Monday 29 July 2013

A quick folding book for Saul

Hola a todos.. :-)

" So many books, so little time " - Frank Zappa

Yes, I looooove books... En español tenemos un dicho (= we have a saying) que dice:  El saber no ocupa lugar, pero mi casa está llena de libros. (=knowledge does not take place, but my house is full of books..)..  Me encanta.. (I love this saying)...jejejeje... Its so true!!!

" Books are a uniquely portable magic"  -Stephen King

In this post I wanted to show you the folding book I have created for Saul, my toddler, to deceorate during our holidays in Spain next month.

Because...

"Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves" 
- Jeremy Collier

I thought this project would be great to get Saul involved in creating an story with paint collage and drawings..   The idea originated from this lovely blue book that his cousin from Spain gave him as a present last year. The book is all about finding 'blue' things. Here is a little video of it.



Saul absolutely loves this book. The fact that he has to open it and close it in such a way means fun for him. So, I thought it would be a great idea to make one for Saul to coloure and scribble during the hols.

I begun by taking a templete from the original book onto a large card stock, I think the size is A1, but I am not quite sure.

As you know I still cannot video-tape 'hands-free', so that is why I take the video after I have done it.


 Then, I cut it out... 



but, before I cut it off, I scored it on the right places as per the original book, and then I folded it.. Ah!, I forgot to mention that I also added the dot of Velcro for closing the book.

Excellent... It does closes well... Great!




and lastly I covered it with gesso..





For being my first time creating such a project, I am very pleased with the results. Please try it yourself and have fun making it.. Your children will love it and I also think if you decorate it yourself it will make a very good present for any child..

When I was younger I used to watch the films from Groucho Marx..., and I loved them.. Oh!.. the laughter I used to had was exhilarating..  So, when I came across this great quote from him I just had to keep it and find the right time to share it with you.. That time is right now...

" I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room to read a book " - Groucho Marx 
 
This quiot brought into my mind the fact that I have not yet introduced the TV to my son . Our set, like in most of houses, is located in the sitting room, but Saul has not yet asked to watch it, and I really hope he waits a bit longer before to be enchanted by the set.. Although I remember to watch TV when I was young, I fully believe it stops creativity and imagination, which I had always been struggling with...

Saul is only 4 years old and I think the ipad is already too much (I introduced it to him about 2 months ago and he loves it) of a technology for such a youg mind. So, I try my best to entertain and play with Saul every evening enough for him not to miss it... and.. it works... It is only when he finds himself getting bord that he asks for the ipad... 
 
"TV.  If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six.  Open your child's imagination.  Open a book"   -Author Unknow
 
 
I hope you enjoy trying out the making of this book, or maybe even better ones, and thanks for reading. I really appreciate your support..
 
L&L always..x

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Contadinak Seed Pocket inspiration

It was been a while since my last post and I realy apologise to all of you reading my blog. Just for you guys it is alwasy worht it to keep sharing my artistic work, inspiration, ideas and insgihts along the way....

Todavía sigo teniendo una vida muy intensa = I still keep having a very intensive life.

It has been great to have had my mother staying with us for the last five weeks, but at the same time very stressful. She is wonderful, but she tends to impose her way at all times, if you know what I mean.. It felt like I was back at home when I was younger.... Most of the Spanish mothers are like this; if there is any Spanish reader following this post, I am sure will understand what I am saying..jejejeje....  Nevertheless, my mother was great and enjoying very much her staying.. She was also a great moral support with my troubles and understood my feelings and with regards to my concerns about my unhappy marriage...

In the happy front, my mother enjoyed her grandchild so much she even engaged in dancing and I couldn't resist to take a little video... This will make you laugh, not doubt!
  
 


(bless her, she is going to be 86 years old next August).

Now lets talk about art..

Recently, I came accross with the following quote (me encantan las citas=I love quotes).

"The fact that I can plant a  seed and it bacomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's,  smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises". - Leo Buscaglia
 
Not only I found it very inspirational indeed, but also it gave me the urge to decorate what they call a 'seed pocket', which not only is for collecting seeds, but also it can be used for keeping fotographs, notes or anything you could think of.. I thought this urge came at the right moment, specially after having watched recently a video in YouTube by ContadinaK, which most of you will probably recognize a bit of her style in my design...  Contadinak is a great artist and find her videos very entertained and delightfull to watch as they have such a good quality... Check her out (I do not have her link in this moment) in YouTube..

It was the birthday of one of my colleagues called NANCY, so I took the opportunity to create one seed pocket for her and here is the result. (Sorry I could not take pictures from the beginning to the end as it was at night time when I did it and I did not have my iphone by hand... Yes, I must get a proper camara to create proper videos... Does anyone know which camara would be the most adequately and cost effective ?.... Please drop me a line, I would apreciate it very much..)

This is the front:




and this is the back...




My coleague really loved it, but I wasn't completely happy as I created it too quickly and I would have liked to work a bit more it, specially in the back of the pocket...

I enjoyed very much the exercise and I should be making more of them..

And talking about 'Seeds', I could not leave you without this wonderful quote to close this post with some more wisdom.... :-)

" Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another " - Napoleon Hill


Are you still painting?... I hope you are... :-)

Thank you for reading...xxx