
I recently had the distinct pleasure to participate in a wonderful workshop with Orly Avineri and her friend Beatriz Helton. These two beautiful women guided our group of participants through a series of creative moments to create some really magical works of art and friendship. I’m posting some photos here of part of the journey but I must say that without the more ephemeral side of being present with all the women who joined in for the class, this is only half the story. If you should ever have the opportunity to take a class from either Orly or Beatriz – grab it!

We began from the inside. We made what Orly called a ‘quilt’ with paper and fabric scraps collaged and sewn together. We then added other paper and fabrics bits along with rusty things and hibiscus petals and wrapped it all up into a small bundle. The bundle was then soaked in a hot tea bath and allowed to dry overnight.

Opening the bundles was like opening a treasure chest! We then took time to assemble pages to the size we needed, cutting or perhaps collaging, to get everything in order.

Next came embellishing. Stitching, gluing, adding, subtracting. Poke a hole to see what appears through it…




The covers were made from cereal boxes painted with black gesso and marked by tracing images we’d brought with white transfer paper between. That’s a copy of an old photo of my grandpa. Once we had the covers cut to size we attached the signature (all of the pages we had made into one) by punching through pages and spine and sewing a pamphlet stitch with waxed cord. I also added a rusty closure to each of mine and tied it with twine I had wound out of seam binding (another handy thing we learned at the workshop).

Scroll through the slider below to see the inside pages of both of my little books. The final books are about 3.5 x 5 and fit so nicely in your hand.
I hope I have inspired you to go make your own tiny books! Please share them with us at Mini Album Makers Challenge blog for a chance to win fabulous prizes. This month Our prize package is from none other than Eileen Hull! It will be a $35 gift card to her Etsy site – wheee!


Thanks again for your visit! Happy creating!

WOW! You must have been in heaven with this class. I know I would have been. Your pages/booklets came out beautifully.
Thank you Nancy! Yes, it was such a wonderful class with so many talented women!!
~Heather
Amazing books Heather!
Thanks Jennie!
Heather, that must have been the most amazing class! I absolutely love the books you created, the colours are wonderful and all the texture you created with the lace and papers is fabulous! Anne xx
Thanks Anne!
Oh my Heather how I would have loved to have been at that workshop with you, my favourite way to create using textiles. I could sit and flip through your journals day after day after day and never tire.
Beautifully wrapped and a lesson taught that we *start from the inside*.. Tracey xx
Thank you Tracey and well put! Always start from the inside…
~ Heather
Wow! SO many interesting techniques! love that your grandpa is on the cover!
Wow what an amazing book – I love the vibrancy of it and the class you took sounds amazing. I also love how you’ve manipulated the image and added colour – it’s so very striking.
Diana x
These are amazing!!! I love Orly’s workshops. So thought provoking and deep.