Handmade Philly Book Exchange

The books in their new home- Square Peg Artery!

2011-02-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

The books have moved on to their next display location- Square Peg Artery in Philadelphia. There will be a First Friday opening event on Friday March 4, starting at 6pm.

The books are all set up on a couple of tables, so viewers will be able to flip through them.

Square Peg Artery is at 108 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA. The books will be on display there through March 26.

Show Set Up at Hello Blue Bird

2011-01-29T17:19:00.001-08:00

MaryJo Rosania & Jan Cohen set up the first Books On the Move Exhibit at
Hello Bluebird in West Reading, PA!

Books on the Move!

2011-01-07T06:35:00.001-08:00

Book Exchange Exhibitions - Call for Volunteers!

2010-12-30T06:01:00.000-08:00

All of the participants should have received this announcement in an email. We hope to see everyone at these events!!

SHOW #1: HELLO BLUEBIRD

Contact: Alexandra McCarty

LOCATION: 609 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA 19607

Phone: 610.750.6642 (shop office phone)

WEBSITE: http://hellobluebird.net/

INSTALLATION: January 30th, 2011 - 11 AM

OPENING: Feb 4th, 2011 6-9 PM

CLOSING RECEPTION/MEET AND GREET POTLUCK: (this event is for handmade philly members and friends of Hello Bluebird to meet and get to know eachother....it should be a great networking event!!) -- Sunday Feb 20th, 2011 - Uninstall that day (Jen M. or MaryJo will take all of the books home to bring to Square Peg on 2/26)

SHOW #2: SQUARE PEG Artery & Salvage

Contact: Jen Harrison

LOCATION: 108 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 215 360 5548

WEBSITE: http://www.squarepegartery.com/

INSTALLATION: Saturday, February 26, 2011 @ 9 AM

OPENING: Friday, March 4, 2011 @ 6 PM

UNINSTALL: Saturday, March 26, 2011 @ TIME TBD (the books then will need to get to Nicole Bruno for the Havertown Library show)

SHOW #3: HAVERTOWN LIBRARY

Contact: Nicole Bruno

LOCATION: 1601 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083

WEBSITE: http://www.haverfordlibrary.org/

PHONE: 610-446-3082

INSTALLATION: Before April 10th (April 10-16 is National Library Week!)

UNINSTALL: TBD - books to be returned to participants after this event.

What you need to do:

1. Send your book to MaryJo Rosania by January 8th!!

(address in original email)

2. Email MaryJo An artist statement about yourself, your work, email, website and some thoughts on the Book Exchange ALSO by JAN 8TH

This will be included with your book in each show!!

3. Please include $5 OR a PRE-PAID SHIPPING LABEL with your book for the final mailback. We will re-use your packaging, so make it re-usable, thanks!! :)

4. Volunteer to get involved!!!!

We need volunteers to help:

- Install at Hello Bluebird 1/29/11

- bring food to the opening at Hello Bluebird 2/4/11

- bring food to the CLOSING POTLUCK & MEET AND GREET at Hello Bluebird 2/20/11

- Install at Square Peg 2/26/11

- bring food to Square Peg's opening 3/4/11

- Uninstall at SquarePeg 3/26/11

- Install at Havertown Library (date TBD)

- Uninstall at Havertown (date TBD)

PLEASE contact Joan Philips if you are able to bring FOOD to any opening/closing event

PLEASE contact MaryJo Rosania if you are able to help with INSTALLATION at any venue.

5. Attend the events!! It will be great to meet eachother, etc! :) Especially the CLOSING POTLUCK & MEET AND GREET at Hello Bluebird 2/20/11 (as well as the other openings!!)

Jen's Book - going home

2010-11-02T16:17:00.001-07:00

A couple of pages I added and one that was there when it came to me.........sending it home to Jen. Yippee!! We all get our books back this month!

Beautiful book with clouds on the cover

2010-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Taking tea on a mysterious Sunday, October 31st...

Additions to "Things to to before you're 30"

2010-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

This was a tough one for me -- lots of pages, words, etc. to contend with...and actually I am not even sure who this book originated with!! Here's some images -

An addition to Celia's book

2010-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

The right page was there in pen and ink when I received the book so I added my version in buttons, string and beads.

This is a random collage with fabric, zipper, and buttons. Open the zipper to see what's underneath

Further Adventures of Dudley

2010-09-03T06:57:00.001-07:00

Dudley!

2010-08-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here's my page in the book I just worked on. It was started by Lauren (Gigglepotomus) and is an ongoing story where each person adds what happens next. I can't wait to see what's next in the adventures of Dudley. I'm afraid I left him in a rather bad spot.

The hidden folds of this design allowed for different moods on each page!

2010-07-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Purse book!

2010-07-26T15:11:00.001-07:00

Victoria was asking about pics for her book so I took the liberty of photographing everyone's page, just so you can see the progress so far.

Vacation Time!

2010-07-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Posting a bit early but heading out for two weeks on Saturday and wanted to send this along. Guess I was thinking about my vacation when I put this together. A little black book from Joan Phillips with fold out pages and plenty of room for creativity. Enjoy! -- Jan

fee fi fo fum

2010-07-08T19:43:00.001-07:00

hey, where is my book for july?

Daydream Believer

2010-07-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Lauren's (Gigglepotamus) book has Dudley dreaming (bottom picture) and each of us adding a page to his story. I can't paint or draw to save my life so my scraps and buttons continue the work. This is probably my silliest contribution so far (top picture).......but great fun!!

Eskimo Book

2010-07-02T09:20:00.001-07:00

The book started by MaryJo is really beautiful, haunting and unique. It's huge so I didn't really make a tremendous impact...a few pages here and there, but I really enjoyed reading the text - quite a few passages will stay with me for the long run. Very poetic and spiritual. Thanks MaryJo!

Bringing a little something to each page...

2010-07-01T11:51:00.001-07:00

Adding some "art-a-day" to Traci's book was addictive! It motivated me to flirt with a different medium for a little while. I got out my well-worn Keats book of poems and felt that his Grasshopper and Cricket ode went well with the nature allusions.

bye bye bookie

2010-07-01T07:34:00.001-07:00

This little book is about the size of a passport and arrived full of scribbles, squiggles and squippies (squippies are my just invented word for tiny stickers).

Not much room at the book inn here, but managed to find an empty spot.......a page with a cream squippy on it. That would be the one on the right.......and there I added some colored penciling.

And off it goes today July 1, 2010 to the next recipient. Happy summer to all!

A Fertile Moon

2010-06-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for this month. I think it's pretty appropriate for where I am in life right now....

Rebekah's book

2010-06-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's my addition to the book Rebekah made!

Book #3

2010-06-06T12:57:00.001-07:00

The third book I received was really, really cool...(I got so excited to send the second book that I forgot to photograph it!!) For this book, I don't want to spoil the surprise for the next person - So I only have pics of what I did to the "book" - It is so much fun to see what is in the envelope at the beginning of the month! That seems to be one of my favorite parts of this exchange so far.

Book's in the Mail

2010-06-05T19:23:00.001-07:00

Hey, where's my new book? I admit mine didn't go out until yesterday.........one would think that having the whole month would assure that it would get mailed on time. Kind of like living across the street from your job but being late everyday......

I look forward to receiving the next book, and wondering what is happening with the purse one I sent out in the beginning. Any pictures of that one?

Away it goes!

2010-06-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here's Traci's Book, via Jan Cohen.

It was a lot of fun working with Traci's varities of paper and Jan's fabric scraps! Here are some of my favorite pages.

Movin' Beck's Book

2010-05-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

I guess I just like to play with my scraps and buttons but figured it was appropriate for Becksbuttons Book. ..... say that 3x fast........here it is before it gets movin' on......-- Jan

Off Goes the Book

2010-05-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

A beautifully bound accordion book arrived in my studio at the beginning of May. This is what happened while it was here on two pages, one fold.

Right about that time I was subbing for an art teacher at an elementary school. The teacher said do whatever I wanted with the kids, so gave them a lesson on cubism via self portraits....so that was the inspiration.

The paper inside the book is so soft and thick, almost like fabric, and the colored pencils felt really creamy while drawing.

What's Up Philly Book Exchangers?

2010-05-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hey! Let's see some action on this blog...We have 16 books out there and not many pictures or comments.....

Going out for June 1st!

2010-05-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Jan's book invites one to think about tactile contrasts! So many patterns and textures to explore...

MaryJo's book update!

2010-05-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm passing along MaryJo's book to Ruth - but here are some photos before it continues its journey!!

I mixed it up on this one, a little paint, a little fabric. I LOVE the book and had to stop myself from doodling on all the pages :) Good choice MaryJo!

May: Burlap + Embroidery + Beads

2010-05-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is a really lovely little book made of burlap...I've been adding to it w/ embroidery and beads...not exactly sure how it'll turn out because I'm just kind of winging it, but we'll see...

Sorry the pics aren't great, I've been working on this project on the train...and took the pics with my cell phone.

book's in the mail

2010-05-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

here's the page i added to the book that came to me for april.... should be to Melissa soon!

Book 1 on its way......

2010-05-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well if you remember what Traci Nelson said about her book. "........Journal filled with 60 pages in hopes that each artist will share words and/or art on two pages each day of the month so not only a book exchange also an art-a-day challenge no matter how big or small the creation and reflect the artist and mindset of the day."

I tried to take that literally and here are a few pics of what I added. I work with fabrics for my art and also with buttons and interfacing and thread. So my contribution has bits and pieces of most of the handbags I created in April and some earlier. I have boxes of scraps so everything came directly from my workroom. Some other pages just reflect in words what my day was like...... the map and earth page are part of the original book .........

And I definitely found it a challenge altho I probably doubled the weight of this thing but I look forward to seeing other contributions -- Jan

Birds

2010-05-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

I received Celia's handmade book, and I nearly forgot to snap some pictures before I sent it off today.

And one a little more pleasant...

-julie

Book #2

2010-05-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Adding to the index card art is addictive! So many options. This book is so welcoming. When it first arrived, it opened up its playful world to me.

Book #2

2010-04-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

I received Jan Cohen's book to work on for the first round. I loved the fabric samples and chose a sequence of pretty green pages to work on. I liked being able to do a little sewing/beading- a nice change from a paper book! Here's my pages:

Book #2: Swim Naked, Defy Gravity...

2010-04-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

I received Nicole Bruno's book and have been having a lot of fun working on it...

Inspiration!

2010-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to whoever brought the plastic bead organizer to the swap at Maryjo's! I was reorganizing all my beads with it tonight and came up with the perfect thing for Colleen's book. The burlap was perfect for beading and I absolutely love the way it turned out.

Book #1...a few more pictures

2010-04-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

What's in Your Purse?

2010-04-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

What's in Your Purse?

I got this purse at a thrift shop because I wanted to use it as some kind of book cover for the project. Then it got left in my friend's car! I finally got a hold of it yesterday, and took it into my studio to figure out what to do with it. There was a bit of pressure, because I knew it had to be mailed the same day. It was fantastic to work on something new and creative. It all came together pretty quickly, one idea led to another and Ta Da!

This is a fun book attached inside a sequined/embroidered purse......Open the clasp and pull on the tab to bring the eight panels into full view. The pink tag has the directions on it. The round white tag attached to the purse says "Philly Handmade Book Exchange - What's in Your Purse"

Each artist will untie a panel, take the folded fabric page out, and then use the included fabric pens to write and illustrate their fabric page on the them of What's in Your Purse? Once completed, fold your fabric piece back up, slide it into the panel, and tie it back in.

Then put the fabric pens back into the purse, and tuck all the panels back in, leaving the pull tab to extend beyond as in the photo, close the purse, put it back into the mailing envelope. And off to the next person she goes.

I went first and listed the contents of my purse and a drawing of a tree, grass and flowers.......

It was placed into a bubble pack envelope and mailed on April 1st to Melissa Frueh. The mailing envelope can be used over and over again, by simply glueing a new address label on.

Looking forward to receiving my first book!

The Little Book of Art

2010-04-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

Brought to you by Sqrl & Bee Studio.....

Oh man, I'm so excited about this. I'm so glad I signed up. Can't wait to get a book in the mail. I don't know about you guys but I sure love me some good mail. Anyway here's my contribution. You can see more and read more about it here. Jen, great idea and thanks!

ready for the journey...

2010-03-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

As the journey begins, I wanted to create a journal that could be built upon and reflect all the different artists that will creating a part of them inside the journal as well as adding to the cover.

Inside is filled with colorwashed paper of various weights such as canvas paper, Stonehenge, Bristol, Arches and sketch with some maps thrown in to add a little fun.

Journal filled with 60 pages in hopes that each artist will share words and/or art on two pages each day of the month, so not only a book exchange also an art-a-day challenge no matter how big or small the creation and reflect the artist and mindset of the day.

My Book is Ready

2010-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, my book is ready to go. I decided to do a mix of "forms" (for lack of a better term). I used book cloth and book board, some sturdier paper on the "outside" pages and the inside pages (between the green, holey paper) is pastels and a lighter paper weight. I'm hoping there's enough room for folks to do two pages if they like. The book itself is somewhat small, around 5". I love tiny things I can throw in a bag or a purse or a pocket so I made it tiny, but not too tiny.

Finally got this figured out!

2010-03-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't get it the right size or the right weight or ........ just right. I'm hoping it will cost just under $3.00 to mail............

Anyway, I use alot of decorator fabric samples making my handbags and this really small swatch book (5" x 10") seemed perfect for our book exchange. So I took it apart and rebound it and collaged the front and I guess its ready to go. Everyone will get to create on 3 pages altho I still have to do my pages. You can use the tassels with beads as a bookmark when you send it along.

Maybe I'll put all our names from the group on the last page but didn't get that far yet. But it has been really alot of fun working on it! And can't wait to see everyone's additions to it.

Failure = reinvention

2010-03-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

So, last time I posted I wrote about my troubles with getting spraypaint to stick to the box for my "pages." I had similar problems getting paper to stick! I was using adhesive that I use to stick paper to glass for my lens necklaces, but I think the trouble was that the plastic of the box was thin and bendy. So I gave up on that and just made my own box out of illustration board and bookbinding tape. Here it is, ready to go out in the mail soon!

stitching.

2010-03-29T08:03:00.001-07:00

These are some updated photos of my book. The book itself if a found book that I altered. I kept it simple, just adding some pencil shading, collage and stitching to the cover and inside endsheets.

In progress pictures...

Barilla Pasta box book.

2010-03-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Failure = discovery

2010-03-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

I attempted to spraypaint the purple plastic box I bought to contain my index card "book," thinking silver would be much more interesting than purple. Alas, I forgot that spraypaint tends to not want to stick to things that are plastic, particularly if they are bendy plastic. Much flaking ensued:

At first this was annoying, since my desk, hands, and clothing were full of little paint flakes and my box was mostly back to its former purple self. But then I realized that the paint flakes would stick to paper, so I coated some of my index cards in glue and pressed them down on the paint flakes, which stuck in random interesting patterns. A happy accident! Here are some of the cards in progress- I'm trying to not do too much, but to at least make one mark on each card.

Back to square one with decorating the box- I'm going to try decoupaging some mulberry paper to it using a glue that I know will stick to plastic!

Land Ho!

2010-03-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

clay person eartha

2010-03-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring fellow bookmakers!

My book & entry - so far {Nicole Bruno, A Stitch in Design}

2010-03-17T18:25:00.001-07:00

I found this hilarious book on my bookshelf and decided it was perfect to improve with our collaboration.Here's my entry in progress. I've decided to cut some windows out and plan to decorate them with some colored pencil designs. Can't wait to see what every one else comes up with!

Month #1: March 2010 (flying fox / 7727)

2010-03-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

My "book"

2010-03-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

Here's the "book" I'm starting out with! It's a book in the loosest sense- it will be a series of unbound pages contained in a box. I'm going to alter the box somehow (spraypaint? decoupage?) and start doing some work on the cards before parting ways with it on April 1. I like the idea of having loose pages so the order is flexible, and also I think it will leave things wide open for everyone to do interesting things. It would be easy to run the cards through a sewing machine, or fold or cut them, or make a mini-accordion book from a few of them...Anything goes as long as they still fit in the box!

About Handmade Philly Book Exchange

2010-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Handmade Philly Book Exchange is a collaborative project between fourteen members of Handmade Philly. Each person is starting out with a book of their choosing- bought, made, or found. At the beginning of each month, each book will be sent to another participant, who will add to the book in whatever way they choose. After fourteen months, each participant will receive their original book back- transformed by the creativity of the other participants! This blog will document the progress of the project and the evolution of the books over time.