A few more books......

Yet again a busy week, not all envolving making Books. Monday found me in Leeds had to collect some paperwork, so decided to take advantage of being in the city and have a walk around, years ago I was a collage here but over the years my visits here have been infrequent. Recently I have spent more time in the area around the art gallery, so this time decided to go and have a look around the markets and the corn exchange. Lots of new buildings around there and I was pleasently supprised and was impressed with the look of them. Was going to take photos only to find my camera was out of battery.  This is a view from the market showing the new building behind think they look stunning. In the corn exchange the is a great little craft shop, had a word with the owner and hopefully will be able to rent a shelf and have another out let for my work, have to send some images and fingers crossed get accepted.  Some of the time I did spend making books. Still almost on the upcycle theme, made a couple of books using the box my teabags come in to decorate the covers. Also made a couple of leather journals. Apart from adding bits to some paintings that's about it for this week. Next week I'm going away to the Dales will hopefully get inspired there. Also I'm going to a marbling workshop. So watch this space to find out how it goes.

Upcycle

A strange week this week, lots of family stuff needed doing, so thrown a bit off track, Doesn't take much, Behind with some of the weekly challenge stuff but not going to stress to much. It's one of those times when I have lots of unfinished projects. Working on lots of little bits but nothing finished. Then all of a sudden things all come together at once. So far the all come together bit hasn't happened but due anytime soon, so watch this space.  On Sunday my sister and I did the craft fair at Henshaws. That's when I realised that I have no recycled stuff left. So planned to put that right this week. Dug out some old carrier bags and my box of used teabags. A few things made and another few items to my "unfinished" section. Over the past few weeks been working more on my iPad and have been following some tutorials on some of the painting and photo apps. Was able to design my new business cards completely on the iPad and they are now at the printers. Also a few more drawings on the way   All so have a few of my painting on book pages made into cards. Needed some new images their as display was getting a bit stale. I find I love to try out you stuff. This time is another way of using up left over book pages. This time sandwiched between glass. Needs a bit more practise. Anyway that's about it for this week. Watch this space. 

Back again

It has been a long time since I last posted a blogg. Not that I have stopped making books or art just that I have been too busy (lazy). Had plenty going on lots of craft fairs an open studio event and an arts festival. All with varying success. Last year on of the things I did was a sketch a day in a moleskine diary. This wasn't a complete success, I did every day until October ish then started to fall behind and doing some every so often so there are big gaps in it. This year I'm doing it again but not placing any restrictions this time. Some days it can be just trying out new paints or media,general play and not restricted to 10mins.  Just one of the books I have made recently This year I need to do more with the painting and design area. Have completed a small set off pictures using photos,plaster and ink then used wax on the top. Have also started to do artist trading cards (a.t.c)  Have sold a few it's a great way of collect art. This was a multi page one A selection of the others Found myself with a lot of book pages left over so as well as the a.t.cs I have painted on them and mounted them.  The cow and calf  Various others. Have also updated my Redbubble page more making the old stuff on there, fit better. But it's a start, next is to open a folkies store.  I intend to keep this blog more up to date. The aim is to post at least once a week, hmmmmmm we'll see how that goes !!

It might just come in useful !!

"I'm saving that," is a phrase heard around here a lot recently. After looking at the Internet and books it became apparent that there is tons of stuff that could be made into books. 

    The first thing I did was a vintage game board I found. This was before I started looking at the rubbish we throw away every day. 

This is the front and back before the pages were added then 2 views of the finished book. 

     Then I decided to try using tea bags as the colour attracted me so I dried some out. Originally it was going to be an artist book with drawings and writing about tea. This didn't work out too good. So then decide to draw mini landscapes on them and bind into a book. I then realised lots of people are painting on tea bags, my friend Maggie Goodwin is doing a portrait a day on tea bags you can find her on Instagram. I ended up cutting of 3 sides of the bags and using the outside "page" and the inside one to paint on. Had a total of 20 paintings. Used the bits I had cut off to make a cover and used a scrap of pigs skin to make a case.

Then I planned a large painting of Ribblehead viaduct using tea bags to paint the individual parts of it. This is still work in progress. 

The next teabag adventure was sewing teabags together so I could made a larger book cover. 

All this has caused a mass of teabags in various stages of drying around the kitchen. 

   Then came the books made from carrier bags, corriagated card board, drinks cans. 

This is my excuse for a cluttered house. "It might just come in useful".

 

In between the pages.

 This year I thought a daily challenge would be a good thing to do. If any of you saw any of my Photo blogs you will know this hasn't worked out in the past. One year it was going to be a photo a day. Didn't last long, then I choose a subject to take a weekly photo of. This was a bench close by my home. The idea was to be a series of photos to record seasonal changes and the any litter showing use of the seat. This was fine for a few weeks then one day I went up there and found a totally different bench! This was like the old one which was wooden and had lots of character, this was a modern metal one. After a couple of weeks I lots heart and gave up.

This time I thought a daily sketch would be great. By the time I decided this there was only a week left in January. 

These are my rules. 

    1- Each sketch is done in a page a day diary. ( A pocket Moleskine was my diary of choice) 

2-Each sketch can only take 15 mins 

3-Can use any thing that makes a mark

4-Any subject or pattern is fair game too.

Rule 5 - there are no rules!!

Having left my creative side behind for years, my drawing skills are rusty to say the least. So for my first day I decided to do a Zentangle. Why? I have no idea is something I never got the hang of. Then there was a weird sketch from outside the bedroom window. I didn't post any of these but for some reason I decided to post a strange rainbow and a badly drawn sketch of my Bass Ukulele. That was my reemergence on Instagram. Some sketches turned out ok ish and as time has gone on I have improved .

As I pike to use colour when sketching I found that the pages need clear gesso to take the water.

This whole sketch thing has had many good effects on me, making me look around more and see things I could draw quickly. I often grab a pic on my phone to sketch later.

All so got me trying out some other media I have had a while and not used. One being water soluble wax crayons. The other thing I discovered was the gesso made a HB pencil darker and I could shade with water. This got me looking at other water soluble media such as tinted graphite pencils.

So all in all I feel it has been a success. Fingers crossed I can keep this up all year and beyond. Good fun go on and try it!!

How a book is made

Here are a few photos to give an idea on the process of making a book.

First of all collecting materials together.

     Fabric  for the cover, some board to cover, and paper to make into pages.

Fold the paper in half.

The pages are nestled together to form signatures in this case 5 pieces in each.

Holes are then punched in each signature.

Thread waxed then signatures sewn together.

After the signatures are sewn, they are clamped and the spine is given a couple of coats of glue and some thin muslin type cloth glued on. 

The headbands are added.

Decorative paper the same size as the book pages folded and glued on as end papers. 

The book cloth is glued to the boards the boards are the put under weight over night. 

The pages are the attached to the boards by gluing the end papers to the boards. Then the whole thing is put under weights again over night. And the book is done. 

 

New Beginnings.

Things have just been plodding along in my studio doing little bits and pieces managing at least one notebook a week and the odd sketch and prep for ongoing projects. 

This is one of the books I made. It is made from a vintage snakes and ladders board. 

The tea bag book is still on going I have about four more pictures to do then I can think about binding it.

These are just a few of the latest ones. All painted on teabags and are from photos I have taken around Yorkshire. 

The other projects I have become involved in are doing a sketch a day in a moleskine diary. I alow myself 15 mins for them so are better than others but it good to push myself and make myself draw something everyday even if I don't get time for anything else. Here are a few of the daily sketches.

This has been the work bit of the last couple of weeks but the main event was the birth of my grand daughter Poppy Henry Bushby.

😍😍😍😍😍