Earmarks: Oh! The joy of something new!

Who doesn't love new things? For me, a love of new things is especially noticable when there's a new way of making things. I recently checked out a few (20 or so) books on bookbinding from the library. This would be a good time to interject and say how wonderful the Kitsap Regional Libraries are. They really go out of their way to get me the books that I want, and the staff are great! Anyways, one of the books Book + Art is a fascinating collection of different ways to make artist's books. Unlike many of the other books that I checked out, the focus was on content, rather than the construction of the book. One of the methods she described is a gelatin print, which is a low-cost method of creating prints. So, of course, I had to try it out. As a result of my eagerness, I was up until 10 last night, searching for materials. I found some unflavored gelatin in the kitchen, a small ramekin, and my acrylic paints. The gelatin didn't set up fast enough though, so I had to wait until morning. Early this morning, I went out and collected bean leaves, dandelion leaves, and some sort of grass. And here are the results! It took a little finagling to get decent prints, and I definitely think this would look better in large format. That, and I need practice.

The second part of something new is that there's some new items in the shop! I came across some interesting postcards recently, and turned them into simple notebooks. They're great fun, and just the right size to throw in a purse or bag or backpack. If you've got a laptop, try turning it upside down to see both the faces!