Christmas 2007 Prayer Book

April 7, 2008: These are photos of the "Prayer Books" I created as Christmas gifts this year. Unlike most of my other work, this project was entirely my creation! Sometimes I can be original! It was a huge project because it evolved into my making so many--I think I did 16. The bulk of the "book" is just simply ivory cardstock with tissue paper attached using gel medium. It made the paper extra stiff and sturdy. The text was formatted in Word and printed out using a font close to the same gold color. The image of the woman's face is a stamp that I stamped onto polymer clay.

Also--Olivia helped me tremendously with this project. We spread all our supplies out on the large dining room table and were "at it" for a good week. I so enjoyed having this special quality time with her! She "meditated" about the person the book was intended for also.

And I have thus far only shared the technique with one person--Sandy Hayes. I've offered it to all those that expressed interest. Guess it's just our very busy lives that prevent having the time to teach others. The day Sandy and I worked, we were at it for 8 hours! The time just flew by. Sandy is so open and daring with experimenting! She's very creative! She made her book for her daughter Casey. I bet Casey loves it!

My Prayer Books ---(this is from my journal, 12-23-2007)

I think they really liked their little prayer books. I’m proud of them. As I put theirs together yesterday morning (and two more) I put the piece in the back with whoever’s name on it first and then as I assembled the rest of the book, I prayed for and thought of the person. I think it makes it more powerful, makes the book have great meaning. Not that I’m some shaman or something but I so strongly believe that what we think has great impact. It creates energy that effects us. My hope is that the people I give them to will use them and thereby create more positive energy. I’ve also considered that I could possibly sell them or something like them. But I won’t. I think I’ll only make them for my loved ones or someone that asks for one. Then by knowing the person and making it with them in mind, I continue the positive energy. I can’t do that if I’m making it for some stranger and it won’t have any power and making profit from them would certainly defeat that! It kinda feels like a calling. And I’m sure they will improve and evolve as I continue to make them. I need a good bit more supplies to make many more than I’ve got planned for the holidays. I have to have gel medium first and most importantly. I will try and get some online today. Also need a lot more white polymer clay. And tissue paper! Lord!




Journal entry from 12-26-07:

My Books

I’m so insecure about them! I think they’re beautiful but what the hell do I know? Will the folks I’m giving them to appreciate them? Will they understand how powerful they are to me? I need stroking from folks about this or I’ll just not make anymore. Suzy called last night and said that before I got there (at Pug’s) yesterday Lisa was passing hers around and that everyone was saying how talented I am and how beautiful they are but no one said one word to me about it. Not one word. Why? Were they saying the compliments for Suzy’s benefit and don’t really mean it? Do they not want to encourage me to make them? Hmmmm…..perhaps. Perhaps they think I’ve gone off the deep end and just want this to go away. Jug said that maybe they were wanting one too and I hadn’t made them one. I said my little inserted card said I’d make anyone that asked me to one. I just don’t know. Perhaps I have gone off the deep end. I need to not think about this right now. God, I’m such an insecure baby. Makes me sick.

This is what I wrote up to insert as a seperate "card" into the book. It explains what I had in mind with the "prayer books".

A word or two or three about these little prayer books:

They were inspired as a result of some frustration I was experiencing regarding my prayer life. After a discussion with a good friend about this and her giving me the three prayers after the first one from Julia Cameron’s Heart Steps and I made a little card with the four prayers and set out to faithfully pray and meditate every day. Within a few days I was inspired to make a more elaborate “book” and share it with loved ones. Michelle and I had just spent an afternoon making Christmas cards for her to send to special customers and we used scanned images of the beautiful angel tissue paper as inspiration for them. I loved the tissue paper so much and knowing that Michelle had used the tissue paper and decoupaged it onto other objects and Olivia telling me that tissue paper was interesting to decoupage with, I thought why not decoupage it onto card stock? It worked beautifully and the book was born.

I put the last card in a book first with my loved one’s name and then assembled the remainder of the book and with each additional embellishment I pray and think about this person. I might conjure up memories of the person and just generally think about what they mean to me. I believe this creates powerful and positive energy that is magical, mystical and certainly worthy of its creation. Then as you, my loved and cherished one, use the card in your prayers, more positive energy is created and shared. It’s a powerful thing!

The angels aren’t just for the Christmas season but to put you in mind of the celestial as with the subtle female image on the second page. I find the gold theme very calming and hope you do too.

These “books” are not for sale or for profit. I’ll make one for anyone that asks me to and would be thrilled to share the techniques so you can make some too! I eagerly anticipate the evolution of the “book” as I learn better inspired techniques! And finally, those who assist in the making of them add their own prayers and blessings. How awesome is that?

Blessings,
Kim
December 2007