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!

Day of the Dead events!

One of my favorite celebrations is right around the corner,
and three of my favorite organizations are heading up the festivities!

Photo from the museum website

The Longmont Museum holds annually the largest Dia de los Muertos celebration in Colorado, and the exhibit and events run from October 1 through November 6.

Visit http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/exhibits/dod.htm for more info.

Good ol' Two Hands Paperie is building a community alter, and holding a few other celebratory events. In conjunction with the Book Arts League of Boulder, there will be a letterpress card-making demonstration. Attend, and you will learn to set type, see an old-school print machine in action, and meet one of my best book-friends Vivian Jean! The letterpress event is Saturday, October 29th from 11-2pm. The community alter is ongoing. 

Visit http://twohandspaperie.com/classes-events/upcoming-events/ for info.

Photo courtesy of Two Hands

For more info about the Book Arts League, visit http://www.bookartsleague.org/

Continued Classes at Two Hands

The classes currently being offered at Two Hands Paperie are top notch!
This fall session I'm teaching Japanese Stab, 3-Ring, Intro to Bookbinding, and Explosion Books. Here are some class photos from 3-ring and Japanese Stab.

Other classes include such interesting topics as:

Altered Postcards, Journal Juju, Dia de los Muertos Skulls, and Encaustic Painting.

Be sure to check out Two Hands' entire class schedule, and the many FREE events being offered!
twohandspaperie.com

Eccentric Artists' Garden Journal Workshop - June 25th

The Eccentric Artists of Boulder have invited me to participate in the 2011 Garden Tour and Art Exhibit by teaching a Garden Journal Workshop - June 25th at the Boulder Public Library from 12-4pm.

The waspnest-book I've mentioned before will be featured in the exhibit, along with two other books which use the Japanese Stab Binding technique - one with a stick in the binding! I'm still finalizing the exact lesson plan, but I'm pretty sure we will be using the stick-binding for the workshop.

The exhibit runs May 31 - July 10 in the main gallery at the library. The Eccentric Garden Tour is Sunday June 12th from 11-6pm.

More information about the Eccentric Artists and their art and gardens can be found here:

http://www.eccentricartistsgardens.com/gardentour.html

The Garden Journal Workshop is FREE! Although there is a suggested materials fee of $10,

it's still a super-steal. My friend, and Eccentric Artist, Cha Cha will be on hand to help with the workshop as well. Register by June 23rd by contacting Carol Hepke at the library:

303-441-3196    or    heepkec@boulderlibrary.org

Click here for more workshop info

I've pulled it off!

I completed a book which I've been conceptualizing for a while now. The pages contain beautiful nature photographs taken by my dear friend Erika L. Yeager. The front cover is an actual paperwasp nest; a very large and flat nest! I utilized the coptic binding technique, switching thread colors between each signature, creating a rainbow in the link stitch.

This book was created for the 2011 Eccentric Artists' Garden Exhibit, and is inspired by gardening and nature. The concept involves the notion of latent earth bursting through a seasonal evolution, culminating in an abundant color explosion. The bejeweled cover is a nod to the medieval manuscripts I love so much. Really I just wanted to use this outstanding nest as a book cover and see if I could effectively send linen thread through the cells of the nest. There was a little bit of breath-holding, and a lot of planning, and I'm proud to say it really came together in the end!

Thank You Two-Hands! More Classes Next Fall...

This most recent round of classes at Two Hands was so enjoyable. Thanks to all those who partook!

Stay cool this summer, don't ever change, and look for more classes
to be offered by Two Hands Paperie beginning in August.

twohandspaperie.com 

Spring 2011 Classes at Two Hands Paperie

I'm teaching five different bookmaking classes at Two Hands Paperie this Spring session:

Basic, Coptic, 3-Ring, Japanese Stab, and Explosion!

Other classes offered as well.

Class descriptions and instructor bios can be found here:

http://twohandspaperie.com/classes-events/in-store-classes/

Familiarize yourself with this store!

Papercuts Press - news, events, and info!

Having recently done away with my underutilized website, I embark on this blog! My intention is to provide current information and ideas linked to a great passion of mine - BOOKMAKING!

In addition to posting up-to-date classes, events, and goings-on, this forum will be a good place to share photos, instructional videos, and anything else that might come along.

I hope participants can make good use of these resources, and I surely welcome any input, questions or constructive criticism. Check back frequently, or subscribe, for the latest in my bookmaking world!