29 May 2015

Small leather journal.

When I first started my online store, Necessities Or Not, I was going to make finished books in 2 sizes with writing paper for a journal or 2 qualities of watercolor paper. 

I started tearing paper and making signatures then had a better thought.  Why not offer a build it yourself book? I put photos of the paste paper online and offered the book in both sizes and in whatever paper of choice. Meanwhile I had created quite a stack of signatures in journaling paper. I had my leather out and decided to make a small leather journal and give it to a friend. The leather was so soft like glove leather and the book felt so soft in my hand that I wished I journaled!! 




I coptic stitched the spine which probably wasn't the most beautiful way to bind the book because the soft leather pulled in a bit on the edges. The actual outcome of this was a book so soft to hold that I didn't care how funky the spine looked.




My friend LOVED the journal!!



27 May 2015

3D paper

This was a really happy 3D paper project I did with my paint play from yesterday.



I love this paper and now I can enjoy it every time I look on my table




These will become three cards with paper liners. Each a little work of art.

25 May 2015

Fun play dates

My partner in Midcoast Surface Design Workshops, Marcella Christensen, came back from wintering in Florida. It was so great to see her again and we decided to have some fun with paint. We made these with watercolors.





We had a great time and the next day Judith came over to play and we decided to make more.





This is my pile of painted papers after ironing them flat




We used the same quality paper on the table to catch drips





There was some paint left in the cups so I just sprinkled it on another sheet of paper.

Tomorrow I will show you what I did with one of them.

22 May 2015

New bag

I make all these wonderful items for my online store, Necessities Or Not, but I use old junk I've had to years. Remember the new quilt I made to cut up? I went to a conference in NY and decided to make myself my own bag for shampoo, brush and other toiletries. 
I love it!!




18 May 2015

An Altered Book

This is a book from Goodwill that I bought I few years ago to alter. I started with gessoing the front cover and stitching all the pages together by fours. Some I hand stitched and others I machine stitched. Some of the "page bundles" are connected with various decorative stitches.





The front of the book had this Native American symbol embossed into the material so I painted it.




Pages stitched then gessoed on all sides.




There are things you can do to an aletered book that are either difficult or impossible to do on single sheet books.



Some of the "white" pages got a wash of color. The sketch above shows some candles on my desk.




I will be showing updates on this book.

15 May 2015

Odds and ends

Just some odds and ends



Another fruit and veg sticker jar covered and polyurethaned 



Work from the Student Art Show at the University of Maine Augusta













Yet another bowl




Raw dried paper




Above and below with Matte Medium applied




Painted gold inside and cobalt blue outside.







Below a sketch in my "Finish-Me" book. The photo was done by Laura and was one of the pages in the book. I sketched it on the facing page.




My favorite quote from The Ya Ya Sisterhood. First in the sketchbook then typed so you can read it.






13 May 2015

Winner

Elle is the big winner

11 May 2015

Leather long stitched book.

This book turned out to be much more complex than it had to be. I have made at least 3 books exactly like this with the slit cut and the stitched over the leather bands. 

I went to YouTube to get a basic long stitch tutorial and realized you can make a book that looks just as sharp without all the angst my method used. 


This is the tutorial for long stitching:



Here are the pictures from my complex binding method. Save yourself the trouble and follow the YouTube video.




Measuring out the holes for piercing the signatures




Using an awl to punch the holes with a piece of foam core board underneath.




Makingsure all the holes line up or else the signatures could be wonky. Ask me how I know.




Cutting the leather for the cover. 




On the left is one signature. I cut the leather with a flap to fold over the front when finished




 Marks on the inside of the leather. The "O" means that tab will be where I pass the thread "over".





I have the signatures to my left and will stitch them from back to front. 






Sloppy stitches on the end. Should have watched the video first (smile).




Weaving the needle over the tab.




Finished.