Чему бы жизнь нас ни учила,
Но сердце верит в чудеса:
Есть нескудеющая сила,
Есть и нетленная краса.

И увядание земное
Цветов не тронет неземных,
И от полуденного зноя
Роса не высохнет на них.

И эта вера не обманет
Того, кто ею лишь живет,
Не всё, что здесь цвело, увянет,
Не всё, что было здесь, пройдет!

Но этой веры для немногих
Лишь тем доступна благодать,
Кто в искушеньях жизни строгих,
Как вы, умел, любя, страдать.

Чужие врачевать недуги
Своим страданием умел,
Кто душу положил за други
И до конца всё претерпел.
1870

Well done, Maria!

You’ve successfully joined The February Puzzle Book challenge! 🎉

Your first prompt will arrive in your inbox on February 1st. From then until the 24th, you’ll receive a brand-new prompt each day (along with access to the previous ones). Piece by piece, you’ll build a puzzle that will eventually reveal your final image!

You can end the challenge here, or you can continue with the bookbinding process, which I will guide you through from February 25th to 28th. It will be simple and fun, and by the end of the month, you’ll have a beautiful handmade book filled with your own artwork — a small masterpiece you created one page at a time.

Here’s what you’ll need to start with:

Artist grade paper (not printer paper) of any size you’re comfortable with. The optimal weight is about 150-200gsm, especially if you'll want to bind it. Very thick paper may not bend very well and the book may not close properly
Pens (fine liners, felt-tips, dip pens—whatever you enjoy using). You can use pencils too, but I encourage you to go with ink pens - my favourite medium!
A pencil, ruler, and eraser
Something to cut your paper (knife, cutting mat).
Don't start cutting yet! Full instructions, including the tools and materials you'll need for bookbinding, will follow soon.

💬 Join the community!
I’ve set up a Discord group where we can all share our progress, chat about the challenge, and encourage each other along the way. 🔗 You can join here and share your fragments as you go! I STRONGLY encourage you to join this group - after the Inktober Mystery challenge, most participants' feedback included how much they loved being part of a supportive group and how important it was in helping them finish the challenge.

Feel free to share your work on Instagram, tagging me or using the hashtag #ioanafebruarychallenge, so we can all see your creations!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reply to this email or contact me on IG at @ioanapioaru.

Good luck!

Ioana ✨