I realized as of late I need to add a few new categories to my blog. I added natural dyeing a few weeks ago and macro photography after christmas. I now added paper art and craft with my little snips, pencil marks and dips into watercolor. It is really liberating to try new things. This little ( literally) endeavor was inspired by a gift in the mail from my oldest and dearest blog friend, elsita. I was only expecting a little something we talked about as part of a new collaboration (more on that at a later date) but I literally fell off my stool when I saw that she had included in the envelope an example of her fantastic artistic journey into the art and craft of miniature book making. She and I chatted long ago about her love of tiny books and I knew at some point she would be starting a blog about them but I had no idea she would be making them herself. Nor that they would be fantastic miniature works of art. The book she gifted to me is "the little red book of happy things". Elsa knows i love the color red. In fact I am wearing my winter signature piece, red corduroy pants today. And as the back of the book says, "red is good".
So i was inspired to try to make a miniature book of my own. I have since made three. The first one is a secret gift to a friend and is in the mail. The second one is being hand delivered tomorrow and is the one pictured below and the third one will be in the mail tomorrow, again a tiny token of friendship. I only used materials I had on hand so the paper might not be the best for this sort of thing. The title of this book is cute as a button and it was also inspired by this little treasure.
Oh and something else cute as a button in the next photograph.
i melt
xo
lovely. i've been admiring elsita's tiny books for a while now- she is clever!
Posted by: melissa | February 21, 2011 at 11:37 PM
p.s. i love your button book- such a sweet idea!
Posted by: melissa | February 21, 2011 at 11:42 PM
Wow, they both look fantastic! Very neat.
Posted by: Marie | February 22, 2011 at 12:28 AM
there is something magical about tiny books...my youngest when he saw your cat with the book was convinced the kitty had made ...it.is.as always inspiring...thanx Margie
Posted by: jenni | February 22, 2011 at 01:52 AM
Ooooh Margie, how cute your tiny book is ! I melt too. Totally. And my woody little friends here as well !!! Did Fern help you ? You're gifted in all you undertake, Margie, and always add your personal touch. This new Paper category is so exciting and promising !!!
Posted by: Nanou | February 22, 2011 at 02:31 AM
What a cute and beautiful tiny book. Your kitties are so pretty.
Posted by: mrspao | February 22, 2011 at 03:28 AM
Wow! Thank you for sharing such a brilliant artist. I love how you dabble in anything that interests you. The new excites me too.
Posted by: Poorvi Das | February 22, 2011 at 03:31 AM
oh my what a gorgeous tiny book Elsita sent you !!! And red (I'm falling from my own chair !) And what a gorgeous tiny book you've made for your friend too :) Very lucky girls all around ! oxoxo
Posted by: Sonia / Cozy Memories | February 22, 2011 at 03:54 AM
Your button book is so adorable. i love it and your tiny paintings. Thanks for introducing me to Elsita's work.
Posted by: Jill Wignall | February 22, 2011 at 04:51 AM
You and your work never stop amazing me. The button book is just sweet. I hope you are going to share the other two books once they have been received. Elsita's book is simply beautiful.
Posted by: tara | February 22, 2011 at 07:09 AM
I was also just reminded of making books as a child and of how my two boys like to make their own books. Now I'm thinking of the link between the art we do as children and the art we do as adults. Hmm.
Posted by: tara | February 22, 2011 at 07:13 AM
red is best! i agree. at first glance i thought your book covers were the ends of spools, but then i read your cute as a button text. brilliant! tiny treasures.
Posted by: annri | February 22, 2011 at 08:38 AM
Little is lovely.
HUGS
Char.x
Posted by: Char | February 22, 2011 at 09:57 AM
loving it!
Posted by: jan | February 22, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Margie...safe trip and have fun with G!
Char.x
(we know you'll be loving the Sun...this Ontario FREEZER weather today just ain't fun!)
Posted by: Char | February 22, 2011 at 11:24 AM
I've always loved tiny things, since I was a little girl. These tiny books are so charming.
Posted by: nicole | February 22, 2011 at 12:02 PM
I see on Geninne's blog that you are headed her way tomorrow. I hope you have a lovely trip. I cannot wait to see all the incredibly creative things you two come up with.
Posted by: nicole | February 22, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Categories versus Tags: http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/09/09/categories-versus-tags-whats-the-difference-and-which-one/
That's Wordpress specific. Not sure if it's the same for Typepad.
Basically, categories are like a table of contents and tags are like an index. It helped clarify the concept for me.
This craft would be fun to do with matching bivalve sea shells.
Posted by: Jason R | February 22, 2011 at 01:43 PM
That's beautiful, both your friend's and your's.. I was looking at the paper cutting work of Rob Ryan the other day, and somehow found her blog too; it felt a bit like dipping into proper magic..
Posted by: Jannette | February 22, 2011 at 01:45 PM
elsita is so clever with her papercutting, brings to mind a lot of the hanging paper pieces i've seen in denmark. however, you are pretty clever too! i just can't imagine something you wouldn't be good at, and your little button books are exactly that, cute as a button.
Posted by: k | February 22, 2011 at 09:22 PM
Such fun and wonderful tiny books. It's a blast trying new things. I've just signed up for my first crochet class.
Posted by: Laurie | February 22, 2011 at 09:33 PM
Looks like a cat that knows a good thing when she sees it! Curling up with a good book, to-scale :)
Posted by: Emily Z. | February 22, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Fun! It's so good to have friends, no matter where they live.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 23, 2011 at 12:33 AM
I browsed through Elsita's small books the other day. They were so beautiful and well made. I love your button book. What is it about shrinking the world into these manageable little bits that is so attractive?
Posted by: Lovely World | February 23, 2011 at 10:08 AM
Thank you for Elsita's link, her paintings are beautiful, a lot of fine details on the faces of the girls, their hair looked so real. I love the concept of the button book, how something so tiny and simple is so precious.
Posted by: Novi | February 23, 2011 at 01:24 PM
This is such a nice art and creativity.you share such a innovative creation with us.It is great to see this.I love this types of crafting.
Posted by: baby gifts | February 23, 2011 at 10:49 PM
What a wonderful liliputian world you have created. It's so nice in this world of big gestures to see the power of a small act of goodness!
Posted by: arete design | February 27, 2011 at 07:44 PM
The little book is a great idea and also the buttons. Nice photo of the cat. lol
Posted by: davek | September 01, 2011 at 09:31 PM