Playing catch up!

 Whilst trying to catch up with my blog reading it becomes ever more apparent that the gap between my own posts is getting ever wider. So, this is a whistle stop recap of the past month or so and then I hope to get back into the rhythm of recording things, as much for my own benefit as anyone kind enough to be reading this. As I get older I can remember where I was in 1966 when England won the World Cup but I'm hard pushed to remember where I was the day before yesterday! I know I am not alone in that but some days it feels like it, therefore I need my blog as a visual diary.

So, as we enjoy the start of some warmth with the weather, I'm happy to say we are with bees again.We've got two colonies from two sources and they are so different. One hive is made up of quite small bees who are very docile and gentle. The other hive has larger bees who are a bit more active and more assertive , so we are hoping they will accumulate and thrive this summer. Early signs are looking good.

 On the creative front I have continued to explore glass, taking advantage of an advanced evening class type arrangement with Chris, my glass guru. The others all made large panels but I spent all my time making marks and painting on the glass. I have a ton of pieces ready to make into small collage panels and there is a glass book nearing completion. I am rather in love with the way it reveals images between the pages but will wait to photograph it properly when all the soldering is done.

I'm still planning and running book and print workshops and need to sort out the plans for the cyanotype day next month. I also travelled to Cheltenham this week to try out kitchen litho printing with my friend Sue. As far as I'm concerned it was a disaster. She had one success but we could not replicate it. She's written about it here if you want to know more. As for me, I am mentally parking that process forever, but will definitely try another she introduced me to. All printmakers please take a look at her post for transferring with acetone onto metal with photocopies prior to etching. Surely I can make that work?

Life is busier because I've also started a job on three days of the week. It lasts until the end of July and I'm leading a small project at the museum in Tenby researching all the men (over 500 of them) who volunteered for the Great War. It is both fascinating, heart breaking and humbling to read about these men . The museum has access to great archive letters which tug at your heart strings and when I come across photographs of serious looking, but very, very young men, I have to take a moment to gather my thoughts. As things develop I'll share some of the stories. Some will inspire and others will make you want to weep but I am finding the whole process all encompassing so no surprise that I am absent from this blog so much!

In trying to maintain some sense of routine we've got back into the cycle of moth trapping too. I loaned the trap out for a month and think I may have got someone else hooked on these beautiful creatures. As its return yesterday coincided with a hike in temperature we had to have a go last night. These are just a sample of the haul. I think there were about 70 moths which a bit low for this time of year. Let's hope they gather momentum as the weather improves.

 So, there's lots happening and I hope to get back in the groove soon. Keep well everyone and enjoy everything as Spring moves into Summer.

Read all about it!

 

To my huge surprise the June edition of Period Living was in store when I did my weekly shop yesterday. I've been waiting for it, knowing it was going to feature an article on my chum, Sue. I was so excited that I phoned her as soon as I got home, even before I read the whole thing! When I did, my first reaction was that it is very accurate, detailed and intelligently put together. It gives a great insight into how Sue works on her enamel ideas and I hope it generates interest in her printmaking courses as this girl has taught me all I know and become a good friend in the process. Even on the phone yesterday we were talking techniques and ideas. We have a day planned in the above shed next month to experiment with kitchen lithography. I am looking forward to it already as time spent with Sue always motivates me into action!

As I had not read the article when I phoned I didn't clock that it was written by Rachel Crow. Given that Sue loves all things 'corvid' that seems quite apt and a good omen!

Tunnel vision

 Well, the final workshop of this term has happened and we had another great day exploring taking the book into 3D. We briefly looked at star tunnels/carousels but 'parked' that structure for another day and another workshop, concentrating on making tunnel books and playing with the idea of making a book with a variety of images. As ever, the range of ideas and materials is what makes these days so interesting. I never fail to learn something or take away an idea that might be tried later.

Peter (above) brought a catalogue of an exhibition called 'Divine Goddesses and pulled  his images together in a very thoughtful way.Although he didn't get to the final construction it will be all the better when he does because he took his time to work out the choice and placement of his imagery. When completed and extended there will be a very clear theme and taking the time to work it through will pay dividends.

Margaret started out with a disparate group of cards and images and did not think she would get going. Once she had that front image of the path leading into the garden or meadow it seemed to click and I think she made a fabulous book. I really hope she continues and creates a hard cover for it, something no-one had time for yesterday. I think it will repay the time to do so as it was such a clever use of what she had to hand.

 Eileen's book was a tiny gem and is not served well by the onset of camera shake by yours truly. Sorry Eileen! This was a great idea and needs to be seen in the flesh to appreciate the depth achieved. Eileen brought along a tunnel book she'd already made based on the Commedia d'ell Arte and it was fabulous. Along with Peter she also brought in other books yesterday, made since previous workshops. That people are enthused to take ideas away and work on them, increasing their skills and enjoying the process of making is the biggest thrill for me. I am hoping they will submit them for a small exhibition the Community Learning Centre want to  organise for Adult Learners Week in a couple of months time. So much better so see them and handle them, rather than look at them via my dodgy camera work!

 Here's Maggie's book, semi assembled. She had limited materials so much of the time was spent working out how to use it wisely. I think that made the finished idea much clearer. She brought a heavy card box with an acetate inset in the cover and her book sits perfectly inside it. This will be its home when finished. I know she will complete this and it will be beautiful. She brought her artist's eye to the project and made everything work for her.

 We were all delighted to see Sheila as she has been plagued with a bad back recently, but she stuck with it all day ,with the occasional lie down, and used one of her favourite vintage images. There were a few frowns of concentration to be seen whilst these were cut as they were small and very intricate. Getting to this stage when you don't feel so great was a real 'win' situation for Sheila and I shall look forward to seeing it with a cover on at a later date. Eileen kindly provided Sheila with some bookcloth in the perfect shade to complement it, so it has to happen! No escape, Sheila. I shall be checking back........

 Lilian had a sample book from a magazine and chose these lovely birds from what I think was a wallpaper design. I told her they reminded me of those Busby Berkeley films where the dancing girls wearing big fanned headresses come down the steps and waltz off in different directions. Placing them in descending order and descending scale just makes it work so well.

Halina came in with two hefty books, determined not to be lost for ideas! Picking a colour palette and working with the theme of white flowers she made a charming book. My photos do not do it justice as it had layers of printing and text that all just worked so well together. Everyone fell in love with the idea and this might be one a few of us make our own version of.

 

Finally, here is Cynthia's book. It's one of four garden inspired books on the day, all completely different. At one point we had a visit from the centre administrator to have a look at what was being made and Cynthia likened her book to being back in nursery, cutting up coloured paper. I think it's a bit cleverer than that! It was a joyous little book and I loved it.

I hope that some of whom I've come to call 'the usual suspects' will join up again in September and carry on exploring the book in all its forms because we've only scratched the surface. Whilst there are plenty more structures to learn I want to explore getting content into things. Yesterday proved how gratifying it is to produce something from a germ of an idea. I'm thinking of trying to run an altered books class too. I shall have to find out if that would be of interest.

In the meantime, I have only committed to some children's workshops in the summer so I am planning a few months away from the book making bench, pursuing a few new ideas and getting back to the printing press and sketchbook. Mind you, I agreed to do a cyanotype workshop in June yesterday so I foresee praying for sun and playing with blueprints again. I read somewhere that it is going to be a scorching summer. Great stuff. Bring it on!

A bit of nifty scissor work

 I am busy with lots of things at present but ever mindful of preparing well in advance of the book workshops. Over the years I've made so many books that have gone to new homes that I often have to make new ones to illustrate the structures. I'm surrounded by tunnel and star tunnel dummy versions this weekend and have just finished this full version which has turned out to be great fun to make.

A 50p charity shop children's encyclopaedia has provided rich pickings in recent months. I laminated the header pages from each section onto card a few weeks ago and cut them out, more for fun than anything else. Then it dawned on me yesterday that they could fit into a star tunnel format so I made my three layers using other pages from the encyclopaedia for the second layer you can just see into, and finished the final layer with some black card to hand. All in all, something good from a germ of an idea... and perfect to illustrate next week's workshop. These things are so interesting to make. I've had a great time thinking this one out and putting it together. I shall, as ever, share the results of the group on Friday. I think it could be a fascinating day when I see what the others come up with!

Linking up

 I delivered the penultimate books workshop for this term on Friday, looking at long stitch bindings but focussing on just one, the long and link stitch. Bad backs, last minute family commitments etc meant numbers dropped to just seven on the day but every one got stuck in to make one good example of the binding. We started by making the cover and looking at lots of options of materials to use and ways to use them. Flaps or no flaps? Wrap arounds or straight covers? Leather, fabric or paper? I've neglected to photograph my own samples but want to share the great results of everyone else's labours below:

 Cynthia's cover paper was laminated over a cartridge paper core and it was a lovely muted gold and magenta paper. After binding she decided to weave her long stitches  together to capture the ribbon tie within the whole thing. This book has eight signatures of five pages each. It was chunky and wonderful to hold in the hand.

 Maggie used handmade Khadi paper bound in a canvas cover that she had primed and painted with an Oak Beauty moth. Maggie is the 'Brown' of Indigo Brown and runs residential painting holidays down here in Pembrokeshire. She is a fabulous artist and I love the fact she comes to my courses. We have a shared fascination for moths so she's going to borrow the moth trap next month to see what species exist in her neck of the woods. I can see her painting all of them somehow!

'Other' Maggie brought some great wallpaper samples and collaged and cut this one to create another chunky book with an elastic strap closure. It has folded in flaps at each end and one will be secured to form a small pocket to slip notes etc into. This one is already earmarked as a present but if I know Maggie she'll have already made another to fix the process of stitching well and truly into her mind. Mind you, there's a grandchild due any day now so maybe she'll be otherwise occupied!

 Eileen has not felt too well this week but came for the tonic of doing something different and she turned out to be the first to master the stitching and the first to finish. She used her own marbled paper and contrasted the orange with that sharp blue thread. The colour is a bit lost in my photo but the book really did sing out. Perfectly executed and stitched.

 Anne's book was smaller and wider and beautifully made. She is a meticulous artist and created this cover with felt and an embossing machine. The 'how' was lost on me. I could only love the effect it all had. Anne will be demonstrating printing a Spring Journal locally next week so a few of us are planning to join the crowd and heckle , sorry,..... learn something.

 Peter wanted to use some handmade paper for the signatures and picked up a couple of pieces of leather I'd taken along from an old book cover. On their own they were not big enough so he cut the two to size and linked them with some great cross stitches, making a gorgeous, tactile book. At one point I was cursing inwardly, wondering why I'd given the pieces away but he made better use of them than me and that's the end game I want for them. I want them to want to make books and use them.

My final participant was Nicole, someone I met recently via an old friend. She told me she was doing a textile degree and they have to put their work into a book format. So she joined us on Friday but it became apparent that trying to fit her work into the structure I was choosing to teach was not the way to go. She had made stunning devore samples that should not be stuck in a book. After all the effort to design, screen and devore them they need to be in a structure that shows their delicacy and allows people to touch them and hold them up to the light to understand the theme of her work. So, I am going to try and point her in a different direction (any ideas, anyone?) and she had to play catch up, therefore she was still stitching as we finished and I took the photos.

It was another great day and there's just one more to come in two weeks time. The plan is for tunnel books but I am wondering whether to revisit a couple of structures we missed earlier in the term that are more traditional and that would add to their sewing and folding skill sets. There will be no more workshops at this venue and I want to leave them with the building blocks to explore from here on. I need to ponder and act fast as this group keep me on my toes as I hope you can see!

Quite by chance....

 I know I have mentioned the local Books for Free shop managed by Healthy Planet more than a few times! I try and promote it to as many people locally as I can, more so after today's visit when I found out that a buyer has finally been found for the old carpet showroom they are based in . This means they are homeless, and with no alternative base available, may disappear in as little as two weeks. It made me browse with a bit more speed and I'd just picked up this old gardening book after a cursory look at the illustrations when a beekeeping book caught my eye. I was so taken with finding it for my husband and talking to the volunteers about the impending trauma of their move or demise that I didn't realise what a gem it was until I reached home.

 It is full of beautiful line drawings of both annuals and herbaceous plants........

 .... and some of the pages held pressed specimens of leaves and flowers........

 ...... and a leaflet and admission tickets for one of the properties I was responsible for when I worked for the National Trust locally - albeit a decade earlier than my time ........

 ....... and at the back was an old birthday card.......

 .... with a beautiful sentiment - a heartful of love from Mother. Do they ever give anything less?

And if all that wasn't enough, nestled behind the birthday card was this gorgeous old photo. I'm guessing it's 1920's or so and don't those shy smiles just tug at your heart strings? I wonder if one of them owned the book and received the card from their mother? Who knows?
I only know that this chance find is going to fund lots of ideas for me. I consider myself very lucky to have found both the book and these two lovely girls.

Workshop endeavours....

 Well today's workshop has come and gone in a blur.... watching hands folding, creasing, glueing and assembling at the speed of light. A slight exaggeration maybe but today's group excelled themselves with the number of folded variation samples they made. I do tend to throw in the kitchen sink and expect them to take it all in and, as usual, they rose to the challenge. This time I also took some old books and rubber stamps to add a bit of collage and content into the mix. I love the way that a random mix of items can furnish someone with the means to make a book and I like seeing what elements appeal to different people. Some enjoyed the maps, others the old book pages and old magazines. The wallpaper samples are always a hit too so I must share what they have created. This is a fraction of their output but gives a flavour of the day, starting at the top with a selection of items by Halina.

 Maggie, working on a theme of black and white

 Margaret practicing lotus folds in all their shapes and sizes

 Anne exploring signature folds prior to maps folds

 Peter creating a lotus fold book using collage and stamp elements.....

 ... and being brave enough to join a room full of excitable women all engaged in creativity and chat!

 Eileen exploring shapes and materials

 Sheila - once a surface designer, always a surface designer- using stamps to create pages....

 ....lots more of her samples here too - she was unstoppable today!

... and finally, Maggie No3 who always tries out everything I ask of them.... and some!

Another great day in great company. Thanks everyone. Roll on two weeks time and long stitch bindings.