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.