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Sunday, June 30, 2019

The Great Escape

The Great Escape

My task is done and off this passport goes on Monday to the next Create Gent.  It will be exciting to see what returns to me in four or five months. :-)

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Pancakes or French Toast, Dear? and All in a Day's Work

Two-fer Saturday.....time got away from me yesterday.

Pancakes or French Toast, Dear?




All in a Day's Work
Last fall the Creative Gents chatted about doing a passport exchange where we each created spreads in vintage passports and then passed them along for the others to work in it.  Our exchange has started and here is the first spread in the British passport that I secured.  Tomorrow you will see the second spread.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Deep in Thought

Deep in Thought

Because I am so into the book making right now my collage work has suffered.  Yesterday I found partially finished postcards.  All they needed was one or two more pieces of ephemera.  So I got busy! :-)

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Waiting


Waiting
If you are in a relationship you know that waiting is always going to be part of it.  Do I need to spell it out?

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Postcard Collaboration

I joined a Facebook artist playing card group last fall.  One of the people with whom I have exchanged in the group is Elsa Bouman.  Elsa lives only about two miles from me and we meet up on occasion at a local commons area to create.  We decided to do a collage postcard exchange and here are four of our results.  We collaged both sides of the postcard partially.  Then sent the unfinished card to the other.  It was our task to finish the two sided postcard and return mail it to the "owner."

Not only is there the challenge of creating and then finishing postcards but we had to somehow disguise the addresses for return mailing.  It has all worked out marvelously.  I especially like that the post office adds to the collage.  Note in the first one that there is a cancellation mark and also a white strip of paper added.





Monday, June 24, 2019

Monsters

Monsters
Lynn Skordal and I completed two collaborative tunnel books this year.  I shared in a previous blog posting the one I started called Outstanding in the Field.  Lynn started Monsters and I finished it.  I thought I would have trouble working in a style and with images foreign to me.  However, it worked out and rather quickly once I stopped procrastinating.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Bobbin Binding

Bobbin Binding
This might be my favorite binding so far on my 365 journey.  I avoided it for over one hundred bindings and then I could not do that anymore as I am getting to the end of Volume II of Keith A. Smith's book.  It is called the bobbin binding stitch and it so much fun to do.  My book has three signatures and is a one needle process.  You will notice that there are two colors of linen binding thread.  That is the trick on this stitch. 

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Bird Book

Bird Book

Bird Book (cover)

I can not officially count this book as one of the 365 as I did it before going to the UK and before I decided to make a book a day.  I had found the cover and signatures in a box long forgotten and unfinished.  So now it waits completed without finished art on the signature pages.



Friday, June 21, 2019

June 2019 APC - Fourth Set

June 2019 APC - Fourth Set
This is it, the last of the June 2019 APCs.  July is done and on to August.  If you thought that maybe the images were a bit out of focus, you are right.  I scanned them in plastic sleeves and I see a bit of reflection on some of them.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

June 2019 APC - Third Set

June 2019 APC - Third Set
When sending out the ATCs or APCs I like to create an envelope.  Sometimes I make them out of paper bags and sometimes out of old calendars.  I try and think of a different way of presentation each month.  Maybe I will use origami paper in July.  Two of the groups that I send to always have themes.  One ATC group has been tasked with an extraterrestrial theme.  I have been looking for different moons that I might include.  Stay tuned.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

June 2019 APCs - Second Set

June APCs - Second Set
I finished my July ATCs and APCs this morning.  Glad to have them completed.  The July ones all have a moving part and there were many steps to complete them since they are semi-3D.  I know that sounds kind of confusing.  I will begin posting in July.  Book arts took a backseat yesterday.  Back to it this afternoon.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

June 2019 APCs - First set

June 2019 APC - First Set

I am in the midst of creating my July APC for the Facebook APC group and the third quarter ATC for my international group.  So here is a group of the ones that I did for June.  I used maps in each.  Yesterday I showed them as a jumble of the total set.  I thought I would share them in groups of four and not string it out over a half month.

A comment yesterday asked if I keep track of who gets which APC.  The answer is NO.  I set the APCs free and they are out in the world.  It is sort of like eggs hatching.  Once the baby bird is strong enough to be on its own off she goes.  It is the same with the ATCs and APCs.  They are living elsewhere now.






Monday, June 17, 2019

June 2019 Artist Playing Cards

June Artist Playing Cards
Each of these artist playing cards has map ephemera in common.  This month I tore off a corner of a playing card to add to the collage.  The ones that I am using for July have the playing cards with two corners torn off.  I have to use it all.  No waste!

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Lady with the Hat - A Tunnel Book

In late March I made this tunnel book as an example of how one could make an abstract tunnel book.  Since I was going to be teaching tunnel book construction at the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival at the end of April I needed an example of just how to put a book together that did not necessarily have a theme.  Lady with a Hat is the result.

Lady with the Hat (page  1)

Lady with the Hat (page 2)


Lady with the Hat (page 3)

Lady with the Hat (page 4)


Lady with the Hat (page 5)


Lady with the Hat (page 6)




Saturday, June 15, 2019

Platform 5 - A Tunnel Book


This tunnel book uses the subtractive  method, one item is taken away as you progress through the book.  For me it is like a stage set.  Can't you imagine the gentlemen in Connecticut waiting for a commuter train to take them into NYC?


Platform 5 (page 1)


Platform 5 (page 2)


Platform 5 (page 3)

Platform 5 (page 4)


Platform 5 (page 5)

Platform 5 (page 6)

Friday, June 14, 2019

The Scrunch Family

The Scrunch Family
An Austrian gentleman, Geronimo Brandtner has been purchasing passports at flea markets.  He started sending the passports around the world to collage artists to create a spread in the "journal".  I have done one previously and the Scrunch Family is my second.  Just in case you can not read what it says on this spread....It says, "Elsa is the only one in the Scrunch family who does not scrunch."

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Out Standing in a Corn Field

Out Standing in a Corn Field is a collaborative effort that I did with Lynn Skordal an artist from La Connor, Washington.  We had decided to do a collaboration last summer but did not start until late winter this year.  I love how it turned out.


Out Standing in a Corn Field (cover)

Out Standing in a Corn Field (page 1)
Out Standing in a Corn Field (page 3)



Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Tiger on the Hunt


This book was accepted into the Puget Sound Book Arts Guild 2019 Exposition at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.  It is a bound tunnel book.  It is bound with a Japanese stab binding and it is eight pages.

Tiger on the Hunt (cover)


Tiger on the Hunt (page 1)


Tiger on the Hunt (page 7)





Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Deep - A Tunnel Book

Deep is a French door tunnel book.  I just completed it yesterday morning and it sold later that same day!

Deep (cover)
Deep (page 1)
Deep (page 2)

Deep (page 3)


Deep (page 4)
Deep (page 5)

Deep (page 6)

There were a few questions yesterday about the books that I am making.  I use 90 pound watercolor paper for the signature.  For most of the covers I used Jaipur paper.  I just got a shipment of Zaansch paper from Holland and I will be using that for the next 100.   I am on number 93 through 95 today.

Monday, June 10, 2019

Some of the 365

About 70 of the  handmade books
As you know if you have been checking in here for awhile that I am making 365 books this year.  I meant to take a photo of the first 50 but now I am on number 93 and I thought I had best get busy and  take a shot.  As you can see they are all different sizes and each has a different binding stitch.  I am averaging about three each day.  Maybe I will meet the goal early at the end of the summer.  Who knows and who cares.  I have months to go but I sure am motivated.  Most of the books will need the interiors done and they will be but that is a different goal.

I am pretty excited because last week I sold one of my tunnel books.  This morning I finished another one and it already sold by 10:00 this morning.  Yikes!  I will show you another one of the tunnel books tomorrow.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Sakura

Sakura

Sakura is a tunnel book which is on display until the end of July at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.  I was planning on showing each page as it turns but that has not worked out.  For some reason I can’t locate the images.  I really like this book as there are surprises as the pages turn.  If I locate the images I will post them.  Sorry about that!

Saturday, June 8, 2019

March APC 2019 - 28

March APC 2019 - 28
I like root beer.  Somehow I got to talking about it at the grocery store checkout and found that the clerk was an aficionado.  She said that there was a store not far from where I live that has almost any type of root beer made.  I think a field trip is in order.

Friday, June 7, 2019

March APC 2019 - 27

March APC 2019 - 27
I guess a jolt of caffeine puts a little jump in his step! :-)

Thursday, June 6, 2019

March APC 2019 - 26

March APC 2019 - 26
Every month I make at least 20 artist playing cards.  I send out about 15 to members of the international APC Facebook group.  It is a blast to make them and it is even more fun to receive APCs in the mail.  Anyone who has never made an artist playing card or an artist trading card should give it a go.  Working small is an amazing challenge.  It is just as amazing to make much larger pieces.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

March APC 2019 - 25

March APC 2019 - 25
This one seems pretty dark but thank goodness for the Phillips 66 logo.  I need to enlarge it to see if I still think it dark.