Diana Medina is doing something no other designer has done before -- creating scarves using images from items in the Vatican Library collection.

After having designed custom-made scarves from pictures submitted by clients, Medina, owner of Digital Imaging Studios in Bethesda, Md., is currently doing the same thing with the library images.

Medina, a Catholic, said she will give a portion of all scarf proceeds to the Vatican Library.

Among its holdings the library has Bibles, crosses, maps and a huge section on Egyptian art, she said.

"Their designs aren't necessarily religious," Medina said in a phone interview with Catholic News Service. "They will appeal to everyone."

She added that Catholics are attracted to the scarves because of their connection with the Vatican.

"The reason I wanted to do this was to look at these images," Medina said. "Now, I have access to all these images." Her Web site, www.digitalimagingstudios.net, shows examples of her scarves.

Not only does she reproduce images from the library's artifacts, but she creates new designs using the collection's imagery.

Creating a brand new image is challenging yet rewarding for Medina, who has a passion for history and antiquity.

"It's fantastic," she said. "I can create something brand new that has never been designed before."

Medina, who has a master's degree in geology, makes the scarves herself. She was self-taught, having acquired an interest in art from her mother and sister.

A California licensing company, 1451 International Ltd., has a licensing agreement with Medina that gives her access to Vatican Library images. The company bought rights to the Vatican Library images April 5, 2000.

Before the arrangement with 1451 International, the library's collection had not been accessible to anyone but church officials and scholars since its founding, which was in 1451.

-- CNS