Pastecraft

Here is a truly unique and exciting folk art that makes people want to call Aunt Mary in Des Moines and tell her how easy it is. You can almost learn it over the phone. Created and named by Mary Lou Cook, pastecraft is simple and fun for the veriest beginner, as the author says. Using paste, fabric and shellac to cover solid objects, PASTECRAFT is practical, creative and absolutely no-fail. It can transform throw-aways into something of beauty for gifts and home decorating. One can cover old trunks, suitcases, books, the refrigerator, frames, coffee tables, trays, file cabinets, and on and on and on. This book is a must for every home, classroom and therapists office. It brings ideas, inspiration, self-esteem, and joy to the maker, and it even convinces the so-called non-creative person that he or she can truly do wonders with simple ingredients. And, included in this book is almost forty pages devoted to calligraphy, including instructions, ideas, quotes, and broadsides that can be reproduced for framing.MARY LOU COOK, a.k.a. MLC, is a true Renaissance woman, a master teacher, author, calligrapher, nuclear waste activist, inspirational speaker, Bishop of the Cloth, peace advocate, philosopher, bookbinder, needlewoman, counselor, and designer. And, to top it off, she has been named a Santa Fe Living Treasure. MLC has received many national and international honors and awards, and is often featured in book and the media. She calls herself an octogeranium. A rare flower indeed!