Hi Everyone!

We’re excited to launch Creative Clues, a new monthly feature of Art Starts at Louisville Visual Art. With each new Clue, we’ll provide some pointers to help you succeed and improve.

Creative Clues Showcase

CLUE: STARS
Deadline for artwork submission is December 28, 2022 at midnight.

HOW TO: December Gift for You and Yours

Let’s make a book, for journaling, sketching, lists! We will start by learning to make a teeny tiny journal, notebook, diary, a sketchbook - to give to someone or to keep for yourself. These little books are 2 to 3 inches high. You may draw or write, or both in these little gems. You may create just one book or a whole stack of books. Go forth and create, write poems or dreams, doodle, draw what is outside of your window, give thanks or give to someone.

One thing I like to do in my notebooks is, every night before I go to bed, I write 5 things I am grateful for that happened that day. It can be something gigantic like it was a beautiful sunny day or something so tiny like, that lady with the red hair opened the door for me at the grocery store. Every day, 5 little things!

How To Project: Teeny, Tiny Journals

Supplies You Will Need:

felt, old fabric scraps, or even heavy paper scraps for cover
white copy paper for interior papers
old magazines, wrapping paper scraps for end papers
needle and thread
scissors
pencil
yarn, string (18”)
glue sticks, school glue, or YES Glue Paste (works well for bookmaking)

Cut 1 cover. Trace around the cover pattern – onto felt, old fabric scraps or heavy paper, and cut out.

Cut 1 end paper. Trace around the end paper/interior book paper pattern onto old magazine images or textures or wrapping paper scraps and cut out.

Cut 4 interior book papers (this will make 8 book pages). Trace around the end paper/interior book paper onto white copy paper and cut out.

Lay your cover down with the inside facing up.
Apply glue to the center of the inside of your cover, lay yarn or string on top of glue and press. Leave long pieces of string hang off of each edge (you will use this to close your teeny, tiny book).
Spread glue stick or school glue or Yes glue paste on the back of your cut out end paper and center it on top of the (inside) cover and string, press down firmly.
Fold each of your book pages in half (one at a time – you will get a much neater and cleaner book if you do this), press down the fold with your fingernail, and then slip all of the book pages inside of each other.
Open up your folded pages and place on top of your book cover.
Stitching your book together.

6.1 Take a sharp needle and thread and poke straight down all the way through all the layers of your book, leave long threads on the inside for tying.

6.2 Now put the sharp needle and thread through the outside of your cover, all the way through all of the layers.

6.3 Pull the thread tight against the outside cover of your book and leave long thread on the inside for tying.

6.4 Tie a double knot tight against the papers and trim the threads to about 1/8” in length (if you trim the threads really close against the knot, the knot will come undone).

7. Fold your book in half and wrap the long strings around opposite directions.

8. The strings make a nice lock for your teeny, tiny book!

My husband draws very silly cartoons in his journals, really nonsense stuff that will make you laugh, like this:

Leonardo da Vinci wrote down ideas and drawings and notes as studies for his larger works and for his many of his inventions.

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl, wrote in her diary in the form of letters. Letters each day about the daily life of her and her families hiding in an attic in Amsterdam during WWII.

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.
– William Wordsworth

Send in your STARS artwork

Deadline for artwork submission is December 28, 2022 at midnight.

Content: family friendly (LVA will determine if artwork is appropriate to share online.)
Ages 5 to 105!
Photo Guidelines: here is a nifty link, if you want to learn to take great pictures of your artwork

Consent and Permission: By filling out the form below, you give LVA permission to display your artwork and information in the Creative Clue Showcase. *NOTE: if you are under 18 years old, please have a parent or guardian complete the form.
Address: email artwork to: artstartshere@louisvillevisualart.org
Social Media: you may share your artwork on Instagram: #artwithinreach, #ArtStartsAtLVA

LVA will notify you if your artwork is in the Creative Clues Showcase at the end of the month. artstartshere@louisvillevisualart.org

Send Us Your Artwork

Remember to use your past How To pages to come up with creative solutions for your new clue:

January 2021 - Winter -Thumbnails

February 2021 - Heart - Research

March 2021 - Chair

April 2021 - Spring

May 2021 - Breeze

June 2021 - Light

July 2021 - Together

August 2021 - Trees

September 2021 - Apples & Pears