North Redwoods Book Arts Guild

Pop-up Workshop

2012-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

Our last meeting included an introductory workshop on pop-ups that was loads of fun.

There was lots of stuff for us to play with. Since Valentines Day is coming up, hearts were in abundance.

We learned the ins and outs of animated mouths,

And pop-up panels:

And more:

Along with lots of cutting and pasting and popping out panels of paper, we also shared some of our favorite and most inspiring pop-up books, which were a joy to look at. Thanks go to our instructor Becky McAllister for such an enjoyable and informative afternoon!

January Workshop, Pop-up Cards

2012-01-06T20:14:00.000-08:00

SIMPLE POP-UP CARDS

Did you love pop-up books when you were young? I still do! It's like opening
a present: there's a surprise inside! The really great thing is you can open it again and again, and still be delighted.

Learn to add dimension and delight to your cards and books by adding simple pop-up structures. I will bring some images for the pop-ups, but if you would like to make a themed card (Valentines anyone?), you can bring a few cutouts of your own. Just make sure they'll fit inside a standard greeting card. Some card stock will be provided, but if you want a specific color please bring that, too. If you have a favorite pop-up book or card in your collection, please bring it for show and tell.

Materials to bring:
• Cutting mat
• X-acto knife
• Bone folder
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scoring tool
• Awl or push pin
• Glue stick or double sided tape
• Themed cutouts for pop-ups
• Card stock (if you want a certain color)
• Favorite pop-up card or book for show and tell

Materials provided:
• Images for pop-ups
• Card stock

2011 NORBAG Holiday Card Exchange

2011-12-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

This exchange is a favorite of members and the following slideshow captures much of what makes the event so special. Thanks to Sandy for hosting, and Ellen for taking photos of each of the cards for Flickr, thanks Bonnie for all of the photos used to create the slideshow and photos of cards for the monthly newsletter. Did you know that the NORBAG library keeps a set of cards from each year, allowing members to check them out? I wish we could check out some of those cookies.

Reminder * Arrow over the slideshow to reveal controls that allow you to move through the slides yourself, or if you click on the slides you can view still images *

Time to start planning for next year!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Card Exchange, 2011

2011-12-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Royalty-Free Image, Dover

It's time again for our annual Holiday gathering and card exchange. This is our most popular exchange of the year with 29 members participating in the exchange this year (sign-up was in October). Each member will make 29 cards plus one for the guild library—a total of 900 cards!

Members who are not participating in the exchange are MOST welcome.
Details on the location and time of the event are on page 1 of our newsletter. You can also call any board member listed on page 2 of the newsletter if you have additional questions.

Also, we will not have the library at the exchange but there will be a box so that you can return any you may have checked out, or any you wish to donate.

Note: Please bring a finger food to share!

Library Kiosk for the Holidays

2011-12-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

If you're still looking for ideas for creating your own unique holiday cards, these photos of cards created by our members are sure to inspire. If you would like a closer look (besides clicking on the images) you can see them in the kiosk behind the checkout desk at the Humboldt County Library. Thank you Bonnie for the display and thank you to all the members who make these cards for our annual holiday card exchange.

Joys of Monthly Book Exchanges

2011-11-19T16:58:00.000-08:00

Valentine Card Exchange

Our guild provides many activities that encourage our members to become more involved and creative book artists. One such activity is our voluntary monthly book exchange. During a recent workshop members were asked what they liked about the exchanges. Here are their very interesting responses, regrouped and synthesized:

They are always inspiring. One: for new ideas. Two: It's always nice to have a deadline. (Editor: All three were mentioned more than once!)
I usually need some time to come up with an idea for a book. Knowing ahead what the monthly themes are allows me this 'thinking time'.
The books I receive are great to show friends who wonder what an artist book is.
I love seeing the different interpretations of a theme.
The exchange pushes me to think, plan, do art work and calligraphy for the theme. The theme sometimes pushes me to learn about a subject I may not have explored during my life.
The exchange helps me to 'turn on' my creativity.
Making books help me to remain sane. The exchange is very motivating. It's sometimes horrifying and sometimes a huge guilt producing machine but worth every minute!
Once a decision is made as to what you will have as a theme, the ideas of what to do with it explode.
Self confidence grows as each project is completed.
(I get) a new book for my collection.
Making a books is one thing. Decorating it is another thing entirely. I love seeing how creative the group is and actually getting to take something home from someone else is so inspiring.
I sometimes worry about my skill level, but it's fun.
I enjoy making Holiday cards.
I always learn something new that inspires me to try another structure, use a new product or tool, or complete a project that I was stuck on.
The subject matter of some exchange books I've received have inspired me to visit a new place, read a certain book, or try a new recipe.
When artists describe the creation of their book, I enjoy hearing about their problem solving process.
Making a book based on a theme I didn't choose sometimes helps me to break through artist's block.

Pat describing her exchange book during a meeting.

The particulars of the exchange are highlighted on our website. This is a great opportunity for our distant members to be involved in the guild's activities. Participants are encouraged to work with the designated theme but it is not required. You do not need to sign up in advance, just bring your book and colophon at the start of the monthly meeting. You can choose not to have pictures of your book posted on our Flickr site or in the newsletter. If you live out-of-town you can mail your book and colophon to ( mail your book so that it arrives in plenty of time prior to the meeting, which is the second Saturday of each month):

NORBAG

PO BOX 225

CUTTEN, CA 95534

For more encouragement to participate in exchanges, read this!

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pound of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality", however, needed to produce only one pot - albeit a perfect one - to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work - and learning from their mistakes - the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."

From Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland

So, another item on the list of the benefits of an exchange might be:

We may go beyond our comfort zone, explore with wild abandon, and then present our books to an appreciative and supportive group of like-minded artists. Yeah.

November Workshop Report

2011-11-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

About twenty members gathered today to make these calendars. Thanks Dolores for a well organized and fun workshop and a special thank you to Suzanne Stalder-Mansure, one of our out-of-town members, who sent this project to us. For those members who could not attend and would like the instructions, Dolores will be happy to send you the pdf file containing the layout of months and instructions. Just send her an email.

The following photos show the construction of the calendars in some sort of chronological order. Every book artist has picked the images for their calendar.

The calendar pages were provided but had to be cut to size.

Members had a choice of making a book with or without a cover.

Images were glued on for each month.

Several member used photo editing software to create their images.

Coordinated papers were selected for the months and cover.

Let the gluing begin. Burnishing the image with a bone folder.

Auditioning the photographs before gluing.


Other members used their granddaughter's art for the images.

IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF NORBAG BUT WOULD LIKE TO JOIN, ATTEND WORKSHOPS, PARTICIPATE IN THE MONTHLY EXCHANGES (non-local members can do this), AND RECEIVE OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, CLICK MEMBERSHIP

November Workshop, 2011

2011-11-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

A CAROUSEL CALENDAR
with Dolores Guffey

A special thank you to our member Suzanne Stalder-Mansur, who lives
in Folsom, California for sharing with us a fun project which lends itself to our
November workshop. Suzanne designed a desk top calendar using a carousel
structure. This little 5" x 3½" calendar would make great little gifts for the holiday season. The pages will be printed on white cardstock and have a 2" x 3¼" rectangle area at the top of each month for your creativity. You can decorate it however you desire: photographs, rubber stamps; decorative paper, collage, etc. You also have the option of attaching front and back decorative covers, allowing the calendar to fold flat; or eliminating the covers by gluing December back-to-back with January creating a permanent carousel. You may order more than one calendar and assemble them at your leisure. Members who are not able to attend the meeting (including out-of-towners) may email for the template and instructions which will be sent as attachments. Those attending the meeting need to RSVP no later than November 9th letting me know how many calendars you'd like to have ready to assemble.

Material Fee: 50 cents per calendar ordered.
Materials to Bring:
• Craft knife (with new blade) or scissors
• Cutting mat (old magazine can be used instead)
• Wax paper and waste paper for gluing
• Bone folder
• 12" metal ruler
• Pencil, eraser
• Large glue stick OR double sticky tape
• Decorative papers or whatever you will be putting in the rectangle. You
will need the following: 12 pieces 2" x 3-¼" for the months; 2 pieces of
5" x 3-½" (grain long) for the covers, if so desired. Note: Cut the cover
paper slightly larger than this size (about 1/8" all around) to allow for
trimming to fit the finished calendar.
RSVP (or request for template & instructions) to: Dolores Guffey

Samples thanks to Dolores Guffey and her wonderful marbled papers!

October, 2011 Workshop

2011-10-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Editor's note: I was unable to post the information about the workshop prior to the activity. So, this post includes Peggy's instructions given prior to the workshop, followed by photos of the actual workshop.

FLAT-STYLE AUSTRALIAN
REVERSED PIANO HINGE JOURNAL

with Peggy Marrs

Peggy's lovely
Journal

Have you ever been daunted by writing or drawing in a journal you've made or received? In this workshop we will make a journal that has removable pages that can be replaced with fresh, brand-new pages which should help reduce the "white page fear." This book is one of the structures in Gwen Diehn's, Real Life Journals,reviewed in the September newsletter. The paper you need to bring is up to you. If you want to write on it, you can bring computer paper, lined paper, or binder paper. If you want to draw, choose a nice paper that accepts pencil lead well; if you plan to paint, use a 70# or 80# watercolor paper. This is a fun, fast book and opens a lot of possibilities for future journals.

What to bring:
• 5 pages 8-1/2" x 11" paper, cut in half lengthwise to 4-1/4" tall and 5" wide. This is the signature(watercolor or drawing paper may be a bit larger).
• A strip of paper in a contrasting color, 24" long x 2-3/4" wide and 1-1/2" shorter than the signature (MiTeintes paper is perfect for this).
• 9 strips the same height as your signature by 1" wide in matching paper.
• 2 pieces of decorative paper 4-1/2" tall by 11-1/8" wide (or the size of an open signature plus 1/8". Part of the long strip will show, so keep the colors harmonious).

Tools to bring:

• Cutting mat

• Scissors

• Glue stick

• Bone folder

• Awl or push pin for small holes

• Pencil and eraser

• X-acto knife

• Ruler

• Small folding stylus

Workshop Photos (by Bonnie Julien)


Peggy explains the flat style

Larger examples of the structures being made

Folding the accordion end onto the cover

Gluing the accordion end onto the cover

A completed book

Thanks Peggy!

Journals and a Variety Show of Books

2011-09-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

The top shelf is a display of several of the journals that will be given to each of the authors participating in the Children's Author Festival that begins Oct. 20. The books are vintage children's titles that were found at yard sales and second hand stores. At the August workshop we bound blank pages into the covers with Dolores' "bow tie" stitch and then added some illustrations and/or text from the book for added interest. This is NORBAG's contribution to show support for the Author Festival.

On the other shelves are examples of some of the very different but beautiful books that we make. There are informative books, illustrated books, big books, little books, collaged books, blank books, a book with some pop-ups, and a wonderful collaborative tunnel book made by Simona and friends. Members all have different interests besides bookmaking that we can incorporate into our books—these photos provide a number of examples.

ENJOY!

Exhibition Opening at Eureka Books

2011-09-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

Our 4th annual exhibition at Eureka Books is now on display through the end of the month. The opening was this Saturday, as part of the monthly Arts Alive event in Eureka. The reception was well attended, with crowds streaming in throughout the evening.

Arriving early in the evening.

Books were made from every conceivable material, including a Monopoly game.
The folded sculptural book in the back is a display stand.

The crowds kept coming as the evening passed.

There were books in display cases as well as on tables.

You also might want to check out this article about the exhibition, and book arts in general, that Simona Carini wrote for The Northcoast Journal. (She happens to be the artist behind the redwood forest accordion above).

September, 2011 Workshop

2011-08-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

BITS OF THIS AND THAT
with Ilene Harris

Ilene's whimsical postcard booklets

Ilene invites you to "Come and play!" She will present the following:
1. Easy/Peasy embellishments using mixed media, ephemera, found objects
and more. Come play with your friends at NORBAG. Open-ended projects,
ideas, supply sources, books and more…
2. We’ll be making little booklets using postcards and adding
embellishments
3. A brief introduction to Mail (correspondence) Art, including making and
embellishing envelopes
There will be no cost to this workshop.

What to bring:
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Bone folder
• Picture postcards
• Paper for inside postcard booklet
• Ephemera *
• Buttons, charms
• Paper cutter (if you have one)
• Pencil and colored pencils
• Markers and paints
• Needle and threads
• Rubber stamps and stamp pads

What will be provided:
• A variety of tools
• Paints
• Rubber stamps and stamp pads
• Collage items including fi bers, found
objects, buttons, and more

* Ephemera: n. items designed to be
useful or important for only a short
time, especially pamphlets, notices,
tickets, etc. (Ilene suggests postage
stamps, pictures, text)

The Decorated Page at the Library Kiosk

2011-08-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

The new display in our kiosk at the Humboldt County Library is not only a visual delight but it provides information about several ways we embellish our books using handmade papers, marbling, and paste papers. Thanks to Dolores, Karen, Ellen, Michele K. and Bonnie for making this possible. The display will be up through the middle of September.

August, 2011, Workshop

2011-07-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

HANDMADE JOURNAL
presented by LORETTA GARCIA

Our August workshop is dedicated to making and donating a handmade journal for each of 25 visiting authors who are participating in Humboldt County's 2011 Author Festival. This wonderful program brings authors to local schools for presentations on the author’s work, techniques, illustrations, and more. Each author visits a number of classrooms and participates in a book signing event at the Humboldt County Library. In preparation for each Author Festival the organizing committee puts together a “gift bag” for the authors that represents some aspect of Humboldt County. I thought this might be a perfect opportunity to bring two book-loving organizations together! For this project we have chosen “Vintage Children’s Literature” as the theme. All materials will be provided, including a vintage children’s book for altering into the journal structure. The covers of the vintage book will be used as the cover of the journal. Art and text from the vintage book will be used to embellish selected pages of the journal. The five signatures that will make up the interior of the book will be bound with the Exposed Spine Binding with the Bow-tie stitch that Dolores Guffey taught at the July workshop (see the July Blog Post for pictures of spine designs). If members prefer, a children’s book of their own can be used. We are looking for usable covers from a much loved children’s book that would most likely be recognized by all. Also, members can volunteer to make more than one journal to donate, as we have 25 authors participating in the 2011 event.
What to bring:
• Sewing cradle (if you have one)
• Piercing tool
• Beeswax
• Scissors
• Bone folder
• Pencil & ruler
• Children's book (optional)
What will be provided:
• Needles & Thread
• Tapes on which signatures will be sewn
• Endpapers
• Two-sided adhesive tape
• Extra sewing cradles
• Extra beeswax
• Children's book

Bow-Tie Binding, Workshop Results

2011-07-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

This workshop was the second of two, the first being the creation of embossed copper covers. This workshop, taught by Dolores Guffey, led members through the complicated bow-tie binding. The binding holds the signatures together and she designed a way of attaching the copper covers without needing to drill holes. The following pictures will give you some idea of the process.


Dolores created kits for each participant,

Creating a template for piercing signatures,

Piercing the signatures. This is a very creative sewing cradle,

Signatures pierced and ready to sew.

Running thread through beeswax.

Dolores assisting a member.

Sewing signatures with bands in place.

The bow-ties make their appearance.

Sewing completed, end papers added, ready to add covers.

The finished product of two monthly workshops!

Focus on Book Arts 2011

2011-07-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

First, let me explain that there are very few photos of our experiences at Focus on Book Arts 2011 because we were all so busy during the four days of workshops that we had little time to take out our cameras! Five local NORBAG members and eleven (yes, eleven!) out-of-town members converged on Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon for workshops by some of the most creative book artists working today. The photos below represent the work of four of our local members.

Workshop with Patricia Grass

Caterpillar Stitch book by Sandy Vrem


Caterpillar Stitch Book by Michele Kamprath, closeup of top caterpillar.

Workshop with Andie Thrams

Longstitch with Beads, Leather Cover by Michele Olsen


Drawing in Nature (sticks, watercolor, sepia ink) by Sandy Vrem

Workshop with Karleigh Jae Heywood


Inset and Raised Cover Designs by Dolores Guffey

Workshop with Susan Collard

Wooden Covers, Tyvek spine by Michele Olsen

Interior wooden pages with moveable parts by Michele Olsen

Our evenings will filled with book exhibits and lectures but we did manage time to have breakfast together, thanks to Becky Leuning, our member from Portland. Becky brought oatmeal from home, and the rest of us brought assorted food items.

Our oatmeal feast complete with raisins, chocolate chips, bananas, prunes (!)

Becky serving her oatmeal. Many Thanks!

Michele K., Dolores, and Sandy enjoying the condiments and company.

The next Focus on Book Arts is scheduled for 2013.

Miniature Treasures in the Library Kiosk

2011-07-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

These books may be small but they will give a large amount of enjoyment to anyone lucky enough to visit the Humboldt County Library kiosk. According to The Miniature Book Society books (in the US) must be no more than 3" in height, width, or thickness. Outside of the US it is acceptable to be 4".

Enjoy!

Visit with The Wandering Book Artists

2011-07-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

On June 27, the Humboldt Bay area received a visit by "The Wandering Book Artists", Donna and Peter Thomas. After traveling about the US for over 230 days in their handcrafted gypsy wagon this talented couple was headed home. These ambassadors of the books arts taught many workshops (some of you might remember the NORBAG workshop they gave a number of years ago), sold books, and talked about books to anyone who was interested. Many of our local guild members were traveling back from Focus on Book Arts in Forest Grove, Oregon but thanks to the organizing skills of Bonnie Julien some of our members were able to share a potluck dinner with the Thomases at the Arcata Marsh.

Their colorful gypsy wagon attracted a lot of attention and we all had a great time in spite of the bit of drizzle we encountered.

Visit their blog by clicking on The Wandering Book Artists and you can follow along on their adventures. They have included a post about their Humboldt visit and they have a link to their website which features their creative books. The photos above were taken by Bonnie Julien, Michele Olsen, and Rollie Lamberson.

July, 2011 Workshop

2011-07-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Samples of Exposed Spine Binding

by Dolores Guffey

Samples of Exposed Spine Binding

by Dolores Guffey

At the June workshop we made copper covers and now we will sew signatures to put between the covers. Those who have their copper covers just need to bring them with their folded signatures. If you weren't able to attend the June workshop, don't despair–you can still make this book. You need to make a set of covers and follow all the instructions as well. Choose which of the two books below you wish to make. Both have an exposed spine, but one has decorative wrapped signatures (see page 2 for instructions).

What will be provided:

• Needles & Thread

• Tapes on which signatures will be sewn

• Endpapers

• Two-sided adhesive tape

• Extra sewing cradles

• Extra beeswax

What to bring:

• Folded signatures, with or without decorative spine wraps

(see instructions

on page 2)

• Sewing cradle

• Piercing tool

• 2 Covers: 5-5/8" x 4-1/2" (either your copper covered ones, or finished

covers of your own)

• Beeswax

• Scissors

• Bone folder

• Pencil & ruler

Embossed Copper Workshop Photos

2011-06-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

This workshop was great fun and as you'll see, the results are creative and varied. Our homework is to finish the two embossed copper covers and bring them to the July workshop where Dolores Guffey will be helping us assemble a book using the covers. Look for the upcoming post regarding her workshop. The photos below will give you an idea of the processes we used for the covers.

Tracing paper is used to copy a design.

The design is then taped to the copper and embossed.

Once the major features are created, further embossing can be done.

Paper stumps are used for larger areas.

Heat is applied for a mottled look.

Inks are applied to highlight recessed areas.

A finished product!

Embossed Copper Book Cover

2011-06-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

JUNE WORKSHOP

with Bonnie Julien

Instead of paper, let’s play with metal for a change. Working with pieces of 36 gauge copper foil we will create a design for front and back book covers using a ball tip stylus for dry embossing. Finishing techniques will include using a butane torch to bring out colors in the copper and using acrylic ink to add more dimension and color to the design. At the end of the workshop you will have completed covers for a book to be bound at the July workshop that will be taught by Dolores Guffey.

You will need to bring the following materials:

• Ball tip stylus – available at Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabric, & Ellis Art & Engineering for about $4 or less if you use coupons.

• Cushion at least 8” square. A mouse pad or Fun Foam at least 1/4" thick.

• Illustration board. 2 pieces cut 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" grain direction does not matter.

• Pencil

• Bone folder

• Scissors – you will be cutting soft metal

Optional materials:

• Blending stumps (a 2-piece plastic set at Michaels is $1.99 and a 5-piece set made from paper is $4.99. Bonnie will have both of these sets available for use)or some similar round tip tool to aid in pushing in/out to help define the embossed design.

• Acrylic paints or ink (Bonnie will have black, walnut ink & other colors).

• Design patterns to use for your covers (no larger than 4” x 5”. Bonnie will also have design patterns available).

• Tracing paper

An RSVP by April 30 was necessary for this workshop due to the need to order the copper from an online source. Twenty people responded and should have already received an email confirmation from Bonnie as well as an email that contains the above information. Members who are not signed up for the workshop are still welcome. It is possible that there will be limited pieces of copper available either for a smaller book or at least scrap pieces to play with so please come even if you aren’t signed up.

Food & Drinks at the Library!

2011-05-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

The library kiosk features a collection of members' books created around the topic: Food and Drink. These yummy books can be seen behind the main desk on the first floor of the Humboldt County Library. Most of these books are a result of our monthly exchanges and are in the personal library of many of our local members. Thanks to Bonnie for another great theme and for collecting and displaying the books.

May Workshop

2011-05-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

SHOW & TELL & PLAY!

Plan to join us for our Spring Frolic meeting as we hear from members who attended the Newport Paper Arts Festival (NPAF). They will bring what they made in their classes and share them along with their experiences. New techniques, hints, and interesting stories are sure to be entertaining as well as informative.

Connie Stewart will also bring some of her large collection of gadgets to the meeting. Says Connie, "I’ve always had this terrible habit of buying the latest gadget, but when it comes to bookmaking and paper crafting there are so many out there that you can go broke in a hurry. So I thought I would share with you some of my favorite tools including my CRICUT (for die cutting), my CUTTLEBUG (for embossing) and my CROPADILE (for placing eyelets and snaps). There will be plenty of time for each of us to play with each tool."

Bring the following materials that you have on hand (please don’t buy anything. Connie will bring extra supplies):

• Assorted 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock

• Eyelets or snaps

• Double-sided tape or PVA, brush and wastepaper

• Bone folder

• X-Acto knife (or craft knife of your choice)

• Cutting mat

• Metal ruler

BSS 166 at HSU, Saturday, May 14, 12noon-4 pm

Note: HSU Graduation Day! Parking may be limited. Check the

parking lot at the foot of Union and catch the shuttle.

Newport Report

2011-04-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

By all reports, the Newport Paper Arts Festival was a great success. NORBAG members converged from Oregon and California to enjoy the many workshops held at the Visual Arts Center in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Oregon. Thanks to all of the NORBAG members who sent in photos.

NORBAG members from Humboldt County

Six of our Humboldt County members produced some of the results pictured below.

Tiny Twisted Treats in a Treasure Box

Flag Book

Bonnie created the box and collections of books shown above. This workshop was taught by Patricia Grass. Inside the box are five miniature books: a triangular meander, a slinky book, a flag book, a spiral book, and a simple origami fold book.

The Greek Stitch with Leather covered Wooden Boards

Wooden covers were covered with goatskin and decorated with holes using a Japanese punch. Half of the sections were sewn to each cover with a variation of the Coptic stitch and then the two halves were joined together.

Pansy Book

This Pansy Book is the result of John Watson's "Sewing Single Pages" workshop.

Metallic Collage

Sandy took a workshop (and she does this almost every year) from Cheri Aldrich, a mixed media artist who loves metallics of any kind.

Workshop Results

At day's end members rooming together shared their workshop results. These results are just some of the "stash". After participating in these all day workshops, members that roomed together would come back to the hotel and create their own workshop and then play well into the evening.

Paper Towel decorating

Recording their results

Day is Done

Is this a demonstration of how much book artists love their fonts, text, and layout or, as Bonnie suggested, did the person writing this not know how to spell "Edith"?

See You Next Year at Newport, 2012!

You Never Know

2011-04-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Michele, Tina, and Sandy

Humboldt County is home to many hiking groups and last Saturday, with a hint of sun in the sky, about 15 of us headed off for a hike around Bull Creek and a picnic at the Albee Creek campground. The group has varied interests—photography, botany, history—and we are given frequent quizzes by our hike leader, historian Jerry Rohde. These quizzes come with prizes donated by previous quiz winners, so one never knows what they will grab from the Prize Bag. When Tina correctly answered a question, picked and unwrapped her prize, it took Sandy and Michele a couple of seconds to realize what Tina was holding in her hand. Someone, and we don't know who this was, donated a book created by NORBAG as part of 1000 Books for Literacy, a fundraiser for the Humboldt Literacy Project. But wait, the story isn't over. Sandy originated the idea for the 1000 Books project, coordinated the Guild's effort of making well over 1000 books, supervised their installation at Eureka Books for the September 2010 fundraiser, and created the text for Nature—one of the five themes for the books. Michele created the text for another of the themes, helped construct the books, and was president of NORBAG during this event. As for Tina, well, she is a local artist and let me tell you, she was thrilled to receive this book.

We walked out to the trailhead listening to Tina reading quotes from famous artists, laughing and perfectly delighted that she had received this book.
So, like putting a message in a bottle and setting it gently into the outgoing tide, one of them has come back and what a treat it was.

Let us know if you discover any others!

First Call for Books

2011-04-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

Eureka Books will be hosting the fourth annual North Redwoods Book Arts Guild Exhibit, September 4, 2011. Last year's event was a great success and members are encouraged to submit books of all sorts: for sale or not, small or large, traditional or not. The exhibit introduced many new people to the books arts and expanded their concepts of what constituted a "book". If you think you might be interested, the following information will be helpful:

Books are due on July 1, 2011
Notify Exhibitions Chair by May 5, 2011 if you are planning on submitting a book. Please include 1) Your Name 2) Number of pieces 3) Your email address 4) Your home address 5) The best contact number. Send this information to Loretta.
If you are not a member and would like to join in order to exhibit your books, you can find a membership form (PDF) on our website that you can fill out and mail.

Wondering what the exhibit is like? Enjoy these photos from our 2010 Exhibit. You may also see all of the 2010 books.

See you there!

Triangle Books Workshop Results

2011-04-15T18:31:00.000-07:00


Triangle Pop-Up Book by Connie

A dedicated (and from all accounts, very hard-working) group took on the challenge of making these wonderful Triangle Pop-Up books. The workshop was lead by Connie Stewart and as usual, there are some interesting variations due to artist's interpretations. If you were unable to attend, these might inspire you to try these out.

Alex busy at work.

Instructor, Connie

A start at embellishing the Pop-Up.

Our youngest member, Maja, Rumor has it the she was the first to finish!

Maja's completed book.

Another view.


Michele K.'s book

Boxes at the Humboldt County Library

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

People visiting the Humboldt County Library are in for a surprise if they think a box is a simple rectangular parallelepiped. These structures may contain books as part of their structures—or not. Take a break from all of our rain and duck into the library to enjoy these structures from our books arts exchanges.

Weather Kiosk at The Humboldt County Library

2011-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

When Bonnie set up the current Humboldt County Library kiosk on Weather I'm certain she had no idea that this was going to be such a relevant topic. It was announced today that just north of Garberville, about an hour south of Eureka, Highway 101 is closed for two weeks (there is hope that a single lane will be open soon). A landslide caused severe buckling of the pavement—a direct result of the heavy rains of the last week. We do have "weather" here in Humboldt County and some of these books will illustrate just that. Do take the time to visit the kiosk behind the main desk of the library. We should have some sun this week!

Triangle Books with Pop-ups Workshop

2011-03-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

This is a fun and simple book. The secret is in how you choose to decorate it and what text or background you add. Those of you who have made circle books in the past will recognize this structure.

You will need to bring the following materials:

• 4 pieces of 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" cardstock. If you would like, print text or

a background photo on the card stock.

• 2-4 pieces of decorative papers. Coordinate colors to match

your cardstock.

• Old stamps, stickers or printed goodies that are 2" x2" or less

• Double-sided tape or PVA, brush and wastepaper

• Bone folder

• X-Acto knife (or craft knife of your choice)

• Cutting mat

• Pencil, eraser

• Metal ruler

Live links from the April newsletter:

1. Book of Art: photostream of paper cutting to alter books. Check out the infinity book.
2. History of Miniature Books: University of Missouri-Columbia.
3. Reuse of Books: From Inspiration Green. These are amazing!

Opportunities Abound

2011-03-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Paul Johnson workshop, San Francisco Center for the Book

When this editor (Michele O.) first joined NORBAG I knew little about the art of making books. The monthly workshops helped me grow by leaps and bounds and I was always amazed at how creative our members were with their ideas—this is still the case today! I also had the good fortune to have a daughter who lived six blocks from the San Francisco Center for the Book and I took a number of one to two day courses that allowed me to fully immerse myself into the art of making books. Spending hours with a group of artists exploring the myriad topics involved in book arts is a luxury akin to long bubble baths and I highly recommend it. Since then I've enjoyed many in-depth workshops and would encourage those of you who might be interested in more extensive instruction to consider participating in the following upcoming or ongoing events, all recommended by members:

The Newport Paper Arts Festival, April 15-17, 2011. Newport Beach Oregon. NORBAG members attend every year as students or teachers.
Focus on Book Arts, June 22-26. Forest Grove, Oregon. NORBAG members attend every year as students or teachers. Housing is available on campus.
San Francisco Center for the Book, ongoing
San Diego Book Arts, ongoing
Art and Soul, venue varies
An Artful Journey, Santa Cruz Mountains.

There are also classes a little closer to home:

DJ Pettitt, Jacksonville, Oregon.
Art for the Young at Heart, Arcata, California. Adults 50 and up. Taught by Maureen McGarry and a project of the Ink People.
Art is...You, September 22-27, Petaluma, California

March Workshop--Stiff Leaf Binding

2011-03-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

A Stiff Leaf Structure book is made of “hard” pages from illustration board that is put together with hinges made of book cloth. The pages can include decorative papers, photos with or without paper frames, or ephemera. This is a book that is glued together, not sewn.

Materials needed:

6 pieces of illustration board cut to 4" x 5" each grain long [see note about board at end].

Jig made of illustration board cut to 1⅛" x 5¾" inches for book cloth template.

Extra piece of illustration board for use as a spacer
(spacer will be 1 board thickness).

Heavy triangle or ruler to use as a straight edge.

12 pieces of 4" x 5" paper to cover boards, grain long. [Note: grain of paper should be in the same direction as the grain of the illustration board]. Text, illustration and papers etc can be added when your book is completed.

Glue stick and PVA—if you do not have PVA, there will be some available.

Glue brush for PVA.

Jar or container to rinse brush.

Waste paper for gluing.

X-acto Knife or craft knife.

Scissors and basic workshop tools including a cutting mat and ruler.

Optional:

Book cloth if you have a particular color scheme going.

Marker to color the edges of illustration board.
Weights or a clean brick or pieces of board to weight your boards after gluing if you have this available.

Dolores will supply book cloth in the color swatch sent in the newsletter. We will have a board cutter available if you would like to cut your board at the meeting. Please come early to cut boards before the workshop begins as there is lots of gluing to be done.

Note: Illustration board is available at both Ellis Engineering in Eureka, and at the Art Center in Arcata. (If you go to Ellis, be sure to mention your NORBAG membership so you can receive your 10% discount.) A piece of illustration board is 15 x 20" and costs about $2.50 a sheet.

When you first get the board, bend it ever so slightly to determine grain. The direction that bends the easiest is the direction of the grain; mark this direction with parallel lines about 1 inch apart. Now, when you cut up the board you only need to look at your pencil marks to know in which direction the grain runs. Do the same with your decorative paper.

You will also need illustration board for the June workshop so you can buy a full sheet.

Please RSVP by Wed. March 9 to Michele K. Contact details are in the newsletter or directory.

Valentine Exchange

2011-02-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

ANNUAL VALENTINE CARD EXCHANGE

Here are just a few of the valentine cards present at today's exchange. It's always a treat (yes, there were candies in some of the boxes) to see how each artist interprets the theme. This is one of our guild's favorite exchanges.

Instead of holding a workshop, members brought some of their favorite books received in an exchange or just a favorite book they made or found in their travels. Dolores displayed books created using the the newsletter project pages, providing a fabulous lineup of books with the project page sitting behind each book. Project pages from 1996 through 2008 are in the compendiums (vol. 1, 2, & 3) and still available to members for sale ($5.00 per volume, unbound).

Peggy brought the set of books below.

Members then were free to shop around for ideas as they looked through the vast array of handmade books. We should have some interesting exchanges in the future.

February Meeting--Valentines and Book Share

2011-02-04T02:34:00.000-08:00

Because we usually have quite a few valentines in our February exchange, we will be foregoing an actual workshop this month. Instead, we are having a book share of old exchange (and other) books.

If you'd like, please look through your collection of books received in previous exchanges and bring in 6 or so favorites to share with everyone else. It would be especially interesting to see books from the early years. Books you've made yourself and handmade books purchased elsewhere are also welcome. We're looking for creative ideas.

Be sure to bring a notebook to jot down ideas and/or sketch out a structure. The idea is not to copy a book, but rather to be inspired by one. This can be a great way for everyone to get ideas for future projects.

We'll be meeting in our usual spot, BSS 166 at HSU, at 12 noon on Saturday, February 12.

Library Kiosk Valentines

2011-01-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Valentines Abound in the

Humboldt County Library kiosk

If you need any ideas for the Valentine Exchange in February, these are sure to inspire (click on each photo to see a larger image). Look at the colors and book structures! These should be on display through February. Aren't our library patrons lucky to walk by these when they enter the facility?

Calling All Valentines

2011-01-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

Free clip-art: www.valentine-clipart.net/

NORBAG members have two opportunities to spread Valentine cheer.

Bonnie will be creating a library kiosk display featuring our valentine cards. If you would like to contribute, she would love to have them. Members can bring their items (labeled with names please) to the meeting or to Bonnie's house. You can also give her a call to make other arrangements.

Lorraine is asking for help. Each year she takes homemade valentines to the patients at the Kidney Dialysis Unit, Seaview Convalescence, and the Senior Center's home delivered meals. If you'd like to participate in this worthwhile project, just make cards of any size and shape (no need to make envelopes), and send her  anemail to make arrangements to get them to her by February 10. Email: lorraine@millerwolf.com

January's Workshop - Meander Books

2010-12-30T22:32:00.000-08:00

Take a single piece of paper, fold it in sections, open it up and then cut along certain fold lines, re-fold and you have a book. Meander refers to the pathway the cuts take to allow the page to fold back into a book. In this workshop we will made a number of little prototype books using different meander patterns. Once you see the technique, you will be able to invent meanders of your own. Meander books are also referred to as "fold books" or "no-sew books." We'll be meeting in our usual room, BSS-166.

Materials to bring:

12 or 18” ruler
Scissors
Pencil
Craft knife
Rubber stamps & stamp pad(s)
Glue stick
Bone folder

There is no need to RSVP. There is a $0.50 material fee to cover printed instruction sheets and paper to make the books.

Holiday Cards at Humboldt County Library

2010-12-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

This is a bit late, but if you have time over the holidays, pop into the Humboldt County Library to see the kiosk featuring holiday cards from past NORBAG exchanges. If not, please enjoy the slideshow below. Click on the image to see them in full screen. Thanks again to Bonnie for the display and the photos.

Have a wonderful holiday. May you stay warm and dry.

2010 Holiday Card Exchange Event

2010-12-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Blessed with a warm but drippy day over 30 members of the Guild gathered for our 16th annual holiday card exchange—our most popular. Unlike other exchanges, members must sign up ahead of time to participate, then each participant makes enough cards for all of the participating artists. The first year (1995) 17 cards were made, 29 were made this year. The fewest made were 15 (1996) and the most were 36 (1998). The Guild has a set of all 440 cards made over these 16 years. In recent years, a set for each year has been saved for the library and members may check those out. Look for photos of this year's cards in the next newsletter and on Flickr.

The collection of cards is arranged on the table, ready to picked up by participants.

This is another favorite table arrangement. Not all members attending the exchange made cards but they did bring delicious goodies.

So start thinking about joining this exchange in 2011! We would love to have you, your cards, and your cookies.

Our Holiday Gathering

2010-12-03T01:08:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting is Saturday December 11 at noon. We will not be meeting at our usual place. This is the one meeting of the year that is held at someone’s house and does not include a workshop. This is a time to enjoy our friends with our holiday card exchange and good food. Sandy has once again most generously offered us the use of her home in Arcata for our festive event (thanks once again Sandy!). For directions, see the December newsletter or contact Sandy V.

30 people will be contributing handmade cards for our annual holiday card exchange this year, but you do not have to be in the card exchange to come! Everyone is invited. If you do decide to join us, please consider bringing a finger food to share. We hope to see you there.

Highland Art Center Invitation

2010-11-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

NORBAG members have been invited to participate in an exhibition, The Book as Art, at Highland Art Center in Weaverville. Please note that this is not a NORBAG project, but rather an opportunity for you, as an individual, to exhibit your book art in a gallery situation. If you have questions, please contact the gallery directly.

When: January 8–January 30, 2011

Where: Highland Art Center, 691 Main St., Weaverville

Deadline: January 4 or earlier.

Books: Handmade or altered. For sale or not.

Details: No fee to exhibit.

Contact:

Highland Art Center

PO Box 1270

Weaverville, CA 96093

info@highlandartcenter.org

www.highlandartcenter.org

530.623.5111

November Workshop

2010-11-05T04:07:00.000-07:00

Grace B. will be leading our November workshop, a four-way magic folding picture on a single sheet of paper. She says this paper trick was taught to her in 1996 by Betz Salmont. Each person will make one prototype without decoration or pictures, one with pictures, and a third using decorated papers or using rubber stamp art (using last month's techniques, if desired).

Patterns, papers and pictures will be provided to make the books. There will be a $.50 materials fee. We'll be meeting in our usual spot, 166 BSS at HSU at noon, Saturday November 13.

Please bring:

X-acto knife and cutting mat
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil and eraser
Bone folder
Glue stick (or PVA)
A weight or book
4 rubber stamps and ink pad with theme (cats, flowers, designs, letters, etc.)
4 pieces of decorative paper 4 x 4'' with theme or color
Waxed paper
Paper to cover work area
2 or 3 paper towels

Optional, if desired:

Embossing stuff

Autumn at the Humboldt County Library Kiosk

2010-10-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

The library kiosk is ready for autumn with Halloween books and cards as well as books with seasonal colors. Here is a preview (click each photo for a larger view):

Note: the editor is posting these photos from a famous coffee shop in Grand Island, Nebraska, and they make me want to rush back to the cabin to make some books! Thank you Bonnie, Grace, Peggy, and Dolores, for locating and loaning us most of these books for the kiosk.

Rubber Stamp Extravaganza

2010-10-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Credits: Zip code stamp is from wcp-nm.com.
Egyptian cat on block is from 100 Proof Press.

Come play and learn about the endless variety possible with rubber stamps! We'll cover materials and techniques including masking, heat embossing, and resist methods. Our workshop leader Becky M. has lots of rubber stamps to share from cute to elegant to just, well, odd.

There will be Halloween and holiday stamps galore. You can make your Christmas cards!

We'll be meeting in BSS 166 at HSU (our usual room) at noon on Sat. Oct 9th. There will be a $.50 materials fee.

Please bring:

Credit: Cat and book press are from Humboldt County's Meer Image.

A sense of adventure—we're going to play!
Cutting mat or other surface protector.
Brown paper or newspaper for additional protection.
Craft knife and/or scissors.
A variety of papers to stamp on—matte to glossy, and scraps are great.
Scratch paper for practice and cleaning ink off stamps.
Rags for cleaning.
Colored markers (preferably water based) and colored pencils.

To bring if you already own them (but don't run out and buy them):

Favorite rubber stamps.
Clear acrylic stamp blocks.
Stamp ink pads.Embossing powders.
Embossing heat tool.

September Workshop: Activities

2010-09-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

September finds us back in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Building with dimmer lighting than we would like but with lots of room for a larger number of participants. (All desks have outlets, so if you have a portable light, feel free to plug in!). We always start the meetings with our book exchange and members enjoy seeing the artists present their books.

Michele reads her book on bugs

Connie uses pink Valentine papers to create a photo album

Pat shows a book of her photos of Palm Springs botanicals

Bobbie shows off pivoting panels of her 10 cats

Dolores Guffey gave another great workshop—this time on an accordion structures with faux-woven spines. All pages were pre-cut (thank you Dolores) but workshop participants got to choose the style of the spine and then figure out how to adapt the general instructions to meet their needs.

A demo of accurate accordion folding

The accordion completed

Cutting initial slots

Weaving the pages

Different styles of weaving

Careful cutting

Final Results!

The book structure and its instructions should be included in the Project Page for next month's newsletter. Now that members have completed their prototypes, we'll see many creative variations of this structure in the months to come.

NORBAG's New Website Address

2010-09-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

www.norbag.net

North Redwoods Books Arts Guild has expanded our website and changed the address. Many thanks to member, John Anderson, for constructing the site. Please visit and bookmark the page. http://www.norbag.net/ and note the following pages:

Home: The sidebar will highlight current book art news.
Workshop: The sidebar will maintain a running list of workshops held in the current year, complete with a link to photos taken during the actual workshop. The bottom of the sidebar includes a link to the list of workshops taught since 1995.
Exchange: The sidebar lists the exchange themes for the current year. This will be really handy if you cannot find your newsletter! If we have the photos of the exchange books, you will see an active link on that theme. The main text describes how we run the exchanges.
About Us: The sidebar lists officers and has a contact. The main text describes a bit about our guild community.
Join Us: The sidebar contains a link to a pdf file of all of the books in the Guild library. If you're thinking about buying a book, check the list as we may have it. There is also a link to a printable membership form. The main text lists the benefits of becoming a member.
Blog: This directs you to our blog.

Arts Alive, 2010

2010-09-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Our third annual Book Arts exhibition with Eureka Books was wonderful in so many ways. The redesigned cabinetry and floor space made it very easy for the crowds to move around and view all of the books and the 1000 Books hanging from the mezzanine railings added to the festive atmosphere. The great variety of book structures and the fact that these art objects could be picked up and enjoyed resulted in the audience receiving quite an education in the book arts. People were fascinated with Dolores Guffey's demonstration of sewing an exposed spine binding called "Bow Tie" and people enjoyed refreshments provided by Scott, Jack, Amy, and Peggy of Eureka Books.

One of the main tables in back of the store.

View from the mezzanine.

View of the front of the store.

This great shot shows most of the display space with the 1000 Books.

Dolores demonstrating a sewing frame and book cradle.

Michele "wearing" her Differential Equations pocketBook.

Sandy rearranging what remained of 1000 Books.

Many thanks to NORBAG participating artists, the Exhibition Committee, volunteers who helped construct 1000 Books, our member photographers, and Scott Brown of Eureka Books for being such a great, supportive partner in this event.
You'll enjoy seeing all of the books on Flickr:
Eureka Books Exhibition 2010
*Mouse over photos to identify artists and you can click on Slideshow.

September Workshop: Accordion with a Faux-Woven Spine

2010-09-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

This relatively simple structure has a number of variations. All paper materials needed to make this book will be provided; you will need to bring the following:

Notebook
Pencil
Good eraser
Metal ruler
Bone folder
Scissors
Craft knife (X-Acto or otherwise) with a fresh blade
Cutting mat (or an old magazine on which to cut)
Double sticky tape and/or glue stick
Material fee: $1.00

RSVP is essential, as Dolores needs to precut all of the materials prior to the class. Please let her know no later than Wednesday, September 8th. Her contact information is in the newsletter on the first page as well as the sidebar on p. 2.

Please also note that we'll be returning to our old room, Behavioral and Social Sciences 166 on the HSU Campus. We'll be meeting Saturday, September 11 at noon.

1000 Books Reception

2010-09-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Eureka Books held a reception for The Humboldt Literacy Project. We are hoping to sell 1000 of our handmade books to support this project. Thank you all NORBAG members for your hard work on this project. If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, please call Eureka Books at: (707) 444-9593.

Houses and boxes made from publicity postcards.

Sandy Vrem coordinated the effort.

Carla Baku, Director of The Humboldt Literacy Project speaks of their work.

Sandy explains how NORBAG members made 1000 books.

People enjoying the 1000 Books and getting a sneak preview of our upcoming exhibition.

Scott Brown of Eureka Books; Michele Olsen, president of NORBAG; Sandy Vrem, coordinator of the project; Bonnie Julien, board member; Katy Yanke, member

1,000 Books in the Media

2010-09-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

And a little more on our Friday night event (see below)... our 1,000 books fund-raiser for the Humboldt Literacy Project was just featured in the Home and Garden section of the Times-Standard. Read it here.

There's one small correction to the article, though. It was noted that 30 local members joined in the effort. This is not entirely true. When Margaret Beech visited from England, she worked on the little books as well. So, you can sort of say this was an international effort.

Sneak Preview

2010-09-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

A group of guild members spent most of Thursday setting up for our Friday night event (1000 Books) and our Saturday evening exhibition (Arts Alive). Thank you book ladies! (Michele is behind the camera)

Marie (look for Sandy's face above the railing)

Ilene assembling strings of books

Sandy hanging strings of books in the window

Bonnie unpacking books for the exhibition

Dolores setting books in the display case

Books, Books, and More Books

Book Art at First Street Gallery

2010-09-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you are visiting NORBAG's exhibit at Eureka Books during Arts Alive this weekend, be sure to stop by HSU's First Street Gallery in Eureka. This month the featured artists are HSU faculty and staff. JoAnn Berke, art professor at HSU and supporter of the book arts, has an entry titled "It's All French to Me". You'll enjoy the way she uses a book in this sculptural piece. See you there.

Library Kiosk, Travel and 1000 Books

2010-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Bonnie has changed the NORBAG kiosk in the Humboldt County Library.

The current theme is "Travel" but it also features information about our work, "1000 Books" to raise money for the non-profit agency, The Humboldt County Literacy Project. Our members have made over 1000 books to sell for $1 each, with the money all to go to this worthy cause. Please enjoy the slideshow below, but of course, seeing the actual kiosk is even better.

Altered Images Workshop, August, 2010

2010-08-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Dolores and Michele teamed up to present a workshop on "Altered Images". Michele demonstrated Heat Transfers, using a heat transfer tool to transfer copyright free, black and white photocopy images to paper, wood, and fabric. This is a very easy technique to learn and results in an image that has more of a vintage look to it.

Michele also demonstrated Packing Tape Transfers with color images from magazines. These transfers result in images that are transparent in places, depending on the original image. The image below has been placed on a window.

They can be glued to contrasting backgrounds that further enhance the image. A good website on Image Transfers and is offered by Art-e-zine, a site based in England.

Dolores then taught us a variety of photo altering techniques. Using a wood burning tool and sandpaper, she removed parts of the photographic inks from the paper allowing her to create her own colors and shapes using watercolors, crayons, oil pastels, or anything else that will color paper. Workshop participants were able to turn mediocre photographs into works of art. A good reference book for many of these techniques is The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, by Karen Michel.

After the demonstrations our book artists came up with some really creative images. To see these and more, enjoy the slideshow below. If you click on an image in the slideshow, you will be taken to the Picasa website where you can view larger still images or choose a full screen slideshow.

Art Explosion

2010-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

author Árni Friðriksson Wikipedia

Who would think that NORBAG would have a connection to the April, 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull! The Arcata High School Madrigal choir was stranded in Italy due to volcanic ash fouling the airways. They sang their way through the weeks but accumulated a bit of debt while waiting to fly home. Some community members decided to create a fundraiser called, Art Explosion, including a local NORBAG member, Alex Stillman.

Alex donated a number of books she received in our monthly exchanges and set them up with their own table with their own price tags. You may read the full article in the Times-Standard.

Do you recognize any of these books? It is really interesting to watch people react to a exhibition of art books. People cannot keep their hands off of the books. Books invite people to pick them up and explore the contents, often with surprising results. These books were a real treat for people who came expecting to see other types of art.

Several of the books sold, helping with the fund-raising for the fine young people of the choir, who entertained us during the event. This lucky person bought a book that was created by Dolores Guffey, a collection of letters with the envelopes forming the pages. The buyer is a fabulous yoga instructor (mine) and she intends to give the book as a gift to a friend. A book by member, Pat Larson, was also sold.

The auction was well attended, a great success, and it was good to see our books sold to help out this great group of students and their wonderful instructor.

Altered Images Workshop

2010-08-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Come join us as we help you to create new images from old. Learn techniques for altering and improving printed photographs that just don’t have any pizzazz. We will also work with simple heat transfer techniques using photocopied copyright-free images as well as packing tape transfers. You will be amazed at how creative you can be! We'll be meeting in Forestry 103 on the HSU Campus at noon on Saturday, August 14.

The following materials will be provided:

-Packing tape

-Heat transfer tool

-B&W copyright-free photocopied images

-Parchment paper

-Masking tape

-PVA glue and brush

-Photographs (thanks to Grace B.)

-Images from The Smithsonian magazine

-Wood burning tool

-Sandpaper

-Watercolors

-Gel pens

You will need to bring:

-Smooth paper (Bristol is good), scraps are OK.

-Burnishing tool (wooden spatula with straight edge works)

-Awl

-Watercolor brushes

-Magazine illustrations

Optional but helpful:

-Heat transfer tool or heavy old iron with no holes

-2" wide clear packing tape

-Watercolor paints

-Gel pens

-Photographs (they should be the discarded

type, the ones you haven’t put in albums and

probably never will...out of focus, too dark,

not interesting, etc.)

Publicity Poster

2010-07-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

The first publicity posters have been printed for NORBAG'S exhibition at Eureka Books, September 4, 2010. The poster is an 11" x 17" visual treat. Sandy Vrem's book was chosen as the "poster" book for this year. It is called "Long Tall Sally". Please join us in celebration of the book arts in September.

Rotating Panels Workshop

2010-07-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

We start every workshop with a book exchange and the theme for this month was Petroglyphs. Each book and its colophon will be printed in our next month's newsletter.

Several members were able to finish the panel structure and put covers on the book. Bonnie Julien's book used photos that she had taken while visiting some of Humboldt County's rural areas.The cover photos were printed on Arches paper, glued to matboard, and the rotating panels structure was then attached.

The following slideshow has pictures of our great workshop instructor, Dolores Guffey, some of the stages of construction, and most of the panel structures created by members in attendance. It was a great sunny day (blistering heat in the 60's) and we still had a room full of devoted book artists!

Our next workshop: Pivoting Panels taught by Dolores G.

2010-07-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Our next workshop will meet at 12 noon, Sat. July 10 in Forestry 103. We will be doing a simplified version of the Hedi Kyle Pivoting Panel structure. You will need to bring the following materials:

6 photos, 4×6" in portrait format (subject matter vertical). There will be 3 photos on the front of the panels and 3 on the back. If you do not want photos on the back, then you only need to bring 3 photos. In looking at my own stash of pictures, most all of them are in landscape mode so I know this may not be an easy task. You can substitute artwork, post cards, or images cut from magazines, just so long as the finished size is 4×6" and that they all be situated in a vertical position.

For the covers:
2 pieces of mat board or illustration board 8⅝×5⅛" grain long.

2 pieces of decorative paper 9½×6" grain long (coordinate color to match your photos or artwork). Please note: covers can be added to this structure at any time, so if you don’t have the boards or cover paper, don’t let this keep you from the workshop.

Plus:
Double-sided sticky tape.

PVA, brush, waste papers (for making the covers).

Bone folder.

X-Acto knife (or craft knife of your choice).

Cutting mat.

Pencil, eraser.

Metal ruler.

Please note that there is an RSVP request for this workshop. If you plan to come, Dolores needs you to let her know by July 7. Her contact details are on both the first and second page sidebars in the newsletter. She will respond to all inquiries. If she doesn't respond, she didn't get your message. There will also be a .50 materials fee. Our meeting will be in Forestry 103 on 17th Street.

Little Houses Workshop

2010-06-18T01:50:00.000-07:00

Our nice, light room with windows in the Forestry Building.

A great time was had by all who showed up for our Little Houses workshop. Vicki was a patient and enthusiastic instructor, and we were all pleased to discover how much easier it was to learn to do these than originally feared, even for the less agile among us. We finished the workshop contemplating all sorts of ideas for this versatile structure, which could be used as the basis for everything from gift boxes to artists' books. It was a fun afternoon.

The lower part of the structure, made completely by folding little bits of cardstock or business cards--no glue, and little exact measuring!

There were two ways of making these. This one is a solid shape that doesn't open.

Then Vicki taught us how to make these into openable boxes with a lid. How cool is that.

If you scroll down to the photo on the post before last (May 28), you can see a house Vicki made that includes an attached book.

Library Kiosk

2010-06-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

The NORBAG book arts display in the Humboldt County Library has been changed. The new theme is Animals. The glass display case is just beyond the desk as you enter the library and of course, they are best enjoyed by a visit if you are able. Click on the images below to see larger images. Do you recognize any of the books?

Thank you Bonnie!

June Workshop--House of Cards

2010-05-28T02:29:00.000-07:00

The house we will build is considerably sturdier than the usual house of cards (or the economy for that matter). We will use a double wall construction technique for this workshop but there are many variations possible depending on the size of cards and the stability requirements. The larger the construction the more foundation is required so we will start small with a finished house that measures ~ 2 1/8 x 2 1/8 x 4" all made from one piece of 12 x 12" stiff paper (double sided scrapbooking paper works well) or 25 standard size business cards.

What to bring:
-One piece of 12" square stiff paper cut into
  twenty-four 2 x 3" pieces or 24 standard-
  size business cards (bring more if you sense
  potential trouble)
-Bone folder
-Scissors
-Craft knife
-Cutting pad
-Double stick tape
-Ruler or other straight edge
-Agile fingers

Handy but not a total necessity:
-Scoring tool (the official kind or a paper clip or knitting needle will do just fine)
-Small spatula type tool for jamming flaps into small inconvenient slots
-Tweezers
-Patience
If you have questions, contact Vicki V. Her contact details are in the newsletter, as well as in every newsletter on the page 2 sidebar.

Book Exchange Reminder: The theme for the book exchange at our next meeting is "materials from the hardware store." Keep in mind, plenty more comes from hardware stores than just hammers and nails. They are satisfying places to browse for ideas. This should be a lot of fun.

Newport Paper Arts Festival 2010

2010-05-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Fourteen NORBAG members representing California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and England, converged on the seaside town of Newport to attend a multitude of workshops at the Newport Paper Arts Festival. They took a wide variety of courses with wonderful results. Everyone had a great time and rumor has it that they worked into the evening on their projects or even made up some of their own projects for entertainment. Enjoy the following slideshow of their work. Click on the slideshow image to see larger, individual pictures.

May's Workshop--Discovering the Wheel

2010-05-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

Our last workshop featured an introduction to paper engineering. We focused on one fun structure--a turning wheel that can be embedded in the pages of books and cards. As the viewer turns the wheel, pictures or strings of text change through a window.

After putting together the basic form, participants got to decorate their wheels with pictures. Some people stamped, some cut and pasted, and others scribbled. It was enjoyable and, judging by the feedback we've been getting, some have been inspired to make more at home.

Part of the afternoon included a video about a pop-up collector in Australia. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the overhead screen to work, and so everyone wound up gathering around a laptop to watch. In case you missed it (or couldn't see it well) the video can be seen here.

Also at the meeting was a display of some of the wonderful things members got to make at the Newport Paper Arts Festival in April. More on that will be posted soon here on this blog. Please check back in.

Becky's Books from the May Newsletter

2010-04-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

The May newsletter, which is going out late this month, has an article by Becky Luening. She tells us about a workshop she took with Karen Hanmer in Portland, OR. We thought it would be nice to post the pictures of Becky's prototype flag books from the article, along with her descriptions of them. To read about the workshop, please see the newsletter, which should be with you soon.

This shows the front and back covers of Sunday Parkways. The accordion spine is in the center.

Inside view of the prototype flag book Sunday Parkways. Becky says, "The theme for this book would be something like, 'Bicycling: Every rotation of the wheel is a revolution.' The Sunday Parkways events are held 3-4 times during the summer (once a month) and are sponsored by the City of Portland. They block off 7-8 miles of city streets so bicyclists can ride unimpeded by auto traffic, and thousands of people turn out. Last summer Brian and I rode in two of these events and volunteered to conduct traffic at a third (the intersection where we were stationed was my vantage point for capturing these bicyclist shots.) Riding among so many others is most exhilarating and festive...."

Hoi An Ancient Town, Viet Nam. The theme for this book would be, "Vietnam is a country, not a war." Becky notes that she didn't like the inside of this book very well and would probably look for different images to use for a Viet Nam flag book. However, she likes the cover so much more, even though she got the panels reversed. (Note to Becky: if you hadn't told us, I doubt we would've noticed!) But she loves the colors--the scarves, tropical trees, the tourist's red hair...

May Workshop: Simple Paper Engineering

2010-04-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Simple paper engineering structures can add a fun and interactive element to books. These won’t actually be pop-ups, but movable forms. We’ll be focusing on two constructions. One will be a turnable wheel that requires no brads. The other is a pull-tab. If time allows, we might expand upon these to create similar forms. These structures are great for books, altered books and cards.

We are meeting Saturday, May 8 at 12 noon in our usual room, BSS 166. The cost is $.50 to cover material expenses.

What to bring:

-Scissors

-Craft knife and cutting mat

-Metal ruler and/or gridded quilting ruler

-Pencil and eraser

-Glue stick and/or double-sided tape or adhesive dispenser (such as Tombo)

-PVA

-Several sheets of 8.5 x 11" cardstock or heavyweight paper such as Canson Mi-teintes, plus 2 or 3 sheets of 12 x 12" cardstock.

-A compass. This is for drawing accurate concentric circles (but if you can't find one, you'll likely be able to borrow one).

-Pictures for your structures: small rubber stamps with ink and/or small images to cut out and glue (roughly 1/2" to 1" should work); and colored pens or pencils for drawing. Think of things that might go together well as a visual story, or that simply go together...or just bring whatever you want to play with as you construct your prototypes. If you just want to doodle with pens or pencils and not worry about pictures to bring, that's fine. Some extra small images will also be provided.

-Decorative edge scissors--highly recommended, but optional. This is to shape the edge of your wheel, which will make it easier to grasp and turn. Small zigzag or wave-shaped edges work well.

-Also optional, if you happen to have them around: round or square punches (around 1" or so). This is for experimenting with different shaped window openings to go along with your wheel. Not essential.

Ellen G. will be leading the workshop. Her contact details are in the newsletter if you have questions.

More Margaret Beech

2010-04-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I must add one more picture of our recent workshop and a link to Margaret's wonderful blog at http://beeches13.skyrock.com . There are 22 pages of photos with descriptions of her wonderful books. Enjoy.

When Margaret visits, she makes up for lost time by learning the techniques of previous workshops such as gelatin printmaking and fun foam stamps. She also wanted to participate in the creation of 1000 Books for Literacy so a group of us met to cut, glue, and stamp our way to the completion of this project. Here are a few photos of these efforts.

Margaret Beech and Friends

2010-04-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

One of the purposes of creating this blog was to offer a peek at our workshops for our non-local members; photos or slide shows can give you a good sense of what we created and how we did it. What they cannot do is show you the enthusiasm of Margaret, her energetic teaching style, her great love of teaching the book arts, or the warm response of the participants. But, I'll give it a try.

Margaret has been a longtime member of NORBAG and participates in the book exchange each month, from England! Many members came just to visit with her once again.

Margaret is a calligrapher and we spent the morning practicing the Dotty Alphabet. Members have learned to bring desk lamps from home—the room is too dark for detailed work.

The alphabet itself is charming and easy to learn. We used Micron pens and practiced our ascenders and descenders on straight and curved lines.

The afternoon was spent constructing a book. This sample was made by Margaret and celebrates her granddaughter's 4th birthday. The four pages lift up revealing a photo from each of her four young years.

We started the construction by cutting out the background pages. We learned to speed up the cutting and folding using templates. If there is a shortcut, Margaret will invent it.

Each of the pages has a piece of art and decorative backing glued onto the center of these shaped pages.

The pages are then assembled and held together with T-pins and a clip. Margaret leaves the T-pins in until she is ready to pull the thread through the holes. This way the pins hold the papers together while stitching. Brilliant!

The completed books were all beautiful and I'm sure we'll see some of these in future exchanges.

THANK YOU MARGARET!

Humboldt County Library Display, "Spring"

2010-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that North Redwoods Book Arts Guild displays books in the Eureka library?

As you pass the checkout desk they are in a kiosk on the right. This month's theme is SPRING. Grace Battjes has done this for some time and now Bonnie Julien is coordinating the displays.

You might be surprised to see one of your own books displayed, donated by a member who received it in an exchange! Please enjoy each of the shelves but they are much nicer "in person".

Next month's theme is ANIMALS.

April's Guest Workshop with Margaret Beech

2010-03-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

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.