New Book, New Favorite

I'm lovin' my renewed interest in bookbinding.   It just so happens I know a few experts, whose brains I can pick.  So far, I haven't been able to obtain the skill of perfection, so I'm practicing my zen art of perfectly imperfect, perfectly human.   It's a lifelong practice.   Maybe I've practiced imperfection so long, I'm perfect at it?  O.K. enough and moving on.
  This one is called a naked book.  I'm not sure why.    The text block is sewn with the French Link Stitch, then the paste down is tipped on, and a "crash", or "mull" is added.   
  The binder's board is glued to a strip of book cloth (which will be the spine), then glazed with gesso.  With a palette knife, spread modeling paste (not molding paste), and texture it with scratches, stamps, texturing tools, plastic canvas, or whatever...fingernails?  toothpicks?   Let it dry for a long time.  Lightly sand, just to take down the rough edges.  Lightly glaze with layers of acrylic, starting from light, to dark, using a sponge.  Don't add too much liquid, or the modeling paste starts to soak it up.  Then connect text block to cover using PVA glue.  Shine it up with some Rub N Buff.   If you don't understand these instructions, sign up for a local bookbinding class.  You will love it.

March Madness, just not basketball

In Utah, March Madness is the whimsy of the weather.  Of course, it snowed again this weekend, the first of Spring.  Two weeks ago, we had the biggest storm of the season, (above) and the ski resorts are reporting 140 inches of snow pack.  
When cabin fever sets in, to keep from going "stark raving", we turn to hobbies, arts and crafts.
John has put his collection of tools and skills to work in the garage, building another sea kayak.
She's blond this time.

I've been making some books and practicing my calligraphy.  
This year, UCA has chosen the theme of "Uncial-ity with Personality", and they're giving prizes away for people who practice.  Translated, that means they give us homework with incentives.
Our assignment was to use a Speedball nib C-0 with a one line quote which we turned into an accordion fold book.  

The unabridged quote is "Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard."  Anne Sexton
I found it on Jill Badonsky's Muse Letter, and I like it.  We colored the quotes with pencils.  The lettering looks warped, but that's the accordion fold distorting the image.
My friend, Judy, teaches bookbinding, so I learned the "Sweet Binding" with French Link Stitch.  The great thing about an exposed binding is that the book lays flat when opened.

Then I painted pages for a journal, and sewed them together with the link stitch.  I'm not sure what kind of cover yet, but I'm thinking of some tie dyed fabric.

 And finally, with a new grandson coming along next month, I'd better get the blankets going.
Here's a sneak peek.

Now it's time to clean up.  Which may take until summer.
Happy Springing, everyone.

Fabric Books with friends

Last week, I got together with some friends and made fabric books.  We met at Sue Hess's Finishing School to use the sewing machines, and went to work.  Some of them wanted to use my tie-dyed and batiked fabrics.   Here's the photo gallery before they went home and added hand-rolled magazine beads.  

For those of you who want to know, we used a type of pellon interfacing called Pelmet Vilene, ironed the fabric to it using Misty Fuse, zig-zagged the edges, ironed accordion folds (concertina binding), and then sewed in the signatures of craft paper, intermingled with brown kraft envelopes.  They are quite fun, easy, and useful.   I think the participants were most astounded by their own magazine beads.

Poem of the Month....or year....by Marge Piercy

For the young who want to

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when you are planning to go
out and get a job.

Genius is what they know you
had after the third volume
of remarkable poems. Earlier
they accuse you of withdrawing,
ask why you don't have a baby,
call you a bum.

The reason people want M.F.A.'s,
take workshops with fancy names
when all you can really
learn is a few techniques,
typing instructions and some-
body else's mannerisms

is that every artist lacks
a license to hang on the wall
like your optician, your vet
proving you may be a clumsy sadist
whose fillings fall into the stew
but you're certified a dentist.

The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.

Marge Piercy
Copyright 1980, Middlemarsh, Inc.
from THE MOON IS ALWAYS FEMALE
Alfred A. Knopf, New York 

(Note:  phlogiston:  noun,  a substance supposed by 18th century chemists to exist in all combustible bodies, and to be released in combustion.)  From Greek-phlogizein  "set on fire".

Happy Hearts to All Zentangled

May you know you are loved.  Happy Valentine's Day.

A Bevy of Tanglers

Utah Calligraphic Artists have a gallery exhibit this month at the Covey Center in Provo.  There are amazingly lovely pieces hanging, representing every form of art.  Since I taught them zentangles, I was especially pleased to see some representatives hanging there, so I thought I'd show a few.  The first is a beautiful shell designed by Nancy Ostergar, the current president of UCA.  This piece is about 7 x 10 inches.  (sorry about the glare...the windows were beautiful, but glare reduction was not possible in my limited experience.)

This next one is the traditional zentangle size of 3.5 inches square, designed by Jane Hales.

Both of these pieces have gold leaf added.

Jane had fun creating a whole zentangle alphabet.

In addition, when I went to the monthly UCA play day, many people shared their anecdotes about tangling with their families.   Margene has made it her M.O. and is sending everyone birthday cards this year with her zentangles.  Her family is buying her black and white outfits and jewelry to add to her fun.

She has made an accordion fold book with beautiful letters.  Here are a few of them.

For my part, I was asked to design a CD cover for the monthly prize offered as a bribe to those who practice during the month.  Everyone who brought evidence of practicing got a music CD for background peace of mind.

We played "Where's Waldo" in trying to find out where I signed it....I'm still a bit humble about my creations and don't want to mess them up with a signature, but people say I have to.  The beauty of this design is that it's non-directional.  In fact, the lettering artist put it upside down from this view, and labeled it  U-Tunes, standing for Utah Calligraphic Artists, studying Uncial this year.
The Valentines are in the mail.   Come back tomorrow or Monday to view some happy hearts.
Love to all.

Blog Maladies, Hyperactivity, and Bling

This blog is suffering from the same malady with which I suffer;  identity crisis.   It doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up.   Part of the problem is in the definition I put down in the blog description, when I said I was random and chaotic, which is true.  I guess it only follows that the blog would also be a reflection of the perpetrator.   Focus was never my strong point, except when it was.
I come from a very crafty family, very artistic and creative...bordering on hyperactive.  (O.K., not even bordering, but firmly entrenched.  Sometimes I think the very definition of hyperactive is creative, artistic, [and of course, highly intelligent  ;-)  ])  We all have more ideas than discipline.  That's probably why we all married highly disciplined partners.
Enough of that.
Here's the fun part (where hyperactive individuals default).   My very talented, artistic, creative niece is designing jewelry, teaching classes, and building a wonderful business, called Making Jewelry Fun.  Yesterday I went to her Precious Metals Clay class and made the following charms.  It was a blast.   If you like pendants, her dichroic glass is gorgeous, and several of the class participants had designed beautiful wire jewelry from their own creations.  
Everyone else there was "into" the jewelry business, with Etsy shops, but I went for the reason I do anything:  I want to learn the process.  If you have ever taken a class from me, it's always about the process, never the product.  This time, the product was a bonus.  The reverse side of the charms is almost as nice as the front side.  The one that means anything at all to me is the lower left, which looks like hanging pea pods.  That was an impression of an old button from my dear departed mother's button collection, which was one thing all of us wanted.   I don't know who really ended up with it, but I didn't.  (whine).  I really wanted to make something for each of the grandchildren, but didn't think the boys would like the bling.   I tried to make an A for Aspen, but it looks more more like a computer @ symbol.  Now, the charms will suffer the same malady as me and my blog:  what do they want to be when they grow up?

Do stay tuned this week, as the zentangle valentine will be unveiled.   That product is pretty nice, too.