Sketchbook Project plans and starts

I have regretted not having samples or a copy of whatever i have done in a project like this. I’ve exchanged pages with people, or ATC’s and postcards, and love the “returns” i’m sent, have photos or photocopies, but it’s not the same: after all, if i kept them, it wouldn’t be an exchange or travelling project! This time though, i am making two copies, so i can enjoy it after it’s done too! They won’t be identical, but the second will feed from the first–and i’m not sure which pages will be the “edition” that goes off to the organizers for the “tour”. Not all of the pages will be textiles either–i’d like to incorporate some collage, painting, sketching and poetry too.

My theme is “figuring you out”– again, i am using this as a play on words, and incorporating the “you’s”, figures, me and body parts, emotions, ideas, whatever to illustrate this. The only thing i’m not sure of is how many pages the Moleskine is. The size is 5 and 1/2 by 8 inches, but my “copy” will be 7×10—-oh, i guess that’s how i know who gets what–can’t change the dimensions of the basic book except for thickness, so the larger ones will be mine

Here’s the first page. (When i say “the first page” it also means the first i’ve started/done–who knows what order they will go in eventually…) I’m planning on stitching ones like these into the journal, while others will be worked right in it (when i get it–email says it was shipped yesterday). I’m impatient to start, so away i go riding off in all directions again.

Sketchbook Project start

I will be adding hand embroidery to both of these; so far they are the skeletons of the page! I’ll be taking several of these with me to BC when i visit B and W for the wedding: small and portably enjoyable to work on!

The “second” page, my copy:

Sketchbook Project/my copy start

Both are monoprinted hearts, the first on its own backing, the second cut out and applied to one of my own hand dyed/painted/stencilled/stamped fabrics.

The backs of both:

I may leave the raw ends, knots, floats and all, on the back as i’ve wanted to leave a piece like this deliberately—the hand stitches on the front leave such a ghosty effect of form and colour on the reverse. I did do this once, when i was running the Fabric ArtJournals exchange in 2006/7, but the back was kept neat that time:

Sketchbook Project info here–still time to sign up!