SPRING Library Kiosk Display

Spring has arrived at the Humboldt County Library kiosk. Check out these books made by our members.  SPRING! Spring is nature's way of saying, “Let's party!” ~ Robin Williams Spring is when you feel like whistling  even with a shoe full of slush.  ~ Doug Larson Spring has returned.  The Earth is like a child that knows poems.  ~ Rainer Maria Rilke The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.  ~ Harriet Ann Jacobs People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring.  ~ Rogers Hornsby One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring.  ~ Aldo Leopold Thanks once again to Lynne Gurnee for this lovely "springy" display. Click here to Reply or Forward 1.42 GB (9%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 6 minutes ago Details

POINTY ROOF VILLAGE BOOK WORKSHOP

Edge Gerring will lead the April workshop to make a very clever structure sent by Margaret Beech. In the workshop everyone will start by coloring papers using ink spritzing. Then you will proceed to make the village book and a sleeve to contain it. There will be two sizes to choose from: 3" tall and 6" tall. Edge says to be prepared to use your whimsy!

Tools to bring:

• Sharp cutting knife and cutting mat
• Metal ruler
• Bone folder
• Awl
• Pencil
• Needle
• Strong thread--Perle cotton or embroidery floss
• Decorative elements such as punches, colored paper, rubber stamps, ink pads, and colored pencils etc.
• Apron or wear old clothes (ink stains!)
• Gloves

Instructor will provide:

• Ink and spritzers
• Paper for both size books
• Pattern and instructions

When:    Saturday, April 8 at 12 noon
Where:   Eureka Methodist Church at Del Norte & F Streets
RSVP:     YES, to Edge (contact info in the newsletter) by April 3
Cost:      $2.00
Bring:     See above list

A Conversation with Julie Chen and Lois Morrison

“Intersections of Art and Life: A Conversation between Julie Chen and Lois Morrison and moderated by Sandra Kroupa”, the Book Arts and Rare Book Curator in Special Collections at the University of Washington Libraries in Seattle, was held on March 18 at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and attended by NORBAG members Robyn Teske and Bonnie Julien.

Left to right: Julie Chen, Lois Morrison, Sandra Kroupa

Julie Chen, a professor of book arts at Mills College in Oakland, CA, is an internationally known book artist who has been publishing limited edition artists books for over 30 years. In 2009 she was a guest artist for a NORBAG workshop.

Julie met Lois Morrison 40 years ago when she dated Lois’ son. Although that relationship didn’t continue, the one between Julie and Lois did. Lois was already an artist and Julie was intrigued by her work. Lois’ background comes from fabric—first quilts and eventually fabric books. Later she began making paper books as a way of making her work more accessible since she can make an edition of 25 whereas she only makes two fabric books, one to keep and one for sale. Julie and Lois have worked together on three artists book collaborations including their most recent work: A Recuerdo for Ste. Ostrich.

Snakes Are Not Nice by Chen & Morrison 2005

When Julie first began teaching she mostly taught book structures because book art was still new and there weren’t many “how to” books, classes, or instructions (via the Internet) on how to make artists books. That has since changed and she now concentrates more on content in her classes. Teaching is very important to her as she strives to foster interest in book art as well as how to express oneself through text and imagery. In one of her artists books she defines a book as an experience. Her books definitely appeal to the senses since some are games or require some manipulation besides turning pages and reading. When asked what comes first for her with a new book she mentioned several factors. It could be something in the news, student comments, or life experiences. It’s a process involving text, images, and structure and there comes a point when she says the book itself takes over and “tells her how to proceed”.

Both above photos are works by Julie Chen

 Lois said that it is easy to teach someone how to draw, but what she inspires to do is teach “how to see”. She seems to always be thinking about art. It isn’t really conscience thoughts but just little ideas that come to her and she collects them until inspired to put them together into a book. Like Julie, whose books “tell” her how to proceed, the text/story for Lois’ books seem to flow from her brain like a memory, even though it isn’t.

Deep In The Yellow Woods by Lois Morrison, 2015

When asked if they will continue to collaborate on books, they left the prospect open. It seems that when the right subject comes up, both of them will realize it and they will just naturally come together.

For anyone interested in taking classes from Julie at the Mills College Summer Institute they will be having four five-day workshops this June. Classes will be taught by Julie (The Mother of all Boxes, June 5-9); Karen Kunc, (Innovations in Color Woodcut Printing, June 12-16); Kathleen Walkup, (a Suite of Broadsides in the Letterpress Studio, June 5-9); and Colette Fu, (Popping Up and Out: Advanced Paper Engineering for Book Artists, June 12-16). For more information check this link: https://millsbookartsummer.org/.

2017 March Workshop - Triangle-pierced Slip & Slide Accordion Book

This month Lynne Gurneé presented a structure called “Triangle-pierced Slip and Slide Accordion Book” which covered all of the parts of this structure.  It’s interesting to see the way in which this structure has evolved. Margaret Beech commented to Dolores Guffey after seeing a closure shaped like a triangle that might be translated into a book. Dolores Guffey moved it along with a different variation and then Lynne Gurneé applied her own variations to bring it to us for a workshop. Lynne frequently works (plays is a better word) with Edge Gerring on their books and Edge made a sample with several additional variations that we could use. It is a delightful example of how creativity works.

This is Lynne's sample book.

The structure name is also an example how structures get their names. The book has a tag with a triangle shaped end that slips into a slit in a folio and through accordion spine. The triangle has a piercing that has a thread running through the piercings to hold the book together in a loose and slidy way. That word picture does not explain in any way what the book looks like but it is a delightful naming process. 

These are the samples that Lynne brought

And now for the results!

TRIANGLE-PIERCED SLIP & SLIDE ACCORDION BOOK

Lynne Gurnee will lead the March workshop to make this Triangle-Pierced Slip & Slide Accordion Book. Inspired by Dolores G's November 2016 exchange book, this book is a variation created while thinking about last month's Pocket & Tags theme. Using multiple brightly colored cardstock will make this a lively looking book, but subtle colors will also look nice. The example shown in this photo has the same cardstock for the cover and spine, but you may choose different colors. 

Tools to bring:

• Metal ruler
• Craft knife/X-acto
• Cutting mat
• Scissors
• Bone Folder
• Pencil
• 1/8" hole punch or Japanese punch
• 5 paper clips

Materials to bring:

• Folios (a folio is a single sheet of paper folded in half): 5 pieces of 11" x 3" cardstock
• Tags: 5 pieces of 6" x 3" cardstock
• Cover: 2 pieces of 8 5/8" x 3" cardstock
• Spine: 1 piece of 11" x 3" cardstock
• 18" piece of Perle Cotton
• 1/8" wide double stick tape, or strong glue
• Optional: decorative beads (for ends of Perle Cotton)
• Optional: rubber stamps, collage materials to decorate the papers (time permitting)

What will be provided:

Instructions and examples

When:   Saturday, March 11

Where:  Eureka Methodist Church at Del Norte & F Streets

RSVP?    YES by March 6 to Lynne - contact information in the newsletter

Cost:     50 cents

Bring:   See list above

2017 February Workshop - Valentines

We met on February 11 for an unusual workshop. Instead of learning how to make a structure or a new design technique, we made Valentines. Lorraine Miller-Wolf hosted her annual Valentine card making party with us. She collects cards from various groups and then delivers them to folks at the Senior Nutrition home delivered meals, senior lunch sites, dialysis patients and in convalescent and board and care homes.

It was interesting to watch our members making the cards. Some people are regular card makers and brought all kinds of materials to use: stamped and embossed cutouts, precut decorations and sayings, stickers and stamps. Others came and sat down carefully looking at all of the snippets of paper and attacked with scissors and glue. No matter which style, the cards are delightful.

Edge G and Lynne G making Valentines with paper doilies.

JoAnn E and Beth M are playing with a table full of supplies!

 We received a note from Lorraine who said she delivered 590 valentines made by several groups including ours. It was a delightful play day. And now, here are some of the cards we made (imagine a sound like TA-DA!).

See the heart in the middle with the woven spine,
 Michele K gave a recent workshop on this technique.

The card with the pop-up hearts is a structure from a recent workshop
 given by Edge G.