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today the director and producer for my episode of that's clever came to visit. they needed to check out the space, wardrobe and step outs. the good news was that i didn't need to make any more step outs! i do still have some finishing touches, and some rearranging of furniture to do.
i guess my work table is too white, so we'll be working on the table at which i usually paint and glue. it's pretty dirty (with paint and glue), so i hope it looks ok. i also have to hang some work on the walls behind me. i'm trying to figure out how to add in a book case so that i can display books instead of something random that i've made. they suggested that i could put a quilt on the wall, but i think books would be better. john thinks the bookcase i've put up looks silly, but i'm going to get a second opinion from francine.
i also went out for a manicure. i'm really unhappy with it. i'm going to look at it again in the morning, and decide what, if anything, i will do about it. i'm thinking though that if even john can see that it doesn't look too good, it must be really noticeable.
off to get a good night's sleep!
Imagine handmade polymer clay coptic book
I just put a bunch of books on etsy. Most of these are discounted for a number of reasons. I'm making a move toward using higher quality paper. I've also improved my binding skills a lot since I've made some of these books. Then there are a few that I priced the same, for consistency's sake, and those are real bargains. I'm very happy with Imagine, but sometimes you have to clear old inventory to make way for new energy. So there you have it.
I realized as I was uploading that some of the books need better pictures. Of course, by the time you get to the picture uploading, you've already uploaded all the other information, so I just left them as is. I know I won't get to shoot new pictures until after next week. But that will go to the top of the list because I don't feel that happy with images currently.
I'm working hard on step-outs for That's Clever. Just another few days until the crew arrives for taping!
i was really struggling again today. i saw a patient this morning and then went over to big lots for a vacuum cleaner and some bins. once i got home i was battling fatigue and i was freezing! there is no heat in the basement studio. so i set about doing some routine tasks that don't require a lot of energy, but need to be done.
and i give you green. i made up 3 pounds of jade clay for the remaining step outs for that's clever. i have one book's covers finished, and made all the templates i would need. the rest should go much faster.
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to beat the heat, i did a little exercise by bringing a bookshelf down the stairs by myself. it did warm me up a bit. and now i have someplace to put the rest of my binding supplies. i straightened up some, and while it's not done, i think i can show you a few pictures.
now when i work on polymer i can sit right beneath the best window. it faces south. when we moved in, it was all boarded up. you can see the new paint job on the brick that my friend francine helped with.
this is the rest of the area that i redid and painted.
and here is the new shelf that i brought downstairs all by myself. the
wall behind it isn't painted yet. it's the last wall to do, but i
think i'm going to wait until spring.
i've been away, but i've been busy, busy, busy. i'm frantically preparing for the that's clever people to come over this weekend. it the midst of that, i wanted to prepare some more enticing samples for my art & soul classes which were accepted for the portland event in october. i had plenty of ideas, it seemed, but was struggling so to bring them forth. sitting, staring, researching, copying, creating images, cutting, pasting...... some days it comes easier than others. but deadlines don't care if you're having a creative day or an uninspired day. in the end i wasn't able to accomplish as much as i would have liked. i did create some images and structures that i was really happy with, but i wanted so much more to flow forth.
the first class is called "all boxed up". i learned these techniques at the paper and book intensive in 2004 from denise carbone. i wrote to her and asked if i could adapt the class and teach it myself. she was gracious enough to agree. this class begins with a small object which is encased over and over again, like a russian nesting doll, in slip cases and boxes. actually, as i was going over the techniques again, i realized it was more cases than boxes, but i think i'm stuck with the title.
the outermost layer is a multi use box created with corrugated cardboard. within that is a slip case (on the right). you can see the spine of the next, paper slip case peeking out on the right.
i cheated a bit here and included samples from two separate pieces. here the paper slip case was created with a map of portland. you know, it wasn't until typing this very second that i realized that this piece's theme is portland, which fits the setting of art & soul. good grief. so it's more apropos than i realized. anyway, the map in the front is the paper slip case. the regular slip case is to the left (it also says "map", but is of powell's books), and is similar to the one above on the right. the black case is a self closing wrapper, and has a label from oblation papers in portland.
inside the self closing case is another case with hard covers. the images are from the pearl district of portland.
within the hard case is an inset box, and within that is a large matchbox. in the class we are going to start with a small lip gloss tin and build the cases around that.
the second class, also inspired by denise, is called "the objects of your affection". it is a two part slip case which houses a scrapbook on one side and an inset box on the other.
this is the slipcase, opened a bit so that you can see that it comes in two parts...but they're attached at the spine.
the slip case is here on the left, and the book and inset box have been removed. there isn't adornment on the cover of the book because you have to consider that it will be slipping in and out of the case. you don't want anything to come off in the process. i will probably art it up a bit before october, but i wanted to give some more thought to the imagery.
here the book and box are open. there is an image of my house on a transparency. through that you can see a poem by maya angelou on the following page. inside the box are mementos from portland.
these are more images from the pages of the book. i'm really happy with the rooted house.
i finally realized that i could take pictures with natural light even in the winter. usually i go out on the back porch, but when it's freezing, that is less attractive. but my upstairs bathroom has plenty of light, so that is what i tried out today. some of them are still a bit dark, when the sun was behind clouds, but i still think they look better than when i have a zillion lightbulbs focused on them.
i'm sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, but i'm baking a book for that's clever, so i better stay awake until it comes out of the oven.
My Audobon book was selected for That's Clever! I'll demonstrate this book on the show, which they will be filming this month. I have tons to do to get ready. Whew. And I need several small birds nests. Does anyone have some lying around?? I have to make several copies of the book. Here is the inside.
I guess I need a few feathers too.
And I'm still looking forward to my episode of Craft Lab on DIY at the end of the month.
Did I mention I was deconstructing my studio?
Busy, busy, busy.
Influenced by silk screened fabrics, this book began as an experimentation of acrylic techniques on traditional book board.
The text block is comprised of 144 pages of acid free colored cardstock. Four needles were used to sew the text block to the covers using the ancient Coptic stitch.
5.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches
I started experimenting with liquid polymer clay recently and decided to try using it as fabric. I’ve added my own ink drawings and paired the polymer with traditional fabric in this handmade blank book. Decorative hand stitching and a button closure complete the embellishments.
White cardstock papers are interspersed with bright chartreuse paper and hand bound over tapes of polymer clay.
4 x 3 x 1 inches.
People often ask me if my books are refillable. For my hand bound journals, the answer is no because part of the art is in the binding. But these post-it books can be used again and again! Refill away!
Covers are stamped polymer clay with colored pencils accents. A measuring tape keeps the book closed as it hooks through a fabric ribbon. Covers are brought together in a case binding with bookcloth.
3 x 3 x 1/2 inches
i finally remember to take pictures of my quarter bound leather book! here it is. i'm really proud of it.
when i last posted about it, i had not added the decorative paper and had not attached the endsheets. i'm thrilled with this paste paper they had in the studio. i think it goes well with the leather.
here you can see the hand sewn end band and leather head cap. you can also see that the rounded spine is paired with a nice rounding in the foredge too.
here's another view of the spine. we sewed the text block over cords and then formed the leather over the same cords. those are the ridges you see on the spine.
this was such a great class and i'm so sorry it's over. i'm not sure what to do next. columbia isn't offering any further community classes. but i will try to go to the paper and book intensive this year. i've had to spend a few of my gathered pennies, so it's time to gather some more. tomorrow i will have to put some more books up on etsy. i wouldn't want to miss PBI again, since it's so close this year and i won't have to fly.
i loaded a couple of these pictures from flickr, and you can click on them to go to the rest of my photos. the top picture didn't load right, but you can click on it for a larger image.
