how talented we all are!
ReplyDeleteoh yes, the vinegar is fun. i should pop up a photo of what it looks like now, just so you can see the day and a half status. yay for time on your book! i actually saw your photos before i read this and i am so very in love with all that you have done!
ReplyDeletedebs, thank you!!! you are just too sweet! off to take a shot of the vinegar bath in it's little bin....
This is great Alicia..I never what have thought of this in a million years. I am still totally stuck on what to do for covers. Love your idea for holding all the 'museum exhibits.' My minds buzzing with ideas!
ReplyDeletethanks so much, lisa. :) typically i find covers easier than contents, ironically. i should just whip out a bunch of blank journals, lol. i have HEAPS of designs in my wee brain and some in my sketch book for weirdo books.
ReplyDeleteDidn't get this latest update via email, so this was a nice surprise waiting for me!! Ooooh, can't wait to see the frame when it's out of the bath!!!
ReplyDeletesadly it doesn't tell us when people update their posts. just when there are comments.
ReplyDeleteit should be out soon. i'm going to find some black patina or just use my rust and see how that goes for finishing it off.
g'morning!
okay, so i'm changing my theme to "the museum of dark things". i can't find enough things that seem forgotten to me. sorry. ;)
ReplyDeleteNoooo... :} Don't give up on it. It's a great theme. Think...people, places, history, books,toys,memories,songs,games,friendships-- heck, I'm sure we can all think of something lost or forgotten and DARK. I forget stuff everyday. Who are you? They'll be plenty of things some of us have forgotten and also things some of us have found, or rediscovered. my 2 cents.:)
ReplyDeleteburied, promised, dreams,poems
ReplyDeleteWhat was it you said? The forgotten museum of dark things? The dark museum of forgotten things? The museum of dark and forgotten things?
ReplyDeleteI can't remember....
oh yesyesyes. the museum of dark and forgotten things. :) that could be both or either or. i can't think of anything cool and dark that's forgotten though. haha. i think i shall have a beer and ponder it, then i bet you i'll come up with 25 things all at once. yeah! i just did the base cover of mine and it's lined with red velvet like a museum exhibit. i'm excited... and will post more photos soon.
ReplyDeleteyou ladies rock, by the way and i loves ya!!
(history is a rad point... and people. who's that one chick? i forgot her name (not trying to be witty)... the blood countess. i'll hve to think abou tit a sec.
ohohoh, erzsebet bathory!! that is such a cool story if you haven't heard of her. not sure why i thought of it other than the painting i love of her has her in a red velvet-looking dress.
ReplyDeleteAhhh..but "forgotten" often means something, somewhere in the dark....I mean, it doesn't have to be a "real" forgotten thing does it? I'm thinking of something like a ghost or a spook lurking in the cupboard here....
ReplyDeletetrue! so don't put "dark" in the title then? and you don't check your mail often enough at work, debz. i got your email 14 minutes after you sent it and said "is it too late to call now" and haven't heard back. just waiting on pins and needles here, lady. :P
ReplyDeleteI see you tided up the side bar (thanks...was geting around to that!) and updated your title to 'the museum of forgotten and dark things' which still sounds very cool to me. I have some dolphin teeth...wonder if I can send those?? They're definately dead and they wern't technically ever alive... oh speaking of things like teeth please drop by my blog and grab the link to Mandy Hauge's blog...she's got a mummified rat on there and I thought of you when I saw it! (I mean that in the nicest possible way! lol) I reckon you will think it's very cool!
ReplyDeleteoh yes, i did. ;) it was making my eye twitch, sorry. i'm a weirdo with stuff like that so you can just tell me to stop any time. i'm still not 100% sure on my title/theme yet but i'm close. i do like the original very, very much, but it almost felt limiting. i was sleepy though and now i can actually think of lots of things so i will likely change it back.
ReplyDeletedolphin teeth sound so cool! i know you can pretty much mail anything here except chemicals and firearms or fireworks. i'm not sure if there is an issue with anything else. we're pretty relaxed around here it seems. just don't say you're sending dolphin teeth if you ever do, lol.
ooooh, that blog sounds fantastically fun! i must go see! thank you for thinking of me!! ;)
oh wait. you can't send dead birds or bird heads. i forgot about that one. not just a postal regulation but a federal law. not sure why -- i want dead bird heads! (i mean... i wouldn't kill a bird to get it or anything but if it just happened to be laying around, yeah.)
ReplyDeletewow, i love her! <3
ReplyDeletethank you so much for sharing!!
okay, i changed it back to "the museum of forgotten things". have LOTS of ideas now and two pages totally figured out. phew. that was a close call there for a second. thanks, ladies!
ReplyDeletewow...you guys have a lot of creative energy going as i read the above posts...i'm slowly progressing here with a lot of brewing ideas. Alicai.. your book is going to be dynamite..can't wait to see how it ends.. you have such the imagination!!
ReplyDeletethank you so much, lisa! you're the sweetest! i got to work on my book a bit a few days ago before heading out of town but i now have a huge panic! i included some bones and a feature in two of my pages and i fear that mailing it internationally could be an issue. does anyone know? i'm skeeeeered!
ReplyDeleteMate - you managed to sneek the shells in to my package and then into our country without too much of a ruckus. So long as the bones are clean and without any bugs on them, you'll be right as rain. I'd just write "altered art book" on the customs's declaration form and plead ignorance if you do get "caught". Which I seriously doubt will happen, as you're not really breaking any law, technically. Of course, you might want to delete this comment when you send your book to us...lol!
ReplyDeletewooohoooo, good point! i will write that for sure. and it should be fine. they are clean and still smell of bleach however many months later. there is nothing that could live in those things, disease, bugs or otherwise. they are hardly even bones anymore, lol. i'll post photos soon too -- the bigger of the bones (which is still quite small) may be set into epoxy resin if i can figure out a way to do it so that should make it even better for sending purposes, i'd guess. and omg, you should see the copper now! i took it out after two days and it's so green and teal that it's almost overkill. i just ordered black patina and it will be here on the 26th so it will be some time before i can post the cover shot but pages will be soon.
ReplyDeleteDolphin teeth OMG! I have visions of dentally challenged marine mammals scouring our oceans for a good dentist, ROFL! Ooooh, cool, bones set in epoxy resin, waaaay cool Alicia!
ReplyDeleteOk, here's how tonight went at my house...
ReplyDeleteI am mucking about with my book and I casually ask DH if he knows where I put my dolphin teeth. They were in the car (ofcourse) but today when I looked there was only 1 tooth, the others missing in action. Anyway, he goes "yep, I threw those away! Got sick of the rattling in the car door." OMG! So of course I have a heart attack and demand to know that he is just joking but he insists that he is not. Threw in words like hoarding and compulsive collecter too...anyway he then thinks they might be in the garage so we hunted but no teeth, out to the car we go with the torch to see if we can find any dolphin teeth in strange places (coz by now he's not really sure if they were thrown away coz maybe he just thought about it) and long story cut short I now have only 1 dolphin tooth and DH thinks this is funny....so I read him some bits of the comments from this post outlining my need for these teeth...and he says "oh so I guess your kinda up sh*t creek with out them?" and I say...Me up the creek, oh no not me.I wasn't the one who threw them away. Dang! I have the one tooth in a safe place now! and hopefully tomorrow it will turn out that they are just misplaced.
To his credit, he has plucked a dead pukeko on my behalf while it was still on the side of the road and then stuffed feathers in his pockets to bring home. Sigh....
Oh dear, shall fashion barbed wire canoe with paddle for inclusion in your book for your DH and perhaps a shovel so he may dig his way out again, LOL!
ReplyDeletehahaha, you guys so have me cracking up! your husband needs a good swat though! mine is quite the opposite... he digs crap out of the ground for me and surprises me with dead animal bones and cool looking (but heavy) rusted old truck parts and weird pieces of potentially paintable wood. he doesn't cook or anything though -- he has his issues for sure! :) oh, and he throws out papers -- it's just paper! ?? okay, jerk face. just paper. maybe i'll just sleep on the couch for the next week and see how you like it. he only things saving "things with substance" is worthwhile.
ReplyDeletei just had to look up what a pukeko is and omg, how cool!! now that is a really cool gift! i think he's redeemed himself with that one!
so, will you guys hate me if i tell you what i dreamed up last night? so you kind of get the gist of my book although i haven't posted any good/quality photos yet. i was thinking of making the top part that i am going to patina black the top of a second book that has pages of foam core to keep it light or book board that can be cut/drilled/etc. it would be a double book. but is that WAY too much and overkill? probably. so maybe i should nix the idea before i do it. i am working on the book today but i'm scared because i realized that this one little bit needs to be sewn and i'm going to bleed. i'll post bloody photos later so you can laugh. (then i'll burn myself with the wax i'm using on the bone page)
i do hope you find your teeth, by the way! i just laugh because i could see myself in the very same situation, not because it's funny!
Lol, the canoe Kim! and yes the Pukeko is a beautiful bird! Such pretty blue feathers! Last night continued with things like DH saying 'do you know where such and such is...' and ofcourse no matter what it was I always answered with "oh yes, I threw that away!" lol. Turned into a bit of a joke in the end. He thinks his Dad has more dolphin teeth (which is how I got them in the first place) so he's going to text him today and see if he can get me some more. That offer was followed by 'I am sure you won't let me forget!' lol.
ReplyDeletelol, you are so funny, lisa! i would never ever tire of that retort! i bet he did though, huh? ;)
ReplyDeleteso, how is it that your family has an abundance of dolphin teeth? how do you obtain them? dolphins are so cute! and haha, nope, you likely won't let him forget, huh!
i only have (currently) opossum and raccoon teeth. well, the raccoon teeth are in the head still. and a few human teeth, and a bear tooth. wait, no, that's a claw, and a frog skull and chick fetus. i'm totally getting off track here, sorry.
What an amazing project! Wonderful eye candy already and things are just getting started!
ReplyDelete~*~ Patty
thanks so much, sweets! i'll be posting more photos later today. i just have to size them bigger 'cause i made them small for my personal blog and forgot to save the large sizes. whoops!
ReplyDeletei added a few new photos but i think that most of you saw it on my blog today. haven't had a chance to reply yet but mucho thank yous to you! i had a big panic and lost four really important things for this piece, but then finally found them. wooots!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to open your string and peek inside of course. Lots of fab,intriguing ideas for your pages, looking forward to viewing them. A spleen!!! Don't you vent your spleen? LOL!
ReplyDeleteHoly heck. Who's leaving who in the dust now? Your book is looking so sumptuous (sp?) my friend. I want to get lost in it. Can't wait to wander around in the museum! Right, I'm off to do some more work (play!)!
ReplyDeletewell, i can't work on it for another day or so, so you'll just leave me in the dust next. november 15th is looking freakishly close with as long as i'm spending on some of these pages so i SHOULD just play with it all day but... ya know. other stuff to do too.
ReplyDeleteoh, and i can't wait for you to peek inside either, kim. it's all kinda humourous really though. in that weird alicia kind of "murder your husband and get away with it" way.
ReplyDeletei've added a couple of photos and am sad to say they are crap pictures. accidentally used the wrong setting, light was off, blah. i'm feeling quite worse and it hurts to breath but i was tired of laying on the couch so attempted photography. woots! ;) will reshoot this weekend.
ReplyDeleteEXQUISITE!!i LOVE what you have put together here...and no the photos are not crap...it's just the sorry state of your health clouding your judgement...maybe the old bitty is sending you a curse cause you shrouded her canine pal! The layers are phenonmenal and i love your page designs...you've really outdone yourself and wait..the book with the book..is it?...beautiful! Love the mystery of your whole theme.
ReplyDeletethank you, sweetness!! i'm hoping to work on this tomorrow (i miss playing!!), otherwise saturday and will then post mucho more to look at -- better photos of actually complete pages, i'm hoping. i just have a page that i'm not entirely sure what to do with yet 'cause i kind of temporarily ruined it. it's a naked man anatomical drawing and i'll probably cover him up. he has a small penis anyway, which disturbs me.
ReplyDeletethat really, REALLY came out wrong. sorry. i meant that it's disturbingly small because he's adult sized and his member is like a child's thumb and the disproportion is disturbing.
ReplyDeleteomg, i've dug myself into a hole on this one. whoops. sorry. i shall go crawl back into a ball on the couch now.
Your book, the inclusions, the story, and all those pages -- all so wonderful and compelling.
ReplyDeletethank you so much, seth! i'll be working on things and taking better photos this weekend when i'm feeling less under the weather so you all can better see the little details that don't show up in these current versions. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, wow if these are crappy I can't wait to see great coz these are wonderful pieces! Love the way your mind ticks Alicia!
ReplyDeleteGet better soon...sending you healthy vibes!!
thanks so much, lisa! the photos are pretty dark and fuzzy so i will work on them more and tell more of the story when i'm feeling a bit better and get some more done on my pages. i SHOULD be sleeping right now but i'm bored of it... and thinking about my messed up page i need to fix, lol.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the wonderful vibes!!
Holy Crap a Noly - you certainly haven't been sitting on your hands, have you? Sick or no sick - this stuff is just incredible, Alicia! They ALL look finished to me. I want to eat everything there, it's such a feast for the eyes! I'm afraid your book may not return to you. I might just only be able to send some crumbs back.
ReplyDeletePS. I spy with my little eye - some goodies from me! How EXCITING to see them incorporated into this fabulousa display of delectable delights! Also, could the anatomical man's tiny penis be an artifact for the museum of forgotten things? Poor bugger. You could put it in a tiny little jar to match...
ReplyDeletewell thank you, my sweet. they are mostly done, but a couple of things aren't glued/sewn on yet, like the dude in the frame on the old murderous lady page. i temporarily lost him in my five inches thick of crap on my desk. so... i will finish that, do something mroe to the charlotte page 'cause i feel it needs something, fix the ruined page (or temporarily f-ed up page), that other little spread unless i remove the fold-down flap, and finish the front and back of my foam core page. see! i'm not done. ;) i have to create a mental story for every page, even if i don't add it to the book. i never work that way -- i just do crap until i feel i'm done, but this book is different. oh, and i have to finish the cervix/birth book/page too. see! lots and lots! don't eat it though -- there are some toxic bits. i'll send something you CAN eat with it though. ;)
ReplyDeleteand yeps! i currently have some things from you in it and some stuff from lisa. i tried to put something of at least one of you on every page since we're all playing in this book... even though you're doing your own pages, but you know. it felt right. and i need to stop typing now and go wake my rambling brain.
and omg, i am laughing soooooo hard!! will think on the penis in a jar. i did see a show on some science channel or something about how they saved mummies penises in jars (they looked more like urns) and... yeah. i thought it interesting. this dude's urn would be no more a half inch. easily forgettable indeed.
Debs, those crumbs better get here... Fantastic Alicia, love how it's shaping up! The poor anatamical man sounds badly umm, challenged! Perhaps thats his forgotten thing, ROFL! Love the pics and can't wait to see it person. I can't believe you have done so much when you have been ill. When I was sick recently I just sat curled up on the couch for days and couldn't even look at my art supplies or anything else for that matter. This looks wonderful!
ReplyDeletethanks so much, kim. ;) and yes -- he is challenged indeed. i'm laughing now -- and agreeing that that MUST be why he's been forgotten, poor chap. i'm feeling great today but have HEAPS of housework to catch up on (imagine what two guys can do to a house with my wife/mum to pick up after them!). tonight though, my book! and i hope to get new photos on sunday.
ReplyDeletethanks for all of the great healing energy guys! you're the best -- and you cured me!
xx