Alphabets Book

Size closed: 6"sq x 1.5"thk
I have soooo much paper and cardstock I decided to use some of my 12" x 12" and make a miniscule dent in my stock... so picked a dark blue, pink, cranberry, light blue, olive green, yellow, turquoise and grape. Cut them in half and folded in half.

The covers are a cream toned cardstock folded in half for added strength and hiding the ends of the glued ribbon binding.

Punched 4 holes in each color signature and bound with a similar color 4ply wax linen thread over the 1.5" polka dotted ribbon. The ends of the ribbon woven under the slits I cut in the covers and glued on the inside.

Title written out in a funky lettering with a ZIG Writer.

I've already filled over 1/2 the book with funky alphabets..

Scribbled Lives 2024 Bound

I'm early getting this year's Scribbled Lives bound... 38 pages plus covers. It's called Australian Piano Hinge you can find the instructions HERE

Size: 11"w x 8.5" h x 1.25" thk

I adhere two 8.5 x 11" pieces of cream 110# cardstock together to create a 4 page spread and did that 10 times adhering the spine area with another piece of the cream cardstock 1"w to have 1/2"gued to each piece of cardstock. Scored and folded. Cut 2 slits - 1.5" up from the bottom and cut a 1.5" slit. Repeated from the top edge.

Cut a piece of the cream cardstock 1.5"w by the length of the paper and started an accordion 1" fold. Adhere more cardstock to the end until I got the length I need for all my folds. Cut the red textured cardstock 1"w x 8.5"long.

Inserted the both folded accordion strips into the slots of the 1st folded page and slipped the red cardstock piece through the accordions. Repeated till all pages were attached.

Covers are a dark green mat board. I adhered a piece of the red textured cardstock as a decorative element and also to hide the ends of the spine accordion while holing the book to the covers.

Die cut the big letters using Tim Holtz "Word Play" Bigz die from one of my geli prints. Adhered them "topzy turvy" and shadowed with a white Uniball gel pen.

Open Spine Ribbon Binding - Blue Geli Print

 Since I found her name again… Ali Manning (vintagepagedesigns.com) - July 16/24 post. (https://www.handmadebookclub.com/) and realized mine is differently made than hers… I decided to make another one... BIG GRIN.

Size closed: 4.25"w x 6"h x 1"thk
I cut Staples copy paper  to 8.5 x 6" and folded in half. Each signature has 8 of these folded pages and 1 of my geli prints, and there are 5 signatures.
I pierced 14 holes either 1/2" or 1/4 for the ribbons.
I added a 1"w by 6"h piece of the same geli print paper to each of the geli print pages on the inside to reinforce the spine area. I bound each signature with a light blue 4ply waxed linen thread. Then threaded the ribbons under the binding thread with a large holed needle, tying the ends with a double knot. 

I think I prefer my 1st booklet more. It seems more sturdy... HERE

Open Spine Ribbon Booklet

I saw something on-line and was intrigued... I should have written the link name because I couldn't find it again to see if I did it the same way... c'est la vie. (Ali Manning - (https://www.handmadebookclub.com/)

Size closed: 6"w x 7"h x 1"thk

I cut some Columbia Mills LBS End Paper to 11.5 x 7" and folded in half. each signature has 8 of these folded pages and there are 6 signatures.
I pierced 12 holes either 1/2" apart or 3/4" apart depending on the size of ribbon I was using.
Each signature had the ribbons going thru the binding as I was binding the booklet. A little awkward but Love the results.
Added brass corner protectors.

Ah I found her name… Ali Manning (vintagepagedesigns.com) - July 16/24 post. And mine is differently made than hers… so I guess I’ll need to make another one. BIG GRIN

 

Origami Chinese Thread Book - Quill - Create Without Limits

 Nancy Dormer from my Guild will be teaching this structure in 2016. When I saw the pic, I thought to myself, I've made those boxes before... and yes around 2005 or 2006, the By Hand Artists Yahoo group had a journal page Round Robin and I had made one of those boxes to hold a bunch of my photographs to the journal page. You can see one of those pages HERE  Boy does that bring back memories... I never realized what the booklet structure was called - Zhen Xian Bao (translates to Needle Thread Pockets). So I proceeded to make one this weekend and I used a bunch of my calligraphy practice sheets BIG GRIN. What a great way to use up some of the foot high pile I have... The cover is made from Color Burst/salt decorated watercolor paper I made at the Paper Pastimes Pop Up recently. And inside the cover paper is one of my old Gelli Prints. All the flowers are from eons ago including some heat shrunk Perlé bead flowers... Sheesh I was good. ROFL.


Anyway you can see all the details and descriptions by clicking on any image. There are a bunch more views on my website. Enjoy

I'm using a sentiment stamp from Quietfire Design. I love this sentiment... "Create Without Limits"

And it fits for these challenges:
Craft Your Passion  #285 anything goes
Simon Says Challenge  gift wrap or wrap it up  (2nd entry)
Brown Sugar Challenge  #168 green & purple (booklet front: purple heat shrunk bead flower)
TTCRD  #27 - 2  anything goes

Origami Booklet

At our Guild meeting today, one of the members (Nancy Dormer) taught us an origami booklet structure... love it. I can use up a whole bunch of my Gelli prints... She learnt the structure from this book: Trash Origami: 25 Paper Folding Projects Reusing Everyday Materials by Michael G. LaFosse. The structure was originally designed by Rona Gurkewitz, USA.

Click on either image to see all the details and descriptions as well as instructions on how to create your own booklets. 

Enjoy

MC Sept/13 - Caterpillar Binding - Cherish

I taught a caterpillar binding class yesterday and this is the book I made while teaching it.. Love caterpillar binding... This book measures 6"w x 7"h. It holds 9 signatures of 4 folios each making for 144  pages of Columbia mills LBS End Paper.

The covers are mat board covered with a leaf inclusion mulberry paper. PS I would not use this paper again for this structure... the leaves are very dry and keep flaking with the least provocation.

I used 4 ply waxed linen thread in a mauve tone and a dark brown.The coptic stitching is in the brown.

The large flourish leaf (Sizzix "Decorative Accents 10" was die cut from mat board and I inked it up with Versafine Toffee, embossed with Pipe Dream Ink "Fool's Gold" and then added a layer of clear embossing. Then heated an area and with a small spoon, sprinkled a bit of other colors (Banksia, Tarkine, Eucalypt, Sunburnt) and heated each area to set getting a really nice variation and autumn look to my flourish. Love doing this technique.

PS: I was in a cleaning/organizing mood yesterday and started working in my old upstairs art room and came across a treasure trove of die cuts... this was one of them. Had fun organizing them again and putting them in with my other die cuts. BIG GRIN

Used my electronic cutter to cut the word Cherish (Quietfire Design) - although this word doesn't seem to have been released yet... from 110# white cardstock and while it was still on my mat, stamped it with Impression Obsession "Bubbles" cover a card stamp and Perfect Medium. Removed the word and clear embossed. Then pressed a Distress pad "Vintage Photo" onto the word, and then "Broken China", and clear embossed. Love the look. Adhered to my cover with white glue using a small Quilling glue bottle - it has a needle tip opening...











On the inside the covers are covered with a thin purple/gold swirl mulberry paper. This time I covered my covers prior to sewing, sometimes I cover up the sewing afterwards...

Click on any image to enlarge. Enjoy

And it fits for these challenges:
Our Creative Corner  Monthly Sept - Forgotten things or techniques (the die cut, and the embossing powders, had to dig in the back of my drawer for them...)
Lil Red Wagon  #200 Polka Dots (decorates the word)
Simon Says Stamp Challenge  Anything Goes
Aud Sentiment  #88 put a sentiment on it
Totally Gorjuss  #199 texture
Corrosive Challenges  #182 all about fall
Pan Pastel UK  #35 spots & dots (decorates the word)

Raven/Crow's Foot - Create Art

I'll be teaching this style of binding next week and thought I'd make another one of these hand sewn books to refresh my memory - age setting in... ROFL.

Am happy with the outcome and I even got to use up some of the scrapbook paper's I've had for eons which I hate, but work really well for this book. I'll use it to write with white inks and stuff. And maybe do a bit of scraping gesso treatment.

I cut my 12 x 12 paper in half, stacked 5 sheets together and folded it in half to create a 6 x 6" page. covers are mat board covered with thick mulberry paper, holes punched and gold eyelets inserted. Sewn with 4ply waxed linen thread in a Victorian Rose and wrapped with Beige. Inside covers are covered with some of the scrap book paper.

I die cut the tag using Tim's Sizzix "Hanging Sign" set, but the die cut was a bit too big for my cover so trimmed it down using the same outline and added the other 2 holes. Stamped the two words (Quietfire Design) one using Versafine Toffee and the other the Black Onyx and clear embossed both. Sponged a bit of Distress Mustard Seed and then some brown from my dirty sponge around the edges.

Click on any image to enlarge. Enjoy

Adhered to cover and then adhered some amber half pearls.

Criss Cross - Burgundy/Cream aka Secret Belgian Binding

I thought a Criss Cross binding class last week and was able to make a new journal at the same time. It's been a while since I've made one for myself...
Love this binding. You can read more of the details by click on book image. Enjoy

MC May/13 - Blizzard HB Book

I'm so happy with the way this booklet turned out. Most of you know I taught a "No Sew Booklet" class this weekend and I added this booklet as a surprise to the repertoire. It's originally design by Hedi Kyle and I remember making a few of them about 4 years ago and thought the students would really enjoy this structure... Time does fly by too quickly.

This time I made the pages larger than the height of the structure, relying on the pages for the support.
I forgot to mention in my web site description, that as a final touch I added a punched out butterfly sitting on the top of the pages. Love that little detail. BIG GRIN. Also that the structure was made from off white Canson Ingres paper.

Anyway you can see lots more views and descriptions etc by clicking on booklet image. Enjoy.

I even got to use some of Suzanne's rubber stamps (Quietfire Design) in and on it besides my own calligraphy.

And it fits for these challenges:
Scribbles Designs  Monthly #5 for a special lady with flowers
Marianne Designs  Monthly  use your dies
Card Maniac Challenges  #21 spots or strips
Crafty Cardmakers  #91 Use 3: embossing, Distressing, masking, make your flowers, paper piecing, shrink plastic
Kaboodle Doodles  #172 circles or stripes
Anything Challenge  #93 make your own DP (each butterfly body is my own DP)
Everybody Art Challenge  #237 Flowers
Flourishes  #221 butterflies
Papertake Weekly  Paper Piecing (several of the interior flowers are paper pieced)
Top Tip Tuesday  #101 make a box
Belli Challenge  #170 Flowers
Crafts & Me Challenge  #134 Lots of layers
Delightful Sketches  Bingo: buttons, add dimension, DP; tag, ribbon/lace, punches/dies; stitching, glitter, flowers

Penny's Challenges  #128 have at least 1 circle (all the BFly bkgr'ds have circles & spots on them)
Aud Sentiment  #81 Friendship
Divas by Design  #86 Friends
Southern Girls Challenge  #69 spots or dots (every solid BFly part or wings has spots or dots on them)

No Sew Booklet Birthday Card

I'm teaching a "No Sew Booklet" class next Sunday and thought I'd make a larger version of the booklet the students will be making. And then we were having a Gelli Plate evening this past Friday and again my brain was working  BIG GRIN - thought I'd try mine at home (just bought it recently...) and pull a bunch of papers for my backgrounds etc. WOW was that easy and addictive. Also went to my Friday Frolics evening and pulled more backgrounds for another booklet coming eventually...

And since it's a friend's birthday coming up soon, thought I'd turn this booklet into a Birthday card especially for her, so did a bunch of calligraphy inside.

You can see more details and descriptions etc  by clicking on the booklet image. Enjoy

I'm using a Quietfire Design calligraphy stamp for the cover "How old would you be..." love this stamp.

And it fits for these challenges:
Pin & Tack Challenge  #9 anything goes
Anything Challenge  #92 shaped but not square
Divas By Design  #84 anything goes
Crafty Ribbon Challenge  #45 no DP
Crafty Catz Weekly  #182 anything goes
Old Back Porch  #71 card a week
Simply Create Too  #37 anything goes
Wags n Whiskers  #104 BD for a female
Scribbles challenge  #4  shaped or easel

Raven/Crow's Foot Binding

Hi All
Just uploaded my latest bookbinding class to my 2013 workshop schedule.

Raven/Crow's Foot binding starting in July. Please go to my Workshop/Class page by clicking on my side bar class image or on the Workshop tab above.

or you if you're not interested in the class detail, click on book image to see more details and descriptions, enjoy

New BookBinding classes

Just uploaded two new bookbinding classes to my 2013 Workshop schedule Caterpillar binding starting in April and Criss Cross binding (aka Secret Belgian Binding) starting in June.

or not into the class description, well then just click on book images to see more details and descriptions. Enjoy

Caterpillar bound books

So I had a request to create one of my caterpillar bound books and it finally spurred me on and of course I made two. Can't stop at one...
The one on the left, the covers were painted with this fabulous Eberhard "Twin Color" paint. It gives anything a shimmery two tone color. This one is with purple and gold. Love it.

The one on the right is shaped in an apple with the pages being rectangular. Painted it with acrylic paints. Love the way the apple turned out. This one is sold.

Click on either book to see close up, details & descriptions etc. Enjoy

Booklet

Just finished a booklet. Love it. I used Aluminum adhesive backed electrical/plumbing tape, Spellbinder's Borderabilities Die, double sided tape, and 110# cardstock and cheapie WalMart wood frames. I was walking by these frames, and then did a double take, and said these would probably make great covers. I was right. Anyway, click on image to see details, close-ups etc.

Lutradur Book & Textural book

I finally made the other book with that half of Textural artwork I did last month. Very happy with the results.

And I also found time to play a bit with the Lutradur I got from Suzanne at Quietfire Design. Lots of fun and I wish I had more time to play with it, but got to get things ready for our show and sale which is in a couple weeks, plus I'm taking a four day workshop with Georgia Deavers this weekend coming, and will have to make up the time at work which I don't have. Sheesh the time just flies by.

Anyway, just click on either book to see detail pics, and descriptions etc. Enjoy

Technique Journal

A good friend just had a milestone birthday (I won't mention which) and I thought I'd make her something special. So I created this technique Journal, similar to one I have. It was a labour of love. I also made a box for it and finished off a card I had started in Betty Locke's class a while back. I wondered who I would be giving it to. Anyway, the paper I used to cover the cover was from the Paper's Transformed book by Julia Andrus "Radiant Batik" love that technique, so I included the instructions in the journal. I also included a whole section on the embossing paste series I had done a while back. Then some stuff from the Magenta class we all took, especially the pocket type card which I made from some hand made paper I did during a play day we had last year. And the recent origami tea bag type flower done with the nestabilites scalloped circle. And we had just attended a demo by Els the representative of the Peel Off's and she was showing her new line and some wonderful techniques. So I included them too. Now we have to have another play day so we can continue adding to our journals. BIG GRIN and it looks like we'll be doing that probably next week.

A friend of her's organized a surprise birthday party (and she was definitely surprised). We went to Alloy a classy type restaurant. Food was delicious, but NOT cheap. I had Ahi Tuna Tartar for an appetizer @ $9, Lobster Ravioli with scallops, shrimps and a mango cream sauce @ $32, and Creme Brulee @ $9, so with tax and tip which was included in the bill it was over $70 for lunch. That's not something I do very often, if ever. But I had things I definitely wouldn't make at home and they were done to perfection. We stayed for almost 3 hours, so was a ncie time. Then I went to work and got picked up later by another friend to go to our Guild's exec meeting. Got home at 9:45, and of course it was frigid outside and my heatings not working again. The guy is coming over today to hopefully fix the problem once and for all. Very frustrating when you can't rely on a new heating system working. Should have stayed with the old - totally reliable. No computer parts and over sensitive components that shut a system down.

Pipe Organ - Musical Book

Recently I picked up a couple kits from Suzanne at Quietfire Design, one being the Pipe Organ binding. I made the kit book and really loved it, but while making it, I thought I really wanted to make it to suit it's name. So I created this Musical version. I also made it with 11 signatures instead of 9 and added beads to the spine detail and only did three pipe details instead of four. I'm happy with the results. It was a very labour intensive book, because I did a lot of cutting out of details, making the hand decorated paper and then doing monoline calligraphy quotes. Sheesh, sometimes I do tend to go overboard, and even if it doesn't sell, I'll be able to look at it for a while.

Belgian Eyelet Heart

I think I've surpassed myself, and yes my ego is showing... I've made another Belgian Eyelet book with the illusion of a shape of a heart, and covered with fabric and lace done in white and cream and gold. I'm going to be hard pressed to let this one go. The first Belgian Eyelet book I made using a kit from Quietfire Design, really inspired me and after learning how the stitching was created, I guess I'm on a roll. Click on image to see the details and all the other views.

Mini Booklets

Well, while waiting for my heating system to be installed (yes it's finally installed) I was productive. I made several mini booklet necklaces and a mini boxed book all using my paste papers from last summer. These little things are addictive and I will be making a bunch more. They're so cute.

I figure they're great for kids as sign in/momento booklets for a class year (a new one each year). Or to write down your hopes and dreams and wishes. Or a mini address book. Or just to doodle in...