WORKSHOP FOLLOW-UP AND LIBRARY KIOSK

The October workshop taught by Margaret Beech was a very versatile structure that can be modified in many ways. It is simply decreasing sizes of single fold cards that can be arranged in different ways to showcase photographs, art, or text. Thank you Margaret for sharing this structure with us. Below are some examples of the cards that were finished after the workshop.

Sue Reynolds

Emmy Nelson, card cover 

Emmy Nelson

Emmy's card opened up

Sherrill Story's cover

Sherrill Story

Sherrill's card opened up

The following photograph is a beautiful example of the circle book structure that was taught by Kit Davey in September.

Barbara Ristaino used flower decals for her book.

Library Display

The Kiosk display at the Humboldt County Library in Eureka, California is featuring books made by Michele Kamprath this month. Thank you Kenzie Mullen for arranging the display. 

LIBRARY KIOSK & MISCELLANEOUS

 Our July workshop of Sewn Boards Binding with Sewn-in Wrapper taught by Celeste Chalasani was very well presented and attended! Thank you Celeste for showing us a different way to bind a book block that also showcases the cover. The book shown below was made by Sherrill Story.

This book was made by Michele Kamprath

Thanks go to Kenzie Mullen for creating the book exhibits in the kiosk inside the Humboldt County Library in Eureka, California. The latest exhibit showcased exchange books made by Bonnie Julien.

Here is a new challenge from Bonnie Halfpenny...

Try to Remember!

Here is a challenge- can you remember how you first became aware of book arts? I was trying to figure this out for myself. It certainly wasn't from seeing them in a museum! It wasn't from finding a great discussion of them in a book. It wasn't from hearing about them in any art class. I do know I saw an exciting exhibit of them about 25 years ago at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, CA, where we happened to be vacationing (escaping Phoenix heat). I remember I was impressed by the variety of book forms and media used. That institution now has a collection of more than 2200 artists' books if you are ever down that way.

But, back to the question! Maybe some of you were lucky enough to be taking art classes where they had book arts on offer, but that didn't happen for me. It would be interesting to hear the various ways that you became aware of this field. So give your brain a workout and let us know how and when this fertile field opened for you. Send your responses to me at bhalfpen@gmail.com or no.redwoods.bag@gmail.com.

CALENDARS

 Instead of a workshop, our February NORBAG meeting will be a show-and-tell featuring handmade calendars. Carolyn Jones will share some of her favorite calendars made by herself and fellow artists Dorothy Swendeman, Terri Tinkham, and Vikki Young. We invite you to pour a beverage of choice and sit back and watch as Carolyn takes you on a tour of handmade calendars that showcase various themes, bindings, structures, surface design and other paper arts techniques.

left to right: Terri Tinkham, Vikki Young, Carolyn Jones, Dorothy Swendeman

In 1994, three handweavers (Carolyn, Dorothy & Terri) got together and used scraps and samples of their handwoven fabrics as the focus of an edition of 35 calendars on a textile arts theme. It was a hit so they did it again the next year. In 1997, Vikki joined the group and they worked together to explore new themes and structures. Vikki wrote stories and text to illuminate the themes as they added new paper art techniques along with their weavings.

Editions ran to 150 copies at their peak. Themes included ethnic textiles, fashion, food, travel, theatre, botany, a coloring book, color, words, and patterns etc. Each calendar is an exercise in marrying structure with content, and an extensive collaboration between four fertile, but very different, artistic minds. Since the deaths of Dorothy and Vikki (Dorothy was a founding member of NORBAG and Vikki edited the newsletter for many years), Terri and Carolyn have continued to explore. The collection now includes 27 handcrafted, themed, limited edition calendars and four limited edition books.

Here is a sample of some of the wonderful calendars Carolyn will share with us.

Discarded medical record folders were transformed into a rainbow
 edged concertina, with pockets, to explore Transformations.

A dozen favorite quotations were illustrated with collage
in star book form for May We Quote You?

Individual miniature works of art illustrate 24 facets
of the plant world, with each page in this tyvek binding
unfolding to provide hints about what inspired us.

What if? takes a tour around France and explores
a different use of the Cricut machine each month,
chronicling our successes, failures and discoveries
along the way.

Not quite a word a day, Logophilia illustrates a word 
every 2-3 days with a handmade object or game
inspired by a specific date.

Though the majority of the calendars are spiral or comb bound, 
like these, they come in a variety of shapes, and incorporate
lots of interesting paper structures and techniques within.

Remember...there is NO workshop for our February meeting, but we will have a wonderful show-and-tell and of course our Valentine exchange cards.

When:   Saturday, February 11 at 10 a.m. PST

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Yes, to Dolores Guffey by Feb. 6 to receive the password

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter.

More Calendars

As long as we're featuring calendars this month, we have another NORBAG member who has made a lot of calendars through the years. Vivienne Bruce, our member (since 2001) from Victoria, B.C., Canada made the calendars featured in this month's kiosk display at the Humboldt County Library in Eureka, CA. For several years Vivienne participated in our holiday card exchange with a calendar using a unique design and technique every year. Each calendar is printed in both French and English and she often included information from the Chinese Lunar Calendar into her designs.

CRISS CROSS & KIOSK

 Our September Criss Cross Accordion workshop taught by Mary Conley was a great success with more than 40 participants. Our thanks go to Mary for showing us a lovely sculptural book that can also hold cards in the "pockets". We discovered that the sizes of the book pieces can also be cut in half to make a smaller version just right for holding ATC cards.

Two books by Bobbie Hayes, one a smaller size,
and both with her beautifully decorated papers.

The smaller book is oriented to lift up,
 rather than from the side like the larger book. 

This book is by Bonnie Julien.

Bonnie's book includes ties of waxed linen thread
inserted through holes punched with a Dremel.

Margaret Beech used Dylusion inks 
to create these beautiful painted covers.

Margaret's book demonstrates how the
crossed pages can be used as pockets.

Humboldt County Library Display

The kiosk at the Humboldt County Library in Eureka has a new display of miniature books made by Edge Gerring. If you are in the area, be sure to check out this great collection. Thank you Edge for sharing your wonderful books with us.