RECORD KEEPING

 In 2008 I learned to make a flag book. It was fun to learn to make this structure but I came away  from the workshop thinking I would probably never make this type of book again. It sat on a corner shelf in my basement until this past summer when I was trying to come up with a way to keep track of my eco prints on paper. I wanted a way to display  my prints by season so that I would be able to see differences in pigments using the same plants but at different times of the year.

 

 So I used the same flag book structure to make this book with prints made during June, July and August. A variety of leaves were used including Silver Maple, Aspen, Cottonwood, Juniper, Geranium, Gambel Oak, Crabapple, Chokecherry and Serviceberry as well as petals from Coreopsis, Marigold and Iris plants. The cover was made using only iris and marigold petals.

 Last week I finished another flag book recording prints made during September, October and November. Leaves from the same plants were used but were showing their autumn pigments. I also included berries from plants available during those three months (Chokecherry and Woodbine).

 Cover fabric is vintage cotton mordanted with alum and printed with Woodbine berries, Gambel Oak, Norway Maple and Rose leaves and a few Coropsis petals.

 I am very happy with this method of recording my prints and am presently working on my book for December, January and February.