storybox [stawr-ee-boks, stohr-ee-boks]
-noun
1. coined and created by artist leilani pierson in 2007, for her version of a small book in sculptural form that fits in the palm of a hand. a lidded box that is altered in some way - usually with fibers and containing pages in some form that have words which relate abstractly to one another. poetic in nature. sure to cause minds to think. to wander in journeys unbeknownst to themselves. small. quaint. precious. wild. truthful. fictional. storyfull. join the journey...

4.17.2011

storybox. no.2

to create a storybox.
find a small tin 
(one that fits nicely inside one of your hands)

candy tins, tea tins, gum tins are all perfect.
i have found tins at the grocery store,
at clothing stores,
at drugstores,
coffee shops.

now find a scrap of sandpaper.
scratch the outside up a bit.
inside too, if you have time.

find some scrap fabrics/papers.
take your favorite glue
(i like Aleene's Tacky Glue)
and glue the scrap fabrics/papers 
to the outside.

or you could just skip the fabrics/papers and paint it, instead!
trim with scissors.
add ribbons or strings if you'd like.

find something that is page-worthy.
a handful of old postage stamps?
old mailing tags?
small flat pebbles?
small sticks?
whatever is lying around that you can glue words onto.
and place inside your storybox.

now find some words.
old books are great to hunt and cut apart.
so are magazines and junk-mail.

now glue your words to the "pages".
(for this sample, i used a small bottle to "page" my words)
glue some words to the outside of the tin.
on the sides of the tin.
on the back.
because stories are not just made on the inside.
they are on the outside too.

place your pages inside your tin.
oh, you can glue scraps to the inside of the tin, too.
if you like.

however you'd like your story to be told.
make it special. make it simple.

now cradle it in your hand.
save it for a rainy day.
give it to a friend.

leave it on the bus.
whatever you think your story should do.
even if it needs to sit in a drawer for a while.

it is nice and quiet.




WANNA PLAY?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

My daughter has joined in and we are having lots of fun making these Storyboxes, thanks Leilani!
photos on my blog here:http://samanthaconklin.blogspot.com/2011/04/baby-go-storybox.html