Collectively Chasiti

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Collectively Chasiti ARTIST in WATER VALLEY, MS
• Experimental Art
• Painter & Mark Maker
• Ink & Nib Drawing
• Photography

My upcycled sketchbook. It's neat.&& Sewn by my own hands. 🪡The cardboard is my favorite part. I had to rehab an old one...
10/09/2026

My upcycled sketchbook. It's neat.
&& Sewn by my own hands. 🪡

The cardboard is my favorite part. I had to rehab an old one that was falling apart at the binding as soon as I started using it. That was little over 3 years ago. I couldn't justify throwing it away. I even managed to get a smaller, wonky size sketchbook (not pictured) from rescuing the torn and ripped sheets.

Haven't even used 'em. Yet.

My batteries are all dead. But. Ya'll. 🥹 I had enough juice in one to hop outside and do a 5 minute test run with my cam...
10/09/2026

My batteries are all dead. But. Ya'll. 🥹 I had enough juice in one to hop outside and do a 5 minute test run with my camera.

I'm good. My janky eye is good... enough. My double vision has healed enough to the point that I decided (on a whim) to attempt getting back behind my camera. Glad I did.

I purchased an amazing camera a couple of years ago. It's the upgrade I had been wanting for quite some time. Decades. However, I wasn't exactly able to use it... cause life. And then the crash happened. And that affected my face and my vision; the side I have always considered my dominant side. I forgot how awesome that camera is. Combined with my in-camera skills, of course.

Anyway. I had been getting lost in the lighting in our woods for the past week. It's that fall light, and it's so dreamy. Today, I captured it. And it gave me so much hope. I may be dented and scarred up, but... I'm ABLE. Thank God. I can still take pictures with a real camera.

Mass production continues.It went from 14 notebook signatures to a whopping 39. Well, it was 25. But something felt weir...
10/09/2026

Mass production continues.

It went from 14 notebook signatures to a whopping 39. Well, it was 25. But something felt weird about them. They felt heavier. Thankfully I took notes of the details of my prototypes. Turns out, they were heavier. I was adding 7 sheets too many to each signature.

My version of mass production...by hand.Was able to get 14 signatures for pocket-size notebooks assembled yesterday. I'm...
10/08/2026

My version of mass production...by hand.

Was able to get 14 signatures for pocket-size notebooks assembled yesterday. I'm shooting for 20. So, I have a few more to do today.

SIDENOTE — this paper is so good. There is no bleeding through. The surface is super smooth, too. I use very inky pens, and struggled to find a pocket-sized notebook to meet that need. Which is why I learned to make my own.

Next up is cutting and scoring brown kraft cardstock for the notebook covers. I really like keeping them blank though, because it allows for individual creativity. Kinda like the old brown paper bags we would use to cover our textbooks in school with.

I also have to "shave" my signature edges before I get to the final step of stitching everything together. Stitches over staples!

10/05/2026

The best piece of art I saw at the 2026 Art Crawl? It was God's artwork; a teenage girl writing in her journal while her parents played their live set. Surrounded by art and antiques, both in human and artifact form, in one of the most historical buildings in Water Valley, she sat there... content with documenting her observations. Writing — she was writing. && That young woman was the art; a live display.

09/30/2026

In this age of Ai
and rapid short
attention spans...

remember to use your brain
and also think for yourself.

Do research.
Read a physical book.
Write by hand.
Draw.

Work them neurotransmitters.

Go outside and be with nature.
Get to know people, gently, over time.

09/28/2026

Finishing a pen really is an awesome feeling.

Some cool stuff going on around my town of Water Valley, MS. The 'ber months are always a busy time of year for us. ART ...
09/23/2026

Some cool stuff going on around my town of Water Valley, MS. The 'ber months are always a busy time of year for us. ART CRAWL soon! One of these days I'll be part of it rather than an observer. Life beat me down last year.

STAY IN THE LOOP with this awesome online calendar for all things WATER VALLEY.
https://watervalley365.com/

There's been some business additions to Main Street this year; Cattywampus && The Gordon Gallery. And "Alley in the Valley" — nestled between both of these brick & mortars. Also, this is not photo. It's one that's floating around from where a local repainted the art crawl sign due to weathering.

09/22/2026

Quality writing paper will be in tomorrow due to delay in shipment. Ohhh well. I'll live. Ha!

However! My black waxed thread and bulk order of #11 exacto blades are in today. I handcut the edges of the notebooks I make. Actually, I handcut everything. And it didn't really occur to me that my blade would eventually get dull...until it got dull. I also use them for creating collages.

Ya live. Ya learn. Hahaha!

In making my prototypes for the past month, I've discovered a method for handmade "mass production". I'll be making a whole bunch of pocket notebooks soon. I want to be able to pull them when I need them, as well as put 'em up for purchase individually and as sets. I want to make some A5 size notebooks, too.

I'm also making 100% upcycled junk art journals of various sizes from all Amazon package and delivery "trash". Well, the binding thread is the only brand new thing used in these upcycled stationary bits. I guess these are "folk fodder journals"? Yeah. That's what I'm going to describe 'em as.

It's the most fun — making books.

Address

Water Valley, MS

Telephone

+16628328673

Website

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