Book Sale - Artists and Crafters Heads Up!

I made these two boxes from repurposed hard back books  (standard size) :

I've spent the last two days volunteering for Cobb County Library - assisting in the unpacking and sorting of books for their semi-annual book sale that starts tomorrow (Friday, March 8th) at 9 am and goes thru Sunday.   The sale is held in two buildings at Jim Miller Park.

Considering our local book stores don't have many books on book binding I wasn't surprised to find that artists hang on to these books and don't donate them.  Don't let that stop you from visiting the book sale.  They have A LOT of books on other subjects (some vintage) that can be used as reference or collage.
However, if you're a book artist or really, any kind of artist or crafter - you owe it yourself to check this out.

FOLKS!!!  These are the sale prices of the books - NO BOOK over $1.50 !!!  Even the large art books that cost over $60 in the book stores are only $1.50.

Some of the prices I remember:
Hardback Books :   $1.50
Paper Back Books (standard romance, mystery, size) :  $ 0.50
Paper Back Books (larger than standard) :  $1.00
Reader's Digest Condensed : $ .25 ea or $2.00 box
DVDs/CD's :  $ 2.00 ea or $ 4.00 boxed set
Magazines :

Categories Building A:
Arts / Music / Architecture / Photography / Movies / Music
African American
Biography / True Crime
Business / Real Estate / Investment & Finance
Computing
Cars / Planes / Trucks / Boats
Cooking
Foreign Language
Georgia & The South
History / Culture & Government Law
Humor
Hobbies / Crafts / Sewing / Models / Knitting / Decorating, etc.
Home & Garden
Literature / Poetry / Short Stories / Essays / Drama / Reading Lists / Classics (incl Spark & Cliff Notes)
Medicine & Health / Diet / Exercise / Families / Childbirth
Religion
Nature / Animals / Plants / Pets / Minerals / Etc.
Reference / Dictionaries / Atlases / etc.
Sociology / Psychology & Self Help
Sports
Travel
Text Books, General / Writing
Christmas
Large Print (All)
Military
Fiction (Hard Back)

Categories Building B:
Children and Youth
Paper Backs (fiction)
DVD / CD / Cassettes / VHS

TA DONE! - Coptic End Bands

I hate to continue leading my posts with TA DA! but when I finally figure something out I just can't help it.

Coptic End Band



In the beginnin....7 1/2" x 5" - 11 signatures - 4 sheets/8 pages

Susan, our instructor for teaching the Coptic End Band technique, brought text blocks for us to keep and practice on (this was very generous).

This stitch is frustrating.  And while I eventually "got it" I didn't like the looks of it.  So I took it apart and decided I needed the solitude of my studio (and probably a couple of days) to figure it out so  I took it home to conquer.

A couple items to note:
- The size of the thread and degree of waxing on the thread makes a difference in the appearance and workability of the Coptic End Band.  I changed from a heavily waxed linen thread to a lesser waxed and more rounded thread and it made a big difference.
- The width of the board also makes a difference.  The wider the board the better to see the stitches (good or bad).  I'm sure with experience it may not matter so much.
- This size book took 91" of thread per end!  I ran out of my first length of the Burgundy (hence the blue on the bottom) about 2/3 the way thru the top stitching.  I had enough on hand to just finish the top, adding it via a weaver's knot in one of the last signatures before proceeding to the back cover.
-  Being brand new to this - I discovered I really needed to concentrate - without distractions (like TV, music, most beloved husband, etc.).

I couldn't leave well enough alone...
- I cut and rounded a strip of Balsa Wood, just long enough to fit the spine between the chain stitches and covered it with a piece of card stock.  This was glued to the center of the Japanese paper.
- The Japanese paper was glued to the covers, over the spine, beginning 1 11/16" from the fore edge of the front cover - using PVA glue.
- I cut and shaped two pieces of 1/4" balsa wood for the front and back covers.
- Balsa Wood is very soft and easily marred.  To circumvent any noticeable dings in the future, I used a decorative hammer to mark it up after painting the wood with black acrylic.
- The wood pieces were glued to the covers, over the Japanese papaer, matching up at the edge of the spine extending towards the fore edge about 3 3/8".  I used Ultimate Glue.
- I drew the dragonfly with Prismacolor black pens, colored it with colored pencils and spritzed the drawing with FW shimmering acrylic ink.

Had I been as concerned with design as I had been about conquering the Coptic End Band I probably would have continued the black branches from the Japanese paper pattern over to the drawing for the dragonfly vs green vegetation - duh.

AND - in hindsight I wouldn't have experimented with rounding the spine between the chain stitches.  It caused a little tearing in the paper where the thread comes thru.

TA DONE!

Recycled Eyeliner = Fine Line Travel Paint Brush +1

Sometimes I just can't help myself.  

When I get some clear head space, no TV, no Radio, no people, no books (usually in the shower, brushing my teeth or driving) - ideas just start popping.

The latest is this.  I was thinking about the collapsable box.  If you took two of them with you when you travel or to a workshop (of course you'll have your pencils, etc) you could use one to store your pencils, brushes and/or tools and the other you could put a quart zip lock bag in and use as a disposable water container.  COOL OR WHAT?

Collapsable Box (Full Post Here)

AND THEN as I was cleaning up I went to throw away an empty liquid eyeliner and it wouldn't leave my hand (if you saw my studio you'd know this is a common occurrence :).  It made a fabulous fine line.  One thing lead to another...I took out the rubber stopper and cleaned out the tube and cleaned the brush.  Now I have a fine line paint brush to add to my art traveling kit.  If I choose I can put water in the tube to keep the brush wet until I can clean it of paint - or I can clean it in my collapsable box that has the quart ziplock with water in it.  HA!

Happy Holidays!

We wish you Merry Everthing and Happiness Always!

May the New Year 

bring you more Happiness and Peace 

than you know what to do with!

Two more print making techniques under my belt!!

The product to remember is Gomuban - I'll get to it in the middle of this post.

Ink and Markers

I sketched and doodled a Kimono a couple of years ago on a piece of paper that had an architect's house plans on the back (c1966) - it's about 14 X 18.

When I knew I was accompanying my husband to Oregon I googled "art stores, classes, workshops", etc and came across Atelier 6000 Printmaking Studio and Gallery atelier6000.org.  I called and asked if they had any classes or workshops going on during the week I would be there.  They didn't - but they were able to work up a two day workshop to accommodate my schedule.  I went prepared with reduced copies of things I could use (the above print being one).  I swear - it couldn't have been a better experience.  If you get to visit ask to see the Vaquero Buckaroo book.  They hand printed and stitched 75 copies, each residing in a Juniper wood box - totally awesome!

Back to the workshop:  

The first day of my workshop I was taught printmaking - using inks, papers and the presses for making decorative paper (from sizes 5/7 up to 24 x 36).  I applied inks to glass and then paper to the glass and then rolled it like a sandwich.   The outcome was some really pretty paper.  It was too "accidental" for me, so while it was an experience I would not have passed up - it's probably one I won't pursue further.

The second day I learned how to carve into Gomuban.  A soft, easy to carve synthetic rubber used as a relief printing block.   The Gomuban tile was glued to a piece of thin cardboard for ease in moving during printing.  A reduced copy of the Kimono was used to make the tracing onto the Gomuban by putting a piece of red carbon paper behind it, then tracing the kimono and all it's designs with a pencil.  The carbon left a red outline on the Gomuban.  Using their tools I carved away at the outlines (carved Gamuban on left above) to create my print (print on right above).  The carved Kimono is approximately 10" high.  Because I wanted all the detail it took a little while - but the completed carving and printings were done in a day.  I will definitely be trying this again.

What do you think?  

Forgot to put out the "Gone Fishing" sign.

Just Hey.

Since I've been away (sorry I didn't put out a "gone fishing" sign) I've gone to

Oregon

Crater Lake (look it up - you gotta go!!)

Canada

BC was gorgeous - the people were awesome!
This is a picture taken with my IPhone at the BC museum - HA! 

Washington (Seattle)

What a colorful, unique, City.

Florida

We celebrated the 88th Birthday of the most wonderful Mother In Law in Mother In Law'dom.   She raised the Man of My Dreams - what more can I say.

Marion

Speaking of Dreams... this is Gabi my 3 1/2 year old Granddaughter.  I forgot how energetic little ones can be.  We had a blast  for 2 1/2 weeks.

We had a deal - she would stand still for me to take pictures in
a few hats and she could take some wooden birds off of their stakes (sitting in a pot outside)
and pose for pictures of her choice.  I had to move FAST!  Not bad for an IPhone.

This is serious.  She's activated her wand and is in the process of
casting a spell on me.   It begins with "Bippity Bobbity....."

We went everywhere, had picnics as the weather permitted, played games and made crafts (she kept saying "you've got a lot of STUFF")  HA!  I'm now a serious believer in afternoon naps - for me.

A LOT of other stuff happened that I'll share as I catch up (and get more familiar with my MAC).  For example - the folks at Atieler 6000 - Printing Making Studio and Gallery  www.atelier6000.org  in Bend, Oregon created a two day - one person - workshop for me when I called and said I'd be joining my husband at a conference in their City.  I carved and printed a copy of the Kimono I drew a few years back.  I'll share it in another post.  You'll want to try this.  If I can do it - you can.

Have a fabulous day.
Janet

Repurposed Lemony Snickets - Greek Binding

OK - I didn't want to use my wood covered book to experiment making the Coptic Endband so I took two Lemony Snicket books that I dug out of the library's RIP box to make a book to experiment on.

This picture shows the covers separated from text block and
the front sides already trimmed back.

I cut off the sides that were torn, covered one side with burgandy paper and painted the other edge.  The cover pictures were torn so I covered them with pictures from inside the book.  I used cut out pictures on the inside of both covers and the outside of the back cover.

7 1/4" x 4 3/8" x 1 3/8"

I reused the old library pocket, glueing it to the inside back cover.
Then I cut and glued on a picture from inside the book - making sure
it would still be a pocket.

I tried a new stitch.... the greek binding stitch.  It took a little bit to figure it out but once you start - it's relatively easy.    TIP:  Copy the pages out of your Keith Smith book and, using different color pencils, color the stitches in the various steps.  It helps to keep your eyes from crossing and keep the stitches straight.

16 signatures / 5 sheets each - text weight
I waxed and used size 20 cotton thread.  Had I used a
bigger thread the beauty of this stitch would be
more evident.

This is fun to hold.  So I didn't use this one to experiment on either ;(