Worktable Wednesday

Simply put, I simply cut.

Worktable Wednesday

Back in the studio!

Today I glued coptic journal covers using two sheets of the paper I got from Chena River Marblers.

I simply cannot resist this marbled paper. I want to eat it.

Working with it has a super-positive effect on my mood. And I’d like to express my gratitude for the fact that it’s grain long – I can get two journals from each sheet.

Now to sort out the linen thread colors…

Guild of Book Workers – Standards Seminar 2011

Last week I attended the Guild of Book Workers‘ Seminar on Standards of Excellence in Hand Bookbinding.

It was both inspiring and intimidating.

Don’t get me wrong – I had a wonderful time. I did, however, often wonder how exactly I ended up at the grown ups table.

Conference presenters included Dan Essig, Katherine Beaty, John DeMerritt, and Todd Pattison. I’ll talk about their presentations in future blog posts.

For now, I’ll just focus on the goodies. Oh yes, there was lots of shopping going on.

The first stop was Akkra. In a nutshell, these nice folks specialize in tools that don’t stick. I started off by purchasing two teflon burnishers – I’m looking forward to trying out these new shapes.

Then I picked up a teflon-coated spatula set. I’m not a big fan of picking glue boogers off of my tools.

The last purchase was a tweezer set. I’m really digging the soldering tweezers (the pair at the bottom of the image).

Next was a purchase from Colophon Book Arts Supply. I am now the proud owner of an 18″ Incra Precision T-Rule – I’ve been dying to get one of these since I attended the Focus on Book Arts conference earlier this year.

I bought two bookcloth sample books from Hiromi Paper. These books include samples that aren’t available from Talas. One book is for World Cloth (a.k.a. Asahi)…

…and the other is for Text Libris and Text Lifil.

The last thing I bought from Hiromi was some awesome apple papyrus from Germany. It’s a lot thinner and lighter than you’d expect. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it.

I bought the most amazing book from Bookbinders Workshop – The Exquisite Notes by Sylvia Ramos Alotta. I was told that this book was just released within the past few weeks.

The book is an instruction manual on bookbinding, presented in a sketchbook format – the sketches are so lovely! Techniques range from pamphlet stitch to the Armenian binding.

Last, but certainly not least, was the wonderful marbled paper from Chena River Marblers. I’ll be using these on a series of coptic journals, making their debut (hopefully) at my next craft show.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour of what emptied my wallet. Anyone want to help me put it away?

Worktable Wednesday

I can’t say that much happened in the studio today because I still haven’t finished unpacking from my recent trip to the Focus on Book Arts conference.

Since I have to unpack, I figured that now would be a good time to show you the awesome goodies I bought while I was away. Almost everything I bought was from Colophon Book Arts Supply.

Nancy Morains, Colophon’s owner, had a basket of hand painted linen thread by Kinglet Cottage Designs. This stuff is so beautiful! I must have studied those skeins for at least 10 minutes before finally settling on 8 different varieties.

I bought two Anza glue brushes, which are great because each has a built-in brush rest/cup hanger thingie. No more rolling brushes! A friend of mine has some of these and in the past I’ve experienced brush covet – I covet no more!

I got a 1/4″ steel rule, even though I already have a 1/4″ brass rule. Apparently the steel is more durable. The microspatula is different from the one I already have – this one has a squared-off end, which has already proven useful for scraping PVA out of tight spots.

The bone folder was a total impulse purchase (sorry for the glare). I wasn’t in the market for one, but I picked it up because I liked the shape. It felt as though it had been shaped for my hand and no one else’s. Unfortunately, I don’t know what kind of bone it’s made from.

I seriously, super-love Duo bookcloth. I bought 1/2 yard pieces of 8 different colors. I just want to eat them.

Top row, left to right: Chili, Laguna, Sunshine, Nile
Bottom row, left to right: Barley, Henna, Berry, Cinnamon

I have a Duo sample book that I got from Bamberger Kaliko and I like their color names better, so I’m going to do that again:

Top row, left to right: Peperoni, Libelle, Sonnengelb, Fango
Bottom row, left to right: Herbstlaub, Klinker, Traube, Abendrot

I bought 2 packages of black photo turn mounts at the Accidental BookMaker (a.k.a. Green Heron Book Arts). I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with them, but they seem like a good thing to have around.

Last, but not least, is the book that I won in the scholarship raffle.

I haven’t read it yet and I know a whole lot of nothing about it. All I can say is that it was an old book in a raffle and I wanted it. Intriguing-sounding chapters include The American Conchology: A Venture in Backwoods Book Printing and The Pursuit of a First Folio.

If you’re interesting in getting your own copy, there are several available on Amazon.

The Amazing Dremel – new (to me) accessories

As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently assisted Jill Timm with her Amazing Dremel workshop for the Book Arts Guild of Vermont. In this post, I’ll talk about some of the new bits I used.

Before I start, I’d like to make it clear that in no way am I paid for endorsing Dremel products – I am merely talking about the products I used in the workshop. I’m sure that there are alternatives to the items listed below. Of course, being the tool junkie that I am, I sooo want one of everything!

In reviewing my What do those Dremel bits do? Well I’ll tell ya! post from last year, I discovered that I left out some information about another option for cleaning & polishing (I blame information overload) – emery impregnated bits.

These bits look like grinding bits, but they’re much softer. Unlike the felt polishing bits, you don’t use these bits with polishing compound. These bits are good for use on rougher surfaces, including scratches and burrs. If scratches still remain after using these bits, you would move to the felt polishing bits for finer work.

The polishing point is good for detail work, as you can get better control with the tip.

The emery impregnated disc is better for general use and for work on larger areas. As is the case with cutting wheels, you have to attach the disc to a mandrel. You can see how to attach the disc to a mandrel in this post (scroll down to the cutting section).

In addition to using the polishing bits on metal, they’re also great for use on mirror. If you use one of these bits on the backside of a mirror, it will remove the paint and silver without affecting the glass – you’ll get a clear glass effect, not frosted (the diamond bit creates the frosted effect).

Something else I did at this workshop that I didn’t get to do last time was drill glass. To help with stability, I put my Dremel into a workstation, which essentially turns your Dremel into a drill press.

I so have to get one of these. It makes drilling sooo much easier. I can totally see using it in my studio for drilling sewing holes.

I started with making a small hole with a diamond bit. Once I got through to the other side of the glass, it climbed up my bit and started spinning. The tip of the bit glowed a really scary red before I was able to turn off the Dremel.

While I was successful at achieving a hole, the edges of the hole were chipped. I would need to sand down those edges to get a neat hole.

Next, I used what I’m pretty sure was a tungsten carbide cylinder cutter. The bit is hollow in the middle and allows you to drill larger holes.

I didn’t make it all the way through the glass before it shattered. Luckily, the bit didn’t burn out. Oh, and no one was hurt by the flying glass shards.

Here’s what I learned about drilling glass:

• Make short passes with the Dremel – let the bit cool off.
• Put a drop of oil on the glass prior to drilling to both increase speed and keep the bit from overheating.
• If your bit turns red, it’s overheating. Once it burns, it will turn black and you won’t be able to use it again.
• Be careful when drilling too close to the edge of the glass because it can shatter apart.
• For safety, tape the edges of glass before drilling.

Jill told me that the bits we were using to drill glass weren’t really recommended for that use. She added that as of now, there are no “official” Dremel bits intended for drilling glass.

There is hope – in October 2010, Dremel will release two new glass drill bits.

From the Dremel website:

This diamond-impregnated core-style bit features superior long life and is ideal for drilling in both flat and contoured surfaces. Diamond grit a full 360-degrees around the circumference of the bit allows it to be used in a rasping action to enlarge a hole if needed. Holes on the side of the bit allow the removal of glass dust from inside the bit. Each bit is packaged with Dremel cutting oil to increase the speed of cut and prevent damage to the bit from overheating.

For use on glass, ceramic wall tile, glass block, glass bottles, jewelry.

The new drill bits come in two sizes – 1/8″ and 1/4″. These seem like good sizes for use in bookbinding and I look forward to trying them out.

As promised, my next post will focus on new tips for using a Dremel on specific materials, both new and old (includes materials covered last year).

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* Many thanks to Dremel for allowing me to use product photos from their website.

The Amazing Dremel with Jill Timm – The Sequel

Two weeks ago, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont hosted Jill Timm‘s fabulous workshop, The Amazing Dremel. I was fortunate enough to work as Jill’s assistant during those two days and I picked up lots of tips that I didn’t catch when I took the class last year.

If you’re new to my blog and haven’t read my Dremel posts from last year, this should get you up to speed (or multi-speed, depending on your Dremel):

• The Amazing Dremel with Jill Timm – Day 1
• The Amazing Dremel with Jill Timm – Day 2
• What do those Dremel bits do? Well I’ll tell ya!
• So now I have a Dremel…what can I work on?
• Dremel resources for artists
• One more Dremel post…

And if you’re scratching your head, thinking “What the hell is a Dremel?” – you have lots more reading to do: Dremel website

The class worked on two materials that I didn’t get to play with last year – brass and bookboard. I continued work on my “E Series” that I started last year:

I really enjoyed working with the brass. It’s a softer metal than steel and it’s easy to get layers of depth. It’s hard to see in the image, but you can get a really nice shine by using a polishing bit – I’ll talk about more that in my next post.

I was eager to work on the bookboard, because it’s what I’d use most frequently. Unfortunately, it was not a compliant material.

In general, using the Dremel caused something I call “board barf” – board material came off chunkily and fluffily. I know those aren’t words, but that’s what happened. After removing material, I’d have to burnish the surface down to bring it back into submission. I was much happier with the bookboard once I glued paper over it – the results were much smoother than I had anticipated. Gotta love Lokta.

This is just the first in a series of blog posts where I’ll be focusing on the new things I learned. Here’s the rundown of what I plan to cover:

• New Dremel bits and what they do
• Dremel tips for specific materials – new and old (last year’s materials)
• Dremel class sample books
• A printable guide for everything learned in both classes (this will take some time)
• Jill Timm’s discussion of her work in artist books

Stay tuned!

A fond farewell to Langdell Paper

I received a letter today that contained the news that I had hoped I’d never read:

As of July 25, 2010 Richard Langdell no longer operates Langdell Paper.

I.am.heartbroken.

I have used Langdell Paper since I started making books – it’s like the paper grew up with me.

I’m really feeling a profound sense of loss.

I knew that Richard was looking to sell his business and I’m happy for him. He’s been making paper for 20 years and is ready to begin a new chapter in his life. I wish him well.

Part of me hoped that when his mill sold, it would be to someone in Vermont – then I’d still have it nearby. At least he has inventory available for sale until it runs out.

I can easily live in denial until then.

Welcome to Elissa’s inability to accept change.

The mill has moved from Vermont to Michigan and as of August 16th, will operate under the business name of Maple Street Paper Company. I look forward to seeing how the business (and paper selection) grows under the new owners, Whitney Korstange and Hilary Smith.

But I’ll sure miss taking that bumpy ride down Willey Hill Road during mud season.

Vacation paper – yay!

Confession time – it seems that I’ve become one of those paranoid people who gets freaked out over the possibility of someone breaking into their house, based on information posted online. Now I can comfortably reveal that I just returned from a 1 1/2 week vacation.

I had an awesome time. My hubby and I did a National Park loop through Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. We are big National Park fans. You can read more about this in my post about my National Parks passport.

Being who I am, I had to find someplace to buy paper. It seems that there aren’t a whole lot of paper stores out in the Midwest. I did find Kozo Fine Art Materials in Denver, CO. They have a nice selection of papers and a small quantity of bookcloth (Kennett).

I bought three sheets, different colors (red, lime, and black) of an embossed reptile paper. I love love love the intensity of the colors. It’s also nice and shiny. I just want to run my fingers over it all day.

I did a quick online search and discovered that it’s currently available for purchase at Paper Mojo. I’m bummed that they didn’t have the paper in orange at Kozo – I totally would have bought it.

Do I know what I’m going to do with this paper? Nope. Well, except for love it so very very much.

If you read my last post, then you would know that under no circumstances would The Tube not accompany me on this vacation.

Now that I think about it, there were no paper-related freak outs during this trip.

This is a first.

[pats self on back]

During my trip I was able to get another sticker for The Tube.

I feel silly asking for stickers, but store owners usually seem flattered to have been asked.

At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

The Tube

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but whenever I go on an extended trip somewhere, I make a concerted effort to come home with paper.

Note: See San Francisco and Paris.

These paper trips would not be possible without the help of one thing – The Tube.

The Tube has been very good to me. I can store paper both inside the tube and wrapped around the outside of it. Not only does the tube protect my paper, but it often validates my decision to buy more paper than is necessary. There’s always room for one more sheet!

My husband does not like the tube. It’s the paper wrapped on the outside of the tube that makes him nervous. He thinks that tube is a four-letter word. When he sees The Tube, he realizes that there will be at least one occasion during our travels when I will have a paper-related freak out. I just read that sentence to him and he laughed.

He knows it’s true.

I acquired the tube during a trip to Papers! in Albuquerque, NM. I liked that they branded the tube with their logo.

It wasn’t until last year that I decided to actively collect stickers from places that I purchased paper. I’m going for a luggage label vibe.

The Kozo Arts label bums me out since they are no longer in business.

So that’s the grand tour. I have a total of three labels. For now. All hail The Tube!

Super Awesome Paper Week

I recently had the most rocking paper week.

It started out with a Saturday trip to Langdell Paper. I was treated to a late mud season trip, which consisted of super lumpy driving. Ah, the joys of dirt roads.

Before I left the house, I did what I always do and made a list of the specific papers I would be getting. Yeah, that didn’t stop me from picking up something new.

I got this beautiful silvery-grey paper with inclusions of baby’s breath. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but I’m thinking of pairing it with a silver Japanese bookcloth.

Several days later, I received a large order of Japanese Chiyogami that I had been planning for months. When the order showed up, I just wanted to lay it out on the floor and roll in it.

Please don’t repeat that.

It took me forever to settle on designs I wanted – they were all so beautiful! I would make a list of what I wanted and then change my mind the next day. I then asked my hubby to show me what he liked so I could get a male perspective. I pretty much ignored everything he told me. So much for market research.

Here’s what I finally purchased:

Most of the Chiyogami will be used for new designs in my line of Chopstick Journals. I have found some great designs of chopsticks that are a fabulous match for these papers. I should be debuting at least a couple of the designs in the fall.

Stay tuned!