Game On: Book-in-a-Day Wk12

Title: Game On
Structure: Accordion with Domino Covers

Dimensions: 1 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ x 2 ¹⁵⁄₁₆  Opened: 6 ⁷⁄₁₆ long

Watch the video of me sharing the book.

Here we are at week 12 of Book-in-a-Day (BIAD) 2013 and I'm still enjoying (actually LOVING) this process. I haven't had one regret about challenging myself in this way. In fact, each week I'm reminded of how much I love making books and allowing my creative soul to be expressed in this way. 

This week's book -- Game On -- is right at the top of my list of favorites out of the 12 books I've completed. Urbanite is still in the number one spot, with Game On trailing right behind it in the number two spot. 

It's takes the number two spot because it was ridiculously easy to make and so much fun. I used recycled papers from other projects for the 1 inch sheets that were glued to the card stock (a left over from book 9 - G.R.I.T.S.) and my new favorite mini-book cover -- dominoes. 

I took a class from Terri Heinz at Creative Workshops Online back in December of 2012 (in the video I say a year ago -- but I was wrong, I was thinking of a class I took with Pam Carriker on the same site) and after a conversation with my mother about learning to play dominoes as a kid, I knew I wanted to make an altered domino book this week. 

My favorite part was creating the covers. I really liked playing with the Ranger Alcohol Inks. I wasn't sure the stamping would work, but it did and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I did notice after a day of handling the book that some of the ink seemed to be fading or rubbing off, so I sealed it with an acrylic coating. I wasn't very careful with the front of the book and some of the ink started to run (basically, I held the spray can too close). The back cover was fine because I figured out that I needed to pull the can away a bit. 

One of the things that I really love about this book is that there is amazing beauty in the simplicity of the 8 panels while also having so much potential for content. After making this one book, I feel like I could make 14 books (that's one set of dominoes). 

I'm looking forward to what next week brings, I'm thinking I'll get an earlier start this week and make a book that is drastically different from anything we traditionally think of as a book!!! Stay tuned. If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the flickr group or on the Giving Hands Creative Community site.

See you next week!!

20 Ways of Talking to Your Poem: Book-in-A-Day Wk 10

Title: 20 Ways of Talking to Your Poem

Structure: Fan Book

Dimensions: 3 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ¹⁄₈  Thickness: 1 ³⁄₁₆ 

Video of my process. 

BOOK 10 is done! It feels great to have 10 books completed. I'm enjoying this process and learning so much about myself as an artist and poet. 

This week, I took my inspiration from the workbook I've been compiling since last year. It includes daily writing exercises for poets who want to have a daily/weekly/monthly writing practice. It also includes strategies for revising poems. Originally, I had planned to release the book in February of this year. The cards would be the supplement to the book. They would be something the poet can carry around with them as they think about and ruminate on their poems. 

It was interesting to make these cards and see them come to life. The most revealing part of the process was when I condensed the information to make it fit the cards. I realized that the workbook is really close to being done and that I'm just procrastinating with moving it forward. Oh!! Procrastination!

Ten is a milestone worth celebrating and this was just the book to do it. It will be the prototype for the actual card deck that I hope to have ready before summer. 

The book (cards) act as a tool for revision. Each strategy is in a set of three (name of the strategy, quick reference for the strategy, and a revision refresher -- a detailed description of the strategy). There are 20 of them (as the title suggests). It's geared towards poets, but could easily be used by prose writers, too. 

I'm proud of this week's book because, not only is it the 10th book in the series, it's the tangible manifestation of an idea I've been carrying around for a while. And, YES, I will be making an edition of this. I'll also likely give some to folks who take my first online poetry course -- Conquering the Blank Page Using Poetry, which starts April 1st. 

This was a fairly simply book to make. I upcyled the backs from scraps of old projects so that I could create visual prompts for writing. That way, the book becomes both a tool for revision and a way to generate ideas. 

I mention this on the video, but it's worth saying again -- the screw post is much bigger than it needs to be. Either I'm being led to make it more than 20 (which I could totally do), or I just need a smaller screw post :-). Either way, it's the one thing I would change about the book. 

Finally, I wasn't up until 2 or 3 in the morning making this book. I finished before 11PM and that felt great. Maybe I'm getting it down to a science???

To see a list of materials and more photos, visit givinghands.ning.com.

I'm looking forward to what next week brings. If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the Giving Hands Creative Community site.

See you next week for book 11!!