Celebrating the NBA All-Star Weekend

Every year I make art while watching the NBA All-Star Weekend games.  Here is the little book I made in 2012, and here is a link to a spread in my Time Altered Book in 2008, although you have to scroll down quite far to see it.  Unfortunately, I don't see the pages or art I made the other years.  A search for them didn't help, either.  But I admit, this is the most ambitious of all the art I've made over an NBA All-Stars weekend, although I'm sure I've made art that I didn't tie into the games in other years.

Using some of my file folders I cut in half width wise, I began by painting all the pages before I did anything else.  I also painted several printer papers in hopes of using them during the three day marathon.   This is the cover, which of course, is NOT finished.  I still need to add something.  I have contemplated the words "True colors" and "Heartfelt colors," but have rejected both, even though I was going for a rainbow of colors that would surround the hearts.

Everything in this book was made from scraps I had lying around, to which I added paint and some text I generated from my computer.  And yes, I look at my file folders as scrap, too.

Including the front and back covers, there will be 16 "pages," made up of 2 file folders cut in half width wise (as mentioned above), for a total of 4 folded folders which will be sewn into a single signature.

The inside of the front cover, or page 1, has a lovely image I found in my scraps.  It had been printed on glossy photo paper.  I thought it looked a bit like an angel shooting her bow.  I added the heart and the words I generated from my computer.

I drew and cut the hearts freehand.   For anyone who is familiar with basketball in the late 1980s when I first got into basketball after seeing a Lakers' game, this will make you laugh.  So many times the Lakers' met the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, I had a standing bet with a true Boston fan.  Some years he won, some years I won.  But it was definitely a memory from the 80s.

Random hearts I punched from paper I painted make up page 3.  I also colored a doily, but the pigment ink got on my hands as I was adhering the doily to the page.  Thus the mess you see in the middle of the doily.

For page 4's spread, I began with a page from an old calendar from February.  I kept hearing the words "It's February" and "It happens in February" in reference to the All-Star weekend and had to use it as part of this page.  I had a magazine image I'd saved that was from October.  I had contemplated using it in my Coffee AB, but liked it better in this spread.

Of course, Bleubeard had to get into the action, too.  He wanted a page that showed he loves CATS: big cats, even.  It's supposed to read "Bleubeard hearts . . . ."  I moved the "s" after I decided it needed to be separated from the heart with Bleubeard's name on it.  Not sure it was effective, but we live and learn.  In case you are counting, this is page 5.

For page 6, I  started with an image I found in an old calendar that I thought went well with the background I had created earlier in the weekend.   Although you can't see it, there is a lot of texture in the painting, which is from one of those Foot and Mouth Artist Calendars.  I added more punched hearts and computer generated text.  I found the photo corners a couple of weeks ago when I was looking for something in my basement.  I knew I would use them at some point, so brought them to my craft room.

This is the center section of the signature.  This is the only signature there will be in this book.  Be aware, I have not sewn the book together yet, since I still have a few pages to finish.  I made the embossed piece on the left one time when I visited my friend Kathy who has a die cutting machine and embossing folders.  It didn't cut like it should have, but embossed beautifully.  I brought it home and decided this was the perfect time to cut it up and use it. 

I cut the rest of the paper that wasn't embossed and used it in two places on this side of the center spread.  It's the first of my sewing in this book, too.  In fact, I had already finished the back of the pages I eventually sewed on, so had to get creative with my walking foot.

This was an ad I found in one of my trade magazines.  I liked the looks of it, so kept it, rather than tossing it when I had finished reading the magazine.  On the bottom left you can barely see the words "Always" and "You."  They are the backing left over from the Dymo label maker and what most people would throw in the trash can.  I colored the letters, but they show up better in person.  This is page 9.

Here are the hidden signals, as suggested.  Probably not what the advertiser was wanting me to see, but still effective for this book.

Page 10 started with an image of a bird I sewed to a glittery heart I had left over from ones I cut earlier in the week from shimmery Christmas wrapping paper.  I sewed the heart to the file folder, then attempted to make a broken arrow out of the dates of the All-Star weekend, an all-star ticket, and three punched hearts.

I have three more pages to finish before the book is finished and I can sew it together.  I hope to finish it soon, because I don't really want another unfinished book hanging over my head.

The back cover is similar to the front cover, with hearts and a crown.  However, the background is not as colorful as the front.

I made this book as a way to avoid watching the annoying commercials.   It all came together, including the theme, because of what I found in my scrap box.


And whether you are a basketball fan or not, whether you watch college basketball or not, I have to give a HUGE shout out to Wichita State Shockers, the ONLY undefeated college basketball team in the country, now that Syracuse lost earlier in the week.  Why the Shockers aren't ranked first in the country in any of the polls is beyond me!!