North Redwoods Book Arts Guild

If you are interested in more info or joining, please email to no.redwoods.bag@gmail.com

Sunday, July 16, 2017

NORBAG July 17, 2017 - Machines and Tools



Members bring a myriad of skills and interests to book arts. In the last few years we have had artists who started with card and scrap-booking interests enter the guild. Those two fields have strong support in the craft industry and have given us many new tools and machines to use in book arts. We have always used stamps, scissors, die cuts and embossers. Today, because of the craft industry, the options are unlimited. How do we decide what will work with our own books?

This month, Connie Stewart had the answer. She invited us into her home. Connie converted her guest bedroom into her art center. It is impressive how she stores things so that they are readily available. She had filled tables and counters in several areas of the house with her supplies, tools and machines for us to play with. Then she invited us to see and touch every single thing. We were off to explore her supplies.

This is Connie. She immediately said to touch and try everything.


Kenzie is in the middle of the art room. If you look in the corner you can see a box on the wall that is filled with punches. Connie displays her books on the shelf that is about 18" from the ceiling. The white boards are magnetic and have die cuts that are purchased in graduated sizes. 




   

To the right of the first picture is a second wall with another storage unit. This is for a particular brand of stamp pads with both ink pads and matching pens. Kenzie is on the left, Judy R. is seated, Sandy V. is in the foreground and Kay is checking out the stamp sets.

Connie used a clothes closet for an additional storage area for her materials. She built shelves above where the clothes would normally be hung. She has put in several plastic towers with drawers for some materials. Connie said that she used to keep her smaller papers in 12x12" plastic boxes but it wasn't really convenient. So now she uses magazine (clear plastic) to store the papers. She sorts them by the rainbow color method. Everything is easy to see and get to. (Sorry, no picture.) Even those things that are in chipboard boxes are labeled. No real guesswork about where something is.


Connie has a ring binder system that she keeps all of her bits and pieces in. Bits and pieces? Ribbons, ephemera, odd bits of paper, die cuts of things she uses.

In the art room were stamp pads. Here in the living room are paints, spray inks, palettes, a spray booth and general storage for various kinds of paints and sprays.

The kitchen table has three print makers/embossers/die cut tools. And we played with each and every one.

Barbara came to see what machines she might like to buy eventually. I am not sure about her, but I was overwhelmed! So many things to have fun with. In front of Barbara were die cuts with related stamps.

Kathy dove right in!
On the table were stamp and die cut sets along with examples of how they can be used.



Connie demonstrated a punch that cuts multiple parts and makes a little bow. In the foreground is a punch that is upside down showing a punch that cuts multiple parts.

These are some of my favorites. Connie is demonstrating a scoring board that will enable you to score either vertically or diagonally. The green paper cutter has a different technology. No circular blade or cutting platen to be replaced. Instead, there is a blade in the white section that self sharpens on the metal side piece. And the grid is 1/4" instead of 1/2" spaces. Kay, Denise and Judy are around this area.

Dolores is holding a clear plastic ruler. The blue part is a 2" piece of plastic that is perpendicular to the ruler for holding on to while cutting.

This cutting board is magnetic and comes in three parts. It is not a solid line but a curved edge that snaps together. Also, the ruler is steel and adheres to the board. Notice the snap blade box cutter in the middle. If you don't like Xacto type knives, Connie said this is the best.


There were so many other things: an envelope maker, awls, stamp positioners, a computer controlled die cutter and many more that I simply can't remember.

Since we were away from our usual meeting place, we had our meeting and book exchange at the end.


We had the exchange books set up and did our usual blind pick. For a close-up look of the books on the Flickr pages tap the "Guild Flickr Gallery" in the left hand column at the top of this page.










Sunday, July 9, 2017

PUGET SOUND BOOK ARTISTS MEMBERS' EXHIBITION

The 7th annual Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA) Members' Exhibition for 2017 is winding down. If you're in the Tacoma, Washington area this would be a great opportunity to see a wonderful collection of artist books by 31 different members. The exhibit will close on July 28. This was the first time a theme had been chosen for the event. Members were asked to "submit books that focus on the beauty and grandeur of the Northwest; books that provide commentary on social issues that affect our communities; or books that evoke a memory, a space or an idea that reflects the Northwest." The exhibit is at Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. For more information about the exhibit, photos, and the hours of the library visit this link:

https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/collins-memorial-library/about-collins/artwork-exhibits-in-the-library/psba-7th-annual-members-exhibition/


29 Nations by Debbi Commodore

Sol Duc Memories by Mary M. Ashton

Pine Beetle Book Vol. II Bug Ruts
by Suze Woolf

49.79 degrees N 121.74 degrees W: Mapping the Glaciers
by MalPina Chan

Hit the Road Two! by Laura Russell

The Littoral Library by Bonnie Julien

InSpired by Randi Parkhurst

Through My Father's Eyes
by Nikki Farias

Indianola Beach Field Guide
by Kathy Dickerson

Salish Sea Octopus
by Mari Eckstein Gower

Revelations at Ebb Tide by Carole Sauter




Saturday, July 1, 2017

COOL TOOLS & TECHNIQUES II

Connie Stewart is the queen of tools and gadgets. She HAS to have the latest ones available. Cricuts, Cuttlebug, MISTI, new paper cutters, punches, Thinlits, embossing folders, and some simple tools that make life s-o-o-o worth living!

This is NORBAG members once a year chance to come play with tools for free and decide for yourself which ones you can't live without. Some are great and some are duds and Connie will share them all and give you the low down. The only change from our usual monthly workshop is the time and place.

We will meet at Connie's house
Please check the newsletter for directions to her house.
Saturday July 8
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

You are welcome to come anytime during those hours. Connie will have stations set up all over the house so that you can go straight to playing with tools you aren't familiar with and bypass the ones you know well. You're also invited to bring a friend(s). 

We will stop for the book exchange at 1 p.m. and because we are a book group, we will take the samples of the techniques made from a variety of tools and turn them into a book.

There is no cost for this event. Please RSVP by July 3 to Connie. Her contact information is in the newsletter.