Busytown

I thought I would share the little book I've been working on for Max's birthday as it's been a big part of my creative daily practice for quite some time now. (If you are reading this in an email and the photos are distorted as they often are, I suggest you link to the actual blog.)

Max is the son of my goddaughter Emily...and they live in Madison, WI. He's almost 2....so not a blog reader....so it will still be a surprise. 

It's really more of a craft project than an art project...and I had a lot of fun cutting and pasting it together.

I've been fussy cutting images from this thrifted Richard Scarry book and repurposing it into a little handmade book for Max.

Margie had a greeting card organizer box with small file folders....she was a loyal card sender. 

I repurposed one of the small folders for the cover of my book...it was just the right size and weight. I love using what I have...and in this case especially loved using what Margie had! 

I collaged the outside with words from the book and fused a strip of cloth on the spine. 

I used white card stock for the pages and created a textured blue and green background using my gelli plate. I did a one signature 5 hole simple stitched binding technique.

I spent quite a bit of time fussy cutting images from the book and inserting Max into the vehicles and scenes. 

I either cut out a window and put a photo behind...or sliced an opening in the scene and slid in Max. I had a blast...often giggling as I went along.

It was hard to actually start glueing...and especially hard to figure out the cover. But once I started...there was no stopping me.

I tried to mimic the larger lettering in the book...using a red paint pen and outlining the letters using a fine tip black.

I love the little parade heading to Busytown...led by the little mouse in the wheelchair followed by the tiny gardner car and Max in the taxi.

I glued things down with a glue stick and sealed everything up with gel medium.

On the first page I pointed out a few things to look for that would be on every page: the sun, airplanes, Max, Huckle, Mortimer, Lowly worm and a little love. There are lots of other things to see on the pages...and whoever is reading it with him can point out things to find. As I was cutting I really appreciated the whimsical art of Richard Scarry. I just love all his little characters and tiny details.

This little part on the inside cover made me smile. I so wanted to use this little table...but couldn't figure out where....and this was the perfect spot. 

I used almost everything in the photo....even the iron for the fusible fabric binding. And the lighthouse is a nod to the fact that it was made in Maine.

Not everything makes sense together......I just used the images that I liked the best and tried to create a somewhat cohesive scene.

Notice that Max is ACTUALLY in a pumpkin and I chuckled when I slid him into the corn stalk. Like I said...I giggled my way through this.

Max peeking out from behind of the phone booth tickled me.

Do you see the bear in the lookout tower....

looking at Max the bear in the hills! That tickled me too!

The whole family is in the bus...including Aunt MaryAnn! I do feel part of this family!

Thanks for coming along with Max to Busytown and making it to the end of this post.

Pocket Book

I'm nearly finished with Debbie C's joy journal....but a week or so ago I shifted gears and worked on another handmade book...this one for Max's 3rd birthday. For those of you who don't know...Max is the son of my goddaughter Emily. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin and will be a big brother soon. The new baby is due to arrive in April.

I made Max a Pocket Book. Happy Birthday Max! 3 is my favorite number!

I repurposed a very loved copy of We Hide, You Seek that was a cast off from the Emerson Elementary School Library where his grandmother (my lifelong friend Becky) worked. It was likely headed for the landfill.

Many of the pages were held together with scotch tape but the colorful drawings captured my heart.

I collaged the cover with small cutouts from the book saving my favorite larger images for the inside.

I glued them down with a glue stick...then topcoated it with medium.

I have been adding fused fabric to the insides of my journals to create strength for stitching. For Max's I did a little patchwork of colors to coordinate with the cover.

Then I stitched in concentric squares...

just like I did for Diane's colorful joy journal cover.

This animal page was one of my favorites. I ironed fusible webbing to the back of the page...then cut it out and fused it onto the inside of the front cover. 

The book has pockets on every page...and in the pockets are two sided tags with images from a sticker book I've had for a long time. The stickiness of stickers was kind of weak...so they are all reinforced with glue.

 Max can find all the hidden images in the pockets.

There were lots of butterflies in the sticker book....so many of the tags have a butterfly on one of the sides. You know how I feel about butterflies these days.

I used another recycled book with nice sturdy paper to make the base pages. 

I reinforced the pages with images from the We Hide, You Seek book folding the papers around the base paper to create extra strength on the edges and along the centerfold.

Then I folded up the pocket which also has a double fold to create strength. 

In addition to the fold up pockets......others are also glued in. 

Many of the pages also have side pockets that are fold over pieces.

I saved the card catalog pocket from the original book...

and tucked it in the pocket on the back cover....with a little note to Max.

Here's Max painting a big 3 for his big boy birthday party! I wish I lived closer so I could have gone to the party this past weekend.

I don't think this 3 is going to fit in in the Pocket Book...but it's going to look great on the wall

Three years ago! My how time flies! 

Lowly Christmas

Subtitle: Superpowers

The Peace of Wild things

by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, 

and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.

I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars with their light. 

For a time I rest in the grace of the world, 

and am free.

Lowly Worm is a beloved character in the Richard Scarry books series with a positive attitude and the amazing ability figure things out....even though he only has one foot.

I included him in the remake of a Busytown book I made for two year old Max last year. It was a fabulously fun project...you can read about it here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2025/03/busytown.html

Since then....Max's mom Emily has texted me Lowly Worm things now and again that make her laugh out loud. Someone actually got a Lowly Worm tattoo and someone else hand crocheted a Lowly Worm scarf. We both love Lowly Worm.

I've decided to do a Lowly Christmas theme for her and Max. Before I thought of the theme...I knew I wanted to make a cape for Max. Doesn't every almost three year old need a cape in his favorite color of orange!

I wanted to tie the cape into the Lowly Christmas theme so I wrote up a little blurb about how Lowly Worm has superpowers even though he only has one foot and the power of his imagination. Now Max can have superpowers too when wears his cape and uses his new magic wand. Is it a stretch? I don't think so. One of Lowly's superpowers is he can s-t-r-e-t-c-h whenever he needs to!

Then this happened....Lowly got his own cape!

It's fun when moments like this can surprise us with delight! 

Here's to a Lowly Christmas...and the superpowers in all of us!

Mighty Max

There is a magnolia tree in full bloom in Becky's neighbor's backyard....it was just lovely in the evening light. Although it has been chilly the whole time I've been here....spring seems to be just a bit further along. 

Today was my last full day here in Wisconsin....I head back home late tomorrow afternoon and it will be fun to see how things are progressing there.

Becky and I spent the afternoon with Emily, Keegan and Max again today.  

I'm soaking up all the baby time I can get and helping out with a few things around the house.  Becky and I rearranged the nursery yesterday....and we hung a few things today.  

Becky and I found this seaside painting at a local store....

and it seemed like the perfect achor art piece in Max's room.  

On another wall is a little pop of color....

....the Selma piece I made for Emily for Christmas....and a photo of a rainbow wreath of my found objects that I had stretched on canvas a few years ago for Emily. 

And do you see the teeny tiny little guy on top of the found objects?  We thought it looked like it escaped from the photo.

It's a tiny little "Mighty Max" that was in my printer's drawer from one of my kids.  It seemed like the perfect gift for Max...and his mom who loves tiny things.

Help From Max!

Becky's yellow card arrived....

....in a yellow envelope and with a yellow return address label. Even Charlie Brown was in his signature yellow shirt on the stamp.

Well played Becky!

Becky got some help from Max...and his precious little hands.  Max is Becky's grandson...and his mother, Emily, is my goddaughter. Since he already has two grandmas.....but doesn't have any aunts...I think I'm going to be Aunt MaryAnn.

Becky, Max, and Aunt MaryAnn

My rainbow is getting bigger! We all keep our green card 

for the next round in the Rainbow Connection Project.

My rainbow for this post is precious Max....

on the rainbow quilt I made him. I wrote about it here.