Teaching Book Arts

I have been teaching at the Houston Book Arts Guild since 2008 when I taught Zine-making at a meeting. Fun to share!

Thanks! to Marjorie Silverstein for taking these photos of my cover gluing demonstration

HBAG was founded December 2005 by then Museum Curator, Todd Samuelson, at The Printing Museum in Houston. We had learning experiences at each monthly meeting. We now meet from September through June on the first Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm.

I enjoy putting together all the materials, receiving the RSVPs, and volunteering to teach and share my knowledge. Sometimes there is no fee for supplies and other times the fee is $5 to $10 for a kit. 

Storybook Theatre books I learned & taught from Alisa Golden's book: Making Handmade Books

I taught Halloween Star Books in 2009, Accordion Variations in 2010, twice in 2013: Storybook Theater in February & Calligraphy - Decorated Capitals in September, team-taught with Cori Austin & JF Gold: Altered Books in 2014. My favorite: I taught Carving Rubber Stamps in 2011 & 2016.

At the June 1st meeting participants learned the Guest / Photo Album for a $7 fee. The album kits, by Arnold Grummer, sell for $9 each or a dozen at $7 each.

I put together packets, providing the glue and asked the 12 students to bring scissors, bone folders and a glue brush. I tried to find metal spacer bars - now sold in sets by Volcano Arts. I wanted each student to have their own, so I cut 20 pieces of Davey board: 12 inches by a quarter inch.

Herb Craft with his completed Photo Album

Everyone had a good time making their albums! I had fun too - spending time with my book arts tribe.

Also at the HBAG meeting there was a changing of the guard with Lee Steiner - who has been a fabulous leader - passing her Presidential tiara to Janet Reynolds! I'm looking forward to more enriching learning experiences. Field trip anyone!?!

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017

Envelope Accordion Book

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

I wanted to give some suggestions to my friend who was traveling this summer. My envelope accordion book was fun and most appreciated!

Supplies:

Arnold Grummer Paper Making

Handmade paper - 2 pieces 4 x 5 inches

Arnold Grummer Mini Zig Zag Books

Ribbon, 18 inches 

PVA or Mod Podge glue, and Scotch tape

Bonefolder, scissors, ruler

Magazines or calendars

Begin by folding the inside of the four accordion pages in half, so now you have eight sides plus the two covers which are not folded.

Making the envelopes: I used flower pictures from Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. I made my template to fit the 3 1/2 inches accordion page. Before gluing up the bottom and sides, it is 4 1/4 inches tall by 5 inches wide.

After you have four envelopes, place glue on half of the front of each envelope. 



Then glue each envelope to the half accordion page.

Instead of writing my own travel advice, I used four of the cards from the pack of Travel Tips, available on Amazon HERE.

You can take out your favorites, I decided on cards about safety, communicating, sleep, and being wary. Copy them and place them in the envelopes, making sure they fit and could be taken out easily.

Glue your handmade paper pieces to the covers. Before you glue the covers onto the book be sure to tape the middle of your ribbon to the back.

Add your handmade paper covers and you have a pretty Bon Voyage gift!

Rubber Amateur Press Society

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

The Rubber Amateur Press Society (RAPS) began in 1992; I joined in 2015. An interesting book was written about the group in 1996 called, Rubber Soul, by Sandra Mizumoto Posey. I bought my autographed copy at a rubber stamp conference in Grapevine, Texas in 1998. Available from Amazon, HERE.

The goal is to enjoy sharing our carvings with other carvers. Each person sends the host up to 20 (depends how many are in the group) original prints of our carving, (pay the postage annually) and receive the same number back in the mail. The commitment is to participate for a year. Go HERE to my Jan. 15 post for carving instructions.

I had joined a similar group called RAPLICA, in 1998, and participated for 6 years. Carving images for prints was considered folk art, and was not an art form with a large following in the 1990’s; it has since become more wide-spread.

RAPLICA was a bi-monthly swap. I lovingly came up with 6 carvings a year. RAPS is now a quarterly swap: 4 carvings year. Pages are 8 1/2 by 11 inches. The carving can be any size. Some people use calligraphy, writing a quote, or write about what they are doing; others simply send carvings.

Tim Blackburn was the host when I joined RAPLICA in 1998. He asked for someone to take over hosting at the end of 2000 and I volunteered. How I managed that while I was working 60 hours a week and trained 6 assistants in 4 years, I'll never know.

Twelve were participating before I started hosting in 2001. Then seven dropped out! Luckily I was active in the Carving Consortium online group, so I invited ten and seven accepted. 

I hosted for four years, then ended one Corporate job and started another. Wendy Gault returned to volunteer hosting RAPLICA in 2005; she had started RAPLICA in 1993 to have more than 20 RAPS carvers involved.

I usually combine calligraphy and carving,  sometimes book arts on my pages. It has been an enriching experience and I’m happy to participate again now that I have more time.  

Introduction

The reason for creating this blog is to have fun - sharing knowledge of my interests. The last 20 years have been spent learning calligraphy, art journaling and making books, mostly by taking weekend workshops.

Plus I taught - my instruction included various forms of book-making at the Houston Book Arts Guild and Austin Book Workers. At the Houston Calligraphy Guild I taught White Vine Lettering, Star Books, and Accordion Variations. I also taught Carving an Image at various places in Houston, including The Printing Museum.

My other interests: writing, reading, carving images, painting, beading, making collages, crocheting, flower arranging, traveling, leading demos and workshops, playing with origami, and making Zines.

I hope you read my blog; while learning new ideas, mostly with book arts and calligraphy, you will get inspired!  Buy my handmade books on Etsy: www.ARTbooks.Etsy.com

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016