This last weekend we had a special treat – two days off in a row! A and I took a little date to the Ann Arbor art fairs, it rained the whole way down (which we badly needed) but stopped just before we got there. I just love seeing all the artwork and booths. Raphaela McCormack’s sailing vessels out of paper pulp were some of my favorite items that day! I also enjoyed seeing Jenny Mendes ceramic pieces again, didgeridoos, and the local gelato! Ice cream + art = everyone’s happy!
Every once in a while I dabble in bookmaking. I used to make my own journals all though college, just little ones that tucked just so in your pocket and weren’t too daunting to fill. I still have them all, they full of thoughts, memory verses, sketches, ideas, remnants of daily life. Most of them are stained in some area with coffee and I keep them together in a burlap sack. I still like making small journals, lately I have been trying to take my craft to a new level.
Before Christmas I posted about a trip to Hollanders here, I would love to take one of their many classes in bookbinding or printmaking. Last time I was there I bought new text blocks to make journals but hadn’t done anything with them. So it dawned on me to combine book-making with my passion for clay – Here are my first round of ceramic book covers I made just before Christmas. I was so excited to see how they turned out, if they warped in the kiln and their shrinkage rate.
A few months later I finally have completed my concept idea. They indeed shrunk quite a bit more that expected so I had to make my own signatures (papers inside) for them. I used leather for the back cover for durability, cutting, tooling and staining them. They are bound with a Coptic stitch binding, created with wax linen thread, sewn with a curved needle. Thanks mom for the new bookbinding book for my birthday, it has already come in handy. I love the variety in materials and the overall texture and rich feel. I am so thankful to have the ability and control to choose materials for every step of this process.
To complete these books I figured I used these FIVE artisan skills:
- ceramics (for the top cover)
- painting ( color selections/ glazing)
- paper crafting (to make the inside signatures)
- leather working (for the back cover)
- sewing (for the hand-bound edges)
I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do. I don’t know if these two will make it into the etsy shop, I think I am quite attached to them. I will definitely make more…
** now availabe in my etsy shop, click on the link for more designs and colors!
I have been stewing on this idea for a while. Mostly because I have oodles of paint chips around my house that I can never seem to part with, even if I always choose the same three colors to paint. This was my first go, not sure if I am completely satisified with my little jay but it is important that I gave this project a start. Sometimes it is the start that is the hardest part. I always find that once over that hurdle the creative juices seem to flow a bit easier. I have an idea for a little series, it feels good to keep my hands clean for a while. I sure married a special man who puts up with all this “mess.”
I have for a long time now loved paper. For my birthday a few years back, I dragged Andy to the papersource in Chicago. This weekend we slipped away from the holiday festivities for a little one on one date in Ann Arbor. On my list was this place. So glad I stopped… I was once again inspired by the texture, smell and slightly overwhelmed by all the beautiful prints of the paper. I know there were many opportunities at art school to learn this craft but somehow I missed them all. Now I struggle along in my novice-ness. But the best part is they offer workshops, so it is before Christmas but I have officially started the birthday list!
