We had so much fun last October with our 5-Day Challenge, that we are hosting another one next month, March 8-12th. When it comes to creating handmade books, the most common struggle is not knowing where to start. This 5-day challenge will walk you step-by-step through your first project. You will learn about the basic […]
The challenge for January in our free Facebook group, Crafting Handmade Books and the Handmade Book Club was Transparent. Here’s a selection of the many amazing entries that we had: Are you going to take part in February’s Wood challenge? Post in the Facebook group and you might be featured on the blog!
I’m excited to announce my participation in The Bookmaker Collective: a group of six book artists dedicated to spreading the bookmaking love. Discover new book making techniques or reimagine old ones as you create and construct artisan books from start to finish during six live workshop sessions. All of the workshops will be presented live […]
This Spinning Accordion book structure was inspired by a type of card I used to make. In the tutorial, I use gelli printed onion skin papers for my spinning panels but it would be great with any kind of mixed media work or photography. Click here to download the printable directions for this project. Follow […]
Each month in our free Facebook group and the Handmade Book Club, we have a theme or supply challenge, and in December, the challenge was BLACK & WHITE. Here is a small selection of the amazing books that you created. The January challenge is Transparent: include transparent or translucent elements in your book – think […]
I used to make a lot of these refillable notebooks for our annual Holiday Open Studios because they make great teacher/bus driver gifts and stocking stuffers. Linked below are the printable directions for the notebook plus a tutorial for book cloth, if you would like to make your own. Download Printable Directions The Tools & […]
If you enjoyed the blog post with tips about using Kraft-tex in your handmade books last week, then I think you’ll like this week’s project: Bow Stitch Book. The video was originally posted on my Facebook page but you can also watch it on YouTube (below). Click here for the printable directions for this book.
Kraft-tex is one of my favorite materials to use for covers in handmade books. It is a paper fabric that is strong, flexible and a great alternative to leather. Kraft-tex Basics Working with Kraft-tex Mediums that Work on Kraft-tex Here are a few of the mediums that work on Kraft-tex. For more ideas, watch the […]
If you are you looking for a quick and easy handmade gift this holiday season, consider making this leather journal. You can use up scraps from another project or recycle a piece of clothing. And don’t forget there are alternatives to leather, such as Kraft-tex or cork fabric, which would work great for this binding […]
I had the great pleasure of hosting a presentation by book artist DJ Gaskin on her recent series of unique artists’ books constructed around vintage kitchen utensils. DJ very kindly created a handout for this presentation: Considerations for Making Books from Found Objects. DJ Gaskin is an artist working in mixed-media and acrylic painting, collage, […]