A new pretty done in record time (for me): just a little over a month from concept, research, design, and sewing. This, while dealing with a health issue in my family and a new job. Just put the last beads on the tassels and edges today!
This book measures 5″x5″x2″, with eight double-sided fabric pages of pieced and appliqued fabric, digitally printed and gel-transferred text, and lots of glass beads. The jointed covers are carved and painted leather, cocobolo wood, waxed polyester cord, variegated copper leaf, and acrylic ink and varnish.
Ten 9″ tassels accent the modified Coptic-style binding, offering more chances to knot in glass beads in shades of teal, turquoise, olive, brown, bronze, and copper.
Page edges (top, fore-edge, and bottom) are accented by more glass seed-bead dangles. I used the same wrapped-and-frayed page binding I used in ‘Truth Remains’, and it may be my new go-to choice for fabric pages. The technique looks cleaner than simply stacking layers of zig-zag stitching over the raw edges, and it’s less bulky than a folded seam binding.
Inside front and back covers showcase gel-transferred text and vintage Arizona maps. Page texts are gel-transferred onto white linen and appliqued in place, along with miniature original Arizona landscapes and copies of vintage postage stamps.
Crafted in shades of bronze, malachite-green, turquoise, and splashes of other colors, ‘Copper Star’ is intended for entry into a juried show down in Tucson. If it doesn’t make the cut, I’m not worried. It will find a home. At the moment I’m perfectly happy with it glimmering on a bookshelf at home.
It’s inspired by the idea of copper influencing not just Arizona history and culture, but humankind in general. There’s a fun synchronicity to this piece, as the same idea underpins a M/M fantasy romance novella I’m writing. ‘Red Amber’ is set in a Neolithic culture, and follows two characters on the verge of stumbling across copper smelting.
This book is also a private act of rebellion for me. While I’m getting sales and praise for my politically-influenced books, I don’t want to ignore the purely lovely pieces that feed *my* soul. Especially right now, with a lot of personal and national stress. The copper theme was a handy excuse to make something beautiful.