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.

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

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.

PULL UP NET

Our member from Victoria, B.C., Mary Conley, has a wonderful new structure to share with us. She recently learned that the template for a 3D figure is called a "net" and this mechanism is called a "pull up net". The idea is to pull on a string and create a 3D sculpture from a 2 dimensional template. Participants in our July workshop will be sent five templates to cut out of cardstock and score before the workshop.

Here is an example of one of the figures. 

To see examples of more of the structures, go to the NORBAG Flickr gallery under the March 2026 exchange books.

Materials:

• 10 cardstock circles - 1" diameter
• Five lengths of string, each 20" long. Mary uses #8 (medium) Perle cotton
• 1/16" hole punch (large enough for the string to pass through)
• Five Velcro dots and Five foamcore dots
• PVA and a small brush
• Scissors, knife, cutting mat and bone folder
• Have prepared an accordion book made out of heavy cardstock with six pages each measuring 5" by 7". Covers measure 5.25" by 7.25".

When:    Saturday July 11 at 10 am PDT

Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Dolores Guffey by July 6 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Mary Conley sculptsster@gmail.com

Zoom Questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

Here are some photos of the latest display of our exchange books in the kiosk at the Humboldt County Library in Eureka, California

JUNE WORKSHOP REVIEW

 Thank you Dena Bliss for sharing your "Cabinet of Favorites or Travel Portfolio" book with us. It may look tricky to make, but it was not, and could easily be adjusted to a different size. We liked the way there are pockets for small keepsakes as well as booklets for journal entries or drawings. And then to top it all off Dena showed us how to make a Turkish map fold that could  go either in a pocket or under a belly band on the cover. Following are some examples of the books made by our members.

Margaret Beech
Pockets on the sides for journals and two on the bottom
 middle for the map and/or other collectables.

Book cover with a belly band.

Michele Kamprath

Michele's cover

Everything in the pockets

Sherrill Story
Cover of book with Turkish Map under the vertical belly band

Sherrill's book opened up

Sherrill's second book

The cover with the map fold under the belly band

CABINET OF FAVORITES or HANDY TRAVEL PORTFOLIO

First of all, we want to thank Lynn Marsh for teaching our May workshop.  The Pocket Pages book should come in very handy to hold small items, especially while traveling.  Here are photos of Michele Kamprath's book.

Here you can see the book's pockets.

This photo shows the pages of the book, including
some that were tipped in.

Dena Bliss will be our instructor for the June workshop. The book we'll be making, a Cabinet of Favorites or Handy Travel Portfolio, would also be a good book to take on a trip as it has pockets and spaces for a notebook, etc..

Materials:

• Decorated cardstock 8 1/2" x 11" for the outside cover
• 2 pieces decorated cardstock 3 1/4" x 5 1/2" for library pockets
• 2 pieces decorated cardstock 10 3/4" x 4" for end notebooks
• 1 piece decorated cardstock 7 3/4" x 2 5/8" for interior notebook
• 1 piece white text weight (printer paper) 5 1/2" square for map
• 1 piece decorated cardstock 12" x 1.25" (to harmonize with other papers) for a belly band
• 6 pieces text weight (printer paper) 10 3/4" x 4"
• 3 pieces text weight (printer paper) 7 3/4" x 2 5/8"
• waxed linen thread and needle
• strong liquid glue

Tools:

• Bone folder
• awl
• weight or heavy book
• circle punch, corner rounder or round object to use as a template for rounding corners.

When:     Saturday June 13 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:    On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:      Dolores Guffey by June 8

Workshop Questions:  Dena Bliss dbliss@sonic.net

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

POCKET PAGES BOOK

 The May NORBAG workshop will be taught by Lynn Marsh, one of our Canadian members. This is an easy to construct book that is quite versatile with many possibilities. It can be made with light card or thicker paper and has many pocket pages ideal for storing photographs, small art pieces, or stamps for example. Lynn asks that we have our papers prepared in advance. 

Great pocket storage

Book cover

This view shows how the pocket pages
can also be decorated.

Materials (to be cut in advance):

• 4 sheets of light card 8 1/2" x 11", one color or different colors
• 2 pieces book board 5 3/4" x 5", grain long
• 2 pieces of paper for covering the book board, (no obvious pattern)
• 7 pieces of light card, 3 1/2" x 1 1/2", grain long
• 1 piece of light card, 1" x 14"

Tools:

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Two-sided tape, 1/2" width
• PVA glue & brush
• Bone folder
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Cutting mat
• Scoring tool
• Scrap paper

When:    May 9 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Dolores Guffey by May 4 to receive the password

Workshop questions:  Lynn Marsh at lynn.marsh@shaw.ca

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter