The deadline's upon us, but there's still time for the procrastinators amongst us. Share your Kolo window! If you'd like to participate in the "What's In Your Kolo Window?" contest, just email a photo(s) of your Kolo window(s), as an attachment(s), to kolowindows@kolo-usa.com by the end of Wednesday, Sept. 30. Please write "Kolo Window" in the subject line of your email. The winners will get some cool archival Kolo photo albums and boxes. For details, go here.

The winners will be announced here on Koloist in a week or so.

For inspiration, a couple examples of interesting Kolo windows from Koloist Contributor Lie Fhung (not eligible to win):

The first is the cover of an exquisite family photo album in which Fhung made layouts using her own stamp designs. She chose a chartreuse Kolo Newbury ribbon-bound photo album. The cover window is a dried flower that she placed between transparent sheets, stamped with a decorative border. For more of this album, go here.

The second example above, also by Lie Fhung, is the cover of a small Kolo Noci album that Fhung aptly and poetically titled "Soar." This photo album is her keepsake of a journey she made from Hong Kong to the States for her wintery Artist in Residency experience at Vermont Studio Centre. More creative details and layouts of this album are here.

Lie Fhung is an accomplished "digiscraptist," a graphic designer and artist, also well known for her work in ceramics. Many of the stamps and kits used in these two projects are her own designs, and can be found at www.ztampf.com

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Thought it would be inspiring to look at the Kolo windows of some of our esteemed Koloist Contributors. (These aren't eligible for the contest.) Here are two of my favorites from children's book author and illustrator, Steve Light.

(More great Kolo window examples from Koloist Contributors later today... Note the deadline for submissions to the "What's In your Kolo Window?" contest is fast approaching - tomorrow, Sept. 30th.)

The first project above, by Steve Light (made with a Kolo Cortina album in "platinum") was inspired by one of his heroes, a giant in the illustration world, Saul Steinberg. This little Kolo book is filled with Steve's "illustrated snapshots," set off nicely with this creative Kolo window, giving a hint at what's inside: fun, interpretive drawings of photographs found in his old family photo albums. For much more about this project, including Steve's excellent tips about keeping a positive attitude when you have to "sell your art," go here.

This second project above, also by Steve Light, shows the cover of his Organ Grinder illustrated storybook, which he made with a chocolate Kolo Luxury Cortina, soaked in tea for an antique, distressed look. This is the cover window of Organ Grinder -- the intricate wooden "carving" Steve cut with a jeweler's saw. (Did I mention he is also a toy maker?) More photos and details about Steve's Organ Grinder storybook are here and here.

If you'd like to participate in the "What's In Your Kolo Window?" contest, there's still time! For more info go here -- you could win a bunch of cool archival Kolo blank books. Go ahead, give it a go.

If you're unfamiliar with the art of Steve Light, go here -- you're in for a treat.

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1. Motorman's Kolo Essex Travel Book window

2. Robyn Hart Williams' Kolo Newport window

3. Kathleen Jacobs' Kolo Essex Travel Book window

We're getting an interesting variety of photos in for the "What's In Your Kolo Window?" contest. Here's a peek at a few:

1. Motorman slid a Jolly Roger into the cover window of his Kolo Essex Travel Book. He shot this on his road trip "Up North" in Mackinaw City, Michigan. He also tried out a Mary Jane candy wrapper in his cover window.

2. Kolo Facebook friend Robyn Hart Williams: "I love the Kolo albums with window covers and here's one of my windows...the photo in the cover window is a close-up of a charm."

3. Artist Kathleen Jacobs uses small Kolo albums for sketching and mini art portfolios. She put a crop of a painting she likes (by David Moriarty), shrunken down, in the cover window of her Kolo Essex Travel Book, and said: "I like the way the ochre color of the painting looks against the red fabric..."

Show us your Kolo window! Just email a photo(s) of your Kolo window as an attachment(s) to kolowindows@kolo-usa.com on or before Sept. 30, 2009.

For more details about the contest, go here.

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So... Motorman is a biologist? Zoologist? A novice naturalist? Whatever, we love this photo he sent in showing yet another way he uses his Kolo Essex Travel Book. (Thanks, man.)

Motorman also uses his Kolo Essex to map out his road trips and best gas stops, stash cash, and create fish maps for future reference.

He's also entered the "What's In Your Kolo Window?" contest... Stay tuned, more later.

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Got a cool Kolo window? Let's see it!

There's still time to get your entry in for the "What's In Your Kolo Window?" contest by September 30th. Simply send your photo(s) of your Kolo album-cover window(s) as an email attachment to kolowindows@kolo-usa.com . Write "Kolo Cover Window" in the subject line.

We'll show the best entries here on Koloist, Kolo Facebook and Flickr. Five will be selected to receive prizes of Kolo archival albums, boxes and accessories. Submissions will be judged by professional photographers and designers. Submit as many photos of as many Kolo windows as you like.

A few Koloist visitors have asked if they could submit photos of Kolo windows that have already been seen on this blog -- of course! A great Kolo window is a great Kolo window. (Sorry, Kolo employees and their family members can't win, but are welcome to share their photos.)

For inspiration, check out the cover window in this Kolo Matchbook paper photo album, several of which L.A. photographer/Koloist contributor Jules Bianchi created as Halloween party favors:

I dress my dog Olive up in a different Halloween costume every year. Last year she was a bat! Before my Halloween party, I had already slipped a photograph of her in her bat costume in the front cover window of several Kolo Matchbook albums, and put a shot of her on the first page of each album, proudly displaying the pumpkins we carved earlier in the week. By the time the party was over, the albums were filled with photos of my friends and their pets in costume, too! Each guest went home with one as a fun souvenir.

For more about this project, go here. And check out Jules Bianchi Photography here.

To see other Kolo window examples, for inspiration, go here and scroll down.

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