Deb - final presentation

I made a small box/envelope from the back cover of the Ikea catalogue. I have never made anything like this before and I had to make several prototypes first! (I usually work with fabric.) I have then used silver paper ribbon and a pearl button as a closure. I'm not totally happy with what I've done but it is the end of the year tomorrow and I wanted to finish the alphabet this year!

I have had so much fun being part of ALaW2012. I will not be continuing in 2013 as I will be traveling and also have other projects on the go. I'll continue to follow ALaW with great interest and perhaps join up again in 2014??

ELAINE'S JIGSAW

I haven’t shown any letters for the past 6 months, partly due to lack of time, but mainly because the letters themselves aren’t very interesting on their own – Neuland Hand using 2 pencils tied together and written onto tracing paper (I actually have to admit that I ended up writing all the letters in one sitting -- am I disqualified?).

Each letter was written in the 7cm square onto tracing paper and then positioned over each other in various directions, sometimes even reversing the letters, to create a pleasing design. I then traced this overall design, again onto tracing paper (see below) and worked with this image.

My aim was that the parts of the letters that form the negative shapes (unpainted areas) should merge with the parts of the letters that have been painted. These painted areas would then become the background.

My first attempt was to paint the design straight onto a ready-cut jigsaw, but I couldn’t find any medium that gave a good result on its surface. I then decided to paint the design, using gouache, onto watercolour paper. I had it scanned and from this image I had the jigsaw professionally made, (the band of lettering was added to make the design fit a 500 piece 55cm x 45 cm jigsaw format).

The finished jigsaw

 

a section

 

  

The Process

Letters superimposed

Original art work – 25cm x 28cm

Additional lettering

 

Arrival of the pieces

It was great fun to assemble, but much more difficult than I had anticipated!

terrie's last letters

My last letters, but not the book, yet.  Soon.







In each pocket will go photos that I've taken of flowers starting with the letter on the pocket - flower pics are sized at 5x2.25" to fit in the pocket.  Here's a sampling:







So now, on to making the book.......and thinking about next year's alphabets.

Book finished for alaw2012

Here is the book, I made with the 26 letters of our alphabet, orange, golden and brown.
It was so nice to make these letters...
I was inspired by the book of Noella.

Sure, I am  interested in continuing next year.
Bye

alaw 2012 finished

Hello !

Here are the last letters for my second alphabet.
Remember, I have written them with a friend Anne Claire from France.
She is interested in doing ALAW 2013

Noela's catch up

I have been out of the loop with blogging these past couple of months - no excuse really, just finding all the technology a bit too time and energy consuming. Now that the world isn't ending, I plan on devoting the time between Christmas and New year to catching up with it all and putting my ALAW letters into books.
Here are my November and December dotty letters.

Q R S T 

U V W X 

Y Z

Here is the last of the second alphabet for the year.  Will post the completed assemble letters as soon as I can find the time for inspiration and practical input.

November Letters

At last getting the hang of the new blog arrangement!  Sorry to be so late with letters, this happens when you keep going away.  All Art Nouveau letters now complete but how to assemble them is a mystery. 

October Letters

OOPs posted this letter which is November letter and one above which is a double!  Must be end of year madness.

It feels as if I'm just in the nick of time, but nonetheless it feels good to finish when I wasn't even sure I would get started on this second alphabet.

Its nothing glamourous, gorgeous or wonderful, but here it is.

I used some paper I marbled during the Open Studios, wrote with a copper metallic ink in my own version of Modern Versals. Then I mounted the marbled paper onto copper metallic paper and created a dos-a-dos book.

Presenting the 26 letters of the alphabet well has proven a challenge to calligraphers over many many years.  Its not a number that divides easily beyond 13 and 2.

Still it seemed to work out well with this book - 13 letters in each half of the book and a cover and a title page for each section of the book.

It comes covered and wrapped in a little pouch, finished with a copper paper tie.

If you think you might be interested in joining ALAW 2013, feel free to contact me at my email address and I'll let you know how we go getting numbers...