Thursday 1 August 2013

Gorillas in the Mist

L
Hola a todos mis lectores, gracias por vuestra amabilidad (=thank you to all my readers, thanks for your kindnes)
My dear friend and colleague Janet (she is the nurse in the organization where I work) is going to Rwanda to visit the mountain gorillas next month.  The love for the gorillas is something we both share. 
Janet has been going to Africa (Uganda) a few times (her second home as she call it!!) visiting the local school and helping in the supply of all the first aid kit, while working as a volunteer nurse. 
Coming back to the love for the gorillas, a long time ago I made this hand painted book mark for Janet and she loved it. It was a watercolor little painting, I did not finished it as a proper tag, I just plastified it at the time, but I will probably be making another tags with this image in the near future.
 
 

This time wanted to make a little ‘accordion book’ for Janet to take with her and use it exclusively for her brief, but amazing, visit to the mountains gorillas in Rwanda.
A long time ago I watched the famous and true history film (1988) called ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ starring Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey.  It tells the true-life story of Dian’s work in Rwanda with Mountain Gorillas. Her history deeply touched my heart… There are so many women making a difference in this world… Dian was certainly one of them …

 
With this though in mind, I proceed to create the mini book..
 
I am sure you have already seen many videos on how to make this mini book form a single 12”x12” page, if not, send me an email, (I was told that the 'comments' box don't work at all and I don't know how to fix it), and I will try to make a little vide showing how I did it. ..
 
First an image of the so called 'accordeon' book already folded...
 
 
Some videos of the original colour scheme, which as you will see it changed its look completely by the time it was finished...jejeje...
 
Working at the kitchen table at home, as it was very hot in the atic.. London is very, very hot at the moment... :-) ... Don't we love the heat.... (no complaints!)..
 
 
 
 
 
 As you can see, I changed my mind as I felt it needed to be green, I wanted the feel the jungle while I was creating it... So I decide to do another one with more feeling on it...
 





Here is the front of the mini book:

 
 
There are three further pictures I am trying to upload, but the system does not allow me to, and this little video does not show the inside with the extra pockets and tabs.. So sorry, I will show it to you in another post. Today, I gave it to my colleague and she absolutely loved it.. I was very pleased as this was my first try on these mini books and I put a lot of work and emotion into it.. 
 
 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed making it and sending my love to Dian and the gorillas on the way...
I couldn’t finish this post without sharing with you one of her famous quote:
 

When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future – Dian Fossey

Thank you all for taking the time in reading this post.
Love and light always..xx
(P.S. I will be in Spain from tomorrow until the firs week of September.)