by Elissa | Jul 6, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 13, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Weave a House with Helen Hiebert
Paper artist extraordinaire Helen Hiebert learned to weave paper strips in grade school, but it wasn’t until she was in her 20’s that she decided to make some deviations! She started out by cutting curved strips, and then she came up with a way of cutting windows to expose various parts of the paper that would otherwise be hidden. She hopes you’ll discover some new tricks as you make a woven paper house with her.
Supplies:
- 2 sheets of text weight (not too thin) 8-1/2” x 11” paper that look good together, one decorative, one plain
- Cutting mat
- X-Acto knife
- Ruler
- Glue stick or PVA glue + 1/8” – 1/4” glue brush
- Small (5” x 5”) piece of thin, flexible plastic – like a piece of a yogurt or laundry container, or a flexible kitchen cutting mat (this is optional and will be used for cutting windows in the weaving
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
June Meeting Reflections
We haven’t done a real hands-on meeting for a while, and so I was super excited to learn a new structure. Luckily, Elissa is a seasoned professional instructor and led us through the steps for the Crossed Structure Binding, making it doable and fun.
We didn’t get to the weaving part yet, but I’m looking forward to finishing it at the August meeting. In the meantime, I’m going to fancify my cover with some extra weaving or embroidery on it.
Thanks, Elissa, for the extra clear instructions that made the meeting fly by, and thanks to everyone who showed up for it.
B.A.G. Library Corner
We all know summer is busy, and it can be tough to find the space to create. But that means these summer months are a great time for using up scraps to create mini journals!
Find inspiration to use in your own stash from Tina Walker’s journals, showcased in the Somerset Studio November/December 2017 issue. Walker’s theme of “let there be love” is some added inspiration for these times.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s annual member show is open now at Grand Isle Art Works through July 31. Our opening reception will be on July 6 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Ann Joppe-Mercure will be leading a free zine-making workshop during the reception.
B.A.G. member Susan Smereka is teaching an Upcycled Journal Making workshop on July 17, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information or to register, visit the GIAW website.
*** Artistree Gallery is hosting another show in conjunction with the UNBOUND: VOL X exhibit (see below) – Cover to Cover: Book Lab Explorations.
Book Lab is a group of nine Vermont-based women who specialize in book arts. They meet regularly to critique one another’s work, collaborate on projects, and provide support as they explore the many ways a book can be art.
Book Lab members exhibiting work include B.A.G. members Rebecca Boardman, Elissa Campbell, Dorsey Hogg, Marilyn Gillis, Debra Kraemer, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Vera Ryerbach, Penne Tompkins, and Marcia Vogler. Each artist is exhibiting her own work, along with collaborative pieces they have co-created.
For more information, visit the Artistree website.
*** Vermont book artists and the Book Arts Guild of Vermont are well represented at Art of the Book at the Rochester Public Library this year. This international juried show runs from June 27 through November 1.
Dorsey Hogg took 1st place in the altered book category with her work titled Words are Unruly, Carolyn Shattuck‘s work Quilters received an honorable mention in the book sculpture category, and Marcia Vogler received an honorable mention for Bird Totem in the artist’s book category. Congratulations!
Book Arts News
*** Now through July 16, Artistree Gallery is hosting their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. This exhibit includes work by artists from the northeast looking to explore “the book” as concept, object, and format.
The broad theme of the exhibit encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This show looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website.
*** North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT is offering their next five-day intensive from January 24 -29, 2023 for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration. There is a book artsy workshop that still has openings and may be of interest to you – The Artful Box with Mary Uthuppuru. Here’s the workshop description:
Construct a modified clamshell box. A box can enhance its contents or become an art piece of its own. Learn how to build a specific structure using a variety of decorative and assembly techniques. You will be encouraged to experiment and create components of the project drawing from personal inspiration. No special skills are required, just patience with a few techniques that require accuracy.
Registration is open now and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take the workshop, don’t wait to enroll.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June was Weave, which worked out well with our theme for this year.
Whether you participated in last month’s challenge or not, it’s still worth checking out the submissions for some woven inspiration.
Check out hashtags #areyoubookenough and #areyoubookenough_weave to see the wonderful work that was created. The approaches are so varied!
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Rough & Tumble Ergonomic Notebook with Karen Hanmer on July 16 & 17.
More traditionally called a “limp paper case,” this binding has its origins in the limp parchment cases of antiquity. This update is flexible enough to read on the beach, yet sturdy enough to throw in a backpack. The rounded, breakaway spine feels great in the hand, keeps its shape with repeated use, and ensures the book will open fully. The folded “yapp” fore edge protects the pages at the open edge of the book.
Sewing on tapes keeps the text block square and organized while it is being constructed, and later fortifies the attachment of the text block to the case. The hooked endsheets allow complete opening at the title page.
Best of all, the book can be made in a sparsely-equipped home studio. You’ll have so much fun making and using this book you’ll forget you are learning foundational bookbinding skills. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another quick and sturdy binding to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering The Magic of Sewing Cards with Rosae Reeder on July 22 & 27.
The sewing card is a wonderful aid in learning how to master a simple to difficult sewing. Practicing the mechanics of any sewing on a piece of two-dimensional card is tantamount to working on an actual book.
Learn how to prepare and make sewing cards for a few different types of book structures in the first session. Take what you have learned and apply it to making an actual book in the second session. Students will choose which book to make once we have completed several types of sewing cards.
For more information or to register please visit the SFCB website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Pop-Up Curious? Explore Dimension! with Shawn Sheehy on July 26.
Do you look at pop-up books and wonder how they are engineered? Do you make greeting cards and harbor the desire to make your cards more spectacular? Do you make artist’s books and yearn to introduce dimension and animation? Even if you are simply compelled to read this description, you might be POP-UP CURIOUS.
This class—with a focus on dimension—will explore the fundamentals of paper engineering that address pop-ups. You’ll build a series of simple models using the tools, techniques, and materials of the trade. You’ll examine trade pop-up books that show how the structures have been used. When finished, you’ll bind your models into a simple case. This quick beginner class is an entertaining gateway into more advanced study. All are welcome!
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Jun 2, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Crossed Structure Binding – Linked Variation with Elissa Campbell
The Crossed Structure binding is intriguing in that the sewing is done directly onto back cover straps that integrate into the front cover. This non-adhesive variation on the long stitch was developed by book artist Carmencho Arregui after studying pre-16th century bindings.
In June’s meeting, Elissa Campbell will teach you a variation of this binding. As time allows, you’ll add stitching to the covers to both reinforce the structure and add a decorative touch.
Supplies:
- 4 pieces of text weight paper: 4.75″ x 6.25″
- 2 pieces cover material (leather, heavy fabric, vinyl): 8″ x 4.75″
- 3 pieces sewing thread in the following lengths: 62″, 6″, 25″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 4.75″ x 8″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1.5″ x 4.75″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1″ x 2″
Tools:
- Bone folder
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Metal ruler Awl
- Cutting mat
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
- Japanese screw punch or other leather punch (optional)
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
May Meeting Reflections
I was very inspired by our meeting’s presenter, paper artist Karen Kreiger. As she pulled out beautiful work to show us, I really got a sense of how she arranged images in and around her weaving. And then, oh my, she added stitching! Could the work speak to me any more personally? A woven, stitched rolling pin! As a former baker, I need one of my own.
Here are my favorite take-aways:
- A dot of red fixes everything
- Dots make me happy
- Insert scraps into cut out windows
- Cut patterns into the ‘weft’
- Stitch on top of weaving
- And finally, organize your scraps (no matter how small) by color in small boxes.
Believe me, I have tried organizing my scraps, but somehow serendipity helps me to find the right one, even if they’re not so organized.
Thanks to all who showed up on screen, and thanks especially to Karen for a totally enjoyable and inspirational evening.
B.A.G. Library Corner
This month we’re taking a step back from how-to’s and looking at the conceptual process involved in bookmaking, or any art. In his introduction to Structure of the Visual Book, the illustrious Keith Smith takes us through his thought process and approach to making artist books.
Written as ponderously as his process, he describes his first foray into bookmaking and how he learned to see his subject matter.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The dates of the exhibit are July 1 – July 30 and our opening reception will be on July 6.
The submission deadline is June 17 and B.A.G. members can submit up to two pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the two pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
The submission form can be downloaded here.
We’d love to have your work in the show!
*** On June 10, Writers as Artists will showcase the work of award winning book artists/writers Beth Kephart and B.A.G. member Nina Gaby and award winning writer/sculptor Abigail Thomas.
The event will be held at Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery and Coffee House at 297 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY.
Book Arts News
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
*** North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT is offering their next five-day intensive from January 24 -29, 2023 for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration. There are two book artsy workshops that may be of interest to you:
The first is North Country Shifu with Velma Bolyard. Here’s the workshop description:
Experience the Japanese craft tradition of spun and woven paper textile called shifu. Make deep connections to place through text, textile (shifu), book, and paper. Haptic experiences will include experimental mark making, hand spinning, loom building, weaving, book construction, papermaking, dyeing, and stitching. You will leave with a wonderful book and a passel of techniques that you can add to your paper and fiber toolkit.
The next is The Artful Box with Mary Uthuppuru. Here’s the workshop description:
Construct a modified clamshell box. A box can enhance its contents or become an art piece of its own. Learn how to build a specific structure using a variety of decorative and assembly techniques. You will be encouraged to experiment and create components of the project drawing from personal inspiration. No special skills are required, just patience with a few techniques that require accuracy.
Registration opens on June 15 and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take either of these workshops, don’t wait to enroll. There are a number of scholarships available if you need financial assistance. Applications are being accepted now through June 6.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June happens to be Weave, which works out well with our theme for this year. If you’re working on a book that has a woven element, then this is your month to submit to the Instagram challenge.
Use hashtag #areyoubookenough_weave if you participate. It most certainly will be inspirational to look at the work submitted using this theme. You can also check out past work by using the hashtag #areyoubookenough.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Dove Dale Limp Case: A Sympathetic Update of an 1884 Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 11.
Edward Marston’s 1884 An Amateur Angler’s Days in Dove Dale: Or, How I Spent My Three Weeks’ Holiday was issued in a simple folded limp vellum case printed in two colors. We will examine two examples from this edition of 100 before creating a low-adhesive, facsimile-ish version in a limp paper case. This case can be made of any decorative text-weight paper.
The resulting book is lightweight, elegant, opens well, and can be made quickly and easily with no specialized tools or materials. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another limp case to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Frederick Book Arts Center is offering Islamic Bookbinding with Nic Heersema on June 16, 21, 23, 28, 30, and July 5 & 7.
Islamic bookbinding is one of the styles that developed in the Middle East before the 17th century. Used for everything from richly-decorated Qur’ans to scientific treatises, this style of bookbinding is recognizable by the pentagonal envelope flap.
This style of bookbinding is recommended for advanced beginners or intermediate/advanced bookbinders who have some experience with kettle stitches, endband sewing, and general bookbinding techniques.
This seven-class workshop series walks through all the stages of making a book in the Islamic style. Due to the nature of these classes some are planned to have longer slots of time then others to accommodate drying times and other waiting times.
For more information or to register, please visit the FBAC website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Drum Leaf Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 29.
Developed by Tim Ely, the drum leaf binding has features in common with multiple preexisting Eastern and Western book structures. This adhesive binding is a perfect structure for printmakers, photographers, or anyone who desires to present visual narratives with no sewing thread to interrupt the flow of imagery. Because a drum leaf book is not laid out in signatures but made of single-sided folios, the complexities of imposition are not encountered when laying out text.
The binding opens flat and can be dressed up or down with a variety of spine treatments, board-covering materials, and edge decoration techniques. It can be constructed quickly, lends itself to edition work, and can be made in a sparsely equipped home studio.
In this virtual workshop, build skills working with common bookbinding tools, materials, techniques, and principles such as grain direction, folding signatures, tidy application of adhesive, and measuring one component of the book to fit another. This fast-paced workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders and beginners who are ready for their next challenge.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | May 10, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Presentation by Paper Artist Karen Krieger
We are very excited to welcome artist Karen Krieger as a presenter for our May meeting. Karen has been working with paper for over a decade after a previous career as a metalsmith. Paper weaving has become an integral and joyous part of her work since 2019 when she took a month-long class with a daily weaving practice.
She’ll share some of her finished pieces, works in progress, and paper organizing tips. She’ll discuss materials and do a demo to demystify the process so you can begin to make your own weavings.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
April Meeting Reflections
Woven is shaping up to be one of my favorite themes. I had a great time messing up my cuts for the woven accordion structure, even though the instruction and pdf were as clear as a bell, thanks to our presenter, Dorsey Hogg.
The technique of weaving pages together to create the accordion just opened my eyes to possibilities, and Dorsey’s own interpretations of the combination of weaving and structure were both sophisticated and approachable at the same time.
Thanks, Dorsey, for the inspiration! I am always amazed at how your mind works, and how much you accomplish. Thanks also to all of you who continue to show up and make the positivity gauge go up.
B.A.G. Library Corner
Is everyone else as anxious for spring as I am? After what felt like a very long winter, let’s celebrate the longer, warmer days with a spring-inspired paper-cutting design!
This project from Naomi Shiek’s Fold It & Cut It is meant to be a three-dimensional tea light lantern or party favor box, but you could incorporate the design into any project. If you have any trouble with the template, contact Sally at salblanch@gmail.com for a cleaner copy.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the project here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The dates of the exhibit are July 1 – July 30 and our opening reception will be on July 6.
The submission deadline is June 17 and B.A.G. members can submit up to two pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the two pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
The submission form can be downloaded here.
We’d love to have your work in the show!
*** On June 10, Writers as Artists will showcase the work of award winning book artists/writers Beth Kephart and B.A.G. member Nina Gaby and award winning writer/sculptor Abigail Thomas.
The event will be held at Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery and Coffee House at 297 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY.
*** Susan Smereka is teaching an Upcycle Journal Workshop on May 15, 2022.
Learn to take something old and make it new again! We will rebuild an old book and give it new life as a unique journal to inspire you to write and capture your precious ideas, collages, and drawings. And they make great gifts too!
You will break down an old book, and rebind it with blank pages interleaved with text from the original. Build your knowledge and skills around bookbinding as you learn the parts of a book and how to do a long stitch binding with waxed linen thread.
Whether you are new to bookbinding or not, this workshop is appropriate for all skill levels and interests. Join us for this opportunity to build your own creative journal or continue feeding your bookbinding passion!
For more information or to register, please visit Susan’s website.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Piano Play at Studio Place Arts on June 6 & 7.
The spine of the intriguing Piano Hinge binding is one that is woven instead of glued or sewn – it is held together using dowels or sticks. This structure, invented by Hedi Kyle, was named because of its resemblance to the hinge of a piano lid.
In this class, you’ll learn how to construct both the basic Piano Hinge book and the Piano Hinge Album (it’s got storage pockets!). No previous experience is required, although you’ll feel more comfortable if you’ve used an X-Acto knife before.
For more information or to register, please visit the SPA website.
*** B.A.G. member Laura Lacroix is looking for someone to make a guest presentation at a class on artist books at Hazen Union School in June. If this is up your alley, please contact Laura at lacroix.laura@yahoo.com.
Book Arts News
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
*** Laszlo Bardos‘ website CutOutFoldUp.com is about the fun, interesting, and beautiful side of math. Most projects are easy to make, can be completed in less than an hour, and require only a few common materials. Each project is accompanied by printable patterns, detailed directions, and a difficulty level.
Not sure where to start? Click on the Random link in the navigation bar. Happy cutting and folding!
*** Russell Maret is delivering this year’s Gillett G. Griffin Memorial Lecture at the Princeton University Libraries on May 16. The lecture, The Post-Typographic Private Press?, will be presented in person and online. To attend the lecture, please register here.
If you would like to hear the talk but won’t be able to attend at the time, please register as an online participant – a link to the recorded talk will be sent to you shortly after the 16th.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Soft Cover Drum Leaf with Beth Sheehan on May 23.
Created by Tim Ely, drum leaf is a simple but elegant book structure that uses folded “leaves” (pages) that are “drummed” (glued) together rather than being folded into signatures. Drum leaf book pages lay completely flat, making it an ideal book structure for artists, photographers, and printmakers in particular.
In this two-hour workshop, students will learn to fold and adhere pages to create the drum leaf textblock. Sheehan will then go over the steps for scoring and folding the drop-spine softcover. Finally, students will adhere covers to their text blocks, completing their respective books!
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Sewn Binding with Guards and Self-Locking Wrapper with Karen Hanmer on May 25.
For centuries, paper has served as a quick, elegant, and economical covering material for books. This versatile material can create structures ranging from pocket notebooks to conservation friendly bindings to a case durable enough for a heavily-used manual.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to sew an exposed binding, a book structure with decorative guards that features colorful link stitch sewing and slivers of decorative paper visible on the spine. The covers are hooked around the first and last signatures before sewing, then sewn normally along with the rest of the text block. A quick-to-construct self-locking flap keeps the text block clean and secure.
This fast-paced workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for their next challenge, and anyone who wants to add more paper cases to their bookbinding repertoire.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Circular (Toroidal) Accordion with Stephanie Wolff on June 2.
A circle? A donut? A torus! Whatever you think of when you see this accordion, the shape has lots of fun possibilities for content, which we’ll discuss. When open, it’s donut-shaped, when folded up it’s a wedge – like a piece of pie without the tip.
We’ll draw out the form, cut and fold, and make a simple wrapper. Our focus will be on making a model that participants can use as reference for making more after the workshop. No advanced math is required, but a drawing compass is.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
by Elissa | Mar 3, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: The Woven Accordion with Becky Boardman
At this month’s B.A.G. meeting, our own Becky Boardman will be leading us in a hands-on project that goes perfectly with this year’s theme, The Woven Accordion.
Here’s what you’ll need to join in on the fun:
Materials:
- 1 piece – 11″ x 4.25″ cardstock (grain short if possible)
- 1 piece – 14″ X 3.25″ cardstock (grain short if possible)
- A Strathmore 11″ x 14″ drawing pad has grain short pages and is a good weight.
- 1 piece – 11″ x 2″ cardstock (grain short if possible)
- 2 pieces – 3.25″ x 4.5″ mat board (or something similar for covers)
- 2 pieces – 4.5 x 4 5/8″ heavy text or light cardstock weight
- Drawing paper as mentioned above would work.
- Note: Paper can be any color but you might want to choose different colors that look good together.
Tools:
- X-Acto knife (sharp blade)
- Cutting mat
- Metal straight edge or ruler to cut against
- C-thru ruler (preferably) or other ruler
- Bone folder
- Stylus (or T-pin or fat needle)
- Glue stick and/or 1/4″ double sided tape (can be found at dollar stores)
- Foam or corrugated cardboard to stick stylus into
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
February Meeting Reflections
I have been thinking lately about collaboration in the world today. How could we get along without each other, since our past, present and future are all interwoven? Perhaps it’s been on my mind since the last meeting when University of Vermont librarian Prudence Doherty of the Silver Special Collections Library lead us through a group of books that speak to our woven theme.
Many of the beautiful pieces she showed us had some kind of collaboration, either between people responding to each other’s art, or weaving together text and words to create content. Certainly the most powerful piece to me is Julie Chen‘s Memento, which represents a reaction to the violence of a car bomb in Baghdad in 2007. The response seems equally meaningful to the violence we are witnessing today.
Many thanks to Prudence for giving us a specially curated vision of woven, and thanks to everyone for showing up. I think I counted 50 visitors, a new record! I will continue my thoughts about collaboration and interweaving, and I urge you to do the same
B.A.G. Library Corner
Keith Smith’s Woven Spine Tab tutorial is the perfect way to add a touch of weaving to your book’s exterior. Constructed with the non-adhesive long stitch binding, you have the option of including the woven tab with or without a book jacket. This construction, along with other variations of the long stitch binding, are included in Smith’s Non-Adhesive Binding, Vol. 1: Books without Paste or Glue.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the project here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The tentative dates of the exhibit are June 15 – August 1.
We are currently working on the submission form and will include it in the next newsletter. In the meantime, keep June 6th in mind, as that’s when submissions will be due. No exceptions!
Members can submit up to three pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the three pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
Stay tuned for more details in the next newsletter and we’d love to have your work in the show!
*** B.A.G. member, illustrator, and cartoonist Amy Burns will have her work on display from February 16 – March 31 at Espresso Bueno in Barre, VT. Alongside Amy’s framed works, originals, prints, cards and comics will be work by mixed media painter Keilani Lime.
Work is available for viewing and purchase during the following hours:
- Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Espresso Bueno is located at 248 N Main Street.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching The Block Printed Journal at CraftStudies on March 12 & 13. The class will take place at A Lucky Girl Studio in Norwich, VT.
Block printing is an ancient method of printmaking that can be used to create beautiful, decorated papers. Not only is it fun, but it’s something you can easily do at home. In this two-day class, students will experiment with printing and use personalized papers to cover a handmade journal.
On the first day, learn how to design and carve rubber stamps that will be used to create your own decorated papers. We will focus on basic shapes that can be used for layering and repeating to create rich and complex patterns.
On the second day, select one of your papers as a cover for a hand-made book using a binding that allows the book to remain flat when opened, making it perfect for use as a sketchbook or journal.
For more information or to register, please visit the CraftStudies website.
Book Arts News
*** On March 10, Professor Janice Radway will deliver the 36th annual Louis Faugères Bishop Lecture for the Rutgers University Libraries. Her topic is Girls, Zines, and Their Travels: Imagining Lives, Crafting Archives for a New Century.
Radway is the Walter Dill Scott Professor of Communication Studies and a professor of American studies and gender studies within the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. Radway is widely known for her scholarship on readers, reading, books, and the history of middlebrow culture.
Currently, Radway is working on an oral history of girls, their underground publishing efforts during the 1990s, and their subsequent lives.
For more information or to register for the lecture, please visit the Rutgers University Libraries website.
*** On March 15, the Puget Sound Book Artists will start accepting submissions for their 2022 PSBA Annual Exhibition. You have to be a member to be able to submit work, but membership is open to everyone.
This year’s suggested theme is Peaks and Valleys. Peaks and Valleys invoke many connotations. You are encouraged to explore your own highs and lows, literal and metaphorical.
For more information, visit the PSBA website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is currently holding a zine maker contest, Navigating 2020 – 2021. It’s been a crazy past two years, many of us dealing with illness, isolation, confusion, and turmoil on so many different levels. So, we want to know: How did you Navigate 2020/2021?
Were there changes in your life, your relationships, your health, or habits during the past couple of years? Have your philosophies, feelings, or views of the world changed?
Produce and submit (via email or in person) a zine by March 31, 2022. Your submission and all the others we receive will become part of a boxed set that will become part of the permanent collection at FAU Libraries’ Jaffe Center for Book Arts.
For more information on how to submit your work, please visit the JCBA website.
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering The Elegant Slim Volume with Stephanie Wolff on March 13.
Simple bindings on small books? An opportunity for creativity! Variations in the sewing, finishing details, or materials can give a binder many options when binding small books. We will examine simple binding methods the instructor has gathered over her many years in bookbinding and conservation.
Using thread, wood, wire, beads, and paper, we will build on the basic pamphlet to expand the options of the humble small binding. By considering all the details and materials the most basic of bindings can be elevated to simple elegance. Rather than focusing solely on structure, this workshop is an exploration of variations and design and material possibilities.
Participants are encouraged to dig into their own art supplies and general household items to use in the workshop. We will make as many models as our time allows, with suggestions for adapting the basic forms to create many more after the workshop. Our models will be softcover bindings and will serve as inspiration for future work. Some bookbinding experience is helpful.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering the Storage Book with Rosae Reeder on March 19.
Want a fancy way to keep receipts, keepsake ephemera, and anything else you want to save? Construct a storage book! Using the accordion fold as a spine, this hardcover book structure features handmade envelopes sewn onto the folds of the accordion to create a structure that holds two-dimensional as well as small three-dimensional items.
In this virtual workshop, learn this unique book structure and explore many different ways to keep the book closed, including ribbon, a belly band (a paper strip that slides on and off), Velcro, and more. Use a variety of decorative papers to give this book a vibrant look.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft is offering Variation on a Pamphlet with Laura Gardner on March 27 & April 3.
Artists, writers, and those keeping journals love working in books open flat. This variation on a pamphlet does just that. The pamphlet book is one sheet of paper folded one time to create four sides. It is used to relay information familiar to most of us from concerts, religious services, or advertising.
For our variation, we will gather five sheets of paper into what is called a signature then make five signatures. We finish by using colored threads to weave the signatures together along the spines to create a book that opens flat– ready for writing, drawing, collecting, journaling, or note taking.
For more information or to register, please visit the Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Pop-Up Native Wildflowers: Go West! with Shawn Sheehy on April 2 & 3.
Celebrate the beauty of the spring bloom by building fantastic pop-up wildflowers. In this workshop you’ll create models of California poppy, California buttercup, miner’s lettuce, Rocky Mountain columbine, prickly pear, and bloodroot. A kit of pre-cut pieces will be provided. You’ll assemble the structures, collect them into a simple, elegant binding, and gain insights into paper engineering and paper sculpture. All are welcome.
For more information or to register, please visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Feb 7, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
At this month’s B.A.G. meeting, University of Vermont librarian Prudence Doherty of the Silver Special Collections Library, has graciously offered to present to us once again as we kick off our series of meetings focusing on Woven.
She has selected examples from the collection that illustrate the many creative and different ways artists have integrated weaving into their book arts work. We look forward to seeing her choices
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
January Meeting Reflections
Woven!
Weaving is so much fun, so easy to learn, and the results are so satisfying! Penne Tompkins and Becky Boardman started off our exploration of Woven with simple and sophisticated ways to make a woven heart. The techniques are easily transferable to many projects. I’ll bet there will be some amazing Valentines sent out this February!
Thanks to everyone for showing up, being present, and sharing the evening. Special thanks to Penne and Becky for their skill and patience.
If you were unable to attend the meeting, but want to make some woven hearts of your own, you can access the templates here.
B.A.G. Library Corner
Our “woven” theme continues this month with Jeannine Stein’s Woven Mini Book. This project makes weaving the focal point by using a woven piece as the cover. Stein provides a quick and dirty lesson on the basics of weaving and demonstrates how to transform that resulting piece into a showstopper soft cover for your book.
She shows two other examples of the project – a shortcut with a store-bought woven placemat and a master version that showcases the piece of a fiber artist.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the project here
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the project here.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for more than fifteen years. Our organization is solely run by volunteers and we do what we do because we love the book arts and we love B.A.G.. We continue to be inspired by our community, and the enthusiasm and talents that you bring to our meetings.
Membership dues are our main source of income and we hope that you will show that you value what we have to offer – quality programming, future exhibits, and more – by becoming a member. You get so much value out of your $35.00 and attending just one meeting can give you your full money’s worth.
*** New this year – you can now pay your dues using Venmo!
Our account is BAGofVT, listed under businesses.
Just to give you an idea of where membership dues go, here’s a breakdown of B.A.G.’s annual expenses:
- Zoom subscription: $149.90 per year
- Vimeo subscription: $84.00 per year
- Rent: $50.00 per month when we can return to in-person attendance
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
We hope that you will renew your membership to help us with our annual expenses. You can download our membership form and send it in with your payment by check of $35.00 made out to the Book Arts Guild of Vermont:
Book Arts Guild of Vermont
c/o Ann Joppe-Mercure
10 Brookwood Dr
South Burlington, VT 05403
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is considering holding a daylong summer retreat/workshop for members and friends, depending on the interest.
We’d love to get your feedback about the idea, so please complete this brief survey and let us know what you think!
*** B.A.G. member, illustrator, and cartoonist Amy Burns will have her work on display from February 16 – March 31 at Espresso Bueno in Barre, VT. Alongside Amy’s framed works, originals, prints, cards and comics will be work by mixed media painter Keilani Lime.
Work is available for viewing and purchase during the following hours:
- Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Espresso Bueno is located at 248 N Main Street.
*** B.A.G. member, bookmaker, and printer Jane Ploughman will be co-teaching Decorative Paper & Book Structures with artist Susan Smereka.
In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn the process for paste paper, Gelli plate printing, and Japanese marbling, called Suminagashi. The decorative paper you make will be incorporated into book structures such as single sheet, a single flag, and accordion with a hard cover.
For your final book project, you will be working on content. If you have some bookbinding experience, this workshop will not only refresh your knowledge, but give you some new skills.
The workshop will take place at Susan Smereka’s studio space in Burlington, VT (Howard Street off of Pine) from March 1 – March 29, on Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Susan at susansmereka@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Pop-Up Basics: The Movable Book at CraftStudies on February 26. The workshop will take place at A Lucky Girl Studio in Norwich, VT.
If you want to add more magic to your cards and artist books, then give pop-ups a try! Also known as paper engineering, pop-ups use cuts and folds to create motion and energy in paper structures.
Through the creation of a series of pop-up cards, students will learn the basics of three-dimensional construction, including box supports, props, and straddles, then bind these cards into a book, which will become a handy reference for future work.
No previous experience is required. You’ll feel more comfortable in the workshop if you have experience using an X-Acto knife.
For more information or to register, please visit the CraftStudies website.
Book Arts News
*** After two years of being canceled due to the pandemic, the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts‘ Book Arts Bazaar will again be hosted in Wishcamper Center on the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine. The Bazaar will take place on Sunday April 3, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Annie Lee-Zimerle at aemin.leezimerle@maine.edu.
*** The Rochester Public Library is currently accepting entries for their 11th juried international exhibit, Art of the Book & Paper: Artists Books, Altered Books & Paper Sculpture. The deadline for entries is February 28.
In 2011, the first Art of the Book exhibit was held in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Rochester Public Library. At the time, they wanted to celebrate what has been at the core of libraries for centuries – the book. They marveled over the intricate interpretations of this humble format, and were thrilled with the response to the exhibit from the community.
Books continue to ensnare the imagination, both for their form and content. Artists manipulate those two components to create breathtaking, mind-bending works of art that tease and cajole people to consider the intricacies of paper, ink, words, and meaning.
For more information or to view the prospectus, please visit the Rochester Public Library’s website.
*** After a 2-year hiatus, the UNBOUND exhibit will make its return to the Artistree Gallery in South Pomfret in June and July.
The show features art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
Submission details have not yet been published on the Artistree website. Stay tuned to the B.A.G. newsletter and we’ll give you the most up-to-date information when it’s made available.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is currently holding a zine maker contest, Navigating 2020 – 2021. It’s been a crazy past two years, many of us dealing with illness, isolation, confusion, and turmoil on so many different levels. So, we want to know: How did you Navigate 2020/2021?
Were there changes in your life, your relationships, your health, or habits during the past couple of years? Have your philosophies, feelings, or views of the world changed?
Produce and submit (via email or in person) a zine by March 31, 2022. Your submission and all the others we receive will become part of a boxed set that will become part of the permanent collection at FAU Libraries’ Jaffe Center for Book Arts.
For more information on how to submit your work, please visit the JCBA website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Non-Linear Artist’s Books with Yuka Petz on February 17 & 24, and March 3, 10, 17, & 24.
Explore artist’s books that defy conventional front-to-back reading. In this virtual workshop, make six non-linear artist’s books, including one-sheet books, flexagons, dos-à-dos, French door, flag books, and volvelles. Each week, learn a new book structure and techniques for adding content that work in tandem with the non-traditional book form to create meaning.
Examples of artists’ books that use these structures will be discussed. The group will also engage in brief idea generation exercises and friendly critique. Participants will have the option to exchange books with one another to begin or grow a personal collection of artists’ books.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Artist Books: Concept & Making with Maria Veronica San Martín on February 22–24.
This online course will show you how to conceptualize and make your own artist book. The course begins with a contextual lesson on the book as an artistic medium – helping provide students with inspiration for their own work.
Then the class transitions to art-making – including learning the dos and don’ts of the accordion book structure, the technique of monoprints on plexiglass, and the creation and construction of a flag book.
By the end of the course, each student will have created their own artist book and the class will engage in a final critique and discussion of all the work produced!
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Circle Accordion with Pockets with Stephanie Jucker on February 23.
This decorative and functional book can be made with materials you probably have lying around at home. With a little paper-folding, cutting, and tape this simple structure can be created in a short amount of time, no special tools required.
Lightweight, with useful pockets, it makes a great travel journal, place to store mementos, index card holder or personalized gift. Using two-sided paper (a different color or pattern on each side) adds a lot of interest to the book; the instructor will also show ways to add surface design to your paper at the beginning of class, or you can bring your own patterned/decorated paper.
For more information or to register, please visit the SFCB website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Design in the Details: Adaptations & Variations with Stephanie Wolff on February 26 & 27.
Over the course of this full weekend workshop, you will learn a collection of inventive page structures suitable for a variety of bindings, while creating a reference model for inspiration. Making a book by hand allows opportunities for the design and material choices of the book. And it’s those details that can elevate your work from the commonplace and set it apart.
Binder-artists often have ideas that challenge the successful execution of traditional binding forms, whether from the use of unconventional materials or alterations of the structure. This workshop offers some approaches to designing pages that go beyond the regular printed page, but are easily bound into traditional forms.
We’ll cover a range of techniques, with many based on historic structures, including how to incorporate photos or prints, oversized pages, loose material, as well as pockets, foldouts, envelopes, mounting options, and other display possibilities. We’ll discuss ways to incorporate content using these page possibilities.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
