June Workshop: Gallery Book

An example of a Gallery Book made by Dolores.

Dolores Guffey will be teaching us how to make this classic book structure known as a Gallery Book. When the book is opened it gives the impression of framed paintings hanging in an art gallery. 

Materials needed: 

• Full sheet of Mi-Teintes 19" x 25-1/2" (from which you will be able to make additional books) 

• Optional – if you would like to make a case for your book, bring a piece of color or decorative cardstock cut 7-3/4" x 5-3/4" (grain long) 

• X-ACTO (or craft knife) with new blade 

• Cutting mat 

• Scissors 

• Metal ruler 

• Glue Stick 

• Waste paper 

• Pencil and good eraser 

• Right triangle (optional) 

• Images to put in the window openings:
 You will need 9 images in portrait layout. They need to be cut 1-1/2" x 2" size, but the image will appear through a 1" x 1-1/2"opening (see note below). 

When you cut your 1-1/2" x 2" images, keep in mind that you will lose 1/4" on all sides that will be behind the frame of the window opening – so your viewed image should not go beyond the 1" x 1-1/2" window opening. To help you gather your images, cut out a piece of paper 1-1/2" x 2" and then mark 1/4" in on each edge and cut out the window. Now you have a template to place over whatever you are planning on putting in your gallery. 

Note on images: these can be photographs; images cut from magazines; rubber stamped images; abstract images; cancelled stamps; zentangles; etc. The images for the sample book shown on this page are from U.S. postage stamps which were scanned into the computer and re-sized to fit the measurements for this workshop. 

Note on Mi-Teintes: Prior to coming to the meeting, please have your Mi-Teintes cut 6" x 25-1/2" – when you cut the 6" strip, make sure you cut from the edge that does not have the embossed logo running along the edge. We will be using the full 25-1/2" length to make the book. 

The finished size of the book, when folded shut, is 6" high, 1-1/2" wide, and 1" thick. When opened, it is approximately 6" x 10". You can color-coordinate your Mi-Teintes with your images, or go with a light neutral color such as white, beige, or light gray. You will have enough paper left over to make two more books of the same size; or you can add length to your original book by folding the additional 6" strip (or strips) and connecting to end of the original book. 

RSVP: Yes, please. Dolores will have a full set of instructions as well as some acetate templates and does not wish to copy and cut more than necessary. So please be kind and RSVP (contact info for Dolores is in the newsletter). We will be meeting Saturday, June 14 in our usual location on the HSU campus. 

Star Tunnel Book

In this month’s workshop, Michele Kamprath will be teaching us how to make a small star-tunnel book. 

There are many types of star books. This one has three layers with the first two layers open to a decorated back layer. This is a fun little structure that has lots of possibilities. 

You will need to bring the items listed below.

Materials and tools to bring:

• 3 strips of paper: 3" x 17" (this shortest strip is the one you may want to decorate), 3" x 19-1/2", and 3" x 22" * 
• 2 covers: 3-1/4" X 2" (boards already covered if you have time) 
• Bead/s for closure, if desired 
• Small pictures, bits of paper, or stamps to decorate back panel 
• Clips like clothes pins to hold paper strips together 
• PVA and/or Glue Stick 
• Awl 
• Cutting mat 
• Cutting tool 
• Needle and thread 
• Ruler 

*Note from Michele: Mi-Teintes weight paper or Fabriano, paper (available at Ellis Art & Engineering and Michaels) would be good paper choices or light to medium weight cardstock. You might think of decorating the front paper strip either by using decorated paper or stamping the front strip keeping in mind that there will be a window cut out for each section. Thicker wrapping paper that holds a fold might work well for a front strip though I haven’t tried it. 

What will be provided:

• Double-sided tape
• Some beads
• Instructional handout

We'll be back in our usual room, BSS 166 at HSU, Saturday, November 9 at noon. There is a 50 cent fee for materials. Please RSVP Michele by Wednesday prior to the workshop. Her contact details are in the newsletter.

Making Burritos in June (Burrito Books, that is)

Thank you to Bobbie H. for this month's fun and instructive workshop. We all enjoyed learning the secrets behind making these simple, yet interestingly decorative books that are joined together through slitted pages. No need for glue or thread! We called them burrito books, but other names for this structure include slot and tab books, slit and slot books, or interlocking signatures books. However you describe them, they're fun to make.

Papers and instructions were provided.

Colorful pages.

One of Bobbie's models.

Some of us got a little extra creative.

June Workshop

These little books range from the ridiculous to the sublime. A burrito book is a small book put together without the aid of sewing, glues or fasteners. The sheets of the ‘book’ interlock by rolling a page (like a burrito) and putting it through an opening in another page. 

Tools to bring:

• Cutting mat 
• Xacto knife 
• Scissors 
• Metal Ruler 
• Bone folder 
• Materials to decorate your books: rubber stamps, photos, collage, etc. 

 What will be supplied: 

• Paper for 3 small books 

When looking on the internet, YouTube shows teachers putting pieces of paper together for young students to use as notebooks. As usual, we up the ante a bit. 

We will start with the simplest of the formats using text weight paper to make a glue and fastener free note book. This will demonstrate why it is called a “burrito book” and the basics of the technique. The second book will be made of card stock and can have an unlimited number of pages. It also has an interesting spine. The third book will contain two “signatures” and be a little more sophisticated in appearance. 

Many of you will finish fairly early. Please bring materials to decorate your book (e.g., rubber stamps, photos, collage, colored pencils or media of your choice). The book of card stock will be high contrast with brightly colored pages. The third book will have a choice of covers with white "signatures." 

We'll be meeting in our usual room on the HSU campus on Saturday, June 8. Please note that this workshop requires an RSVP so that Bobbie, our instructor, can prepare enough materials. Bobbie's contact info is in the newsletter. Please let her know as soon as possible if you plan to join us. There will be a $1.25 materials fee.

A big thank you to Vivienne B., who sent samples and instructions for the Burrito Book. 

August Workshop

Board Book with Drop Spine
Taught by Ellen G.

Saturday, August 11 at 12pm, in our usual meeting place. Materials fee: $1

This versatile structure is essentially the same as that of most commercial children’s board books. It provides page spreads that lie flat with no stitching, and the books have a satisfying weight and bulk. Ours will include a drop spine, a common feature in commercial board books, which allows the book to have a tight fitting cover yet still have room for the pages to open flat. For those of you who like to alter board books, consider making your own from scratch! Examples, both handmade and commercial, will be brought to give ideas of what can be done with board books. 

Some board book examples made by the instructor.

Materials to bring:

• 6 boards: 5 x 4", grain long, plus an extra scrap to use as a spacer. These can be 4-ply museum board, illustration board or mat board.
• 5 pieces of card stock or similar weight papers for page spreads: 5½ x 8½", grain short. 
• 1 piece of card stock or similar for the cover: 5½ x 10", grain short. 

Note: The more straight and squared your boards are, the better your book will look. Cut carefully. It also never hurts to bring a few extra pieces of board or paper in case of unforeseen disasters. The Art Center in Arcata and Ellis in Eureka are good places to check for museum or illustration board. NORBAG members get 10% off at Ellis. If you are new at this or still unsure how to determine grain, search online for "paper grain." Most how-to bookbinding books also have an explanation of this.

Supplies to bring:

• PVA glue
• Glue brush
• Water jar for brush
• Scrap papers for gluing on 
• Craft knife
• Cutting mat
• Your preferred scoring tool
• Ruler or straight edge. See note below.*
• Pencil 
• Bone folder

Optional: 

• Drafting or artists' tape
• Weights to put on top of your boards as they dry
• A flat metal carpenter's square: a 12 x 8" square can be found at local hardware stores for under $10. (In general, these are handy for lining up book covers and very handy if you make boxes—it's a tool you'll use again.)

Provided: Written instructions and extra glue and drafting tape. A heavy-duty corner rounder will be available if you want to add that finishing touch.

*Note on straight edge: 

If you don't have a metal square, you'll need another other kind of straight edge or ruler. You can use a quilting ruler, a plain (not cork-backed) ruler, or even a plain, narrow piece of metal around 8" long will do. Another alternative is to glue a straight piece of book board about 9" x 1" onto the bottom of a larger piece of book board to use as a jig:

A diagram of a jig made from book board. 

Please don't use a cork-backed ruler. We're going to be using our straight edge to align our boards. The boards will slip under a cork-backed ruler, but if you turn over the ruler to avoid that problem, the cork might be damaged by the tape we'll be using.

Most of all, plan to have fun. Board books are addictive!

Please note: This was originally posted with incorrect dimensions for papers and boards. It has now been updated to show the same dimensions as is in the newsletter. If you've already cut your boards and paper with the previous measurements that were shown here, go ahead and bring them--they will still work fine. Sorry for the confusion!

April All Day Workshop

BOOK ARTS SAMPLER

 

Presented by Margaret Beech

Come to an exciting all-day workshop from 9am to 4pm with our very own
Margaret Beech, who has traveled all the way from York, England to share her wonderful enthusiasm and creativity with us. Margaret has designed a book arts sampler: a two-sided accordion structure with a surprise in each fold. When someone asks you "What exactly is book arts?" you can show them this sampler and let them be "wowed."

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
9:00-9:30 am: "Meet and Greet Margaret" and prepare for the workshop
9:30-12noon: Workshop
12:00noon: Lunch and meeting
12:30pm: Book Exchange
If you can't make the workshop, please feel free to come between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm to meet Margaret and join us for the monthly book exchange.

(Note: Margaret will also be accompanying some of us to Newport for the Paper Arts Festival the following week).

Materials to bring:
• Post-it Notes (any size)
• Double sticky tape
• New glue stick & waste paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Bone folder
• Craft knife & cutting mat
• Japanese screw punch or an awl
• Brown bag lunch

Materials provided:
All materials required to complete the sampler will be provided in a "kit"
which you will receive at the workshop.

When?
Saturday, April 14, Begins at 9am
Where?
Our usual location: BSS 166 at HSU
RSVP? YES! By April 9! Contact Dolores Guffey
FEE: $5

Triangle Books with Pop-ups Workshop

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!
 

March Workshop--Stiff Leaf Binding

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.

 

January's Workshop - Meander Books

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.

November Workshop

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 

September Workshop: Activities

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.

September Workshop: Accordion with a Faux-Woven Spine

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.

Our next workshop: Pivoting Panels taught by Dolores G.

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.

Margaret Beech and Friends

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!

Laura Wait Workshop

Sandy Vrem and Michele Olsen participated in a workshop featuring Laura Wait and sponsored by the San Diego Book Arts guild. The workshop seemed like a good excuse for Sandy to drive down from Arcata and Michele to fly out from Nebraska so that we could combine pleasure (the workshop) with joy (we have children living in San Diego) and play (roller coaster and carousel at Belmont Park). Friday evening we attended Laura Wait’s lecture, “Playing it by Ear” at the beautiful Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla. The library was founded by six women in 1894 and started its artists’ books collection in 1991. Books are displayed on shelves and in display cases throughout the rooms in their charming facility. With wine and cheese in hand we enjoyed Laura's slideshow of her beautiful books shown on a scale big enough that we could appreciate the detail. Laura’s work is featured in 500 Handmade Books; her book is on the cover with additional books inside.

The first day of the workshop was devoted to painting papers to be used for book pages. Laura used wheat paste with glycerin (for flexibility), green soap (discourage bugs), and acrylic paints. The use of brushes, rollers, sticks, and sponges, resulted in spontaneous creations. The first layers of paint were left to dry while we started work on tools to create more complex layers.

The beauty of Laura’s work lies in her use of multiple layers of paint to create complex and rich visual images. We worked with stencils cut from Mylar, stamps cut from erasers, and my personal favorite, stamps created out of Fun Foam.  Any of these tools could be used to create positive and/or negative images.  Ideally work on the images would take place over a number of days.

We spent time exploring the use of writing as an additional layer.  The writing can be legible or not, small or big.  Here Laura is writing in ink using a chopstick.  She may repeat words over and over writing them close together or stacked.  She also writes in fresh paint with a stick revealing colors of paints that are underneath.

The second day we used the painted pages to create a drum leaf book.  This type of binding was developed by Tim Ely in order to better display artwork.  You can see a description of it from the e-journal Bonefolder, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2004. I found this article very hard to follow.  You might try the instructions by Dorothy Simpson Krause in Book + Art, Handcrafting Artists’ Books. Sandy is gluing one page to the back of another page in her book;  you can also see some of her really wonderful artwork.

At the end of the workshop the twelve participants had created these beautiful books.

Cross Strap Expandable Journal Workshop

Our next workshop, on Saturday Oct 10, will be taught by Dolores Guffey. 
If you want to come, you 
will need to RSVP by Oct 5 
(details below).


In January we made a four strap cross structure binding. This month we'll be doing a similar structure sewn on two straps. The extra neat thing with this one is that it is expandable. After making the journal you can add signatures, eliminate signatures, and even change the order of the signatures. The signatures aren't sewn to each other, but are individually sewn onto the straps. This allows the front and back covers to slip apart for modification.


What you'll need to bring:


16 sheets of 8½ x 11" text weight paper
Please have your paper cut and folded ahead of time as follows: Cut each sheet in half to 8½ x 5½". This will give you 32 pieces of paper. Gather 4 pieces together and fold in half (4¼ x 5½") to form a signature. Your text block will consist of 8 signatures of 4 pages each.


Plus supplies:
Metal ruler
Craft knife and cutting mat
Scissors
Pencil and eraser
Glue stick
Double-sided tape
Piercing cradle (extras will be on hand if you don't have one)
Beeswax
Bone folder
Needle (with eye large enough for crewel thread)


The following materials will be provided for a $1.00 materials fee:
Covers, thread, and brads


We will be in our usual location at the usual time. Further info is in the newsletter that you received, or you can contact us for details. Please, you must RSVP Dolores by Monday, October 5 so that she has time to prepare enough materials for all participants. Her contact information is on page 2 of any newsletter from the Guild, and is also in the membership directory.