Introducing my new 'Art-ccordion Books'

Finally I have one of my new books ready to show to you.

I have been dreaming, planning and collecting images for these for so long and now here we are.

I intend each book to have a theme and will be made up of all kinds of images linked to this.
I have lots of ideas for more of these and I really enjoy playing around with them.

It is intended that the books will be displayed open on a shelf or mantle. They are designed to be free standing. When closed they are fastened with ribbon.

So...

Starlet

the cover of this book has a glossy resin finish

which shines beautifully

Untie the ribbon and open the book to reveal,

(view of the inside of the whole book)

(view of the back of the book)

(a note explaining the 'ingredients')
I intend to produce a whole series of 'Art-ccordion' books. But I would really appreciate your feedback. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think:)

New ideas in my little cottage industry...

This is definitely a day to be spent inside! The pic below was taken yesterday. Today its cold and very icy so we didn't want to venture out too far.
I have been itching to have a bit of time to work on my new painting blocks. So this afternoon I managed to get a few ready for painting tonight. I'm so pleased with them, I cut all of the wood on Sunday and today I rounded the corners,sanded them 'til they are pebble smooth and prepared the paint surface with linen paper.

How was this achieved with a nearly 2 and a 3 year old? Well, I set up a table with lots of covers and set them loose on a tray of cornflower gloop:)

Tis not for the faint hearted or anyone too precious about mess but it really kept them busy, and for much longer than I hoped for! After it did require a bubble bath and it did take a while to clean up (God bless Cbeebies - regardless of all those reports on the tellybox that the tellybox will turn babies brains to mush).
It was great listening to them chatting to each other as they splattered around.
A very productive day.

one of my favourites....

I have just finished reading this book - again. I'm not sure how many times I've read it now but every time I pick up on different elements in there. It is a truly delicious read! Since becoming a mum I find I get precious little time to curl up with a book - something I crave as I love to read - but I stole time for this book. I read it while I rocked my son to sleep at all hours of the night, I even set off early to pick my daughter up from nursery so I could take my book and cram in a few minutes:)

It's written by the author of 'Chocolat', it's not so much a sequel as a return to the lives of the main characters. This is a much darker book than Chocolat, with more 'peril' and darker magic.

If you haven't tried these titles I highly recommend them. If you have only seen the film 'Chocolat'- it really goes against the grain to knock Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche - but it pales in comparison to the book.

(Apparently in the US it has been published as 'The Girl With No Shadow'. I do think 'The Lollipop Shoes' is much more tantalising:)

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

One and all!!!

This is the view we woke up to yesterday. The windmill on the hill is known in our house as the fan. When we moved here my daughter who was 18 months thought it was wonderful and insisted on calling it a fan:)

I would have posted this yesterday but with my son getting a toilet seat stuck on his head (yes, really) and one thing and another the day got away from me a bit.

Anyway, heres wishing you and yours all the best for 2009!

I'm off to read up on the new skills I'm learning about, I'll tell you about that later.

Have a good day!