Custom art journal...

This one is for a 7 year old budding artist who is celebrating a birthday the day after Christmas. It is 6"X9" and has 144 pages of 140 lb. watercolor paper and 70 lb. drawing paper intermingled. I hand painted the sparkle glaze over the flowers on my paste paper.

My new favorite...

This one not for sale!

This is the art journal that I made for my sisters-in-law and I to pass from Georgia to Connecticut to New York and back around! Can't wait to share it with these two wonderful women! I've got several more books in the works to list on Etsy.com. Will complete them soon!

Chunky book listed on Etsy...

This mini book has Arches Printmaking paper for the text block. It is 5.25"X4" and has 144 pages.

The Decatur Book Festival!

I've been busy this month with the start of school, finishing up a couple commissioned books, and a few other commitments, so I haven't had much time to post here on my blog. I did want to make time to post about our wonderful visit today to the very first Decatur Book Festival. What fun! All my favorite stuff in one spot - storytellers, bookbinders, and author/illustrators! Here are a few pics:


The first one is Carmen Agra Deedy, one of my favorite storytellers. I've heard her a few times and she's just great - such a wonderful sense of humor in her telling!




This next one is of my two daughters with author Angela K. Durden. Her new book is Heros Need Practice, Too. And the Henry County Fire Department (where we live) is featured in the illustrations!


This one is when I met Sara Hindmarch. (I'm in the purple!) I have seen her website and her etsy shop before and was thrilled to meet this book artist. She has some very original binding designs! You can check out her gorgeous books here. And visit her etsy shop too!

Finally, a pic of my little guy (twin brother to our littlest girl!) meticulously making a bookmark at the booth of Little Shop of Stories. This bookstore is where we saw the Cat in the Hat! Wish I had a good photo of my dear husband, but he was busy taking all the photos and movies!

Now I'm hoping to finish some of the book ideas that are floating around in my head soon! I'll post them here!

Commissioned album completed!

This one is for a special couple, my aunt and uncle, celebrating their 40th anniversary! (Shhhh, it's a suprise!) Hope they don't peek at my blog. It is 14.5" X 12", stab bound with 48 pages (front and back) of Arches BFK Rives paper. The pages were hand deckled by me. The cover paper and organza ribbon was purchased from PaperArts.com - they were great - and didn't ask me to say that! The beads are blue shades and the charms include a pewter starfish and 2 carved fish. This couple loves the ocean - so that is the theme I was creating with this album. Now, off to my cousin to fill the pages with her mom and dad's wonderful "life story"!

Another brag book on Etsy...

6.5"X5" handbound with the coptic, long, and kettle stitches. As I made this book my mind filled with images of daydreaming in a meadow of yellow flowers! (the Making Memories charm on the front says "dream"). The inside paper is Fabriano Artistico, so the book could be filled with various media of art or precious photos. Happy Summertime!

Just Listed On Etsy...

These are two 8"X8" albums that I just finished - you may have seen the paste papers below. I love how they turned out with my favorite paper on the inside - Fabriano Artistico 140lb. hot press watercolor paper. Perfect for whatever you want to use them for. I dream of making myself an oversized art journal with this Artistico paper. Someday soon! I also just got the paper and ribbon that I purchased for a commissioned album I'm working on - it's soooo beautiful - will post here when that one is completed. It will be stab bound with ribbon and 14"X12". Would anyone like to see a few photos of the process of this album? I can post if you would like to see the album in progress!

On etsy!

Sneak peek at some paste papers...

I've been in paint and paste paper heaven this week! Here are some scans of 3 paste papers that will become book covers in the near future:


This one will become a 6"X9" journal with 70lb drawing paper inside.




This one will become an 8"X8" album.




This one will become an 8"X8" album. Can't wait to see these come together!

I am also planning some designs for 8"X8" Christmas albums. I just love the creative process of planning a project, carrying it out, and seeing it finished - not always as originally planned, but beautiful just the same!

Busy, fun week!

The kids and I have had a great week at VBS this week! But it does mean that I have not had time to make any new books, or post anything here. While I love VBS week and look forward to teaching it every year, I have had a burning desire each day to hide away in the studio and make BOOKS! I just love the whole process! Today we will be busy with getting ready to leave tomorrow to take the kids to visit my grandmother in another state, so no bookmaking this week either. When I return later this week - watch out studio! I'll be in there creating many new ideas I've been mulling over in my creative brain. Just bought some 8"X8" bookboard from someone on etsy, so I can't wait to make some mini albums in coptic stitch. Since I had no new pictures to add, I went through my iPhoto album on our Mac and found a picture of a set of albums I did for a friend's new baby last year. It's a mini album bound with ribbon in a stab bound style, an accordian album, and an altered tin that I did for her to put tiny pictures of her baby in and throw in her purse. These were so fun to make!

Back to my process postings

Here I am sewing the book together while it rests in the book cradle. I also use the book cradle for punching the holes in the signatures with the awl (didn't get a picture of that step!). I am using one needle and one loooong piece of irish linen thread to sew over the ribbon tapes. The stitches that I used on this particular book are the long stitch, the chain or coptic stitch, and the kettle stitch. I love this binding method!

The Storyteller and the Listener Online

I added a link to the Storyteller and the Listener Online because they have great essays written by storytellers that describe how storytelling has been used to promote healing, reconciliation, bridge-building, and/or peacemaking. Thank you to Holly Stevens who is the editor of this project! Be on the lookout for an essay about how Life Stories Handmade Books by Kristin have been a tool in promoting healing - coming in September! I'm excited to share!

Now, off to practice my storytelling session that I will present to the Boys and Girls Club (5-9 year olds) on Monday! My kids love it when I practice - they know the stories by heart now!

Book Swap

This is a book I completed for the Volcano Arts Book Swap. It's got 270 tiny seed beeds strung on the spine! I'll be mailing it off to Christine of Volcano Arts ASAP. I added her website to My Links in the sidebar. I buy lots of bookbinding supplies from her. She's got lots of fun photos and bookmaking (and jewelry making) ideas to look at, as well as informative articles to read!

This one has a new home today...

This one just listed on Etsy...

Coptic Book for DH

My dear husband requested that I make him this book. He wanted a notebook to take notes at work. Lots of graph paper, some copy paper, business card holders, and the cover paper were his necessities. The cover paper is from some of his aeronatical charts (he's a pilot and instructor by hobby) and the signatures were each wrapped in a sheet of white cardstock for durability (the graph paper felt so thin to me). I finished it this morning after he left for work. He'll be so happy to see it when he gets home!

An interruption of my process postings

This book has just been added to my etsy store! It's got 40 pages of Fabriano Artistico cold press 140 lb. watercolor paper and 50 blue seed beads sewn over the blue ribbon. It's one book in a series of some monochromatic color schemes I've got going on now. I've got 9 books (not all monochromatic) in progress so will be adding more photos next week as I finish them.

My husband just bought this great Canon PowerShot SD550 camera so that I can take better close-up photos of my books and he can take better digital videos. We love it! These photos are the first I've taken with the camera and I'm very happy with the macro feature! Although, I could use better photography skills, I am improving with practice!

Hole punching and eyelet setting into the book covers.

Measuring with the sewing jig for proper hole placement in the covers.

Today I glued the paste paper covers to the bookboards. These are a couple pictures of one of the bookboards, beginning and end of the glueing process.

Today I finished painting the 2nd and 3rd layers of the paste papers I started yesterday.

Next, I paint the first layer of paste paint onto the paper and press stamp images into the paint. I love the look of this method, because I then wipe off the paint (after it has dried a bit), and it leaves a print of the image on the paper. The rest of the paper retains a lighter shade of the color of the image. I call it a 'ghost' print. Hmmm, maybe there's a more technical term? Feel free to let me know! In this picture the painted surface is actually the 2nd layer of paint because I wasn't happy with the 1st layer. I love the forgiving nature of making paste paper designs!

I mix the paste, usually from Elmer's Art Paste or pure Methyl Cellulose - so clear and smooth - and no cooking! I've tried other methods (cooking methods) of paste making, but this is my favorite. Then I choose the colors and ribbons. If I choose the ribbon first that I want to sew into the book, then I can mix the paste paint colors to match. I use Golden's and Liquitex Acrylic paints (heavy body and/or fluid) to paint my covers.

Posting pictures of my bookmaking process...

I start by cutting the Arches Printmaking Paper (40"X25") into enough pieces to make covers and endpapers for 3 books, with a little left over to save for text paper or smaller covers.

Made this small brag book yesterday

This little book is perfect for 3.5"X5" photos - it's about 4.5"X6" in size. With 20 pages large enough to hold one photo per page, it has spacers to allow for the extra photos with no 'bulge'. Tie it up with the ribbon closure and throw it in your purse to share when you're out! The charm on the spine says "believe". I just loved making this little size! Think I'll be making more of these.

Here is a book I made in April 2006 as a commission. The purchaser wanted this book as a gift for a baby shower. She put memoribilia from the shower and letters from each of the guests to the mother-to-be on the pages. The size is 14.25" X 12" and has 12 pages of Fabriano Artistico 90lb hot press paper (luxurious - I just love touching and writing on this paper!). Spacers (extra paper added to the spine) allow the book to not bulge, even when full of photos, etc. I can make one like this for you, built to your specifications! Just let me know color, # of pages, and any embellishments you want.

6" X 6" mini albums

Both of these books have spacers incorporated into the pages. This keeps the album from bulging when photos and decorative paper are added to the pages. The green and red one is a Christmas album or brag book and the multicolored one reminds me of tie dye. Both of these just added to my etsy store.

Just listed on ebay and etsy!

I just listed my first 2 books on ebay! The first is an album I made with 40 pages of natural white Fabriano Artistico (yummy!) 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper. The second book is a beach book that has 112 pages of 70 lb. white drawing paper. It also has a neat little suprise of a seashell image transfer on the inside front cover. It's been slightly distressed with white oil pastels (and sprayed with fixitive!). Looks like it's been washed with a bit of that salty sea air! Similar to the book in the last post, but with a couple more decorative touches and different paper. Both books are 6" X 9". The book I listed on etsy is similar to the beach books, except the inside paper is 40 pages of 140 lb. student grade white watercolor paper. Perfect for scrapbooking! Just click on the My Ebay and My Etsy links to the right to view more pictures and additional descriptions!

Beach Book

This one is another gift book for someone that I love that loves the beach. It has 112 pages of Arches Text Wove paper - all hand torn.

New Books

These are being given as teacher's gifts - they are 40 pages of blank white, medium quality, watercolor paper. The paste papers are my own designs and so fun to make. Be on the lookout for new books that I will be listing on etsy.com soon! I'll post those books here when they are ready.