Artful Storybooks, Having my Cake and Eating it too!

In just a week or two the release of Terry Taylor's book The Artful Storybook will be available for purchase, at long last!  It may come as a surprise (or perhaps not), just how long it takes for a book to come to fruition.  Terry Taylor wrote to me the first week of March 2007 to invite me to participate in this project, just a few months after the release of the Copolla movie in video (and I have since watched it no less than a dozen times).  I had just introduced my newest collection of stamps, The Mad Tea Party, and had several Marie-type projects underway, including the Mad Tea Marie shadowbox shown above, and answered Terry with a proposal to do a Queen of Tarts story based on the life of Marie Antoinette.  I was pleased to be invited and even more excited that my proposal had been accepted.  I spent many many weeks completely immersed in my storybook project until I reached the mailing deadline just prior to leaving for vacation.  It was a complex multi-faceted project, with a story to write and illustrate, as well engineering the actual doll-theatre-book.  Since then, it has been a roller coaster ride for me because a photo of my storybook was selected for the "fake cover" (the one shown on Amazon) with no guaranty that it would be the actual cover.  A few weeks ago Terry wrote to say that I had in fact made the cover, although the art department went with a different photo. 

Though this was my first cover, the project was a win win proposition for me.  The introduction of Artful Storybooks on Amazon (fake cover and all) just happened to coincide with the release of my newest line of stamps, The Queen of Tarts.  Though I had several ideas percolating for my new collection, I had also spent the better part of the previous year reading Marie Antoinette biographies, and Queen of Tarts won my heart! 

In just a few short weeks, I will be off on my summer vacation once again and hope to have a copy of Artful Storybooks when I leave.  I have a few copies on order too, so if you need one they will be available on my web site www.CharacterConstructions.com 

Marie, the nature loving queen, really captured my heart and imagination.  There are several more Marie inspired projects that will be published in the coming year, most of which I am not at liberty to discuss.  What a magic carpet ride I have been on, and come May 31st we will have a grand finale of sorts when the Theatre Troupe submits work for a Marie Antoinette -- Project Runway-style -- Theatre des Modes production.  Stay tuned . . .

Comments

[Betzie]

How neat!!! I can't wait to buy this new book Catherine! I loved Terry's paper doll book as well.
Marie certainly has inspired us and I love how she has inspired you!