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...



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.   

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!!