Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Category: Book Binding & Paper Craft

Storylines: Voices in the Street

Exploring new places is one of my absolute favourite things to do. All those new little nooks and crannies to explore. Those new cafes and bookshops to discover. The hidden gems just waiting to be found. On the weekend I was lucky enough to be able to combine my twin loves of exploring and writing when I caught public transport to the Voices in the Street: Storylines poetry workshop hosted by Mothertoungue, a long running Naarm poetry night.

It was a rare, sunny day here in late winter and I had an enjoyable stroll from the station to the Ivanhoe library where the workshop was being held. I found the cutest ever bookshop that almost took all my money (but not quite) and a bulk food store that had the best trail mix ever and gorgeous mini white Persian figs. Oh my. They were so good that I went back and bought more after the workshop!

When I walked into the workshop room I was greeted with a table filled with art supplies, flowers, leaves, feathers, an emu egg and a couple of coolamons made by Aunty Sharon. It was my first clue that this workshop was going to be anything but ordinary!

Aunty Sharon Hughes and Kristen Munro from the Storylines Aboriginal Writers Group were our facilitators. We started with a beautiful movement practice led by Kristin that called on the land and the elements. We were guided through a fabulous writing prompt to create five lines of poetry. We then learnt how to make mini books and spent the rest of the afternoon happily collaging and decorating our mini books with the art supplies on the table.

It was so wonderful to be making something with my hands again. Poetry, art and books? I was in heaven!

Thanks Aunty Sharon, Kristin and Mothertongue for a fabulous afternoon!

August 26, 2024
Mark Your Place

…with one of these gorgeous bookmarks I've designed to mark the launch of my second collection of poetry, Pas De Deux, published by Ginninderra Press. I'm really not sure which design to go with. I love all three of them!

I've used the welcome swallows from the cover of my book for the front of the bookmarks. The birds then fly on to the back of the book mark where they dance around an excerpt from one of the poems (I'm being poetical here, not literal. Sadly technology hasn't advanced far enough yet for actual flying birds on bookmarks but when it does, I'll be the first in line to get some.)

I think my new favourite thing to do is graphic design. I'm addicted to the free online tool, Canva, which lets you design pretty much anything. And the great thing about the site is that there's bunch of stuff you can get printed through them for a reasonable price. So far I've had postcards (for my book launch and The Poet's Express newsletter) and business cards (for my side gig, The Pocketry Almanack) made with great results.

For these bookmarks, however, I'm going to be using a different company for the printing. Black Rainbow is an ethical Australian printer based in Victoria. They use vegetable based inks, recycled paper and solar power to produce printed materials. When it comes to looking after the planet. every little but helps.

April 8, 2021
Sing Along

Last year during lockdown I compiled a collection of songs that I learnt to sing at Firekeepers' events in and around Melbourne. Some of the songs were even learnt in online sessions when I hosted song circles with my ten year old daughter. I had a lot of fun tracking down the origins of the songs, finding their creators and the original lyrics. I also included links to audio recording where I could so anyone who reads the songbook can learn any of the songs that appeal to them. I can't read music so being able to hear a song is the way I learn it.

I printed out a copy of the songbook and bound it using some brown coloured cardboard I bought. That songbook was left with a good friend when I went to visit her so I needed to make a new copy. And being me, I decided to make a few (five actually) while I was at it. I love making more than one of something. I wanted to use some gorgeous paper for the covers and I had the brainwave of eco-dying the paper. I really don't know why I hadn't thought of it earlier.

So all that happened last year and the books have been sitting on my desk ever since. I did bind one back in February to give to a friend's daughter for her birthday but the rest have been waiting for me to get around to them. This being the impromptu weekend of craft, I finally made them into books.

I can't wait to take one away with me next week when we go camping again with the Firekeepers' community. It's been 15 month since the last camp and we're all hanging out to be back in the bush, running wild.

April 4, 2021
All Bound Together

It's poetry month and time again for the Dirty Thirty Poetry Challenge on Facebook. Which means I need a journal in which to record all the poems I write during the challenge. Last year I made a leather journal which I love so this year I'm making another one. I can see journal making being an annual event. I love the idea of a having a collection of journals lined up on the shelf.

The leather is cow hide from a place down in Tassie I visited latest year when I was staying with some friends. I've used some cheapish watercolour paper for the pages as I like to write with felt tipped pens and occasionally draw pictures. Ink drawn on thinner paper ends up showing through to the other side.

There's something reassuring and familiar about using the same materials year in and year out. I don't alway like predictability, in fact I am a huge fan of variety, but in this case it feels like coming home. Sitting in my study in the morning before anyone gets up, reading the prompt for the day and then scribbling down my thoughts. It's linking my past self to my current self and I like the two Indrani's being in the same room together. Who knows, maybe future Indrani is in there with them as well. Only time will tell.

April 3, 2021
Gratitude

It's been a long time since I've made anything with my hands. So long in fact, that I can't remember the last thing I made. Terrible for someone who professes to be a maker! I've been caught up in getting ready for the launch of my second collection of poetry, Pas De Deux which happened last week and haven't had any time for craft. Shocking!

Today is a public holiday and there's nowhere I have to be so I am using this little window of time to get a few things made. The first is some thank you cards to send out the lovely people who helped make my book launch such a success.

I went through my card making stash this morning and found these strips of eco dyed paper which I am turning into some concertina style cards. I"d chucked them in the drawer straight after dyeing so they needed a lot of ironing to get out all the creases. I know – ironing paper seems like a bizarre thing to do. The first time I ironed paper I was freaking out, afraid that I would scorch the paper or set it on fire. But no, neither of those things happened. Before you all go out and iron paper you need to know that I'm talking about heavy duty watercolour paper here, not your standard printer paper. I'm not sure how that would cope with being ironed.

I'm really chuffed with the vintage toast rack I picked up at a local market bazaar shop. It's prefect for holding pieces of eco dyed paper that are drying out or books that are waiting be bound.

What are you doing this long weekend with your extra time? Making something I hope!

April 2, 2021
Strung Together

It's a tradition in this house for my girls to make presents for their relatives. They've been making cards and Christmas presents for grandparents and aunts and uncles since they were tiny. I guess it isn't surprising given how much handmade craft happens around them although I have to say with poetry consuming so much of my time and attention lately, there's been a lot less time for craft. Although I do manage to sneak in a bit here and there.

We've been through a big phase of fabric gifts embellished with artwork – bookmarks, calico shopping bags, tea towels, aprons and t-shirts. This year my oldest girl who is becoming quite an accomplished artist is doing paintings for everyone. She works in watercolours and acrylics, drawing all sorts of things – landscapes, people and still lives.

My youngest girl had the brilliant idea of making hand bound books for everyone. Of course she wanted to make the fanciest (ie most time consuming) type. So we've been madly cutting, folding, burnishing, sewing, gluing and pressing for the last few days. I know Christmas is still a while off but I wanted to get them made nice and early. And luckily I did because when I took them into the post office yesterday to send on their merry way, the lady said it was pretty much the last day to send a package by ordinary post to get to Canberra in time.

It's quite a process and when you're making ten books in one go it can become quite tedious. My girl was starting to flag so I did a fair bit of the heavy lifting so to speak but she did take part in every step. We had some chats about why we were making things because halfway through she was wanting to quit and just go out and buy presents instead.

I've always maintained that her family spend so much time and money doing nice things for her that it's only right she should spend some of her time making things for them. Of course there's the added bonus of being able to give the people you love something beautiful you have made with your own two hands – in my opinion no store bought thing will ever have all the love you put into handmade gifts.

And really, who doesn't love handmade gifts? The wonkier the better of course!

December 12, 2020
Still: Books

This book contains the poem, Still: Books, that inspired my process zine, Some Thoughts About Writing A Poem For A Journal. The zine details my creative process for writing this particular poem. There's an art to writing a poem for publication. It's an art I am struggling to learn. But I keep on trying and keep piling up the rejection letters. In the meantime, I'm making books and making art with my 'failures'.

I always felt Some Thoughts About Writing A Poem For A Journal was the first volume of a two volume set of books. Volume 2 of course, would contain the poem referred to in Some Thoughts About Writing A Poem For A Journal.

After making notebooks with eco-dyed paper covers I was itching to make one containing my poetry. And here it is. If you're interested in buying one, you'll find copies of Still: Books and Some Thoughts About Writing A Poem For A Journal in my shop.

June 23, 2020
Noted

After the success of my first notebook with an eco-dyed cover I just had to make some more. Being me, I got rather carried away and used a whole pad of A3 watercolour paper to make eight A6 sized notebooks.

I feel like I'll be making more of these in future and can't believe it took me so long to get around to eco-dyeing paper and turning it into books!

June 11, 2020
A Sketchfolio

This is the first book I made from Tangle Journey: Exploring the Far Reaches if Tangle Drawing, From Simple Strokes to Colour and Mixed Media by Beckah Krahula. She calls it a sketch folio. It has nifty little pockets in which you can store paper as well as a notebook sewn into the main compartment at the back. It's such an ingenious design.

Unfortunately I didn't have any Lotka paper and the biggest size I had was A3 watercolour so my sketch folios are super small. But they're also super cute. I had so much fun making them that I ended up making three! One each for myself and my two girls.

After making them I went to sleep dreaming up variations and wondering if I could make one big enough to hold the 9x9cm zen tangle drawings I wanted to create. The answer was yes! The width of one A3 sheet of paper was enough to make a sketch folio with two pockets at the front and two on the inside.

I can't wait to fill these little folios with drawings.

May 19, 2020
Handmade Cards

One of things I'm enjoying about enforced social isolation and the resultant slowing down is having time to draw and make cards. When my girls were little life seemed to move at a slower pace and we always had time to make cards for birthdays and special occasions. In recent times we've been lucky if we remember someone's birthday and send them a text message. I know it's the thought that counts but would you prefer a handmade card in the mail which you can display or a few megabytes on your phone? I know which I'd rather have.

I made these cards last week using a bookmark I was sent as inspiration for the design. I used a water brush pen, water colour paints and water colour paper for the cards. (There's a bit of a theme here!). The water brush pen is super nifty, As its name suggests, it has water in the barrel of the pen and you gently squeeze it to wet the brush. Awesome for art on the move with the added bonus no mess to clean up after painting. It also minimises the amount of water you use and then having to dispose of dirty water down the drain.

Once the paint had dried, I used a graphic fineliner pen to decorate and embellish. It was fun to add bits of nature to the splash of colour on the page.

I like them so much it's going to be hard to part with them.

What are you finding time to do now that you're having to slow down?

May 5, 2020