Kid's Pajaki

Warning... Pajaki are addicting. You may find yourself attempting to incorporate them into your life as much as possible. Case in point - the kid's pajaki kit I brought with me when visiting my 5 and 7 year old nieces!

This kit included: white paper straws, washi tape, XL star sequins, embroidery hoop, waxed linen thread, paper scraps, and paper punches.

Quality-time quote (in reference to the waxed linen thread): "Is this real earwax, or just regular wax?"

On Motherhood and... Sheep Pajaki!

My personal artistic pace and time for bookarts and other creative endeavors has been recently altered (to say the least). This Spring my firstborn made his entrance into this world! Graham is his name, and currently drooling is his game. He truly is my greatest creation yet. 

I'd like to share the Pajaki paper chandelier I made for him. Pajakis are wonderfully decorative and geometric. I love the symmetry that goes into designing them, and the range of embellishments that can adorn the structured form are so enticing. They are a traditional folk art from Poland and the name translates to "spiders of straw". I have been ready to try my hand at constructing one for some time now, and a baby-mobile-type-thing was the perfect excuse. 

If you are interested in learning how to make Pajaki, I strongly encourage you to take the class offered at Two Hands Paperie. Taught by one of the shop owners, Mia Semingson, this class is so popular it can usually be found on the current class listings. 

Here is the link to the Pajaki class offered this Fall: 

http://www.twohandspaperie.com/Pajaki_Paper_Chandelier_Class_p/class_pajak.htm

Photos: Mia Semingson

Pajaki seems to be enjoying a resurgence as of late, and I love some of the modern takes I have seen (I'm usually a sucker for contemporary design twists honoring historic tradition). Some decorative embellishments common to traditional Pajaki are pompoms, paper flowers, and tassels. While I love all of these types of ornamentations, I had something specific in mind for this baby-themed Pakaji... SHEEP! 

Photo: relaimedwool.com

First of all, I have no interest in learning how to needle felt, and second of all Heidi Leugers makes the most fantastic sheep ornaments from reclaimed wool, so really the only task was to choose the perfect flock of 6 for the Pajaki! 

Here is Heidi's website if you are interested to know more:

http://www.reclaimedwool.com/

I used paper, pompoms, and straws from Two Hands Paperie.

Photos: twohandspaperie.com

Covering the straws in paper was quite meditative.

I kept the rest of the Pajaki embellishments on the simple side - I wanted the sheep to be the focal point. I loved the exercise of engineering the geometry design! I also contemplated my son as I was creating. Making art for specific people always seems to invite intimate meditation on that person, and I was grateful to have this project to bask in my new assignment as a mom.

Well enough about the process - here is the final result! I definitely encourage anyone to have a go at Pajaki!

Spring Classes - Star Stitch (again) & Light It Up! Paper Fireflies

The next round of classes at Two Hands Paperie has begun, and the full class list sure is exciting! I might just finally get around to taking Mia's Pajaki class like I say I'm going to every time. 

I'll be teaching the Star Stitch Binding class again, as it was met with such enthusiasm last Fall. As of today, there are only 2 spots left, so if you are at all interested you'd better sign up! The Fall class was so fun, this really is a satisfying project. Everyone's books turned out so great.

Here's a couple photos of the books we made in class.

Star Stitch Binding Class - Sunday February 8th 11-5

class info link is here 

The other class I will be teaching is a continuation of the Light It Up! series we've been offering, using Lilypad Arduino sewable electronic technology. This project is just so fun because... well, who doesn't like twinkling lights? We will paper-collage a firefly environment to fit inside a large mason jar. And then we'll stitch up little LED lights with conductive thread and make it all glow. The LilyTwinkle Arduino board gives the whole thing magic and flash.

I love fireflies. We don't have them here in Colorado, but this way I can just make my own.

Light It Up! Paper Fireflies Class - Sunday March 8th 12:30-4:30

class info link is here

Visit the Two Hands class webpage for the full offering of Paperie goodness this Fall.

http://www.twohandspaperie.com/Classes_at_Two_Hands_Paperie_s/1854.htm

A Change of Scenery and NEW Classes at Two Hands!

Whelp, change has come for me after 14 amazing years working for the Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, I've switched it up and am now employed by my other favorite place to be - Two Hands Paperie!! 

It feels like a really great fit, work-wise, and I've been instantly inspired as part of such a creative place. Here's the window display I designed - a challenge from the Cavallini Paper Co. We recycled last year's calendar prints to create the pattern...

Photo: Mia Semingson

I will continue to teach classes offered through the shop, with two NEW classes on the schedule this fall. I'm also on the bill for the Visiting Artist Series "Spotlight Friday" which will feature my work, including some new stuff I've been doing with electronic LED lights.

A lot going on in the next few months! Please be sure to check out the

ENTIRE TWO HANDS EVENT/CLASS SCHEDULE
link is here

In addition to a variety of workshops and classes, there's creative playdates, art technique talks, and visiting artist events - many of which are FREE! Hope to see you there :)

Here's a little detail about the two classes I'm offering. It has been really fun coming up with something new to teach, and I'm so looking forward to them both:

Sewing on Tape - Star Stitch

Photos: Mia Semingson

This project was inspired by a 3-day sewing workshop I took last spring with Kitty Maryatt, offered through the Book Arts League. The workshop was all about sewing! Sewing. For 3 days. It was great.
The star stitch was one of the prettiest stitches, I thought, so I incorporated the stitch into this class which also practices the technique of sewing on tapes - both for structural support AND good looks. I'll be throwing in some geekery regarding the history of medieval manuscripts as well, as this structure is derived from knowledge of those.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20th - class link HERE

Light it Up! Carousel Book

My friend Shari (who organizes all the classes at Two Hands) challenged me to come up with a class that incorporated some of the "maker" sentiment that's gaining popularity these days. My involvement with DIY electronics stems from personal friendships with (including a marriage to) employees of SparkFun Electronics. I took the challenge, and engineered a book that lights up! I'm jazzed about this project because it melds traditional paper structure with newer e-textile technology and uses fun components like tiny LED lights, and conductive thread. 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 11th - class link HERE

I'll be bringing more examples, and talking about using this type of technology in conjunction with bookmaking, at the "Spotlight Friday" Visiting Artist Series taking place at Two Hands. This one's FREE so stop by and say hi!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 3rd   2-4PM

Book Ornament Class - Two Hands Paperie

Sunday, November 10th, 1:00-4:00 PM This small folded "book" is full of fun! It pops open into a star. It springs out into a chain. It looks far more complicated than it is, and offers tremendous creative possibilities for personalizing it with text, poetry, photographs, and collage. Book artist Kristen Law will teach you the simple folds for creating both the Explosion Book and a small origami box to hold it. Only about two inches square, these little books make delightful gifts for all celebrations. They can also be hung in a window or on a tree as a unique ornament.     Click on the link below for more info or to register for the class! http://www.twohandspaperie.com/Explosion_Book_With_Origami_Presentation_Box_p/class_explbk.htm

WORKSHOP - Collaborative Artist Book Intensive: Letterpress and Coptic Binding Technique

I'll be team-teaching a class with Julia Seko, offered through the Boulder Book Arts League

October 24, 26 & Nov 2, 2013

Visit  http://www.bookartsleague.org/classes-and-workshops/ to sign up!

In this workshop we’ll work together to create a limited edition artist book/ journal on the theme of creative process. Instructors Kristen Law and Julia Seko will guide participants in creating open-ended sections decorated with hand set letterpress text and using media of their own choice. Each participant will then bind their own book using a decorative link stitch, practicing the coptic binding technique. In this way, the class will create a small edition of books chronicling the workshop experience and also leaving blank pages for use as journalling, generating other ideas, or for future collaboration.

       WHEN: Class meets 3 days as follows:

• Thursday Oct 24 from 6 – 9 pm
• Saturday Oct 26 from 10 am – 4 pm
• Saturday Nov 2 from 10 am – 4 pm

CLASS FEE: $150 BAL members/$160 non-members, $15 materials fee
PARTICIPANTS: Minimum 4, maximum 7
LOCATION: Ewing Farm

Spring Classes at Two Hands!

Here we find another round of class offerings at the wonderful Two Hands Paperie! In addition to the classes, be sure to check out all the FREE events they put on, including the very neat 

Visiting Artist Series.

I'm teaching two classes this session - Japanese Stab Album, and Coptic Bookbinding. These two techniques are my top favorite. Needless to say, I'm amped for some spring bookmaking!

The Japanese Stab Album class is THIS SATURDAY! The time has been changed to 2-5pm. Here's a few pics from the last class:

The Coptic Bookbinding class is a two-session class and the dates are April 27th, and May 4th.

The full list of spring classes and events at Two Hands can be found here:

http://www.twohandspaperie.com/blog/classes-events/

Happy Spring!

A Very Hacker Christmas

One of my favorite things about bookmaking is: the definition of a "book" is broad, and the scope of possibilities and creativity really is limitless. 

One of my favorite things about teaching bookmaking is: continually observing how each individual incorporates book technique into their creative lifestyle. 

Bookmaking is a perfect combination of craft and technology, thought process and materials - creating a structure with a purpose. We all approach the task of engineering and construction a bit differently, and I find bookmaking is an art which appeals to many personality types from varied academic backgrounds with diverse experiences and interests.

Imagine my pleasure when bookmaking was incorporated into a local hackerspace event!

(If you haven't  heard the term before, you may want to familiarize yourself with it now)

Solid State Depot, the Boulder hackerspace, has been doing its thing for a few years now, and they often hold classes, workshops and events (check out boulderhackerspace.com/ to see what's going on).

Just before Christmas, they had a DIY Skill-Share Present-Making Extravaganza. I bet you can guess what one of the skills was... bookmaking! I helped my hacker-friend Joel create a simple lesson plan for the evening - efficient for time and materials, it conveyed the technique and allowed for creativity. The binding method was Japanese Stab Binding, and fun was had by all! 

Current Class Offerings at Two Hands Paperie

Spring classes are in full-force at Two Hands. The class list is nine pages long!

Journaling, encaustic painting, and letterpress are some of the newer additions to the list.

My brand-new class is the Bookmaking for Kids. We'll see how it goes!
The class list can be found here. The classes I'm teaching are as follows:

An Introduction to Bookbinding
Wednesday, February 29, 6-9 pm Cost: $65
Have you ever wanted to make a traditional book but didn’t know where to begin? This is the perfect class to get you started with some basic technical skills. This class will take you through the basics of making your own hard cover journal- you will cover book board with cloth and paper, add decorative headbands, ribbon for a bookmark, then “case in” an existing, pre-made text block.  This is a simple, yet satisfying way to make a hardcover book. Participants will walk away saying “I made this!”


Japanese Stab Binding: Guest Book or Photo Album
Wednesday, March 14, 6-9 pm Cost: $65
This classic bookbinding technique binds loose pages between hard covers, using a side stitch. Perfect for a quick guest book, photo album, or journal. Basic binding will be explained, as well as variations on the stitch- illustrating the versatility of this quick and beautiful method.


Blooming Flower Book With Origami Box
Wednesday, April 25, 6-9 pm Cost: $65
Just in time for Mother’s Day! This creative blooming origami folded book looks far more complicated than it is and offers tremendous creative possibilities for text, poetry, photographs, and collage. Also it can be hung on a tree or in a window as an ornament. Packaged in an origami box, these little books make perfect gifts.


Bookmaking for Kids
Saturday, May 12, 10:30-1:00 Cost: $55 (1 child + 1 adult)
This class explores three different book structures, with plenty of folding, cutting, gluing, and fun! These projects are for kids 5 years and older with a focus on basic bookmaking skills, invention, and creativity. Enrollment is in pairs (kids must be accompanied by an adult). Parents and kids alike will delight in the process of making their own books

Paperarts for Baby

  My dear friend who I have known since we were babies, had a baby. Welcome to the world Elle!

I was commissioned to create cutout letters to be framed and hung in the nursery, and I think they turned out great (Elle's parents helped pick out the paper and the font). The outline of the letters were printed in reverse on the backside of the patterned paper, and I followed those lines to cut. Each letter got a 1/8" boarder of dark brown paper to firm up the look of the outline, and I glued everything down with PVA adhesive, using my trusty teflon bonefolder. 

Elle's grandma also asked me to put together a baby book. I wanted the book to be flexible, not some pre-published book of forms that may or may not get filled out.

I chose a 3-ring structure, and cut colored cardstock to fit archival photo sleeves of various sizes. Photos and notes can be added to the sleeves, as well as other pocketable ephemera. The great thing about the 3-ring is, pretty much anything can be punched and added to the book. Lists like "baby's firsts" can be customized and printed ahead of time, and filled in as they happen, and this way, the parents can decide what to add and record, making the book truly personal and unique.

Here are some shots of the book and of course, cutie Elle!