One the best parts of sending packages to friends is that I get to play with new ideas.  I like to approach things systematically.  Once I am happy with a design, I plan out most of the steps with room for needed modification before I start working.  This year I got to make a few things for a couple of friends, and I was excited about that.  I used design elements from my travels which made them extra fun.

My friend Dixie and I send each other little surprise packages every now and then.   In the last package, I included a tiny little 1″ x 3″  book for this artist friend of mine.   

Before I made the book for her, I made a book of the same dimensions for myself first.  Because of their size, these little books can be a little fiddly to make, and I didn’t want any surprises while making hers.   It looks like a lot of tools for a 1″ x 3″ book cover, but I really did use all of them.  No matter the size of the book, sometimes I end up using the same set of tools.

I thought of walks in the woods, amongst moss-covered trees and rocks, Celts and druids when making this book.  Hence the colors.  The washi tape on the cover could not be a better match. 

Once I was happy with mine, I made this blue book for her.   She loves flowers and the color blue.   So I made hers with blue cloth and added a little yellow flower on the cover.  

This is the  wonderful package filled with cards, bookmarks, stickers and art supplies Dixie sent me.  She sends me small surprise packages every now and then.  She also somehow knows exactly what I need.  I needed a new kneaded eraser, and (not) surprisingly I found one inside the box. 

She is quite the artist.  The card is made from one of her paintings and the bookmark is made by her too.  Do visit her website at Arranged Words for very peaceful reads and beautiful works of art.

Both of us share a love for Sennelier watercolor paints.  She included a tube of Quinacridone Gold.  I am very used to the color itself, but from a different brand.  However, watercolor varies a lot depending on the brand, so I was eager to see how this one would behave.

I always start with drawing in my sketchbook, then copying the drawing over to watercolor paper for painting.   This way the watercolor paper gets a clean copy of the drawing and the paper is not damaged from continuous eraser usage. 

I love to visit old ruins when we travel.   I decided to paint a small sandstone ornament.

Quinacridone gold is an orange to yellow hue shifting color.   Creating a monochromatic painting is a great way to learn about a color / pigment.   I learn about how the pigment moves with water and the dark/light values this way.   I loved the way Sennelier’s Quin. gold behaves and how gentle it looks.  I can’t wait to use it for a larger painting next.

This year, I did an exchange with another friend of mine.  I will share the amazing package I got from her another day.   She hand-stitches a lot, so I made a sewing needle book for her.   I designed the book, then worked from my plan one step at a time – first on mine, and then on hers.

I had medieval style notebooks in mind when I designed them, so I made them using book binding methods.  I bonded two pieces of faux leather together for the cover to get that look.  I could also show off those colorful linen threads with the stitches I chose.

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

I added tons of pockets for supplies and included notes pages for projects.   I thought of heather at the English and Scottish countryside when choosing colors for the woolen felt I used for the inside and for the threads.   I added a print of a little drawing I did of a bridge in Mull, Scotland quite a few years ago.

I don’t embroider anymore, but I do knit.  So I will use mine for keeping small knitting supplies like stitch holders, markers etc.

Concertina books are very fun books to make by accordion folding paper.  I needed to join two sets of folded paper to extend the length of the book.  I tried out a few options using plain copy paper before using my good paper for the final book. 

At the end, I used a strip of strong Japanese paper to join two pieces of folded watercolor paper together.   The join is hardly visible, and it also makes both sides of the book usable.

You can of course leave the folded paper books as is or add covers.  I decided to make cloth hardcovers.  For the front cover, I made this drawing of the Glenfinnan viaduct in Scotland.   The inset on the cover keeps the artwork protected from rubbing / shelf damage.

Here is my copy of the finished book.  I used heavy watercolor paper, so I can use both sides of the paper.  I am thinking of using it for ink paintings.  If you any have ideas other than painting, I would love to hear them.

Sometimes it is a long path from design to finish, and I enjoy every bit of it while playing with glue, paper and scissors.  I hope this inspires you to try something new too.

Until next time,
-Soma

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