RUBBER STAMPING & HEAT EMBOSSING

The November NORBAG workshop will be taught by Becky McAllister. First she will begin with general information on the various products for stamping and heat embossing, then move on to demonstrations of techniques. Next everyone will have an opportunity to try any and all of the techniques. Since the holidays are just around the corner (yikes!!) this workshop will provide great ideas to make cards, gift tags, and even wrapping paper. Also think about how you can incorporate them into pages for future books or interesting tags for book pockets. Becky will bring lots of rubber stamps, stamp pads, embossing powders, heat guns, and a variety of papers to try. Hope you will come to play!

Tools and materials to bring:

• Ruler
• Bone folder
• Glue stick or double-sided tape
• Cutting mat
• Mouse pad or something soft like a magazine to lay under stamping
• Scissors and x-acto knife
• Waste paper
• Stamp pads (if you already have them)
• Markers and colored pencils
• Cardstock and other papers for stamping

* ROOM CHANGE NOTICE * Our regular meeting room will not be available in November. We will be meeting in Room 8 (Fireside Room). Park on Sonoma St. between F & G Streets and go through the gate. There will be signs to direct you.

When:  Saturday, Nov. 10 at noon
Where: Eureka Methodist Church, see the room change information above
Bring:   See above list
RSVP:   YES, by Nov. 6 to Becky (contact information in the newsletter)

CELEBRATING THE ART OF DOROTHY SWENDEMAN

This month the Humboldt County Library kiosk presents the book arts of Dorothy Swendeman, a talented maker of books and fiber arts. She was a charter member of the North Redwoods Book Arts Guild (NORBAG) and a long time member of The Ink People. Dorothy passed away at age 88 in November 2016. She is fondly remembered as an artist and a teacher.

Examples of her work now on display at the library in Eureka include original poems and art, stories, an original serigraph, illuminated letters, disperse dye book covers and reactive dye papers, silk screen art, original carved rubber blocks, and a variety of book bindings, along with her clever book, Beasties of the Bindery, with original rhymes and rubber block art.

Also on display is one of Dorothy's well-known handmade calendars, a collaborative project made with her friends Carolyn Jones, Vikki Young, and Terri Tinkham. One of her works that was featured in The Art & Craft of Handmade Books by Shereen LaPlantz is Carnival Cats, an original design interwoven accordion book with each cat dressed in colorful paper costumes. Both of these items are in the kiosk display.

We are proud to celebrate the work of Dorothy Swendeman.

October 2018 NORBAG Workshop - Leather Bound Tiny Book

Kathy Warren attended the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival (NPBAF) this year and took a class making a leather bound tiny book that can also be wearable art. Now Kathy has taught us to make one of those books and use jewelry findings to turn it into a necklace (or booklace if you prefer). Kathy made kits for each of us that included everything from the signatures through the beads and jewelry findings. 

This isn’t one of those little jewelry pieces that just looks like a book. Although it is only 1 ½” by 2” in size, it is a casebound book with four signatures, a leather spine, stitching on the cover and a leather and bead closure. We added a jump ring, a thong and closures to make it into a necklace.

Kathy brought several examples of what we could make,
 some as necklaces and others as simply tiny books.

Kathy brought excellent written instructions as well as diagrams
 for sewing patterns and how to affix the jump rings to the books.

We started by covering our tiny little boards. You can see by the pictures how small these books are and also the variety of decorative paper that Kathy supplied.

As with all book covers, we first cut the decorative papers
 to the appropriate size and then below, you can see the gluing.

We clipped the corners (above) and then glue and fold over the edges (below).

We ended up with two nicely covered panels (this is the inside of the cover).

Using the larger black leather (the smaller strip of black leather
 will become the closure) we glued the edges (below).

We then adhered the leather to the cover leaving an open space for the spine. 
Using a jig and awl, we pierced the cover for the decorative stitching
 (not only decorative, but it also ensured that the leather stayed in place).

This picture shows the sewing of the decorative stitches. 
The photo below shows the first side being completed. 
The stitching was mirrored on the opposite side of the cover.

The signatures were stitched through the leather and tied off.

Using the tiniest of beads, we made the closure. The smallest of tabs was glued
 and then sewn to the back of the book and then slit to make an opening for the bead.

Here are a number of photos of our books in progress. Each picture reinforces how small these lovely little books are.

This artist used different thread colors.

We had a great day. Wish all of you were there. Rather than a picture of the Exchange Books on a big table, they can be seen on Flickr after the 17th of October. Just tap this url:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/redwoods_book_arts/albums

LEATHER BOUND TINY BOOK

Tiny books are fun to make and perfect to give as gifts. At the October NORBAG workshop Kathy Warren will teach a variation of the Booklaces course taught by Doris Arndt at the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival in 2018. The tiny books are easy to make, but the jewelry-making part can be a little more daunting. Kathy will demonstrate the bookbinding, and after books are completed she will help those who want to go on to make necklaces. She will have pliers, jump rings, beads, ribbon, wire, yarn and bangles available. If you have any of these items you would like to bring to enhance your own "booklace" please feel free to bring them. Kathy will provide: pre-cut leather in several colors, pre-cut board, pre-cut signatures, text weight decorative papers for covers, jigs and information sheets. The finished books will be 1 1/2" x 2" in size.

MATERIALS TO BRING:

• Waxed linen or crewel thread
• Bees wax
• Beads (if you don't want to use Kathy's)
• Text weight decorative paper (if you don't want to use what Kathy provides)

TOOLS TO BRING:

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors and X-acto knife
• #22 Tapestry needle
• Bone folder
• Cutting mat
• Waste paper
• Glue or PVA (glue stick will NOT work)
• Awl
• Jewelry pliers if you have them

WHEN:    Saturday, October 13 at noon

WHERE:  Eureka Methodist Church at Del Norte and F Streets

BRING:   See above list

RSVP:     YES, by Oct. 8 to Kathy (contact information in the newsletter)

COST:     $3.00