Project ONE Life: Just the Beginning!

*** I create blank books and leave them in public places.  Strangers find them, share their feelings/thoughts, and leave them for others to find.  Connecting strangers, stripping artifice away, and becoming ONE.  Follow the journey on Facebook ***

Project ONE Life is picking up steam and leaving books along the way.  The journey is just beginning and we have a long way to go but so far, it as been a blast.  Each book is left in a public place and has a theme.  I get a small rush of placing down a book and taking pictures, unnoticed.  And when I walk away, I wonder.... where will this book end up, who will read my writing, and will I see it again.  I feel anxious, giddy, and optimistic. 

So far, seven books have made it out into the world and with many more to come.  Plans are in the works to go national as well.  So... keep your eyes open and follow the journey on facebook so YOU can track down one of these one of a kind books! 

Here's a look at the books on the go so far...



Something I Never Told Anyone...
 




Before I Die I Want To...



 

 



It Might Not Be P.C But...



 

 



At This Point in My Life I Thought I'd Be...



MUSINGS: Inspirational Words

Source: shop.holstee.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

I LOVE the sentiment of this message and I think it's something everyone can apply to any and every aspect of their life so I wanted to share it.  For myself, I will be hanging this message at my workstation as an inspiration and a reminder.  A reminder to share myself and my passion to the fullest; to create without restriction or fear.  Enjoy!

FRESH GOODIES: Handstamped Jewelry

Jewelry isn't exactly new for Celio Designs since we've been making jewelry for many, many years.  Long before the journals, there was the jewelry.  However, we put the jewelry on a backburner in order to give our full attention to the journals.  But the time has come now to get back to our roots!  Of course, we will still have the journals and mixed media art but I think it's time to show the jewelry a little love too.  As of now, we are working on several different styles of jewelry but here is a look at one of the directions we're moving in.  

Handstamped jewelry was kind of an obvious choice since we often will add handstamped embellishments to our journals.  It's a great way to customize a book for someone and also just add a little flair.  You know, one of the things I love about making journals is incorporating quotes, lyrics, and meaningful words.  So it just seemed like handstamped jewelry was a perfect way to incorporate those same things into our jewelry.  Here is a small sample of what we have so far. 




"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" 
The immortal words of Ms. Emily Bronte.
No Wuthering Heights fan could forget that quote!




"Love is a temple, Love a higher law" U2




"So you can make me cum, that doesn't make you Jesus"  Tori Amos, Goddess





"There ain't no cure for LOVE" Leonard Cohen



FRESH GOODIES: Custom Travel Journals

Guess what everyone?  There have been some new developments recently at Celio Designs.  We are now the sponsors of some really cool travel groups on Meetup.com.  These groups are made up of people who travel the world together, visiting far off destinations.  And what of course does every globe trekker need but a new journal of course!  Enter Celio Designs! Ha Ha.

So in March, the group is going to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  Right away I began working on three different journals that members could choose from.  Each journal is handbound and features blue footed boobies, tortoises, and seals.  It's really cool to know our Celio Designs journals will play a role in capturing the sights, sounds, and memories of a once in a lifetime trip! 

FRESH GOODIES: New Style, New Stitch, New Size



Japanese Stab Binding

Celio Designs is branching out!!  Up until now all of our books were bound with a very lovely coptic stitch.  However, a time comes when you want to try something new.  Learning new stitches has been on my "to do" list for about...mmm, forever!  So I finally buckled down and have been working on some new books.  These not only have a new stitch, the Japanese Stab binding, but they are also a different size and style as well. 


These newer books are about 5.5"x6.5" and don't have a trace of the collage style artwork that I have come to love.  While I adore the collage style and will continue to make those types of journals, I also know that many people prefer a simplified, clean look.  I am happy to oblige.  To be honest, it is pretty exciting because now I get to use paper and fabric in a whole new way.  Though the newer books ARE simplified, they definitely AREN'T boring!!  I am looking for paper and fabric that is graphically striking and bold.  So here are the very first two of the trial run of the new style.  ... and keep your eyes open because I will be learning more stitches as I go along.   

MUSINGS: The Beauty of Creative Risks

Risks.   We’re always faced with risks, personally and creatively.   No matter what the situation is when you take a risk there may also be an underlying fear.  There is fear to be uncomfortable, vulnerable, or simply not being accepted.  It’s the same when you create something from your soul. It requires you to be vulnerable...to take a risk. To stand naked and hope for acceptance and understanding...and with art many times we are asking to be judged. How terrifying!

Now, of course I can make a journal that requires very little thought...very little of myself and of course...very little risk. That also involves very little satisfaction. Of course, I cannot cater to everyone, so when I set out to make something, I make it for myself. I make things that I find beautiful, inspiring, and that speak to me... and as a result, when I create something I give a piece of myself  (Of course this has a dual benefit, if it doesn't sell...it's something I will use myself!).  For the most part, when you create something you are putting a sliver of yourself on display for the world to see. And if you are selling said item you are asking for another to judge its worth.

The same is true for custom made journals.  In creating a custom book, I try to put together the perfect quotes, images, etc, all to reflect the recipients’ beliefs, values and ideals.  A custom journal is suppose to completely reflect the owner, but I realized, while that is my aim, I am imprinted on every page of the book. What I put in...or leave out, where I place things, the materials used, the construction, the way I conceive the book and therefore that person...is all on me. It is through my lens; MY PERCEPTIONS.   No matter what is created you are offering yourself. You’re vulnerable.

Sometimes that vulnerability causes me to hold back.  It’s like lifting a veil to offer a sneak peek and so you have to decide, what should they see?  Like staring unflinchingly into a camera lens or into the eyes of another without looking away and asking the viewer to look in...to see YOU. I try to push those thoughts back when I am working and to create only for myself.  In the end that is when it is most satisfying... the pieces that I am most proud of are the ones that reflect me in some way… the ones in which I lifted the veil and beckoned the viewer to look in.  Maybe they will see a part of themselves as well; it will speak to them. If there is recognition, a connection, however small, is made. And when that happens and I have to ship a journal off.... there is a small tug inside. I send it off and think, "I wonder where you will end up?" ...I take that sliver of myself and send it off into the universe...and in that, there is vulnerability. There is risk. There is satisfaction. There is beauty.

MY JOURNALING ADVENTURES: A timeline

Sometimes you have to look back to where you've been to appreciate where you are.  In a recent urge to declutter my life, I have been sifting through old letters, cards, and yes, journals.  

I pulled them out and lost myself in them for hours.  Lost myself in the girl I was and where I used to be.  Parts were embarrassing, parts were hilarious, parts were sad, and some parts were simply lovely.  And as I went through each book, I saw an evolution. The evolution of who I am as a person... and as a creative spirit.
           

My first journal is about 10 years old.  A simple book I bought from the now defunct Borders bookstore.  The binding is kinda busted and pages are falling out.  It's decorated in a simple and straightforward way.  Some artwork, tons of quotes, LOTS of writing. 

My current journal is a handmade Celio Designs journal.  It's handbound with a coptic stitch and  features rich imagery on the front.  Like the first one, it has some artwork, tons of quotes, and LOTS of writing.  

That was then.

This is now.

What a difference. I laugh at my old one, like the crude writing of a child first learning how to hold a pencil and applaud myself for my advancements. It's fun to see the difference and wonder what my journal will look like in the next ten years...We shall see!!