April's Guest Workshop with Margaret Beech

Please Note: April's meeting and workshop will be on a different time and on a different day than usual. We will be meeting on the 3rd Saturday in the morning. But we'll be in our usual location: BSS 166 on the HSU campus in Arcata.

April's Special Guest Workshop with Margaret Beech:

Dottie Alphabet for Non-calligraphers and a Nested Envelope Book with Four Signatures

Come join us for a very special workshop with Margaret Beech, our truly creative member from York, England. Margaret joined NORBAG in March 1998 and has not missed one exchange in all of that time (with the exception of the month when we handed out Chinese takeout boxes to be made into an exchange book). Her joy of book arts and her calligraphy have infected all of us. To date she has participated in over 140 exchanges across the pond to NORBAG. She has also contributed projects for our newsletter, articles for Bound & Lettered and also organized the book exchange between members of Quartro in the UK and members of NORBAG. Please visit her web pages at: www.beeches13.skyrock.com to view her books. 

Our workshop will begin with a Dottie Alphabet for non-calligraphers in the morning and continue with a nested envelope book in the afternoon.


Saturday, April 17
9:30 AM: Meet Margaret
10:00 AM: Promptly start learning and practicing the Dottie Alphabet.
Noon: Break for lunch and book exchange. (Please bring a brown bag lunch.)
1:00 PM: Nested Envelope Book in which you will use the Dottie Alphabet you just learned.
Note: If you're not able to join us for the workshop, please feel free to come by from noon to 1 PM to meet Margaret. 


Materials to bring: 
Monoline pen (Pigma Micro is a good choice--can be .20, .25 or .30 mm. These are available at Ellis Art and Engineering)
Pencil
Eraser
Ruler
New glue stick
Needle, thread, beeswax
Colored felt tip pens or colored pencils
Used postage stamps. Note: there will be extras if you don't have any.
12" square or scrapbooking paper or gift wrap (non-directional)
Envelope linings or other decorative paper (non-directional). Note: Extras will be available. 


We need you, please, to RSVP by April 12 at the latest! Please let us know as soon as you can...How about right now! Margaret will be bringing cut squares of materials that will be put in your books and she has to get these ready. The actual book papers also need to be cut ahead of time and will be provided for you. Please call or email Dolores if you're coming (even if you're not absolutely sure) so there will be enough kits ready for everyone. Dolores's contact info is on page 2 of any newsletter as well as in your membership directory.

Busy Hands, 1000 Books

Our March meeting was devoted to beginning the process of constructing 1000 books which we will sell for $1 each. This is a benefit for the Humboldt Literacy Project. We had a great turnout and members cut, folded, creased, and glued many books. To give you an idea of the scale of the project, this box contains only 200 of the 1000 books. They have been cut and folded but the covers still needed to be cut and then the pages needed to be glued inside the covers.
The slideshow will give you an idea of the fun we had and you'll also see it wasn't all work and no play. We're off to a good start. Thanks to Sandy Vrem for organizing the project and leading the workshop and thanks to Bonnie Julien for the photos and writing the captions. Thank you Jill (a member from England) for the tea and cookies. How perfect!

You may click on the photos to see larger images in Picasa.

March Workshop--1,000 Books for Literacy

Earlier this year our board approved a special fund-raising effort to help the nonprofit Humboldt Literacy Project. Their mission is to teach Humboldt County adults the literacy skills they need on the job, at home and in our community. They also work to promote public awareness of the magnitude and negative effects of illiteracy.

At this workshop we will begin assembling 1,000 books which will be made from a single sheet of paper. These will be cut and folded to make small books that will be sold for $1.00 at a fund-raising event at Eureka Books on September 3rd. All proceeds will benefit Humboldt Literacy Project.

The pages will come printed. All we need to do is fold, cut and attach the covers. The topics for the little books so far are Peace, Nature, Art, Reading and a Child’s Book. You will be able to take materials home if you wish to continue working on this project. 

Please come help with this very worthy cause.

What to bring:

Bone folder
Metal ruler
Cutting mat
Craft knife 
Scissors
Glue stick
Scrap paper 
Colored pencils
Nature stamps
Papers for covers: we will need pieces that are about 5x6"…don’t pre-cut. Keep in mind the topics: Peace, Nature, Art, Reading and a Child’s Book. We suggest primary colors for the Child’s Book.

Sandy Vrem will bring the printed pages, some pre-cut covers and whatever she can think of to enhance the covers.

Newport Paper Arts Fest 2010

The fifteenth paper arts festival held in Newport, Oregon, will take place this April 23, 24, and 25. There are eighteen classes taught by thirteen artists. We have quite a number of members who attend regularly and Dolores will be teaching a workshop. Registration is determined by postmark date, so act quickly! Use this link to read more about instructors and for access to the festival brochure and the registration form (see the links to the pdf files at the bottom of the page). 
Newport Paper Arts Fest 2010