Sunday, March 4, 2012

Handmade Books

I have found a new obsession...bookmaking. I have joined a couple online bookmaking groups. The first group is wonderful http://milliande.ning.com/group/thehinges.  It is being run by the inspiring Dawna and knowledgeable Ruth. I count my self so lucky to have these two women and the other women at this site to encourage and teach me along this path. This month we are making the Accordian Fold book. It is a very simple book.

The second site I found was through Syd at the Milliande's site. She was creating books at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtistsOfTheRoundTable/.  I decided I would join. I told you I was becoming obsessed. I found the site very confusing, but with the help of  a dedicated woman named Rabbit and help from Jacqui, I think it will just take time to learn how to maneuver around the site.

At A.R.T. we are working through Alisa Golden's book "Making Homemade Books". Rabbit makes a file for each lesson. They were on Lesson 7 when I joined. I decided I would pick and choose which lessons I would do til I caught up.

Lesson 7 Brush Book... I took a piece of newspaper, gessoed it on both sides. Let it dry. Soaked it. Painted it with watercolors.  Dried it with a heat gun. Stamped it. Wrapped it in construction paper. Inked the construction paper. I can't believe the texture! It feels like a soft canvas cloth.


Lesson 3 Long Pants Book or Accordian Book... Done for both groups. The cover was a designer paper that I painted with multiple coats of metallic paint. Singular signatures were sewn into the book. The pages were mixed media paper painted with the same metallic water colors. The pages contain worldwide stamps that I have saved from the cards and packages of the wonderful art swaps I have joined. The tiny 2" x 2 1/2" book is wrapped in floss with a handmade clay key.




Lesson 3 X Book with Pockets... Cover was made with designer paper. The inside pages were parchment papers. The pockets were stamped with inspirational words and the pockets filled with paper treasures. This book is very small about 2 1/2''.


1 comment:

trisha too said...

Beth, your books are wonderful!!

Pretty much everything I make ends up being a book, or having part of a book in it . . . Alisa Golden's book is one of my favorites, will have to check out the other group you mentioned.

:)