Carry on drawing.......

Doing some sort of art every day always appeals to me but I find it difficult to keep up with. This year will be my 3rd attempt. The first year I lasted until October not too bad but last year totaly lost it early on got to March then did odd days until I finally gave up.

I was using a page a day diary then and found I had to put clear gesso on the pages otherwise got really bad bleed through. Keeping up with guessing the pages ,I think, was the main reason for failing. 

This year I have bought a book with the right number of pages and although they are thin seem to hold up better. I like to add colour and use water colour and watercolour pencil. It doesn’t take alcohol based markers though. Any way I’m hope that it will help me succeed this year. 

Only time will tell! 

Are you taking part in any challenges this year? 

Back to it

I have a few weeks before I have another craft fair and I really need to restock. Concentrating to day on upcycling. 

Chose a couple of drinks cans, some teabags and carrier bags.

Managed to prepare 6 covers. The next step is to make the text blocks.

Books finished. 

Next batch I think will be some leather Journals. Watch this space. 

........ a slow start.

Here we are almost a week into the new year. I hope you all had a good time over the holidays and are now feeling refreshed and ready to go forward into the unknown. 

My holidays were ok on the whole but I now I’m struggling a bit to get back into the swing of things. Not too concerned though as I’m doing little bits and bobs. Started a daily art practise. For this I have bought a small notebook it is I think Japanese, the pages are thin but seem to take a fair bit of battering. So far have used ink, pencil, watercolour pencils (with plenty of water)watercours and Coptic Markers. Took everything well apart from the Coptic markers. The Coptic bleed through. I know it’s only day 6 but managing to to keep things going.

There are no real rules apart from doing something every day and not stressing over it. I intend to spend no longer tha 10 mins a day on it and not worry about the finished image.  

My other goals as far as art practise goes are to be come better at lettering and learn more about paper engineering. Most days I have been either drawing letters or folding and cutting card.

So although not up to full production again yet, I’m getting there and enjoying allowing myself to play and take things how they come. Back to it full time on Monday.

If you would like to follow my progress I’m on Instagram as annieogg, on Facebook as Page Books and Stuff . Or you could subscribe to my email list and receive info on offers as they happen.

Have a great January!

........ a year in the life of a book artist.

Like must people my Year has been one of ups and downs. On the whole the ups win. Here are a few of the events.

January had me designing some stamps for my silhoette mint. These were part of a project for my friend Ruth  She is a photographer and I have been making small bespoke boxes to keep memory sticks in, for her wedding clients. 

Couple of the ones I have made for her, the all so have the couples name and the date on the top.

January also saw the arrival of the two newest members of the family, Arthur and Sid.

It was only this year I started drawing A.T.Cs and then later in year went on to drawing on postcards which lead to a weird series of Whimsal doodle characters. These are made by tearing up pieces of painted papers then looking for faces and people in them. Sticking them into postcard and adding paint and drawings to make the characters. These have been posted on Redbubble where they can be bought on mugs, phone cases and various other items.

A long with the drawing and painting, I’m still making Books the most basic being the leather Journals with a ribbon tie. The most popular being the “Dragon books”. 

Learnt some new skills a long the way. The most enjoyable was making book plates from recycled tin. In the new year I plan to make more.

The main event of my year was my daughters wedding.

Wedding photos by Ruth Lee 

 This has been a good year for the most part all though there has been sadness too. My best friend Ian Jones and my mother Barbara Corcoran sadly passed away this year. R.I.P I know you will be with me throughout the new year.

Thanks to all who have supported me all year and will see you all in the New Year.

...... a dragon is born.

Thought it was about time I made a short post to give a glimpse of the “birth” of a dragon book.

First stage

First layer of paint

 Front board done just final coat to do on the back

Only to put the text block in 

Finished and away to its new home in time for Christmas.

They can be made in any colour and can be made to order.

..... of tin and Morris dancers

December is nearly upon us and I have been busy making things to restock for the crafts fairs that are held in the run up to the “C” word. So been making leather Journals and key rings, cards and calendars. The thing I have enjoyed the most came from a workshop I attended a while back, there I decorated a piece of tin. I have finally had the chance to make it into a book plate. It’s a very small book which is covered with thin leather. The binding is a “secret Belgian binding” . I enjoyed making this immensely and when I get get a chance I’m going to prepare some more tin to make covers.

Have also rejoined the Morris side I danced with years ago. This time I’m not dance but will be playing my Ukulele Bass. So far I’m just trying to learn the tunes and due to a family illness I have missed the last practice session. I’m determined to get back into it and improve my playing.

 My Bass with street amp.

I dug my old kit out of the loft. I used to be a heavy smoker when I last wore it and it still smells of smoke! So I’m going to dismantle it wash and save what I can and replace the rest. The hat has long gone so this new one needs some tarting up. Need to find a theme to decorate it. Maybe a Book art theme.

 Deffinatly seen better days.

 New hat is really in need of some bling.

Mean while I still have a few Christmas orders to complete. 

Time and tide wait for no man or book binder!

Where has this year gone? Bonfire night over and done with, next stop Christmas. Eeeeeek! This year has been good so far my business is growing all be it slowly. My family are all thriving. One daughter married the other moved out (for the second time) and although my son is still at home have been feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome. 

That all sounds a bit negative but it really isn’t. I’m enjoying life and it’s ups and downs and work wise I’m enjoying that too. At the moment the work I’m doing feels a little fragmented, I’m spending time building my stock up while trying to get some seasonal stuff done too. Also a few orders on the go too. I tend to have lots of bits on the go, for instance I’ll glue a covering on book board to make a box, put it under weight, then get some pages ready for some tiny key ring books, then paint some backgrounds. 

One of the finished box’s this one was for a photographer friend who orders these to hold memory sticks to give them to her clients.

These are the mini key ring books I made for my craft stall perhaps for stocking fillers. Will put on my Etsy shop later in the week.

Some of the backgrounds I had ready for projects. They don’t look much but can be used for all sorts of things. I usually scan these before I use them then if there are any interesting bits I can use in textures for digital work. Or print to use again. Recently I saw a tutorial or Skill Share class by Herma Starreveld where she painted a few background papers and then tore them up stuck the bits on postcards and found and drew strange birds on them. So I decided to have a go. 

A selection of my images using this method. Was great fun I did about half a dozen and then a few landscape ones and some ATC size character ones. Some have found their way on to RedBubble  where they can be bought as mugs phone cases or studio pouches. 

This was one of the orders I had. It’s a present for this persons Mother. Here’s hoping she likes it. This is a square flexagon book. It opens open folds and then folds again to reveal 4 sides. I use four photos in each of these sides. I have made a few of these each for different occasions mainly to commemorate something or someone. For instance I made one for all for kids when my husband died. With photos of their Dad. These little books have their own little box to keep them in. 

This about sums up the bits and pieces I have been working on. Also colouring pages and Christmas cards and gift bags. Not many craft fairs left until Christmas. Then New Year and then wash rinse and repeat.