North Redwoods Book Arts Guild

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

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

BUTTONHOLE STITCH REVIEW

At the October NORBAG workshop we were taught how to make a variation of the Buttonhole stitch. Lara Cox led us through the steps to create a beautiful book that can open flat to allow for easy journaling or sketching. Lara's idea to create openings in the cover individualizes and enhances the design. Thank you Lara for a wonderful workshop. The following photographs show some of the books made in the workshop.

Margaret Beech


Sherrill Story


Dolores Guffey

Anne Atkinson

Anne made a second smaller version after the workshop.


Bonnie Julien


PSBA Exchange Books

Puget Sound Book Artists held their yearly book exchange earlier this month. This year the theme was Wabi Sabi and 31 members participated. Pictured here are a few of the books from the exchange.

LeeAnne Campos

Mari Eckstein Gower

Lynn McClain

Top: Kim Izenman
Bottom: Kat Gower


Dorothy McCuistion

Sally Alger


Janet Reynolds

Becky Frehse

Debbi Commodore

Bonnie Julien

Sunday, September 27, 2026

BUTTONHOLE STITCH BINDING

Lara Cox will be our instructor for the October NORBAG workshop. Lara saw the Buttonhole Stitch binding on various Pinterest and Bookbinding sites and was inspired to research and make several versions, from full hard binding (book-cloth over book-board) covers to simpler versions utilizing cover weight paper for the cover. Parts of this binding can be glued or not depending on your style choices. It also offers endless possibilities for variation with cover design. Lara says this book binding technique is a variation of the binding taught in Keith Smith's book Volume 1 Non-adhesive Binding. To receive a copy of the tools and materials needed for the workshop, RSVP to Dolores Guffey (dguffey1@gmail.com) by October 5.


When:  Saturday October 10 at 10 am PDT
Where: On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom
Workshop questions:  Lara Cox  Laracoxbookarts@gmail.com
Zoom questions:  Bobbie Hayes  bobbie.hayes666@gmail.com
RSVP:  Dolores Guffey  dguffey1@gmail.com  by Oct. 5



Monday, September 14, 2026

FLAG BOOKS & BIMA EXHIBIT

 Flag Books are a favorite structure of Carol DuBosch and now they might also be favorites of those of us who attended her workshop. First she demonstrated her technique for making a flag book and then she shared many of the books she has made using that structure. Some of her books had as many as 50 or 100 flags! Thank you Carol for sharing those wonderful books with us.

Sherrill Story sent in a few photos of the flag book she made after the workshop.





Cloth, Paper, Stitches is the title of the current exhibit in the Sherry Grover Gallery at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) on Bainbridge Island, Washington. This exhibit has been up since July 3 and will end on September 20. Here are photographs of some of the books in the exhibit. These books, from the extensive collection of Cynthia Sears, showcase "processes such as sewing, weaving, cutting, and folding. These works expand the idea of the book beyond a purely visual or text-based object into something materially intimate and physically engaging."


She...,
 by Hazel Monte

Indian Couture: Book of Dance & Dress
by Teri Greeves

Surfing with Hokusai
by Samuel Spurrier

The Travels of Marco Bull
By Lois Morrison

Erebld/Materia
by Michelle AM Miller

The Book of the Five Cursed Moons
by Halah Kahn

Cotton's Flora
by Carletta Carrington Wilson

Dante's Woods
by Lois Morrison

Dante's Woods - a spool book

kNot human kNot free
by Carletta Carrington Wilson

Sunday, August 30, 2026

SIMPLE FLAG BOOK

The flag book is one of the most dramatic book structures and yet it is quite simple to make. For our September workshop Carol DuBosch will share her experience with making flag books. The book has an accordion folded spine, and the flags are attached to the sides of the accordion folds. She will provide instructions for a small simple book and demonstrate making one in our class. Carol also plans to show many of the flag books that she has made over the years with a wide variety of content, subjects and materials.




Materials:

  • 1 1/2 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" card stock
  • ruler
  • pencil
  • scissors
  • scoring tool
  • glue stick

When:   Saturday September 12 at 10 a.m. PDT
Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom
RSVP:    By Sept. 7 to Dolores Guffey to receive the password
Questions:  Carol DuBosch  abcdubosch@frontier.com
Zoom questions:  Bobbie Hayes
Contact information is in the newsletter

 ATTENTION LOCAL NORBAG MEMBERS

At the next local in-person meeting on September 26, Dolores Guffey will teach a "Drum Leaf Pocket Structure" inspired by Hedi Kyle. The workshop will be held at the Eureka Center for Spiritual Living, 239 Buhne St. Eureka from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT. An email with all the details (including photos) will be sent to local members a week or so before the workshop. We will also have "Show & Tell" as well as the ever popular "Freebie Table". Please come so that we can start planning our local workshops for next year.

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

FOLD & CUT REVIEW

 The August NORBAG workshop was quick and easy thanks to Donna LaVallee's great instructions. The Fold-and-Cut Book structure is a variation from Michael Jacobs book, Books Unbound. It's a one page wonder with a cover. Donna shared several more variations for making the book that also included different closures. Several members shared the books they created.

Stephanie Weigel

Stephanie's book closure

Margaret Beech


Three books with different closures
 made by Margaret

The September workshop will be a simple flag book taught by Carol DuBosch.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

FOLD and CUT BOOK

 This workshop, to be taught by Donna LaVallee, is a variation of the Fold-and-Cut book from Michael Jacobs' book: Books Unbound. The following photos will give you an idea of the versatility of this structure. Make the structure in the workshop and then come up with your own ideas on how to personalize it by changing the size, closure, decorations, etc.



Materials:

  • 4 1/4" x 9" cardstock for cover
  • 8 1/2" x 11" printer weight paper
  • Odds and ends of papers or pictures for decoration
  • Optional closure(s) choose one. See photo above for ideas
  • 8" length cardstock for belly band (any width is fine)
  • Tiny Velcro dots
  • Tiny brad, one inch and 1/2 inch
  • Cardstock circles
  • Colored thread

Tools:

  • Bone folder
  • Scissors
  • glue stick or double stick tape
  • Ruler
  • Pencil and eraser
  • Embossing tool (or use a bone folder)
  • Awl
  • Markers or colored pencils

When:   Saturday August 8 at 10 am PDT
Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom
RSVP:   By August 3 to Dolores Guffey to receive the password
Questions:  Donna LaVallee  donna.lavallee@gmail.com
Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes
Contact information is in the newsletter

Monday, July 13, 2026

PULL UP STRUCTURES

 NORBAG members were treated to a fun and easy workshop to make "pull up" 3-D structures that will also lie flat in a book. Many thanks to Mary Conley for sharing this technique with us. Here is an example of one member's book.

Sherrill Story's triangle pull-up

Sherrill's book of pull-ups

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the kiosk at the Humboldt County Library in Eureka, California is all decked out in red, white, and blue. Thanks go to Kenzie Mullen for arranging the display and Dolores Guffey for providing the books that are past exchange books made by our members.