Focus on Book Arts

I attended the wonderful Focus on Book Arts conference held near Portland, Oregon in 2005. It's held during odd-numbered years - this year June 20th to 25th.

I made four books in four days! Jana Pullman taught the Nag Hammadi book - click here:

https://anneritataylor.blogspot.com/2016/11/nag-hammadi-bookbinding.html

And the 16th Century Limp Paper Binding book - click here:

https://anneritataylor.blogspot.com/2016/07/16th-century-binding.html

Doris Arndt taught The Artistic Exploration Journal - I absolutely loved this and made several more of these too.

We cut into the cover board - dragon fly on mine - before gluing the Black Pearl paper (crumpled after we rubbed on colors). We also worked on a few journal pages.

Doris Arndt also taught The Woven Metal Book. Had to be very careful working with metal pieces. Drafting tape was used on the back to hold the metal pieces together.

We folded pockets to hold pretty book marks we made. The Woven Metal Book was a challenge - this is the only one I ever made! Plus, we wrapped the ribbon around skewers we colored with ink.

Jana Pullman is teaching at FOBA this June. Click here: 

http://focusonbookarts.org/Leather-Drop-Spine-Box-with-Rounded-Spine

I also sewed the style of the Exploration Journal when I entered & was a finalist for the Southern Methodist University book competition in 2006 for. Click here:

http://www.smu.edu/Bridwell/SpecialCollectionsandArchives/Exhibitions/DeGolyerPastExhibitions/2006/Taylor

My husband, Kevin Taylor, collaborated with me for the SMU competition. He had taken a two day Marbling class taught at FOBA by Galen Berry & he made this lovely marbled paper I used for end sheets.

At the Focus on Book Arts we did so much each day. It was truly a memorably experience & I recommend going if you have the time, money and desire to learn. Have you taken any interesting classes?

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017

Album Bookbinding Revisited

A member of my family is getting married next month. She had her wedding shower last week and received two guest books I made, one for shower guests, another for wedding guests to sign & write greetings.

You can see full instructions for Creating a Photo or Guest Album with this Arnold Grummer kit.

Click here for my June 2016 blog: https://anneritataylor.blogspot.com/2016/06/creating-photo-album.html

For the 2nd album I used a spiral binding. I bought The Cinch machine by We R Memory Keepers at the Archivers shop a while ago (sold at Hobby Lobby where I found the heart-shaped doilies too). 

I made sure to use my awl to punch holes through the first layer of paper - after the glue dried on the cover - before I glued the back piece, to know where the holes were located.

Lining up the spiral bindings and pushing down the wire binding to close it are two valuable features of The Cinch.

I found this lovely Happily Ever After ribbon at Michaels. I used it on both albums. LOVE this modern look for a young couple.

The Cinch comes with great instructions, plus another page of helpful tips and sells for around $75. So worth it for bookbinders, just for hole punching multiple times in a straight row!

My family was very pleased with the Wedding Guest Albums. Please let me know what you think of them too.

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017