Monday 23 May 2011

Ben Javens 'Sunny Day' Tea Towel

http://somagallery.co.uk

'Northern Lights' silkscreen print by Sally Elford

http://somagallery.co.uk/somashop/product.php?id_product=645

Round Edge Binding






A day in the bookbinding studio, I learnt how to produce a round edge bound book. It is a long process, definately worth it as the resulting book is this beautiful bound journal with heavyweight paper on the inside.

First I had to tear the paper to the right size using a ruler as a guide, then fold into 8 sections of 4 pieces of paper. Using the bone folder to make sure it stayed neat and did not ruin the paper. I then started to sew the sections together, using strong thread and two strips of material on the spine, sewing around them and attaching the book together. I then glued it all together and and waited to dry. I then added a mesh piece of material and glued on again to strengthen. Then came the part to make a round edge. To make it you have to use a hammer and bang the binding of the book to make the curve spine. Roger demonstrated this to me, it was tricky and took a while.

Then came making the cover, I chose red as I thought it would look good for the journal. I cut the hard board to the right size, a little bigger than the inside paper. Then measured a space in between the front and back for the spine and cut a piece of paper to the right size. Then glued to the material and placed in the vice to dry and strengthen. Then came attaching the book with end papers. Gluing a strip of the end paper to the first page and gluing to the cover of the book. Then again the same for the back, and there you have a round edge bound book. This book seems very personal and I love how fat it is. Ideally you would leave the book in the vice overnight but I left it in for half an hour to set as I couldn't live it overnight.

I would love to do this binding some more, but it is a very long process so would need lots of time! I'm glad I got to learn it and I will do it again if I get the chance.

Bookstop

Thursday 19 May 2011

A different stitch



Another Japanese bookbinding stitch technique that I really like!

Sunday 15 May 2011

Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

A cool stop motion video!

Zed's Zombie Ranch and Some Cool Bunting


Set of refrigerator magnets from Zed's Zombie Ranch. Cut from 20 gauge steel. I just like these magnets as they are quite comical and I like the use of strong material.


This bunting is hand made from lino printed paper and wax. I really like the patterns and colour choice, most bunting is maded using materials so its really interesting that this is paper and wax. 
http://www.folksy.com/shops/ManglePrints

These cool things found on a blog I follow;
http://ilovehandmadeblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Ribbon Tie



A little pocket book made at home. I used thick coloured card, a reall deep burgendy colour, with a heavy weight yellow paper for the inside. I decided as it is quite small and seems like a personal book, I would add a ribbon tie. It adds a detail and personal element to the book, adding to the handmade quality and tactile physical book. I really like using ribbon ties, I have some elastic that I want to experiment with and use on pocket books and larger books.

5 section Book






This book consists of 5 pamphlets of 4 sheets of paper folded and sewn together first. I was experimenting trying to make a book with more pages and it actually worked quite well. The 5 sections sewn together and to the binding of the thick yellow paper. I like the stitching on the outside of the binding. There are more pages to this book and the ribbon tie helps it stay closed and together. Keeping the content safe and protected. The inside paper is plain white paper.

Monday 9 May 2011

Making, Drying Book, Finished!




This is my first attempt at creating a book with more pages. It has 5 sections with 4 pages folded and sewn together in each section. I really love the red cover. I used glue to bind the pages to the binding on the inside of the book. Then I glued down the two end pages to strengthen and create the inside of the cover of the book.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Last Night I had the Strangest Dream.

I am thinking the theme for my book will be dreams. I keep having really clear, strange, and very real feeling dreams, I have been writing them down. But I think concentrating on illustration one well is what I am doing at the moment along with learning the Bookbinding. I will then have to decide the best way to bind the book.





Dream on 1st May

I had a very confusing dream, I was babysitting my friend's baby (she doesn't have a baby) and all of a sudden her and my parents ran away and left me with the baby. I was very angry-'How could they do this to me?' I thought. I was angry because I had an interview and they knew and had left me. (an interview for what I do not know)
I was in Stockport running around, being chased by a random stranger, then all of a sudden in Leeds, and then in Stockport Cineworld(where I used to work) I was trying on clothes in the screen, which wasn't actually a screen. There were people from Leeds everywhere. I was trying on jeans when my old boss walked by and I asked her about getting my old job back (something I did in real life) and explained that I needed to know either way so if not then I could look for another job (true) Then all of a sudden I was in my room at home and the baby had turned into a bear, I began to panic, WAKE UP!

I am playing around with illustrating this dream, although I did have another dream that I would quite like to illustrate if I can.

Second Dream

I had a dream that I was going out with my friends but I was running particulaly late and felt rushed and annoyed. Then I don't think we went out in the end and the next thing I knew I was at a Bruce Springsteen concert in my garden with my Dad and brother, there was a big crowd over the fence but we were the only ones at the gig. There were some random people there, dancing around. Next thing I know everyone dissappeared and I was sat in a tree listening to Bruce Springsteen playing Van Morrision (Brown Eyed Girl) Then everyone appeared and I was taking photos of Bruce and my brother and he didn't want his picture take. Then we sat down for dinner. The crowd over the fence were screaming and cheering. Bruce told us what he thought about each of us. We were definately on first name terms..

My family would find it funny that I dreamt about Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, as we have grown up with them being played and are all fans thanks to my Dad, he's seen Bruce twice.

Making


I folded this yellow card into a zig zag shape as I have previously done in making the books, to create one big fold out paper book. Then hole punched one hole for the ribbon tie and wrapped it all the way around annd tied in a bow. It is quite an intimate and personal book, a little experiment that I really like.


Some more Japanese bookbinding using really nice heavy weight yellow card and red thread. I really like the Japanese bookbinding technique, there is a lot of history behind it and it creates an interesting aesthetic to the book.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

London Zine Symposium

I discovered this Zine fair/event and read an interesting review about it by Amelia magazine-
http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/art/london-zine-symposium-2011-a-review/2011/04/18/
A big event where artists/makers/doers are able to sell there self publications and discover other artists and collaborators alike.

Katie Green - http://katiegreenbean.blogspot.com/

Part of this Zine fair, I discover Katie Green has a blog and have started following it. I really like her illustrations and ideas for Zine content.

'The Green Bean is really an extension of my blog, and each issue is packed with seasonal recipes, what-I-wore drawings, book reviews, maps, comics, collaborations with other illustrators, collections, obersvational drawings and lots more'

Available on etsy- http://www.etsy.com/shop/katiegreen?section_id=6252715
















I like the browny paper and green ribbon package detail, inkeeping with the content of the zine!

Another Zine stall-


'Duke Press is an independent publishing collective based in London. Founded as a platform for creative publishing, we issue works which are printed in small editions, hand-made and numbered.

We have collaborated with a selection of international artists and designers to produce our introductory series of publications.'


http://www.dukepress.co.uk

This publishing collective presents a place to create handmade books published in small quantities, audience and people who buy them include other zine/book makers, art students, students, creative people. It is a specific audience interest, this collective shows the success of these self publications and and an expanding industry.




More stalls from London Zine Symposium-




Monday 2 May 2011

Japanese bookbinding 'Instructions from a master craftsman' by Kojiro Ikegami


I have been reading this book, it is really interesting learning about the culture and history behind Japanese Bookbinding. The author, Kojiro Ikegami tells of personal tales about how he came into bookbinding through family tradition and growing up with it as part of his normal life. This book is very detailed and presents different techniques and progression of Japanese Bookbinding. I really enjoy the technique I tried following instructions from Indie Publishing, however this book is much more traditional and specific to Japanese Bookbinding, I look forward reading it further and learning the skills in the studio.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Bookbinding-Kojiro-Ikegami/dp/0834801965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304365000&sr=8-1

So many Books









http://www.etsy.com/listing/59900186/leather-handprinted-journal-customized?ref=sr_gallery_35&ga_ref=auto&ga_search_query=art+zine&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade