by Elissa | Mar 3, 2023 | B.A.G. Book Swap, B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8, 2023, 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 Movable Books for 2023.
Movable books are structures with 3-dimensional pages that make a book or card come alive in your hands. These include pop-ups, volvelles, tunnel books, pull-outs, crankies, and animated structures.
Put on your hard hat, because we are going to become Paper Engineers!
We will have a series of guest presenters to familiarize you with the varied structures, and to guide you through techniques that will turn your flat two-dimensional work into exciting pop-up fun!
In the movable book world, there is of course the Movable Book Society, which promotes all things movable. A look at their website and references should be all it takes to get you warmed up for the new year. Here are some other resources to get your brain churning:
Websites to drool over:
Books to pore over:
If that’s not enough for you, just google ‘tunnel books’ or ‘pop up books’, and prepare to spend some time in the rabbit hole. Take a look – the possibilities are kind of endless!
Program: Tunnel Books with Dorsey Hogg
Among the movables we’re exploring this year are tunnel books, which are made from a set of panels attached to an accordion on each side and viewed through a hole in the front. This type of book dates from the mid-18th century and was inspired by theatrical stage sets.
According to Wikipedia, “the term ‘tunnel book’ derives from the fact that many of these books were made to commemorate the building of the tunnel under the Thames River in London in the mid-19th century.” (Who knew?)
In our March meeting, you’ll learn the basics of creating a tunnel book with our own Dorsey Hogg.
Here’s what you’ll need to participate in the project:
- 5: 4″ x 6″ pieces of cardstock or similar weight paper for the pages
- 2: 4′ x 8″ strips of paper, I used 80lb drawing paper for the side bindings
- 1: 4.25″ x 18.25″ strip of paper, I used the same 80lb drawing paper for the wrap around cover.
- Glue stick
- Measuring tool
- X-Acto knife
- Bone folder
If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa so she can send you the details.
February Meeting Reflections
Some people just bring joy to everything they touch, and Ed Hutchins is one such person. What started as a show and tell, with charming videos of Ed leading us through some highlights of his artist book collection, ended with a hands-on reflection on Valentine pop-ups just in time for Valentine’s Day. Ed makes pop-ups look easy and accessible to everyone!
His presentation was a whirlwind introduction to the world of movable books, ranging from different cultures such as the Zhen Xian Bao, or Chinese thread box, to different structures such as tunnel books and flexagons. One of my personal favorites was the work of Paul Johnson, an English book artist who uses slotted structures without glue, and incorporates foldouts and pop-ups with sweet, brightly colored illustrations.
Oh, and then there were hearts, many hearts. There were accordion hearts, wiggle hearts, spiral hearts, interlocking hearts, and floating hearts. The eight different valentines Ed showed us in roughly 8 minutes was pure magic. I hope everyone took advantage of his challenge to send him a valentine and get one from him in return. There’s such joy in receiving an envelope covered with cute stickers from our friend.
Thanks so much, Ed! And thanks also to everyone who showed up and participated in this magical evening.
B.A.G. Library Corner
As we continue this year’s exploration of movable books and interactive structures, I began to think about what if a book was something else entirely – like a doll?
Mimi Kirchner’s plush doll sketchbook, featured in Jeannine Stein’s Adventures in Bookbinding: Handcrafting Mixed-Media Books, is a whimsical slipcover for a handmade sketchbook. But what if the pages were actually sewn into the slipcover? Could you turn a doll, or another unexpected object, into a book?
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
*** Due to the success of our last Zine Swap, B.A.G. is hosting another one!
What’s a zine? A zine (short for fanzine or magazine) is a self-published booklet, usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. Our previous Zine Swap was fun and participants enjoyed receiving 10 zines from fellow members. Sally Knight and Marilyn Gillis have agreed to organize the swap.
Here are the steps for participating in this next Zine Swap:
- Join the swap by emailing Marilyn Gillis at marilyngillis@gmail.com by March 31, 2023 to state your desire to participate.
- Create an 8-page folded zine. This is a structure using one 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper which is folded and cut to create a 4.25″ x 2.75″ booklet. Copy paper is fine for making a zine. The structure is simple, fast and easy to make. There are many YouTube instructional videos, just search for how to make a one-page zine. If you need help you can email Marilyn.
- Create your zine content. Make a master copy.
- Copy your zine 11 times. One copy is for you to keep.
- Fold each of your copies.
- Send 10 copies to Marilyn Gillis, 9 Arthur Court, Burlington, VT 05401 by May 31.
- Receive a packet of 10 participant zines in June!
*** Susan Smereka will be teaching Generative Book with Jane Ploughman on March 22 & 29, and April 5, 2023.
Create a unique artist’s book while learning new bookmaking and printmaking techniques. This workshop will guide you through a three part creative process to generate text and images using Gelli plate printmaking and collage.
Your completed project will combine your edited and refined creations in a hardcover book (approximately 3.5″ x 5”) with 8 spreads (30 sides) handbound with a long stitch variation.
The workshop will take place at Susan Smereka’s studio space in Burlington, VT (Howard Street off of Pine).
For more information, please contact Susan at susansmereka@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell will be teaching Blizzard of Blizzards at Studio Place Arts on March 11.
If this winter is giving you the blues, here’s a reason to like it a bit more – book artist Hedi Kyle‘s famous Blizzard Book was invented during a snowstorm! This gem of a book has a spine made of folded pockets that lock pages into place without using adhesive. The folded components can be modified to create other structures that Hedi affectionately refers to as the Blizzard Clan.
In this workshop, you’ll start by making the book that started it all, the Blizzard Book. As time allows, you’ll complete up to five variations including the Blizzard Box, the Blizzard Pocket, and the amazing Wheel of Fortune. All of these structures are intended to house your choice of content – for example, business cards, ticket stubs, or fortune cookie fortunes.
For more information or to register, please visit the SPA website.
Book Arts News
*** Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, Vermont is hosting Femmezine, now through March 4. Zine makers from all over (with a focus on local artists) will have their work and message on display and available for reading.
The show celebrates the Femme (An identity or presentation that leans towards femininity) DIY spirit as well as the necessity to shout out the message of “We are here, we exist, acknowledge us!”
The Do It Yourself (DIY) movement started with music, but would branch out into the rest of the arts. Fanzines (fan•zeenz) were a way for kids to distribute their message to others, helping to grow the culture, the community, and their chosen family.
For more information, please visit the Chandler website.
*** On March 24, The Grolier Club is hosting an online, full-day symposium in celebration of the Pattern and Flow, A Golden Age of American Decorated Paper, 1960s to 2000s exhibition, sponsored by the Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The free event will start with introductions and the keynote address, then offer panel presentations on 1. Techniques and materials in decorated paper; 2 the expansion of decorated paper in the U.S. (programs, outreach, education, publications); 3. earning a living in decorated paper (building a business, products); and 4. distributing and collecting decorated paper (trends and sales).
For more information or to register, please visit the event website.
*** Now through April 29, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting Building Books: New England Book Artists Members Exhibition. The exhibition is located in the Great Reading Room, 7th floor, Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
NEBA is a professional organization of book artists and bibliophiles. It celebrates, promotes, and supports the book arts and its makers, fosters public education, and nurtures an understanding and enjoyment of the discipline through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and related activities.
For more information, please visit the KCCCBA website.
*** The Rochester Public Library is currently accepting submissions for its 12th juried international exhibit, Art of the Book: Artist Books, Altered Books, & Paper Sculpture. The deadline for entries is May 15.
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.
In subsequent years, the exhibit has grown to include entries from all over the world, featuring well-known artists for their exquisite work. 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.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering One Sheet Books with Stephanie Wolff on March 9.
A few folds, a cut or two and presto, a book! Participants will create a selection of simple folded “books” made from one piece of paper in this workshop. They are great for zines, comics, cards, and other self-publishing ventures, as well as artists’ books.
Paper choices, layout, and duplication methods will all be covered. Simple, inexpensive means of duplication or more complex artmaking methods can be combined with these forms. Our focus will be on making a set of models as reference for future work after the workshop.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Mini Modeled Books with Amanda D’Amico on March 14 & 28.
What happens when you combine historical Coptic bindings with contemporary craft materials? You get small, playful book objects! For the bookbinder who loves sculpture, this virtual workshop will cover how to make a three-dimensional book cover using Crayola Model Magic, a non-toxic, lightweight modeling material.
Part one of the workshop will cover tips and tricks for working with the modeling material, as well as how to design your book object for success. Part two of the workshop will cover instruction on the two-needle Coptic stitch binding, a traditional and wonderfully adaptable sewing technique that can be used for many sculptural structures.
Note that this workshop has two weeks between the two sessions to allow the Crayola Model Magic to fully dry and shrink to its permanent size.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Japanese Boro Stitch for Bookbinding with Marsha Shaw on April 1 & 8.
In this workshop, students will learn to make an accordion book that uses a Japanese Boro mending stitch. What is so exciting about this structure is that you can work on the pages separately and then bind them together to make a book of any length. For example, a continuing photographic series can be added over time.
Students will learn the skills necessary to keep making these books and written instructions will be provided (The instructions are for a 3.5″ x 2.5″ playing card but the instructor will show you how to adjust the holes to your size pages). Students will be provided a small kit with two master sheets of collage paper to play with, or you can use your own papers or photographs.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
by Elissa | Feb 2, 2023 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 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 Movable Books for 2023.
Movable books are structures with 3-dimensional pages that make a book or card come alive in your hands. These include pop-ups, volvelles, tunnel books, pull-outs, crankies, and animated structures.
Put on your hard hat, because we are going to become Paper Engineers!
We will have a series of guest presenters to familiarize you with the varied structures, and to guide you through techniques that will turn your flat two-dimensional work into exciting pop-up fun!
In the movable book world, there is of course the Movable Book Society, which promotes all things movable. A look at their website and references should be all it takes to get you warmed up for the new year. Here are some other resources to get your brain churning:
Websites to drool over:
Books to pore over:
If that’s not enough for you, just google ‘tunnel books’ or ‘pop up books’, and prepare to spend some time in the rabbit hole. Take a look – the possibilities are kind of endless!
Program: Pop-ups and Movable Books with Ed Hutchins
Continuing with our movable book theme, we are excited to have Ed Hutchins as our guest presenter. Ed is a creative and innovative book artist and designer, as well as a collector of artist’s books. His work is colorful, playful, and imaginative, and always tells a good story.
During his presentation, we will look at books he has made, and examples from his Architecture of the Book Collection. He will also give us some ideas on how to use photos in movable greetings, and lastly, ideas for Valentines for you to make.
We are trying to figure out how to Zoom the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll keep you in the loop.
January Meeting Reflections
I feel a lot of excitement building for our new theme of movable books! Elissa Campbell and Becky Boardman gave us some great ideas for pop-up structures, and different ways to incorporate them into books and cards.
Well, get ready for a zine swap, because we now have the skills to make shaped and sized structures. Keep your eyes open for the announcement for the next challenge.
B.A.G. Library Corner
If you’re anything like me, I start to dream of far-away places as winter really sets in. But why dream when you can create your own places using books, paper, and a little structural ingenuity?
Using the tutorials from Clare Youngs’ Creative Book Art, we can create a whimsical village or a fantastical ocean getaway to make those long winter days a little shorter.
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
*** 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 seventeen (!) 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.
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.
*** Announcing the annual member show for 2023, The Art of the Book!
Our annual show will be held at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington in July 2023. The details still need to be worked out, so stay tuned for more information about the submission deadline, exhibition dates, and the opening reception date.
Members are invited to submit 2 pieces, so get started!
*** Susan Smereka will be teaching Upcycle Journal on February 12. You 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.
You will take apart 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.
The workshop will take place at Susan Smereka’s studio space in Burlington, VT (Howard Street off of Pine).
For more information, please contact Susan at susansmereka@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell will be leading a Book Arts Open Studio at Studio Place Arts on February 17 & 18. This experimental workshop is a mini retreat, where students who have taken some book arts classes in the past can explore taking their artist books to a new level. Enjoy the creative environment of working with other artists – it’s like a book arts play date!
The use of both standard and unconventional materials will be demonstrated, along with creative ways to apply them to the book arts. A wide range of tools and materials will be available for you to try, including collage, carved block stamps, image transfer, Dremel, and paper cutting. Different binding techniques will also be explored.
For more information or to register, please visit the SPA website.
Book Arts News
*** The Boston Athenæum is hosting the exhibition Materialia Lumina | Luminous Books: Concept & Craft in Contemporary Artists’ Books from now until March 11, 2023.
The exhibit showcases a selection of outstanding contemporary artists’ books created by some of the world’s most accomplished makers over the past twenty-five years. The books embody a distinctive marriage of “high craft” with “high concept.” They demonstrate a mastery of the traditional arts of the book – printing, printmaking, typography, calligraphy, bookbinding, papermaking, and graphic design – intersecting vigorously with the conceptual daring and exploratory nature of the best contemporary art.
The exhibition explores the extraordinary level of skill and persistence involved in creating these beautiful works, as well as their unique power to speak to a range of contemporary issues and concerns.
For more information, please visit the Athenæum website. The Athenæum is located at 10½ Beacon Street in Boston, MA.
*** On Thursday February 23, the Boston Athenæum is presenting The What, the How, and the Why: Craft as an Extension of Thought, an online exhibition lecture with Russell Maret.
Throughout the brief history of the artists’ book, craft and concept have often seemed at odds with one another. It has only been in the last forty years or so that a “third stream” of bookmaking has developed, one in which High Craft and High Concept play equal roles in the making of a book. In this talk Russell Maret will explore these various ideas through an examination of his own work, as well as the books of other artists whose work is exhibited in Materialia Lumina | Luminous Books.
For more information or to register, please visit the Athenæum website.
*** Now through April 29, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting Building Books: New England Book Artists Members Exhibition. The exhibition is located in the Great Reading Room, 7th floor, Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
NEBA is a professional organization of book artists and bibliophiles. It celebrates, promotes, and supports the book arts and its makers, fosters public education, and nurtures an understanding and enjoyment of the discipline through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and related activities.
For more information, please visit the KCCCBA website.
*** Arts and Exhibits Committee, University Libraries, at the University of South Dakota, is now taking entries for Bound and Unbound VII: Altered Book Exhibition through March 6, 2023. The biennial exhibition is scheduled for display Aug. 21, 2023 – Jan. 3, 2024.
Brian Dettmer, an American contemporary artist currently residing in Chicago, IL will serve as juror for this year’s exhibition. There are no restrictions on when works are created. Traditionally, they have featured only new works from the past three years, but this year they hope to garner a nice historical survey of the altered book as well as new works.
Full information, including a prospectus, can be found here.
For more information, please contact Hanson-Pareek at Sarah.HansonPareek@usd.edu, Danielle De Jager-Loftus at Danielle.Loftus@usd.edu, or Michael Boring at Michael.Boring@usd.edu.
*** The Rochester Public Library is currently accepting submissions for its 12th juried international exhibit, Art of the Book: Artist Books, Altered Books, & Paper Sculpture. The deadline for entries is May 15.
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.
In subsequent years, the exhibit has grown to include entries from all over the world, featuring well-known artists for their exquisite work. 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.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering The Flutter Book with Stephanie Wolff on February 7.
The flutter book is a simple structure from the Eastern binding tradition. It’s a codex that can act a bit like an accordion, since the text block can be gently pulled out from the spine to show multiple pages at one time. Single folios are joined to create the text block, with a variety of possible cover options.
A simple soft cover will be made in class, with discussion of other options. This binding is great for single-sided photographs or prints. It can accommodate papers of different weights – from heavier to very light. We’ll create two models (one with heavier paper, the other with lighter paper) to serve as reference for future work and discuss possibilities for the structure’s creative use.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Unfolding Narratives: Expanded Edition of Writing for Artist’s Books with Ellen Sheffield on Tuesdays, Feb 7 – March 14.
In this 6-session course, participants will learn techniques for generating text for artists’ books through conceptual approaches to language such as words as image, narrative, or lyrical expression. Participants will experiment with text itineraries and Dada and Surrealistic techniques.
Weeks 1 – 3: Writing exercises will be assigned to be completed before, during, and in between the first three workshop sessions. Various methods for getting text onto book pages will be demonstrated through mark-making, transfers, stencils, stamps, and rub-on type.
Weeks 3 – 6: In the last three sessions of the expanded edition of this workshop participants will choose from writings generated and use these to create text for a finished artist’s book project using a simple accordion-style structure folded from a single sheet of paper. Exercises and instructor demonstrations will support participants in developing their concepts and learning the skills step by step to make an artist’s book. The final workshop session will be an opportunity to share the artists’ books completed in the workshop.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Headbands: History, Use & Techniques with María Carolina Ceballos on February 15 & 22.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to make headbands for a variety of styles of bindings such as case binding, Coptic, slotted tapes, etc. Learn the basic logic and principles of headbands so you can, in the future, sew more complex types or use them in different applications without having to re-learn for each structure.
This workshop is designed for those with previous bookbinding experience so they can apply the techniques learned in their own practice. Knowledge of how to make a case binding and a Coptic binding is preferred since those are the structures on which most headband styles can be applied.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Nov 9, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will be held IN PERSON at the University of Vermont’s Silver Special Collections – yay!
We will meet in the Marsh Room in Billings Library (room 308). Visitors should enter through the front doors and proceed straight ahead to the Marsh Room behind the fireplace.
Parking is at the lot behind Ira Allen Chapel (Votey lot), or in the visitors’ lot on College Street. Click here to access directions and parking information on the UVM website.
We are currently trying to figure out how to Zoom the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll keep you in the loop.
We look forward to seeing you!
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
It’s my favorite meeting of the year!
The November meeting will be our annual visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections hosted by our own Prudence Doherty, Special Collections Librarian, where we will actually meet in person for the first time in who knows how long. Prudence has a wonderful line up of exciting books for us, so bring a pencil if you’re taking notes.
We will meet in the Marsh Room in Billings Library (room 308). Visitors should enter through the front doors and proceed straight ahead to the Marsh Room behind the fireplace.
Parking is at the lot behind Ira Allen Chapel (Votey lot), or in the visitors’ lot on College Street. Click here to access directions and parking information on the UVM website.
We are trying to figure out how to Zoom the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll keep you in the loop.
October Meeting Reflections
Marcia Vogler led our October meeting, sharing a wonderful improvisational approach to paper weaving. She showed us a “sample” accordion book that she had started as a showcase for different styles of paper weaving that ultimately she found pleasing in and of itself as a book!
She demonstrated a very fluid way of working with creating either horizontal or vertical slits in the warp and then weaving in strips, including a way to position secondary cuts to hold in strips. It was both fascinating and fun. She also suggested ways to stamp, write or otherwise embellish paper to use for the weaving strips which creates more visual interest, often creating patterns on both sides of the page.
Many members worked along with Marcia once she started working on a new piece and there were plenty of exciting and interesting pieces created during the meeting. Everyone who attended left feeling inspired to try new techniques and let themselves play with paper weaving!
Thank you Marcia!
B.A.G. Library Corner
The holiday season is upon us and, this year, the ability to spend time (in person!) with our loved ones.
Celebrate the harvest season with apples and pears created from old books! Clare Youngs‘ tutorial from Creative Book Art provides an easy-to-follow tutorial that will create lovely decorations for your Thanksgiving table.
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
*** 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 seventeen (!) 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.
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.
*** Deborah Stuart has some cardstock and paper that’s looking for a new home! She writes:
I would to share some of my extra, particularly those just starting out in bookmaking, without much in the way of supplies. So many of us talk about having too much in our files and cupboards! I am trying to simplify and have more than I need. Lots of colors and shades of cardstock and colors of text-weight and others interesting papers.
I am glad to meet (Springfield/Lebanon/Keene) or have you come to my studio (Springfield) or to mail. Write me at debstuart1@msn.com if you want more details.
*** Susan Smereka and Jane Ploughman are co-teaching two classes this month:
- Haiku Bookmaking will take place on 3 Saturdays, November 19 – December 3.
During this 3 session workshop, participants will create an artists’ book in a small edition. Beginning with a haiku (yours or someone else’s), you will learn simple print and image making techniques including linocuts and collographs to illustrate the poem. These images will be either hand-printed or printed via a press. When the prints are completed they will be assembled into an innovative book structure called the Australian Reverse Piano Hinge binding. The workshop is open to all interested; printers, bookmakers and those curious to experiment with text and image.
- The Generative Book will take place on 3 Mondays, November 14 – 28.
Create a unique artist book while learning new bookmaking and printmaking techniques. This workshop will guide you through a three-part creative process to generate text and images using Gelli plate printmaking and collage. Your completed project will combine your edited and refined creations in a hardcover book with 8 spreads bound with a long stitch variation.
For more information or to register for a workshop, please visit Susan’s website.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Paste Paper Gift Wrap on November 19 & 20 at MakerSphere in Waterbury, Vermont.
Tired of the same old gift wrap? Then this workshop is for you!
Paste papers are made by applying a mixture of paste and pigment to damp paper and then using tools to create pattern and texture on the surface. Different methods will be demonstrated to guide you as you create your own paste papers with vibrant colors. We’ll use methyl cellulose in a paste recipe that’s easy to recreate on your own. We’ll be working with acid-free paper, so you can even use the papers in your bookmaking or other craft projects.
For more information or to register, please visit the MakerSphere website.
Book Arts News
*** PhotoBookWorks 2023 is now open for submissions. This international, juried exhibition will be held March 2-26, 2023 at Spark North Gallery in Denver’s thriving Santa Fe Art District. It is part of a statewide, bi-annual Month of Photography celebration.
The deadline to submit is January 12, 2023. Selections will be made by Gregory Robl, Curator, Special & Distinct Collections, University of Colorado Libraries and Alicia Bailey, Director, Abecedarian Artists’ Books.
Eligible are any hand-crafted bookworks (editioned or unique) that feature photography as primarily element. Photographs may be digital but commercially printed works won’t be accepted into this show.
Full details are online or you can email alicia@abecedariangallery.com for a PDF prospectus.
*** The traveling exhibition Pulped Under Pressure will be hosted by the University of Southern Maine from September 7 – December 22, 2022. With traditional hand papermaking at its core, the exhibition underscores important contemporary issues steeped in history and craft. Enticed through touch, these works encourage a contemplative slowing down even as they urge acknowledgment of some of the most pressing issues (environmental crisis to global marginalization) facing civilization today.
The artists’ multifaceted works incorporate a rich range of printmaking, letterpress, papercutting, and installation with a diversity of recycled disposable materials (junk mail, egg cartons, old cotton t-shirts, ripped denim jeans) as well as old bedsheets, beetroot, heirloom plants, and illuminated el wires. In very unique ways, these artists consider paper beyond its most common function as a passive surface of record or craft. Instead, the material is transformed and embedded with content that turns communication into a public practice.
For more information, please visit the USM website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering the Secret Belgian Binding with Erin Fletcher on November 12 & 13.
The Secret Belgian binding is a popular structure, used primarily for artist books. This style of binding is simple and easy to construct; it opens flat and is perfect for thinner text blocks. Students will learn 2 different finishing techniques for the Secret Belgian.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Digital File Preparation for Binding with Kevin Brown on Wednesdays, November 16 & 30.
Imposition is the process of organizing pages so they appear in the correct sequence when printed and bound. Learn the digital process of imposition using Adobe InDesign so you can print book pages and bind them in whatever book structure you choose, from a simple 16-page pamphlet to a 50+-page multi-signature binding. This virtual workshop is a guide to printing pages for books digitally, including file preparation, paper selection, printer and service bureau options, and binding recommendations based on the number of pages and the edition size (or number of books you’d like to print).
This workshop is designed for folks with binding experience who need training in digital imposition and guidance on printing options from an expert in the industry. Participants must have a general knowledge of bindings they hope to use as well as access to and familiarity with Adobe InDesign.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Holiday & Everyday: A Quick Stack of Notebooks with Karen Hanmer on November 30.
If you’re planning a homemade holiday this year, we’ve got the perfect quickly made handmade present for you! You can construct a bevy of these elegant notebooks in just a few hours. The binding is a Double Pamphlet with Tipped Wrapper, and it is a most satisfying solution for a two-signature text block. The signatures are sewn back-to back with a single pamphlet stitch.
A simple wrapper of text-weight paper is tipped to the text block at the spine and at the fore edges. The spine is square and crisp. The sewing is covered and protected. This simple notebook is easily adaptable from a large-page size to a tiny purse or pocket size. The cover is made from text-weight paper. Choose any color, texture or pattern that would delight you.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
by Elissa | Sep 12, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 14, 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 Codex with Dorsey Hogg
In September’s meeting, Dorsey Hogg will be teaching us how to make the Woven Codex from Alisa Golden‘s Making Handmade Books: 100+ Bindings, Structures & Forms.
You’ll be weaving together 4 signatures using 2 long strips of material that will bind the pages together without adhesive or sewing. The covers can be made from any heavyweight paper you have around, for example an old watercolor painting.
Supplies:
- 1 12″ x 7″ piece of heavy paper for the cover
- 8 8″ x 4″ pieces of medium weight paper
- 4 4″ x 4″ pieces of medium to heavy weight paper
- 2 10″ x 0.75″ strips of tyvek (I used a USPS priority mailer, you need a material that can fold, is thin, but strong enough to hold the book together.
- Glue (only a little is needed)
Tools:
- Measuring tool
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
August Meeting Reflections
For our August meeting Elissa Campbell presented the second half of the Crossed Structure Binding Linked lesson. This structure is very doable and at the same time is so impressive when completed. I never tried it before Elissa demonstrated because it seemed intimidating but it really isn’t difficult!
Elissa’s instructions were very clear and at the end of the meeting participants showed variations that they created using some different materials and stitching designs. The structure lends itself to designing different weaving patterns and stitch patterns. Cover materials that were successfully used were leather, Tyvek, and stiff paper. I would also recommend Kraft-Tex paper. It is a material that can be made to look like and feel like leather and can be painted/dyed or printed on.
I hope participants will share what they do with this wonderful structure in subsequent meetings! Thanks, Elissa.
B.A.G. Library Corner
It’s back to school time, so let’s get back to basics! Keith Smith’s primer on book covers in Non-Adhesive Binding, Vol. 1 gives us tips on papers and measuring techniques to use, as well as describing methods for creating more complex covers with slots, layers, overhangs, and reinforced spines. Let these basic tools of the trade inspire your next book’s cover!
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
*** Susan Smereka and Jane Ploughman are co-teaching two classes at Susan’s Burlington studio in September:
- Creative Bookmaking will take place on Tuesdays, September 20 – October 18. Learn the process of paste paper, Gelli plate printing, and Japanese marbling; Suminagashi. These decorative papers will be incorporated into book structures such as single sheet, a single flag, and an accordion with a hardcover. In your final book project, you will also work on the content (words, drawings, collage, etc) for your book.
- The Generative Book will take place on Thursdays, September 22 – October 6. Create a unique artist book while learning new bookmaking and printmaking techniques. This workshop will guide you through a three-part creative process to generate text and images using Gelli plate printmaking and collage. Your completed project will combine your edited and refined creations in a hardcover book with 8 spreads bound with a long stitch variation.
For more information or to register, please visit Susan’s website.
*** B.A.G. member Laura Lacroix is looking for recommendations for a printing service local to East Charleston, Vermont. If you have any ideas, please contact Laura at lacroix.laura@yahoo.com.
*** Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend is coming up on October 1 & 2 and it’s a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
There are a few opportunities for you to visit B.A.G. member studios:
You can download a pdf of the complete Fall Event & Resource Guide from the Vermont Crafts Council website (this is a really big file). Studios have been organized into loops to help you plan your travels and you can see them here.
Book Arts News
*** The traveling exhibition Pulped Under Pressure will be hosted by the University of Southern Maine from September 7 – December 22, 2022. With traditional hand papermaking at its core, the exhibition underscores important contemporary issues steeped in history and craft. Enticed through touch, these works encourage a contemplative slowing down even as they urge acknowledgment of some of the most pressing issues (environmental crisis to global marginalization) facing civilization today.
The artists’ multifaceted works incorporate a rich range of printmaking, letterpress, papercutting, and installation with a diversity of recycled disposable materials (junk mail, egg cartons, old cotton t-shirts, ripped denim jeans) as well as old bedsheets, beetroot, heirloom plants, and illuminated el wires. In very unique ways, these artists consider paper beyond its most common function as a passive surface of record or craft. Instead, the material is transformed and embedded with content that turns communication into a public practice.
For more information, please visit the USM website.
*** On September 29, the University of Southern Maine’s Special Collections and the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts are co-sponsoring What is Book Arts: A Panel Discussion. The discussion will be moderated by Susie R. Bock, Coordinator of Special Collections and Director of the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine. The event is free and open to the public.
Panelists include Liz Brown, Rachel Church, Anna Low, and Angel Simoneau. The event will be held on the 7th floor in the University Events Room at the Glickman Family Library, USM Portland Campus.
For more information, please visit the KCCCBA website.
*** Thanks to Helen Hiebert‘s amazing newsletter, I discovered the work of artist Jonpaul Smith. He creates complex paper weavings using (in his words) “discarded consumer packaging, original traditional and non-traditional prints, gouache paintings, smoke transfers and other paper ephemera.” Check him out!
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Alternative Printmaking at Home with Rosae Reeder on Wednesdays, September 14 – 28.
This virtual printmaking workshop focuses on using accessible materials to make prints and embellish existing art projects. Explore several techniques including packing tape transfer, Matte Medium transfer, watercolor monoprint, and Gelli plate printing. All of these processes can be done safely at home without caustic materials, chemicals, or printing presses.
After learning printing techniques, participants will construct a single-page book structure to experiment with creating simple artist’s books from prints. No prior bookbinding or printmaking experience is needed.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Long Stitch Binding At Home with Scott McCarney on Thursdays, September 22 – 29. In this workshop, participants will learn how to create a book using the long stitch binding technique two different ways. This binding technique is versatile and can be applied to multiple materials, making it an excellent option for any book project.
Long stitch bindings are non-adhesive and require no paste or glue. They are relatively easy and quick to sew, adaptable to small edition binding. The finished books can lay flat, making them suitable for sketchbooks and journals. The sewing technique is centuries-old, originating in medieval Germany, and historically can be found on limp parchment bindings (though we will be sewing sections onto reinforced paper covers).
On the first session, you will learn how to tailor a reinforced paper cover to a stack of folded sections, prepare sewing stations in the cover and sections, and sew a basic long stitch that creates an alternating pattern of thread along the spine. In the second session, you will learn a variation on the basic long stitch where the threads are parallel across the spine. Some exterior sewn thread reinforcements will be introduced that reinforce the spine and can be quite decorative.
For more information or to register please visit the CBA website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering the Sewn Board Binding with Suzanne Glémot on September 24 & 25, 2022.
The sewn board binding is a light and versatile book structure that opens flat – an appealing structure for artists working in a variety of 2-D media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, digital printing, and collage (it also makes for a great journal). Its materials are quite adaptable, too, making it a great binding to explore at home or with a small studio set-up.
Workshop participants will complete this structure, from text block preparation to covering the layered boards with decorative papers, over the course of two sessions. Working with an instructor-provided book kit, students will sew the covers into the text block using a French link stitch; learn how to line a spine; and build a fitted, cloth-covered spine piece.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering The Road Book with Stephanie Wolff on October 1. Participants should have solid basic bookbinding skills to get the most out of the workshop.
This workshop covers an historical book structure useful for maps, prints, or other material, inspired by an example the instructor observed while working as a book conservator. The Road Book (the title of this 1904 New England road atlas) is a pamphlet bound single-signature structure, but the configuration and attachment of the pages allows for clear double-page spreads.
A simple (and perhaps obvious) idea once learned, it’s a useful structure. We will talk about a few adaptations, materials, and share our ideas for its use. Our model will be softcover, but easily adapted to a hardcover version.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
by Elissa | Aug 4, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 10, 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, Part 2 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 August’s meeting, Elissa Campbell will teach you how to complete the book you started in June. If you didn’t attend June’s meeting, you can watch the recording and catch up. As time allows, you’ll add stitching to the covers to both reinforce the structure and add a decorative touch.
Here’s a reminder of what’s needed to complete the book:
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.
July Meeting Reflections
I have followed paper artist extraordinaire Helen Hiebert for a very long time, and so was very excited to weave a house with her. She has a lovely way of making her techniques available and easy to follow for all participants. And the house project did not disappoint!
Judging by the houses that were held up at the end, and the ones that have been posted on Instagram, it seems that everyone enjoyed the project as well.
Thanks so much to Helen for her time and expertise, and thanks to all who showed up! We continue to have a strong attendance!
B.A.G. Library Corner
Building off the beautiful paper weavings we’ve made in our previous meetings, we look this month to a quick and fun tutorial in Clare Youngs’ Creative Book Art. With minimal supplies and just a few basic steps, Youngs walks us through how to create our own interesting geometric designs.
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
*** 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
*** B.A.G. member Laura Lacroix shared a post from Colossal that features a book on weaving that opens to reveal a fully functional loom. The book by Cai Wei Qun includes a history of the craft, techniques and tricks, and an entire loom tucked between its covers. Check it out!
*** The New England Art Book Fair will be taking place September 2 & 3 at SPACE Gallery in Portland, ME. The annual NEABF invites artists, booksellers and small presses to participate in a 2-day celebration of independent publishing across the arts.
For more information, visit the NEABF website.
*** If you’re a fan of the French Paper Company, then you’ll be happy to hear that they’re offering a discount on all text weight paper until the end of August. Just add the paper of your dreams to your cart and 10% will automatically be deducted from your order – no code needed
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Drum Leaf Binding Sampler with Karen Hanmer on August 13.
The Drum Leaf binding is the 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 is made of single-sided folios, not signatures, the complexities of imposition are not necessary when laying out text.
This workshop highlights the versatility of the Drum Leaf structure by presenting several variations on the familiar quarter cloth with breakaway spine. The workshop book is a sampler: one book will incorporate multiple techniques:
- One-piece Spine Wrapper of parchment or stiff handmade paper
- Hugging Spine: in this variation the spine wrapper does not break away from the spine. Rather when the book is opened the wrapper goes concave, conforming to the spine, providing support without restricting opening
- Dimensional Panels: this variation resembles a Bradel or Simplified binding: the decorative paper is wrapped around a thin board before being attached to the book.
All versions open flat, are perfect for edition work, and can be constructed quickly in a sparsely equipped home studio.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is also offering a workshop with Karen Hanmer – the Sewn Boards Binding on August 24.
The sewn boards binding is Gary Frost’s elegant, modern adaptation of an ancient method of board attachment. Stiffened outer signatures sewn along with the text block function as the book’s covers.
The book opens flat. It 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 workshop, instruction will include working with common bookbinding tools, materials, techniques, and principles such as grain direction, mark-up for sewing, tidy application of adhesive, and measuring one component of the book to fit another.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Bookmaking and Printmaking from Home with Maria Veronica San Martín from August 30 – September 2.
Want to make a special one-of-a-kind book to gift to someone (or yourself) this summer? This course will show you how to conceptualize and make your own artist book that is the perfect fit for you!
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 do’s and don’t of 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.
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.
