The Whole Truth About Half Love

Front of the pocket

 Okay, so you may not have been waiting for this post, but I've been waiting for an eternity. As can be seen in an earlier post from April 2015, I wrote, illustrated, and constructed the handmade pop-up book, "Half Love" in late 2014. Even before I had completed the first book, I was determined to get this story published - like for real published. I still am. After honest feedback from my peers who read and experienced "Half Love" I realized that I more or less had to start over, and create a more 'presentable' copy.

Back of the pocket

 First off, I needed better string. More specifically bookbinding thread. So I paid a Graduate student, studying bookbinding (Marisol Ardon) to teach me as much as she could about bookarts, at my dining room table, once a week. She's amazing by the way, and wonderfully talented. I also needed to somehow get my sketched and colored images on a computer screen so I could print them out. In this way, they could be replicated as many times as I had the paper and ink for, without straining my hand by drawing so much. This is also a convenience because in this way, every copy that I form into a book will be identical. So, I signed up for two $800 courses that teach Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. These were each two-day classes, but well worth the experience. I am able to do so many artsy things with these programs that would be impossible otherwise.

The pocket is now unbuttoned

 I also needed a new 'About the Author'  cause mine was terribly outdated.

"HALF LOVE"

"BY ZOE WALLER" (That's me!)

 For those who don't know, "Half Love" was created in response to my experiences with unrequited love. For many years in my short life, I had been so frustrated with feeling affection for these young men, that was never fully returned. One day, I just had a eureka moment and realized that these half-hearted, 'romantic' unions were teaching me something. And they were also blessings in my life. If I hadn't sought out these young men for affection, we would not have formed the friendship that resulted. Friendship is powerful.

The pocket is now open

 When I printed out my first copy of "Half Love" since learning what I had to, and basically remaking the book on the Adobe Sketch app (I also had to buy an iPad for this!), I was blessed yet again. I now had a convenient Christmas gift for three of the fabulous women in my life. I'm a stickler for my more delicate handmade books having a sort of carrying case, so I sewed together these pockets (pictured) for one copy of the book to easily slide into. 

The book is popping out to say hello

 When I was small, I remember sitting on the playground during the summer, and stitching pointy sticks into leaves, that I had found on the ground. I would sometimes 'write' my name, or some random word. I thought I was so creative for doing this. Well, it turns out that those moments of childhood became of use. As you can see, in each of the pockets, I stitched "HALF LOVE" and "BY ZOE WALLER". I used this stitching not only as an adornment for the pockets, but as a method of holding the pocket folds in place.

 I absolutely love picking out buttons to use in my art, so this was no boring task. The buttons are used to keep the pockets closed. Each of these buttons was picked out with a lot of heart, and my favorite button is the blue one! And while I'm being honest, I also love the satin pocket that is sewn with the blue button. I almost didn't want to give that pocket away!

Side view of the book, that shows my handmade stitching

 I thank book artist Carol Barton for inspiring me to use the X's to sew my book together. They are absolutely PERFECT for this project.

An open page from my pop up book

 I am very proud of this tape pop-up from "Half Love" because it always malfunctioned in my original copies of the book. But thanks to my weekend pop-up class by the lovely, Carol Barton, my tab pop-ups malfunction no more!

Front of the pocket

Back of the pocket

The pocket has been opened

"Half Love" peeking out

Side view of "Half Love"

The infamous Scotch Tape pop up

Isn't this the cutest use for a heart bead??

"BY ZOE WALLER"

Back of the pocket

My very favorite "Half Love" pocket, made of satin! Front view

Close up of pocket's button

The pocket has been opened

"HALF LOVE"

"BY ZOE WALLER"

"Half Love" is stickin out!