NY Star Cards

More Paper Cut Examples

2012-02-15T13:50:00.003-05:00

This is another example of one of my luminaria cards. This was made to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year--Year of the Dragon. What makes this card special is that it includes cutouts on the front and back of the card. As you can see above, the break in the dragon is where the card is folded in half. This is backed with orange vellum which really shines through when using a battery operated tea light.

Iron Craft 2012

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

For this challenge, we were charged with making something to withstand the cold weather. I knew exactly what project that I wanted to do and I needed a quick and easy project because I was so wrapped up in making Valentine's Day projects.

Unfortunately, the fabric stores weren't cooperating with me for this project so I decided to use fabric that I could find locally. So the project for this week is a No-Sew Fleece Blanket.

You need two types of contrasting polar, no pill, fleece. I wanted to do a Purdue University Blanket with Purdue Fleece on one side and a solid black on the reverse. Unfortunately, JoAnn's was out of stock of the Purdue fleece.

(Purdue Fleece that was out of stock--urgghh)

So, as I hunted the fashion district of NYC, I finally decided on the manly camouflage fleece with the black fleece on the reverse. I bought two yards of each which almost covers me height-wise. If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought 2.5 to 3 yards of each material. What I failed to realize that you will lose 6 to 8 inches on each dimension once you start cutting the ties for the material.

After squaring off the material and pinning the two layers together, you cut off square blocks from each corner (the height and width of the squares should be equal to the length of the ties--in my case, my ties were 3" long so I cut a 3 in by 3 in block from each corner). If I had to do it again, I would have cut ties that were 4 in long and the blocks would have been 4 in by 4 in.

Next you cut ties that are 1.5 in wide and your desired length (3" in my case) along all four sides of the blanket. While keeping the blanket layers pinned, you simply tie square knots for each pair of ties (one top layer to one bottom layer).

Here is the finished project (on left), you can see the black and camo ties of the finished project. The ties are more evident in the close up (on right).

This is a very simply and fast project. It would be a great project for kids to do especially with the fleece materials that feature college and professional sports teams (see below). Plus, boy scouts and girl scouts can practice tying square knots. Here is a YouTube Tutorial. I wish that I had watched this version before making my blanket.

This is a great project because it really is forgiving of errors. The ties cover any cutting issues since they all get bunched tightly together on the edge of the blanket. Also, these blankets are so fast and easy to make, I think that they would make great specialty gifts.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T11:54:00.003-05:00

This week, we are taking some time off from the Paper Cutting lessons so I can share with you some of my recent work. Hopefully, it will give you some more inspiration into wanting to do Paper Cutting.

Each Valentine's Day, I desire one or two cards for my friends to give their sweethearts. Almost always, they are paper cuttings. Here are this year's designs. This is a continuation of my luminaria cards--silhouettes backed with vellum. The recipient is given the card and a small battery operated tea light.

The card on the left is called "lace heart" and the heart on the right is called "rose heart." The Lace Heart is backed with patterned vellum. The Rose Heart is backed with orange vellum.

Paper Cutting 101: Practice

2012-02-09T11:20:00.003-05:00

Here are my results from the More Straight Lines practice session that was posted yesterday. I did the first exercise in two sizes. The windows paper cutting was the fourth attempt. The smaller version is 2" by 2"

Here is my result for the bricks practice exercise. This was the third attempt. The smaller version is 4" by 2"

Overall, this was 2.5 hours of practice spread over both exercises.

Paper Cutting 101--Practice: More Straight Lines

2012-02-08T14:35:00.004-05:00

So today, we have more straight cuts and more of them. You have the same goals as yesterday. PDF available for those that want it. NB: Start with the window before attempting the bricks. Also, I would suggest enlarging the patterns.

Diamonds Critique

2012-02-08T10:39:00.003-05:00

For reference. This is the paper cut that was critiqued in a previous post. Actual size of this paper cut is 2" by 5"

Diamonds Critique

2012-02-07T23:02:00.002-05:00

Submitted without comment.

Paper Cutting 101--Practice: Straight Lines

2012-02-07T13:06:00.003-05:00

Today's lesson is about cutting straight lines and not overshooting your starting and ending destination. This is trickier than it seems and for most projects you simply resign yourself to having a few extra "crosses," x's" and "t's". Most people don't care, some people won't even notice but I feel that if I am going to sell a piece of artwork, I should try and minimize them.

The above pattern is what I call--Diamonds. I know--it's obvious but sometimes I am simple minded like that. Here are your goals:

Goal #1: most importantly, have straight lines. When I design something like this, I try and design the line strength equal to the width of my cutting blade. In some pieces, you have to try and decide to cut in the middle of the line, the exterior of the line, or the interior of the line. So above, you should cut the blue lines as they are.

Goal #2: Don't overshoot your starting and ending points. As mentioned in a previous post, you can use pin holes for starting and ending points. When you first try this exercise, you might want to do that. At this point, I don't but for more complicated designs, I still do use pin points. The orange lines above should be cut on both sides of the orange line (in other words, the orange lines are the connectors of the odd number diamonds). There are seven diamonds (counted from the inside--out, they are 1 through 7. The connectors join all of the odd numbered diamonds together. If you overshoot cutting on the connectors you will separate them from each other.

Suggestions:

(1) Make several copies of the pattern (trust me on this one, you will over shoot and separate your diamonds).

(2) Start with plain copier paper and practice on that. Print the pattern directly on the paper.

(3) Once you have completed one set, practice on a different piece of paper. Any other paper--preferably colored paper. Print the pattern directly on the colored paper and work on the colored side of the paper.

(4) Work next of light weight card stock. Print directly on the card stock.

(5) If you want, practice transferring the pattern onto a piece of paper or card stock.

(6) Finally, start shrinking the size of the diamonds by reducing on a copier. Obviously, the smaller the diamonds, the more difficult the process.

Please contact me directly if you want a PDF of the diamond pattern.

Paper Cutting 101--Practice

2012-02-06T14:16:00.002-05:00

This week will feature some practice exercises that I do in order to sharpen some of my paper cutting skills. These are simple exercises but I try and do them with precision which is the name of the game. I try and do at least an hour of paper cutting per day. Some of that might be actual projects but many times it will simple be exercises or "doodling" with a scalpel. This week's lessons will deal with cutting straight lines.

Paper Cutting--Owl Project

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

After about six more hours over two days, I finally finished the owl project. Hopefully, now you can see the use of the connectors to ensure that the piece stays in one piece. I am thinking of simplifying the image so that I can turn them into greeting cards. The recipient really loved the final outcome.

Iron Craft 2012--Project 2

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

For this challenge, we were instructed to make something with hearts. Every Valentine's Day, I have a patron that commissions me to make a valentine heart using animals in some way. The challenge was a catalyst to get started on making this project. Last year, I used penguins. After a friend of mine told me seeing the play and the movie called "War Horse" I decided to try and do something with horses. This is the final result of that project. The actual size of the finished project is 9" by 7".

Paper Cutting--Owl Project

2012-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

After another two hours of cutting, here is the owl project with all of the feathers cut out. I will soon be working on the larger areas and the frame and then I will be complete.

Paper Cutting 101--Cutting Tips

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

For me, the most difficult aspect of cutting paper is cutting a straight line. Depending on the thickness of the paper, the paper can buckle under your knife. Or, the paper buckles as you cut towards you. So I have developed some tricks that I use when cutting paper.

Rule #1: When cutting straight lines, use a piercing tool for the starting and ending points of your cuts. The problem with cutting a line is that you many times you end up cutting past the point of stopping. When doing this, you end up with hash marks at the end of each cut. By using pin holes, you know exactly when and where to start and top.

Rule #2: When you can, cut one line in one direction and then cut the connecting line in the opposite direction. In the illustration above, for line one, I would cut north to south and then I would cut line six, east to west. Most people would cut line one--north to south--and then cut line six--west to east. The problem is that the paper is weakened and cutting line six this way could tear the paper when exerting pressure.

Rule #3: Cut parallel lines before cutting perpendicular lines. I have numbered the lines above as I would cut them. I would make all north to south cuts first before making east to west cuts.

Rule #4: Use your ruler to apply pressure on the paper. In the illustration above, most people would start with line # 5 (because they are right handed) and then continue to cut line #4, #3, etc. The problem with this is that the paper is weakened because you have cut it. When you go to cut line #4, the paper has pressure applied to it and will likely curl or buckle and eventually tear. To alleviate this problem, cut line #1 above first. Then place your rule on line #1 to cut line #2. The pressure of the ruler should prevent any buckling or curling of the paper as you cut line #2. Move your ruler to line #2 to cut line #3, etc. When you are cutting lines 6 - 10, I rotate the paper 90 degrees so that I could be cutting the lines from north to south (rather than east to west). I find it easier to cut in the north-south plane but some people prefer to cut west-east plane.

Rule #5: The pressure applied should be on the ruler and not on your cutting tool. When cutting with a ruler, keep the hand pressure on the ruler so that it doesn't move. Putting the pressure on the cutting tool will tire your hand but also allows for the ruler to slip and ruin your cutting. Please keep in mind, it is much better to make several passes with your cutting tool (which is easier to do when you are using a ruler) than to make a single deep cut.

Rule #6: Find out what ruler works best for you. I have a variety of rulers that I use and will have a separate post on that topic. Usually, I use a cork backed 12" ruler for most of my work.

Paper Cutting 101--Transfer and Cutting

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

There are a number of ways to transfer your pattern for cutting. One common way of doing a cut out is to print your image on a piece of paper and tape/staple it to the piece of paper that you want to cut. You then cut out your image until you are finished. The problem with this is that you are cutting two layers of product (the top layer with the image and the second layer of paper/card stock. This can become quite tedious and the finger strength that you need to cut is pretty severe. Also, it is difficult to retrace a cut line on the second layer when it has already been cut on the first layer.

A second way, and the one that I prefer, is to print your image on the piece of paper that you want to cut. I usually use black/white silhouette paper for my smaller paper cuts and this is a perfect medium for doing this type of transfer. Simply print the image on the back of the paper (the white side) and start cutting from the back. The only problem with this is you must reverse your image--especially if you are cutting out text.

A third way to transfer your image is to use carbon paper, pattern tracing paper, etc to transfer your image onto the paper that you want to cut. Print out the image on a plain piece of paper. Staple/tape this sheet onto carbon paper and then place these pieces on the paper that you want to cut. With a stylus or ball point pen, trace around the image that you want to cut. Once completed, you simply cut the image on the front side of the paper. Depending on how intricate your pattern is, this could be a long and laborious process.

For the owl project, I used silhouette paper and printed the image on the white side of the paper. When you start cutting, you should cut in an orderly fashion--either left to right, top to bottom, etc. I will provide you with some exceptions to this rule later which will refer to weak points when cutting that you have to consider.

For this cutting, I started inside--out and smallest to largest. I started in the middle of the figure and started cutting out the feathers. I figured that this would be the most time consuming aspect of the process. Considering that I am in a time crunch, I am having to cut this image after I get home from work at the theater. Keeping in mind that I am tired, I need to concentrate on those aspects of the cutting that I can do while tired. Long and complicated cuts should only really be done when fresh and awake. Normally, I would work for a longer period of time on each step of the project but I don't have that luxury at the moment.

So here is stopping point #1, belly feathers done. Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

Disclaimer: Please don't use my timings as a gauge on your own work. Because I have been doing this for a little while--I am probably a faster cutter than many of my readers.

Paper Cutting--Owl Project

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

My friend loves owls so I decided to use her project as the basis of my explanation of paper cutting. I found the above image on the internet and I will use it as the basis of this project. Unfortunately, there are some problems with the image.

If I were to use this image as is, I would be working with the positive space. In other words, I would be cutting out all of the white spaces and would be left with the black image as shown above. While most of this would be OK, there are some trouble areas that I would have to address.

The problem with floaters is that they are not connected to any other section of the cutout. Unless you want to paste them down independently then you somehow need to connect them to another piece of the cutout. Also, there are some tiny feathers to cut out which could be difficult. While working on a larger scale, this wouldn't necessarily cause a problem but if I want to reduce the image to work on a greeting card then there could be problems. Also, I don't necessarily like a floating image on a white background. I usually frame the image and then mount it to a solid background.

Here is the final image that I will use for the cutout. Even though the border is very thin, I will cut a 1/2 inch border around the image. You will notice that the image touches the border on all sides--in other words, I did not create any new floaters when placing the border around the image.

Paper Cutting 101--Positive vs Negative Space

2012-01-24T09:50:00.002-05:00

One of the most difficult aspects of paper cutting for me is still trying to decide and/or determine what I am going to cut. I still get confused sometimes and it often happens that I end up with the exact opposite of what I wanted. The problem is a visual or spatial one but most artists know it as positive vs negative space. While I have never taken an art class, I will try and explain it as best as I can.

In paper cutting, when you cut away all of the material that you don't need and are left with what you want then you are working with the positive space. In the image above, you are working with positive space. In other words, I would cut out all of the paper around the stool and would be left with a cutout of the stool (the image in black).

When you work with the negative space, you cut out the material that represents the image that you need/want. In other words, you make a stencil. In the image above, the negative space would be the white space.

To complicate the matter, if you spray paint the negative then you end up with the positive.

Paper Cutting 101

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I wanted to start a series called Paper Cutting 101. I want to introduce you to some of the tricks of the trade that I have learned along the way. I will introduce you to a project that I am working on and show you step by step how I do a paper cutting.

The impetus of this series was a question that I received regarding loss of feelings in one's fingers after completing a paper cutting project. The biggest problem that people have is that they grip their cutting tool too hard. Rather than letting the cutting tool cut the paper, people apply too much pressure to the cutting tool while thinking that the extra pressure will cut the paper better.

As a first issue, I want to introduce you to a collection of cutting tools that I use. The most common tool used by people is the Exacto knife. The Exacto knife is held in the hand very much like a pencil or pen. While this grip is familiar, it can lead to hand and joint problems because people apply too much finger pressure in order to cut paper.

There are three common types of Exacto knives. In the picture below, the knife in the middle is the most common on the market--in this case, it is covered in rubber for ease of grip. The first version is an ergonomically correct handle that places added weight in the back of the handle to offset the pressure normally used when cutting. The knife on the right is a swivel blade that is best used when cutting curves.

The knife that I use most often in my scalpel which is the same knife that doctors and surgeons use. Like a Exacto knife, the blades are exchangeable. The major differences are the weight and handle design. The profile of the handle is slim and flat (rather than round like the Exacto handle). The benefit of this handle is that it fits the web of the hand between thumb and forefinger. For my work, I use a rounded blade and a straight blade.

Other tools that I use for a variety of purposes are snap blades, punches, and pin tools. Snap blades (like Olfa blades) are useful when cutting thicker materials (like foam core, etc.). Also, I extend the blade when I need to mitre corners when bookbinding. This type of blade allows you to snap off the dull blade that then exposes the new sharper blade. Rather than cutting small circles, I use hole punches for nice clean circles. I will write a separate post about hole punches-especially the Japanese hole punch. I also use a pin tool to punch holes in paper when I need start and stopping points in paper. This will be explained in a separate post as well.

Happy New Year

2012-01-19T00:55:00.004-05:00

OK--so I am late with my New Year's wishes but it was a very busy December 2011 and I wasn't nearly ready for the influx of stuff to happen as the year ended. I will definitely catch you up with goings-on but I wanted to share with you my first project for Iron Craft 2012.

First of all, the challenges this year occur every two weeks so the projects are expected to be more detailed or bigger risks. The first challenge this year was paper--dedicated to the first anniversary of Iron Craft. Because paper is my medium (and everyone knew it was it was mentioned in the challenge), I feel a little more pressure to produce something spectacular. I felt like Austin Scarlett in the opera gown challenge during Project Runway All Stars.

I decided to do another paper quilt. The first quilt that I did was a 9" by 9" quilt made out of a heart pattern. I decided to double the size of the quilt and make an 18" by 18" quilt.

There are three pattern blocks for this quilt. Two of the patterns are shown above. The third pattern is the big diamond pattern that you can see in the overall quilt above.

Here is the most intricate of the patterns above.

Wooden Pen

2011-11-04T12:04:00.003-04:00

Here is another item I picked up at the San Diego artist's fair. It is a beautiful hand turned wooden pen in a cherry wood box. I love supporting the local artists.

Buttons

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever I travel, I try and locate and support local artists at craft shows and craft fairs. Recently having returned from Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to drive to San Diego to watch some of my friends perform at the Old Globe Theater. On the day that I was there, the local art guilds were hosting an art weekend on the Saturday I attended the show.

While my first choice is to support other paper artists, I couldn't find any paper arts at the festival. I did find this one shop that was a joint effort of a polymer clay artists and glass artists. I don't normally buy buttons but I have been deficient in having a variety of buttons available for my books and boxes.

I purchased this set of matching buttons for my stash.

Iron Craft 44

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week, we were challenged to create something out of or with a pillowcase. This was a hectic week for me because I left for Los Angeles on Wednesday of last week and I did not return to NY until Tuesday--so I had to do a quick project.

I decided to do a monogram stencil and then air brush the stencil onto a pillowcase. The idea was to replicate the fancy embroidered pillowcases that couples get for wedding gifts. I wanted something that was a little bit more masculine plus I don't want to wake up with an indentation of my initials on the side of my face when I wake up every morning.

The most difficult part for me was choosing the font. I probably spent over an hour trying to choose a font that would transfer well into a stencil. Considering all three letters of my monogram have islands (the sections of the letters that are not connected to anything--like the top section of an "R" or the top and bottom section of a "B")--the choice of a font was important.

The font that I chose had a Celtic feel to it. Unfortunately, the J was a little crooked when I ironed it onto the pillowcase and I got a little too close to the surface when I airbrushed and the orange paint leaked under the stencil.

Overall, I am pleased with the way that it turned out and would do this project again when I had more time.

Star Book 3

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here is another star book that I have been working on. This one features a front frame panel. The second layer is a layer that has a heart cutout. The final layer is a background from which a cut out heart is suspended.

Here is the opened book.

Here is the front view.

Star Book2

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here is my next Star Book. The front layer is simply a frame. The second layer is composed of a variety of vellum and thin papers so I could see how transparent the different media were. The back layer is a reverse folded panel with a hand cut heart. The purpose of the reverse folding is so I could put a battery operated tea light in place.

There is the view of the book without the tea light.

Here is the star book with the tea light illuminated and the lights turned out. The light gets projected through the cut out and onto the vellum.

Star Book 1

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is my newest bookbinding obsession--star books. Here is the latest addition to my arsenal. The star book.

The front layer is a peephole that looks onto the middle layer which has a cutout heart. I believe that I have finally found my niche.

Iron Craft 43

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week we were challenged to do a craft that we had never done or were afraid to do. There were so many projects that I could have done. First, I thought about trying knitting again. Nah. Started and stopped too many times. I then thought about doing a candlemaking project but I didn't want to go and buy some supplies. I also thought about doing a project with sculpey or shrinky dinks but I didn't want to go out and buy more materials. After last week's sewing project, I thought about sewing or possibly a block or two for a quilt.

I then thought about doing a paper quilt. I had seen books on the topic and thought that I would try one since it seemed right up my alley. The problem that I had was converting the quilt directions into paper directions. Unfortunately, sewing measurements require you cut larger pieces than needed to allow for seam allowances. With paper, you don't need seam allowances so nothing fit together. After about three hours of cutting, trimming and pasting, I came up with the above piece. While suitable for this week's project, I know that I could do better.

I decided to try a different approach. If I thickened the lines on the patterns that I was using, I could then cut out the outlines similar to a stained glass look. I could then piece together the interior pieces which would be guaranteed to fit. Here is the same pattern but with the "grout" lines intact. I went from a paper quilt to a paper mosaic.

Once the pieces are cut, you can then fill in the interior pieces. I chose a three color monochromatic palette. I alternated the pattern between light, medium and dark shades and then alternated the patterns in a 3 x 3 grid. I placed small strips of paper to act as borders.

P10K:Day 59

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The last entry for catching up--Week Ending October 23, 2011

Monday
Sewing Project (2 hrs)
Blogging (1 hr)

Tuesday
Sewing Project (3 hrs)
Photography (1 hr)
Blogging (1 hr)

Wednesday
Star Book (1 hr)

Thursday
Butterfly Book (2 hr)

Friday
Blogging (1 hr)

Saturday
Inventory (4 hrs)

Sunday
Inventory (4 hrs)

Week total: 20 hrs
Cumulative total: 206 hrs

P10K:Day 52

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Week Ending October 16, 2011

Monday
Blogging (2 hrs)
Paper Cuts (2 hrs)

Tuesday
Blogging (1 hr)
Paper Cuts (2 hrs)
Photography (1 hr)

Wednesday
Photography (1 hr)
Blogging (1 hr)

Thursday
Blogging (1 hr)

Friday
Star Book (1 hr)

Saturday
Class (6 hrs)

Sunday (6 hrs)

Week Total: 24 hours
Cumulative Total: 186 hrs

P10K:Day 45

2011-10-23T22:48:00.002-04:00

OK, so I know that I am behind in my Project 10K posting but I will rectify that now.

Week ending October 9, 2011

Monday
Clear Day Poster (2 hrs)
Star Book (3 hrs)
Blogging (2 hrs)
Photography (1hr)

Tuesday
Star book (1 hr)
Angelo Book (2 hrs)
Blogging (1 hr)

Wednesday
Butterfly book (3 hrs)

Thursday
Blogging (1 hr)

Friday
Photography (2 hrs)

Saturday
Class (6 hrs)

Sunday
Class (6 hrs)

Week Total: 30 hrs
Cumulative Total: 162 hrs

Iron Craft 42

2011-10-23T19:32:00.005-04:00

This week's challenge was to create a plushie based on an imaginery friend. I never really had an imaginery friend when I was growing up but one of the first TV shows that I remember growing up was the New Zoo Review. I was enamored with Henrietta the Hippo. I always loved owls so Charlie the Owl was also a favorite.

This week, I decided to make an homage to Charlie the Owl. I wanted to use to types of material and in support of my pledge not to buy any new material for these challenges, I donated two of my shirts to the cause.

I was going to use both fabrics but I just couldn't get them to work together so I decided to use the brown material. I also had to get my sewing machine and recover it from the cobwebs that had settled on it.

I didn't realize how rusty I had gotten with my sewing skills. It took me 30 minutes to remember how to thread the machine, another 40 minutes trying to wind bobbins and several failed attempts to get the tension and stitch length correct.

Here is the final result. While I completed the project in time, I will probably do this project over and ask for a mulligan. The project is simple and turned out OK but I know I can do better. Next time I won't wait until the last minute to do a sewing project.

Iron Craft 41

2011-10-12T08:38:00.003-04:00

OK--I know, I know. I'm behind in my posts this week and it's all because of that stupid holiday. No, the holiday isn't stupid; it's simply the extra day off gives me more time to do stuff that I don't usually have time to do. So rather than rest and enjoy the extra day off--I fill the time up until the break of exhaustion overtakes me and then I need a day off from my extra day off. People who tell me they wish the day had extra hours in a day are simply crazy. I would cram more stuff in the extra hours and make myself even more tired than I already am.

This week's challenge for Iron Craft was Halloween. I knew it was coming and yet I was still unprepared. I hemmed and hawed over what to do. I was going to do a papier mache monster--didn't happen. I was going to do a big wall hanging--didn't happen. I was even going to paint a clear shower curtain with blood stains--but I couldn't find a cheap shower curtain, so--it didn't happen.

So, I fell back on an old mainstay--paper cuts. I did two paper cuts this week hoping that I would like at least one of them. I want to do an airbrush t-shirt for a Halloween party that I have coming up. These are the two designs that I finished for this week. I do like the mummy skull on the right. Both of these paper cuts are mounted on a hand dyed paper which gives it that withered look and I will then mount them on white paper and frame them for Halloween decorations in the future.

Iron Craft 40

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week we were challenged to make something out of a glass or container. I cheated a little bit and make something with glass rather than out of glass. Some might call it cheating--I call it using artistic license.

The title of this piece is "Pickled Garden." I cut a flower garland out of card stock and then wrapped it around some PVC pipe and glued it to the lid of a mason jar. There are three layers of garland and two different PVC pipes.

The first layer is wrapped on the inside circumference of the smaller pipe. The second layer is wrapped around the outside of the smaller pipe. The smaller pipe is then placed inside the larger PVC pipe. The last layer is wrapped on the outside of the larger PVC pipe.

(l) Pickled Garden

(r) detail of the lid

Blue Book

2011-10-04T22:34:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine had a birthday recently. He was hosting a birthday party at his party where we had a grand old time. Thinking that I was doing something good, I brought him a couple of bottles of alcohol. Having done so, I thought that I was a good friend by bringing a bottle of liquor for the party and one for my friend as a gift.

Two weeks pass and I meet with my friends for Sunday dinner and I asked the birthday boy if he had a nice birthday and if he got everything he wanted. I was surprised when he said he didn't get the one gift that he really wanted. When I asked him what it was, he replied "I really wanted one of your journals." Well, color me surprised. Secondly, how in the hell was I supposed to know.

I put this book together to give to him as a belated birthday present. I hope that he likes it.

Star Book

2011-10-03T21:58:00.003-04:00

This is another example of how instructions in a book are not specific enough to accurately complete the project. I have been doing some research on Star Books. The instructions in one book clearly stated that the difference in page size between layer one and layer two has to be one half of the difference in page size between the second and third layers. In other words, if the first layer has pages that are 1.5 inches and the second layer has pages that are 2 inches then the third layer has to have pages that are 3 inches in width. Theoretically, this is correct but unfortunately, what they don't tell you is that a 1.5 inch pages does not adequately allow for the book to open into a star. After a lot of trial and error, I realized that the second layer should be .75 inches wider than layer one. Also, the double rule of the second and third layer is then still applicable. In other words, if your first layer is 2.5 inches wide, the second layer should be 3.25 inches wide and then your third layer should be 4 inches wide.

(l)Lots of trial and error
(r) Even more trial and error

One important aspect of this project is the need to use lots of scrap (i.e., inexpensive paper). Because of the need to build several prototypes, it would be unfeasible to use your expensive paper on making models. I always make prototypes beging committing to a project.

Here is my paper pile for the protoypes. The orange and yellow paper was on sale for ten cents a sheet--perfect for prototypes.

(l) Here is the completed prototype.
(r) An aerial view of the prototype

Once the prototype is completed, you are free to experiment with other media. The above were make with cover weight paper. The prototype below was made with Duplex 110lb cardstock.

(l) Here is the detailed view of the duplex cardstock star book.
(r) An aerial view of the duplex cardstock star book.

P10K:Day 38

2011-10-02T09:22:00.000-04:00

OK--I have to admit. I was a slug this week but it wasn't all my fault. I got a new phone on Monday and any extra time was spent learning about my new touch screen phone, programming, searching for new apps, buying said apps and being all together too cool to know what do about myself. And no--it isn't an I-phone.

Monday
0 hours

Tuesday
Blogging (1 hr)
Photography (2 hrs)

Wednesday
0 hours

Thursday
0 hours

Friday
Blogging (1 hr)

Saturday
Inventory (2 hrs)
Shopping (2 hrs)
Clear Day Poster (1 hr)
Star Book Research (1 hr)

Sunday
Blogging (1 hr)
Clear Day Poster (2 hrs)
Cleaning/Organizing ( 2 hrs)
Paper Box (2 hrs)
Star Book (2 hrs)

Week total - 18 hrs
Cumulative total - 132 hrs

Iron Craft 39

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week, we were challenged to create something that "holds" or "contains" something. I have to admit that I was a bit selfish this week. I had a meet with a potential client who wanted me to create a CD/DVD holder for her wedding. Since I had to make something to hold something else, I decided to create this prototype for our meeting and for my Iron Craft Challenge.

This is the final design that I presented to her. This will be one of three different prototypes that I will provide. Since I buy most of music online, the only CD that I had available was this American Idiot CD.

Overall, I am very please with the way that this project turned out. BTW, the CD is held in place with a "CD hub" that is adhesive backed that you can buy online--who knew these things were even available?

P10K:Day 31

2011-09-25T19:41:00.004-04:00

This week was a compromise between a busy work week and evening commitments but I still managed to make some interesting projects.

Monday
Etsy Listing (1 hr)
Photography (2 hrs)
Blogging (2 hrs)

Tuesday
Blogging (1 hr)
Wedding CD (1 hr)

Wednesday
Wedding CD (1 hr)

Thursday
Ebay listing (2 hrs)

Friday
Blogging ( 1 hr)

Saturday
Wedding CD ( 2hrs)
Paper Box ( 2 hrs)

Sunday
Blogging (2 hrs)
Wedding CD (2 hrs)
Paper box (2 hrs)

Week Total: 21 hours
Cumulative Total: 114 hours

Craft Advice

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Granted, I am not a master crafter. Some people call me an artist but I use that term loosely as I don't necessarily consider myself as such. While I live in my own little self-contained world, I do believe in sharing tidbits of knowledge with those people who read my blog. Every now and then, I will offer tidbits of advice regarding how I create.

Today, I want to share a creating delayer that prevents people (at least, me) from creating in a continuous and fun matter. If you concentrate on the larger picture of having fun, you can enjoy the fun and bypass the drudgery of crafting/creating.

In other words, don't let the chores of creating get in the way of the creation. As an example, let me explain my OCD tendencies. I usually need to organize and clean my studio before engaging in a new project. Usually that means, putting supplies and instruments back in their place before moving on. What I have learned to do is to place these items in their general locations (where I can still find them and use them) rather than in their specifically designated homes.

While I could easily waste time and organize all of the items and place them where they SHOULD be, instead I put all of the items in their general locations (i.e., card stock with card stock, cutting utensils near my storage box, etc.). This way I can still find the items but I don't get bogged down in organizing when organizing isn't desperately necessary.

In the long run, this frees me up to create rather than postponing having fun with the nuisance of having everything perfectly placed at which point, I would mess them up again.

Iron Craft 38 & Accordion Book (Part 3)

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge was based on the classic color combination of Black and White. While I do have to admit that this is one of my favorite color combinations, I decided to do some double duty with this challenge. I wanted to use this week's challenge as a prototype for a book that I have recently been commissioned to make. While I had figured out many of the logistical matters with Parts 1 and 2 of this series, the special challenge of this commission was an accordion book that had pockets. While not an outlandish request, it did take some special planning.

(left) the book tied on the fore edge (using one black and one white ribbon)

(right) the ribbons as they exit the spine of the book

I decided to use a white paper with a black flocked pattern from India. There is a beautiful tactile quality to the paper and the black pattern really is striking against the white paper. The difficulties with the paper are that it is thick and the flocking comes off when cut. I had to make sure that I cleaned all my work surfaces after each step of the bookbinding process--especially when gluing.

(left) Front of the book--six pages including two pockets

(right) Back of the book--four pages including two pockets

To illustrate to my client the capabilities of the book, I decided to continue the challenge and mount 4" by 6" black and white photos to show what the finished book could look like. For the pages with no pockets, each photo was mounted on black and silver card stock. For the pages with pockets, each photo was mounted on black card stock only.

(above) Page with pocket--photo with single mat

One of the aspects of photo albums that bothers me is what to do with a photo that has the wrong orientation. When this happens, you have to keep rotating the album according to the photo's orientation. By having a pocket in your photo album, you simply can place the photo in a pocket and pull out the photo to look at it (as illustrated above).

Accordion Books Part 2

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

(front cover)

As promised, here is the commissioned work that I told you about yesterday. The customer wanted an accordion book that had sixteen pages (fourteen usable sides) for 4" by 6" photographs. She provide me with a piece of vintage fabric that she wanted to me to use.

We met on three occasions so we could agree on size, pages, and images. I made an acetate viewfinder so we could pick the images that she wanted to feature on the front and back cover.

(back cover)

As you can see below, the ribbons exit from both the spine and fore edge so that the book can be fully extended (both sides untied) or opened like a book (spine tied shut, fore edge ties untied.

Above: here are the two covers next to each other
Below: the opened book

I have to say that I am very pleased with the way the book turned out. You might notice that I used a narrower ribbon which helped with the problems tying the book as mentioned yesterday.

Accordion Books Part 1

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

This past week, I have been dedicated to mastering the Accordion book form. The accordion book is one of the first book structures taught in bookbinding class. The premise of the book is relatively simple--you fold some pages, cover your front and back cover, and then you glue the text block (the folded sheets) in place and you are done. While that might sound simple in theory, it is deceptively difficult to execute with precision.

The first problem (and one that I will illustrate later) is pyramiding your pages. The perfect accordion book has pages that lie exactly on top of each other. You have to fold with precision in order to make this happen. Most times, one page will jut out past the other pages which will spoil the look of the book.

I had a special order from a customer that wanted me to make her an accordion book and to use vintage fabric for the book cloth. In order to get the mechanics right, I made some prototypes because I didn't want to ruin or waste her fabric.

Here is a book where I used a fabric from a baby shower as a book cloth. While I love the fabric, there were a few problems that I had to work out. The customer wants ties on the front and back of the book. This option allows you to open the accordion book like a regular book (if you keep the back tied together). In the sample below, the ties are too short and I forgot to cut the grosgrain ribbon at an angle (thereby allowing it to fray).

Below is the second problem that I had. The photo shows the inside covers of the book and the ribbon is leaving a large indentation in the cover. What I also realized is the ribbon wasn't too short--it simple didn't need to be placed so far into the covers.

Having noticed my mistakes, I decided to try and make another prototype before tackling my commissioned book. This time, I used a separate piece of fabric from the same lot. Also, I wanted to try a different closure. This closure would have the ribbon exit the back (spine) of the book and would come forward to tie on the front (fore edge).

This solved several issues that I had with the first prototype and would help me with a book that I would make for my Iron Craft project this week. I also solved the problem with the indentation of the ribbon as shown below.

While this is a bad picture because of the lighting, you can barely see in the middle crease where the ribbon is fixed to the book. This time, I cut a more shallow groove for the ribbon and then I filled in the indentation with a piece of scrap paper. I then used a waste sheet as filler so the the turn-ins wouldn't be as prominent.

Tomorrow, I will share with you my commissioned project.

P10K:Day 24

2011-09-18T22:21:00.002-04:00

The week has been plagued with a struggle between my new freedom and my pursuit of artistic endeavors. The show that was playing at my theater closed and now I have my evening free. Granted, I should be rushing home after my day job and dedicating myself to my art. Unfortunately, like a starved man visiting a free buffet, I have been enjoying my evenings while they last--especially since the evening weather in NYC has been glorious.

As I look at my hours of productivity, I notice that I dedicate my weekends almost exclusively to my art so all is not lost. This week has been dedicated to making prototypes for some sales that are due this week in my etsy store.

Monday
Blogging (1 hr)

Tuesday
Blogging (2 hrs)
Small Accordion Book--Iron Craft (4 hrs)

Wednesday
Blogging (2 hrs)
Ribbon Paddles (4 hrs)

Thursday
Accordion Books (3 hrs)

Friday
Blogging (2 hrs)
Accordion Books (2 hrs)

Saturday
Accordion Books (4 hrs)
Cleaned Studio (2 hrs)
Bowling Book (2 hrs)

Sunday
Fun Fur Book (2 hrs)
Cleaned Studio (1 hr)
Handmade Book Cloth (1 hr)

Week ending total 32 hrs
Cumulative total 93 hrs

Craft Hint

2011-09-15T15:47:00.004-04:00

Today, I had an epiphany. I was tired. My circadian rhythms are off and I am getting to bed early and rising even earlier. It was 5:00 AM and I woke up and wanted to organize my container of ribbon. Ribbon had been on my mind because I had to stop off at M&J trim to get me some 1/4" ribbon for a accordion book project that has been vexing me. I will share that project with you on Friday. Because I ordered so much ribbon, this was what I was given.

Yes--an absolute mess. Now granted, this is only part of the mess because it didn't dawn on me to take a picture before I started the organizing. Anyway, I knew that there had to be a better way to organize the ribbon than to leave it loose like this. I decided to make some ribbon paddles out of scrap book board that I had been saving. I usually save all of the off cuts of paper and book board until they are absolutely too small to use for anything else. Here is a photo of my trash bin filled with the book board off cuts.

There was no precision to the project. I simply started cutting pieces of book board in 2.5" by 5.5" sizes. I was planning on storing the ribbon in some small snack size ziploc bags that I had in the kitchen. When I was learning about portion control for my diabetes, I had to portion out snacks into these snack size bags. Of course, me being one to go overboard, I bought boxes of these bags to use only to find out that I only needed them for about one month. So, I now had another purpose for these bags.

I wrapped the ribbon around the paddle (btw, it is easier to turn the paddle rather than wrap the ribbon around the paddle), placed it into its little bag and then moved on. The final result--

The beauty of this project is that all of your ribbon remains wrinkle free, easy to handle and lies flat in the container. I am now wrapping all of my ribbon like this. This will reduce the space taken up by spools of ribbon which is a big waste of space.

Iron Craft 37

2011-09-14T09:32:00.003-04:00

This week on Iron Craft, we were challenged to create something small. At first, I had a little trouble deciding what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to work in a book format, but I was fighting with time constraints. Also, I knew that I wanted to work with scraps so the size was going to be determined by what I had left over.

Since I have recently been working on some accordion books (a later post this week), I decided to do a miniature accordion book. I had a strip of paper that was already cut and folded in half so all I needed to do was fold the accordion pages. The pages ended up being 3.75" wide by 2.5" tall. Once the boards were cut, I covered them with a Japanese washi paper in a chrysanthemum paper.

Not satisfied with a plain white page accordion book, I decided to decorate the pages before pasting them to the covers. Since I am starting to work on my Valentine's cards, I decided to make this a Valentine book--a small book to place one's love devotions. I punched hearts in different locations on the white page using two different punches. I then cut and punched different red color card stock and pasted them to the back side of the white pages.

So the white pages have red hearts.

And the red pages have white hearts.

Overall, I am very pleased with how these turned out.

P10K:Day 17

2011-09-11T14:17:00.003-04:00

This was a busy week because the show that was performing at my theater was in its final performance so there was so much work to do that I didn't have time to post everything this week that I wanted to do. There simply wasn't enough time in the day. The upside to the show closing is that I will have my nights off for the next couple for about 2 months which will give me lots more time to be creative and to fill up my etsy store for the holidays.

Tuesday
Accordion Book Project (1 hr)
Book Review (1 hr)

Wednesday
Book Review (1hr)
Blogging (1hr)

Thursday
According Book Redux (2 hr)

Friday
Blogging (1hr)

Saturday
Blogging (1 hr)
Etsy store listings (1hr)

Sunday
Blogging (2 hrs)

Week Total = 13 hours
Cumulative Total = 61 hours

Pamphlet Book

2011-09-09T13:43:00.001-04:00

I always have stacks of paper in some form of undress waiting to be used. Sometimes, I have paper in the press waiting to be sewn into a text block. Sometimes, I have paper that is already folded and pressed waiting to be used for last minute emergency gifts.

I fell in love with this paper during one of my visits to NY Central Art Supply. The paper is a 100 percent rag paper (A5 size, 150 gsm) from South India and is sold by Khadi Papers. I love the tactile quality of the paper and the paper is good for watercolor, painting and all drawing media. Unfortunately, the paper isn't suitable for journal writing but would be a great paper for art journaling.

Using the basics of the 10 minute journal illustrated in Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker, I adapted the project to fit the materials I had at hand (after the miserable failure mentioned earlier this week). I folded the pages in half and was about to sew then together when I realized that I didn't like that the first page would be the front cover of the book. Carriker sews a button on the first page to help keep the book closed. Instead, I decided to add a piece of card stock to add some stability to the book and to act as a cover. I then decided to use a decorative piece of paper as a wrapper to give it a more polished finish. I would then sew all layers together using a pamphlet stitch and use the extra binding thread as a closure for the book.

(l) the book as sewn through all layers
(r)the grey card stock cover and the paper wrapper

Another aspect about the original project is that I didn't want the mechanics of the closure to show. Therefore, I sewed the button through the decorative paper and the card stock cover. I then glued down the wrap around front flap of the decorative paper to cover the sewing and to give a polished look to the journal. Also, after using the extra thread from the pamphlet stitch, I decided to tie a fob at the end of the thread to act an a weight and a finishing touch to the loose thread. The thread is long enough to be used as a bookmark when the book is in use.

(l) you can see the sewing on the spine of the book
(r) the extra thread from the spine is used as a closure around the button

Review:Art at the Speed of Life

2011-09-06T13:10:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned earlier, I have been reading Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker. The tag line of the book is "motivation+ inspiration for making mixed-media art every day." While I enjoyed viewing the book, there were a few minor criticisms that I wanted to share with you.

One of my biggest pet peeves with DIY books is that they don't give you enough information to complete a project. A second pet peeve is when they give you step by step instructions on how to replicate the exact project that is in the book. I would rather they provide me/show me detailed instructions on how to use the technique so I can create a project on my own.

The first problem above is inexcusable. Leaving out simple details becomes disastrous and, often times, discouraging. For example, on pages 24 and 25, the author illustrates how to make a "ten minute journal" which will be the basis of some of the projects presented in the book. The author provides the reader with a materials list including "one sheet of watercolor paper, 22 in by 30 in." Basically it is a pamphlet booklet which is no problem. The problem is that the author does not list a paper weight with which to start.

Here was my first attempt. After folding the page as instructed, there was no way that I would be able to use my bone folder to rip the folded pages to create the signatures. Even if I wet the pages (as instructed), I don't think that the booklet would be able to close. I used 140lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper (definitely too heavy of a paper).

Clearly frustrated, I went to the other extreme and used a 70lb text weight page so I could see if the structure would work. The author tells you to rip the folded pages with your bone folder to make a deckled edge. The biggest problem here is that not all of your pages will be deckled unless you start with a deckled edge paper at the beginning (which most watercolor paper isn't). Granted, most people wouldn't mind but the point of having a deckled edge is for aesthetic purposes--so why would someone want some pages deckled and some not.

Of course, the problem here is that the paper would not hold up to many wet medium and the pages would need a card stock cover to add some heft to the project.

The biggest strength of the book is the motivational factor that the author provides to those busy people who want to create art in a limited time frame. The invited essays from real mixed media artists provide motivation on making art, making art while busy, making art on a budget and the challenges/pitfalls/traps new artists encounter. If the author had simply made a collection of these types of essays then the book would have been much more informative to me.

P10K: Day 11

2011-09-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

Today was a little slow because I was feeling a little bit under the weather and it was also Labor Day. Since the had the morning off from my day job, I had hope to log in some serious hours but I just couldn't get motivated to get out of bed.

I listed some items in my etsy store (1 hr) and I continued to blog (1 hr).

Custom Orders

2011-09-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Someone asked me to share with you the books that were custom ordered for this week. Originally, I had called them the "Nieces" books because they were going to be a gift for one of my co-worker's nieces.

The brief was for two blank, medium, unlined journals. The younger niece likes owls and the colors blue and green. The older niece likes the color purple and is the more mature of the two girls and likes to write and draw.

For the owl book, I cut out an owl face stencil design out of card stock. Because it was a stencil, I had the choice of using the pieces (the positive) to use as an embossed image or the stencil (the negative) as a debossed image. I decided to use the pieces. I cut out four faces and mounted them to the cover board. The book cloth is a beautiful teal velvet paper. The end sheets are hand marbled paper from one of my favorite artists--Rhoda Miller.

Left: Owl Book(l) and Iris Book (r)

Right: Hand Marbled end sheets by Rhonda Miller

Iris Book featuring Hand Marbled Paper by Rhonda Miller

The Iris book is one of my 3/4 bound books. In other words, the book cloth covers the entire back cover and 1/4 of the front cover. The remaining 3/4 of the front cover is a decorative paper. It always frustrates me to have to turn a book over when I accidentally open the back of the book. Without a label on the front, many times it is hard to tell which is the front or the back. This is my solution to the dilemma--the decorative paper is always the front of the book.

Note to Rhonda--You see, I really do use your papers and don't just hoard them.

Iron Craft 23

2011-09-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week were required to do a craft based on maps. Since my friends were coming for their annual Yankees game outing, I decided to draw them a map for the area so they could have something to do while I was at work.

P10K: Day Ten

2011-09-04T21:11:00.002-04:00

I am glad to say that I had a wonderful Sunday. I was supposed to go out for some commitments but I decided to be a little selfish and nourish my soul by making some books. Considering that I had a self imposed deadline, I was working toward a goal.

I finished the special order books that I will share with you tomorrow.

Finished Owl book (2 hrs)
Finished Iris book (1.5 hrs)
Blogging and Etsy Posting (2.5 hrs).

Week Ending total = 32 hrs
Cumulative total = 48 hours (only 9,952 more hours).

Iron Craft 22

2011-09-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

This week's challege was to design something associated with al fresco/picnic dining. One of my friends has a daughter who is infatuated with bugs. I designed this cutout paper poster for her birthday.

Iron Craft 21

2011-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge was to create something based on our cultural heritage. I decided to do Papel Picado which is famous in Mexico. I remember my grandmother cutting these out for special occasions like weddings and birthdays. These are paper banners that usually feature a recurring pattern. They are hung from a string and then draped across the room.

P10K: Day Nine

2011-09-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

It was a glorious day in NYC and I was torn between going outside and enjoying the weather and making books. Happily for me, I was able to make some books. I am still working on the custom order for the niece books which are due on Monday (Labor Day).

I was able to make a prototype and was glad that I did because I make a couple of errors in execution. The nice aspect of it all is that I know have an example of an embossed book which also represents a sample of my large blank journal book--so all is not lost.

Owl Book Design (1 hr)
Owl Book Manufacturing (2 hrs)
Blogging (2 hrs)

Iron Craft 20

2011-09-03T20:50:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge was to create something using our old T-shirts. I decided to so a freezer paper stencil that some of the crafters had already done. I cut each of the stencils out of the freezer paper and then used my new fabric air brush machine.

Iron Craft 18

2011-09-03T20:43:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge was to created something based on flowers. I decided to do this cut paper cards. The entire series is called Garden Party. The backgrounds are tissue paper, colored vellum, plain vellum and printed vellum.

P10K: Day Eight

2011-09-02T23:00:00.001-04:00

Today was the Friday before Labor Day and I took off from my day job and had full intentions of creating art until I had to go to the theater. Unfortunately, life threw me a curve ball and I had to spend the morning running around the Bronx trying to take care of some business. Needless to say, I didn't do as many hours as I would have liked on P10K but I was able to log in some hours.

Planning/Designing Niece Books (1 hr)
Blogging (1 hr)
Reading Art at the Speed of Life (2 hrs).

Iron Craft Seventeen

2011-09-02T21:10:00.002-04:00

This week's challenge was dedicated to Kate and William's wedding. This is a wedding album that I created for one of my friends. The colors of the decorative paper matched the colors of the wedding and the ginko leaf was a design element on their invitations.

Iron Craft Sixteen

2011-09-02T20:56:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge was dedicated to money. I decided to use yen coin for a fashener for one of my decorative boxes. This is a simply dropped spine box that is covered in a green, sun-dyed fern pattern. The tray is covered in a moss colored suede paper and the bottom is lined with the same fern paper.

The closure is a yen coin that his been wrapped with a gold organdy ribbon that is glued under the lid of the box. The corresponding loop is glued under the tray.

P10K: Day Seven

2011-09-01T23:23:00.003-04:00

I really think that it is humorous at times when people assume that you can drop everything and make a book. Sure, store bought books are easy to handle in that you simply go to the store, find something that you think that you will like, and then pay for it. You start doing whatever you bought the book for and then realize that it isn't exactly what you had hoped for. If you are like me, you go and look at a different store for the right journal.

When people ask me to make them a book, Ifind it funny that they expect that everything is ready for me to simply complete their order. An acquaintance of mine asked me to make a pair of books for his nieces that have birthdays next week. He was surprised when I said that I might not be able to make them on such short notice. I told him that I would have to cut and fold paper for the signatures (sections), press them, sew them, glue them, press them again, and then case them in. "Really? That's how you make a book?" he said. All I could say was "Yep. That's how I make books."

Cut paper (1 hour)
Folded paper (1 hour)
Stitched Pamphlets for charity (1 hour)
Blogged (1 hour)

P10K: Day Six

2011-08-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

I had another busy day today with work and apartment hunting. Unfortunately, I had limited time to play but I was able to get in a few hours towards the P10K.

Nina art journal pages (1 hr)

Cut paper for journal pages (1 hr)

Blogging (1 hr)

Iron Craft 35

2011-08-31T00:05:00.000-04:00

This week we were assigned to do something with a book. This was such a difficult challenge for me because this is what I do all of the time. I make books. I remake books. I tear ugly books apart and make them look better. I cut books. I fold books. Oh--all of the options.

When I attend craft fairs to sell my books and art work, I always have a hard time giving out business cards. People always ask for them and I wanted to do something other than just keep them in a pile on the display table. I have one of those acrylic business card holders but it just doesn't look artistic. So I decided to make a business card holder out of an old book that I had.

I cut the spine and only used half of the book. I divided the book into four equal sections and I divided the page into four equal parts. For the first section, I would make a cut one quarter from the bottom of the page (cutting from the spine to the fore edge). I then folded the one quarter strip once from fore edge to the spine. In the first section, I folded the three quarter pages from the fore edge to the spine and then again so that it was half the size of the one quarter strip.

For the second section of the book, I made cuts at one quarter and one half which left me with three strips of paper per page. The lower quarter and the top half strips were double folded from fore edge to the spine. The second section from the bottom was folded only once.

For the third section of the book, I made cuts from the bottom half, and one quarter from the top. The bottom half and the top quarter were double folded while the remaining quarter (second quarter from the top) was folded only once.

Finally, for the last section of the book, I made a cut from the bottom three quarters of the page and leaving the top quarter. I double folded the bottom section and single folded the top quarter. All in all, this left me with a rotating section from bottom to top of one section of the page that stuck out further than the rest of the pages. These were the pages that would hold my business cards. The double folded sections would hold postcards that announced my exhibitions or postcards for sale. Overall, the project took about 8 hours to complete over two days and 12 Exacto blades.

Here is the finished tower (which I conveniently call "Hedgehog). You can see the single folded and double folded sections and how the single folded sections rotate around the tower.

Here, I have highlighted two sections that have business cards already inserted. My business cards are the grey cards extended past the pages.

Here are the business cards and postcards in the finished hedgehog. The postcards are NYC postcards that I sell but you can tell the finished look of the project.

P10K: Day Five

2011-08-30T23:30:00.003-04:00

Today, I had a pretty busy day so I didn't get to play as much as I would have liked. I started the preliminary sketches for a cutout Thank You card (1 hr) and I blogged for a little bit (1 hr). I consider it a success because I want to do something every day towards my P10K. So, two hours are better than no hours.

P10K: Day Four

2011-08-29T23:33:00.003-04:00

An acquaintance of mine died during Hurricane Irene. She didn't die directly from the hurricane--she only didn't wake up from the aftermath of the storm. I am on a neighborhood watch in my neighborhood and I look after 10 elderly women. They range in age from 52 to 92, all of them live alone with the exception of Nina and Daisy Espirito who are sisters (ages 86 and 92). Nina, aged 92, did not wake from her sleep after the hurricane passed through NYC.

I share this situation with you because I wanted to create a two page spread in my personal art journal dedicated to Nina. I wanted to highlight two of her many anecdotes regarding her long and storied live. Normally, I would have fussed and fretted over the layout and many times, it would simply remain in my head. Working on P10K made me realize--art pieces, many times, are works in progress. In other words, Michelangelo performed many drawings and sketches before painting the Sistine chapel. DaVinci painted over previous painting before finalizing a finished portrait. Why would I think that I could produce, instantly, a work of art?

I trace this mentality to my lack of artistic play when I was a child. I never really experimented artistically when I was growing up. Everything had to be a finished, perfect outcome. Coloring outside the lines wasn't permitted, grass was always green, trees had to look like trees or the drawing paper was thrown away. Before P10K, I never would have shared a work in progress--especially, one that I wasn't initially pleased with.

Here is the first rendering of the spread. I like the background colors and textures and I like the quotes that I have chosen to use. I don't like the daisies or the printing on the right side of the page. The beauty of the project is that it isn't completed. I can change it, rearrange it, color over it, add to it. I know that this sounds simple but to me it really is a revelation. I am producing this spread for MY pleasure. I'm not going to sell it, I'm not on a deadline and this isn't a commission. This is for ME. As long as I am pleased with the process of making something that pleases me--then that is the transformative nature of art.

10 minute journal project--2 hours
Nina Espirito layout--2 hours
Blogging--1 hour

P10K: Day Three

2011-08-28T23:45:00.004-04:00

Today, I got a lot done while waiting for Hurricane Irene to hit NYC. Thankfully, we were spared the wrath of the hurricane although there was plenty of water damage and flooding in the lower parts of Manhattan. I survived unscathed in the Bronx. Because I had the entire day to myself, I was able to log in a whole bunch of hours in my project--now to be referred to as P10K.

I finished reading the book, Outliers, and was glad that I read it. Being a sociologist, it was a pleasant read and dispels some of our myths regarding success and how it is perceived and evaluated. The chapter regarding the 10,000 hour rule is what intrigued me the most. More importantly, the book also stresses that when there is an immediate intrinsic reward associated with hard work, we are much more likely to want to spend the required 10,000 hours to become proficient. While I found fault with some of the logic of the book, I was glad that I completed the it (2 hours).

I also dedicated time to catching up my blog entries regarding my Iron Craft projects. I count these hours as part of my P10K because the more information that I post about my art, my techniques, and my projects, the more likely people are going to want to see, and possibly purchase, my work. Part of the development of my art must include developing the business side of my art. If I don't develop the business side then I will never be able to become a full time artist (1 hour).

I also cleaned and organized my studio. I have a difficult time being creative if the studio is a mess. I would walk by the studio and move on rather than create which is opposite to what I am trying to do in the P10K. When I clean the studio, I am always amazed at rediscovering lost items or finding materials that I had forgotten(4 hours).

I finished my project for this week's Iron Craft Challenge. I will share pictures on Wednesday. I am really pleased with the way the project turned out (2 hours--finishing and taking pictures).

Finally, I have started reading a new book called Art at the Speed of Life. I will write a review upon completing the book (1 hour).

Total hours this week: 16
Total cumulative hours: 16

BTW, when I reference books that I am reading or reviewing, I do not get paid by the author or by amazon.com. I simply shop amazon and therefore provide their link to the the book I am reading. I am in no way getting compensated for discussing the book. If in the event I receive some compensation (either a free preview copy, etc.), I will disclose this information during that post.

Iron Craft Fifteen

2011-08-28T15:31:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge was to use Peeps Bunnies or Chicks in some way. While I must go on record to say that I have never eaten, or desired to eat, Peeps, I was a little puzzled by this challenge. As I was shopping for the Peeps and was trying to get candy for Easter (I have eaten my weight in Starburst Jelly beans and Skittles), I noticed some colorful candies.

Buying bags of candy in a variety of colors, I was hoping for some inspiration. One of the actor's from the theater was throwing away this tall vase. My inspiration came to me instantly. I layered jelly beans (which I had to sacrifice from my PERSONAL stash), malted eggs, and bunny Peeps. I have always wondered if they were still classified as Peeps if they were bunnies. Chicks peep but what sound does a bunny made. In truth, what do bunnies do besides mate, eat and make poop. Maybe the chicks should be Peeps and the bunnies should be Poops.

Iron Craft Fourteen

2011-08-28T15:13:00.004-04:00

This week's challenge was to create postcards that would then be sent to a recipient. I wanted to make something specific to the person(s) who were going to receive the postcard. By the luck of the draw, I was assigned to send cards to Thing1 and Thing2 the only other male contestants in the Iron Craft challenge (they are the sons of one of the organizers of the challenge).

Since they like Harry Potter, I decided to do some cutouts relating to the books. The top card is one of the posters for the movie series and the second is the crest of Harry's dorm at school. The cutouts are mounted on hand colored cold pressed watercolor paper.

Day Two

2011-08-27T23:52:00.002-04:00

Today, I continued to read the book Outliers . I still consider this as applicable to my hour count because I am still using the time to develop my craft. I have spent most of the day dealing with the impending hurricane so I have plenty of time on my hands.

I have also started my Iron Craft project for this week (week 35) in which we are supposed to do something with a book. I know exactly the project that I am going to work on and have started to work on it. The project is called "The Hedgehog" and I am looking forward to its completion.

August 26-- 2 hours working on The Hedgehog
August 27--4 hours reading Outliers

10,000 hour challenge

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have been reading the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It is a great book that discusses success: how we measure it, how it is obtained, and the conditions in which it thrives. The second chapter is titled: The 10,000 hour rule and states that people who have become proficient in a skill or activity have dedicated over 10,000 hours to its development. He provides several examples to illustrate his point.

This rule has made me wonder--if I had 10,000 hours to dedicate to something, what would I develop? In the book, Gladwell estimates that it takes people approximately 10 years to become truly proficient at something (equitable to 10,000 hours). I wanted to know exactly how long 10,000 hours really was. If I work continuously, I would have to work non-stop for one year and 52 days.

Also, it made me wonder--what skill would I want to develop. So, in answer to this challenge and in celebration of my birthday, I have decided to log in 10,000 hours to become the best paper artist that I can be. I struggled with this decision because I didn't know if I wanted to dedicate myself solely to make books, or boxes, or paper art. I decided to develop all of the skills associated with paper arts.

I hope to share with you the results of my quest by posting projects that I have completed or are in the making but also explaining and logging my hours until I reach my 10,000 hours.

Iron Craft Week Thirteen

2011-04-04T23:13:00.004-04:00

This week's challenge was titled "Best in Show" and featured crafts based on animals (roundup1 and roundup2). I love animals and wish that I wasn't so busy so I could have a pet at home. I'm allergic to cats (but love them) and I am very partial to dogs--of all sizes. In terms of favorite animals--one would have to be elephants. I was very lucky to have a friend that worked at an elephant pen at a local zoo. I actually got to pet, feed and oil the elephants. When elephant's skin starts to dry out, you have to spray oil on them to keep them moisturized. You get this big tank and a spray nozzle (like those spray wax machines for your cars) and stray them with oil. My favorite time was when I got to play with twin baby elephants. A baby elephant reminds me of a balloon with ears. My second favorite animal is the panda. I have been infatuated with pandas since I was little. I decided to do this cutout because I think it's cool to see a parent with their child (rather it is in the animal or human world). I was really please with the way that this turned out and will be more pleased when I do it in a larger format. This is a hand painted watercolor background and measures 5.5" by 6.25" and appears in my art journal.

Iron Craft Week Twelve

2011-04-04T23:05:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge was devoted to "Luck." I was truly inspired by some of the terrariums that were built for last week's "Green" challenge. As I was walking to the local bodega to get a Coke Zero, I rounded the corner and saw this vendor that was selling bamboo stalks. In NYC, we call it Lucky Bamboo and you must buy three stalks for it to be lucky--actually, I think the vendors make that up in order to sell more bamboo. I bought the bamboo for $2. I already had the river rocks from another project and I retrieved the vase from the trash as it was being thrown away by one of the actors at the theater. Even though I spent money, I think that it is a good project (roundup1 and roundup2).

Iron Craft Week Eleven

2011-04-04T22:55:00.004-04:00

This week's challenged was based on the color "green" in honor of St. Patty's Day. I have to say that I had to revert to my old craft days and design some cards because I really don't "do" green. I hate green--I always have. I don't have very many green clothes. I really don't have green anything--especially in craft supplies.

We were instructed not to do any "Green" as in recycling, etc. We had to use the color "green." This placed me in a very difficult situation because--I didn't even have any green card stock to do a cutout. Other crafters didn't have as many problems as I did (roundup1 and roundup2).

I started searching my stash of supplies and found some old pressed leaves and flowers that I had used in a previous project. I decided to mount them in my oval designed tri-fold cards. One was in a pale green/yellow card stock and the other was a desert colored brown card stock. The papers used were petal infused handmade paper from Kate's Paperie that I had on hand. Overall, I was pleased with how they turned out.

Iron Craft Week Ten

2011-04-04T22:39:00.004-04:00

This week's challenge was called "Fat Tuesday in the Quarter." I had no idea what the challenge was going to be. We were required to make something out of a "fat quarter" of fabric. First of all, I had no idea what a fat quarter was. More importantly, I had no idea if I had any fabric hanging around the apartment or studio.

It was explained to me that a quarter yard of fabric is usually 9" by 44" when cut off the bolt. A fat quarter is cut differently and measures 18" by 22" which gives you more options on how to use the material. A general guideline is the shape and size of a bandanna. I was amazed at the projects that were created with such a small piece of fabric (roundup1 and roundup2).

I was really stumped on this challenge because I had vowed not to spend any money on these projects. I was looking for old T-shirts or old shirts that I could use. I had a couple of options in clothing. I was also looking at old bedding that could be used and had a couple of options there as well. I decided to look in my sewing storage container and found this beautiful piece of fabric that I had used several years ago. The fabric was left over from a bulletin board project that I had made for a friend of mine. It featured large poppy flowers in oranges, yellows and browns.

I decided to make a large storage box with brown book cloth and used a piece of the fabric as the inset in the top of the box. I had to back the fabric with paper so that the glue wouldn't seep through the fabric. I used a heat bond adhesive and backed the fabric with Japanese tissue.

Iron Craft Week Nine

2011-04-04T22:25:00.005-04:00

This week's challenge was called "And the Oscar Goes to . . ." and we were supposed to a project inspired by the movies (roundup1 and roundup2). This was an easy challenge for me as I already had a project planned but I never got around to actually completing it.

I had found a book called "100 Faces of Hollywood" at an old bookstore. Many of the pages were damaged and waterlogged but there were many good pages that could be used for something. I had already separated the pages for using in a project but just hadn't pull the trigger to make it happen. I decided to make envelopes out of the pictures.

The envelopes are A6 sized which fits a 4" by 6" card. Each of the envelopes featured an Oscar award winning actor/actress/director. The envelopes are lined on the inside for added strength. The liners are made from Abercrombie and Fitch catalog pages.

Iron Craft Week Eight

2011-04-04T22:08:00.004-04:00

For this week of Iron Craft, we were challenged to craft something dedicated to our hometown (roundup1 and roundup2). I was on the fence about what I wanted to do. I could have done my hometown of Houston, Texas which would have been easy. I could have done West Lafayette, Indiana which was were I went to school. Or, I could do my current hometown of New York City. While I have only lived in NYC since 2002, I believe that NYC really is my hometown because I truly believe that it the place that I was meant to live.

I was walking down Broadway on my way to the theater, and I was overwhelemed by the street vendors handing out brochures for theater ticket discounts. At that moment, I realized that I wanted to do an homage to Broadway theater. I designed a two page spread in my art journal. The paper is Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. On one page, I used my handmade alcohol inks to lay down a background and did the paper cutout of the Statue of Liberty. The other pages uses a NYC subway map printed paper on which I cutout images from some of my favorite Broadway shows--Mary Poppins, West Side Story and the Lion King.

Iron Craft Week Seven

2011-02-16T01:17:00.002-05:00

This week's challenge was called "Midas Touch." I thought about doing something with gold leaf as was suggested. I also considered doing something with gold spray paint or embossing powders, etc. I woke up one morning with this idea--a paper cut of a silhouette fingerprint that was then backed with gold paper.

I tried to fingerprint myself and after thirty minutes and a dried out ink pad, I finally came up with several prints to choose from. For some reason, I was attracted to this thumb print. After spending way too many hours cut, I decided to mount it on a piece of gold textured card stock.

I am rather happy to say that I am very pleased with the outcome.

Valentine's Day Mystery Cards

2011-02-14T08:00:00.008-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently but Valentine's Day crept up on me and I was unprepared. I made several one of a kind cards that I will be sharing with you soon (of course, I can't post them here until after the big day as not to ruin the surprise for the lucky recipients).

I do want to share with you a project that I have been working on which has really been taking up my time. After reading the blog of one of my favorite art bloggers (Dude Craft), I came across this entry and wanted to do an anonymous, feel good project for Valentine's Day. I came up with mini-valentine's cards that people could leave for those they love. They are small mini-envelope sized cards that are empty on the inside so that an inscription can be left for any occasion. I used to leave them for other people and I called them "just because" cards.

For this project, I bundled up five different cards with envelopes in white tissue paper with the explanation sticker showing and left them throughout NYC. I left them at my theater, at grocery stores, at the library, and at several bookstores--all anonymously. There are over 120 Love Note packages (that's 600 individual cards) floating around for people to find and use.

I just want people to share the love--whenever--not just for Valentine's Day.

Iron Craft Week 5

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week on Iron Craft, we were tasked with designing and making a Valentine's card. I was happy to say that this was an easy challenge for me especially since I make cards every day. I decided to return to my roots and paint some new backgrounds and make some quote cards.

To make the backgrounds, I take a single sheet of watercolor paper and paint, stipple, scrape, paste, cover, manipulate and layer it. Then, I cut the paper into individual pieces that I use to make the card. Each card is an original card since it can't be re-created because the single sheet of watercolor paper can never be duplicated. The background for the top card above was made with a watercolor wash, mulberry paper and gel medium. The bottom card was made with a watercolor wash, alcohol ink splashes, mulberry paper, and gel medium.

The top card above was made with a watercolor wash, re-inker splashes, and salt placed on the wet watercolor. Gel Medium was not used so that a matte finish could result.

The image on the bottom card was made with permanent ink and a rubber stamp. I then used colored pencils and Gamsol to tint the image. The image just makes me smile. I will be making these cards to give away for the Meals on Wheels card program.

Broadway Boxes #3

2011-02-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

As mentioned yesterday, this past weekend was full of making Broadway boxes. For the week of February 1 through February 6, Melissa Etheridge will be performing in the musical American Idiot. She will be making her Broadway debut with this show. To commemorate her performance, there will be a special Playbill/program that will feature her picture--for this week only. To congratulate her on this accomplishment, I was asked to make a presentation box to hold her commemorative Playbill.

The case of the box is covered in a red Japanese iridescent book cloth. When tilted, there is a purple sheen to the fabric. On the cover of the box, I have debossed the same heart grenade and the title of the show--American (running vertically) and Idiot (running horizontally). The tray is covered in a French Marbled paper in colors of red, black and gold.

The interior of the box is covered in black Prestige paper. The tray on the right is filled with a platform so that there is height to the Playbill. The platform is covered in black Prestige paper as well. The structure of the box is a classic drop-spine box.

Broadway Boxes #2

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend was full of making more boxes to give away as members of the cast left the Broadway musical American Idiot. The actor that left on Sunday was a featured actor who did not have any program inserts. Therefore, a new style of box was necessary. The above sample uses reversible Unryu paper from Thailand. The lid of the box is debossed with a symbol from the show--a heart grenade. The interior of the box is capable of holding 4 x 6 photos or postcards. The interior is lined with black Prestige paper.

Tartan vs Plaid vs Gingham (Part 2)

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

In terms of paper weaving, I wanted to illustrate the differences between Gingham, Plaid and Tartan. Using solid colored strips of cardstock, I set out to show the difference between these three designs.

Gingham is two colors of stripes, usually the same width. One color is usually white. Think of picnic tablecloths. Below is an example of a gingham with the strips being 1/2" wide.

A plaid is usually two colors and the width of the stripes can be the same or not. Below is my example of a Buffalo plaid (think flannel shirts) using the traditional red and black. Notice that the widths of the stripes vary--the wider stripes are actually two widths of the same color. All of the stripes are 1/2" but are combined in different patterns to make them wider.

A tartan is usually more than two colors on a solid background. The widths of the stripes change. In this case, I used 1/4" and 1/2" strips in both directions to give the tartan look. Also, I used four different colors to mimic the tartan look. The base color is the dark purple.

Next week, I will discuss using patterned strips and uses for your weaved paper. Have a great weekend.

Tartan vs Plaid vs Gingham

2011-01-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

I opened a total can of worms when I mentioned in my last post that I was trying to mimic a tartan design with my paper weaving. First, I must designate that the terms that I am using are based in America and have a totally different meaning in the UK. In the UK, tartan is the pattern and plaid is a piece of tartan fabric that is worn over the shoulder.

In the United States, I was told that plaid is a pattern that uses two colors usually in consistent perpendicular patterns. Sometimes, the patterns can be different of different widths. When I think of plaid, I think of the buffalo plaid that is common in flannel. Below, is an example of a plaid.

In this case, the widths of the stripes are consistent. When the stripes are the same color and when they appear on a white base (sometimes the base will be a color other than white), I was told that this was classified as a gingham. Usually, the stripes in both directions are the same width, although the widths can be different.

(l) small weave gingham pattern.
(r) large weave gingham pattern.

Tartan, on the other hand, are more than two colored stripes that appear on a solid background. The widths of the stripes are different widths. When we think of tartan, we think of kilts. The patterns below are examples of tartans.

Tartan images courtesy of Wikipedia.com. Plaids and Gingham images courtesy of warmbiscuit.com

Iron Craft--Week Four

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week on Iron Craft, we were supposed to make our own coffee cozy. I don't drink coffee or tea but have randomly stopped by the overpriced coffee store that appears on every other Manhattan street corner in order to get some hot chocolate.

Of course, I knew that I wanted to do something out of paper. So I stopped by the overpriced coffee store that appears on every other Manhattan street corner and acquired (stole) a couple of cardboard cozies to use as templates. I really started to admire the engineering involved with making the cozy because you have to take into consideration the many angles, slopes and tabs.

I have been toying with the idea of trying to use more of my scraps on a project. I decided to do a paper weave with some of my scraps. I used a palette of yellow and red and used two different sizes of strips--1/8th" and 1/2". I was trying for a tartan look and should have used more colors rather than more patterns. All in all, I am pleased with the way that it turned out.

BTW, the cup shown above was thrown away by a co-worker and is acting as a model before rejoining the trash can.

Projects-in-Progress

2011-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

There are several projects that I continually work on--some with and some without a closure date. I have been commissioned by Penguin books to create 10 cutouts that will be used to illustrate a children's story of my choosing. The collection of stories will be illustrated by 10 different artists using 10 different media. My medium will be silhouette cutouts. I have until the end of next week to decide which fairy tale that I will choose. I am leaning towards Jack and the Beanstalk. After viewing this silhouette movie by Lotte Reiniger, I also am intrigued by doing Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs.

I am also working on designing a special Broadway box for Billie Joe Armstrong when he leaves the cast of American Idiot. I hope to cover the box in green leather and feature a logo from the show.

Another project that is in its design stages is a pentagon box with lid. I want to work out the angles and master the logistics of covering the box.

Finally, I need to finish my Iron Craft project this week. This week we are supposed to make a cozy/belly band for a cup of coffee. Of course, mine will be made out of paper but figuring it out will take a little bit more time.

New Year's Resolution #5

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

This year, I hope to be better organized with my materials. As I have been designing products for sale in my Etsy store, I have been deficient in labeling the materials being used. In the product descriptions on my items, I would like to be able to say the type of book cloth, or the type/weight of the paper that I am using, etc.

The problem that I have is that I get so excited about the creating, I just move forward and make things. Once I have the prototype/example, I file the details regarding the making of the item. In other words, I notate the dimensions etc. but never annotate the materials themselves.

Another problem that I have is that I have loads of materials that simply aren't marked. I have rolls of book cloth that I have no idea (1) where I bought it, (2) how much it cost, or (3) its name. I got so excited and folded hundreds of sheets of paper so I could put it in the book press but then forgot to label it so that I could remember the name/weight of the paper. I can still use the paper but I only feel comfortable selling those journals in person because I can't fill out the details in my online store.

Oh well, this is the way one learns the ins and outs of owning your own business.

Paper Fridays--Butterflies, Fans and Cranes, Oh My. . .

2011-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

More of my paper stash for you to love. Have a great weekend.

Broadway Boxes

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Left: Japanese lift top box
Right: Japanese lift top box with inserts

On Broadway, there are several traditions that happen when one of the actors leaves the production. On the final performance, the cast usually sings the song Happy Trails before the curtain raises on the final performance of the leaving actor. Another tradition, especially if the actor is an understudying a role in the show, is to give the actor copies of the program inserts (stuffers) as a memento of their participation in the show.

One of the problems with receiving the inserts is that they are usually loose pieces of paper. Many Broadway shows simply recycle the inserts when the actor leaves the show. For our production, I used to make notepads by using padding solution to glue all of the loose pieces of paper into one solid notepad. We would hand a couple of the notepads to the exiting actor for their own personal use.

For our current production, I have been making handmade boxes to hold the inserts so that actors could have a nicer way to keep their inserts as they use them for scratch paper. This past weekend, I made a prototype for one size of the inserts. It is simple a lift top box to hold the loose inserts inside.

Notice the dimension of the boxes--there is a 1/8th inch reveal of the bottom tray

Here are the two prototypes of boxes that I made for one type of inserts. I am a little partial to the blue box. Both boxes use papers from a marbler in Germany that I will be featuring next week. I am still waiting for his permission to feature him online.

The top and bottom trays are covered in bookcloth and the decorative paper is cut to size.

These boxes are based on a Japanese design that I discovered on my last trip to Japan. I will detail the differences between Western style boxes and Japanese style boxes in a later post. Right now, I just want to bask in their beauty.

Iron Craft Week Three

2011-01-19T00:04:00.007-05:00

I was so excited when I saw the title for this week's challenge on Iron Craft--Just bunt. I was thinking baseball and you know how fanatical I am about baseball. My world came to a crushing halt when I read the description--bunting and garland.

I have to say--I am not a big bunting fan. When I think of bunting, I think 4th of July and those red, white and blue streamers and swags, etc. When I think of garland, I automatically think about Christmas and stringing popcorn and/or cranberries and then the ants that get attracted to such live edible decorations (at least in Texas where I grew up).

I was actually going to skip this week due to a lack of imagination and a backlog of custom orders. Then, I got a shout-out and then boasted that Thing1, Thing2 and I were going to represent the male crafters of the world--I felt a little pressure to come up with something.

I decided to revisit the tradition of 1000 cranes. In Japanese culture, it is good luck to receive 1000 folded origami cranes. Usually, 40 cranes are tied on a single string and you give out 25 strings. Most people add a few extra cranes just in case someone miscounted. A newer tradition is for families to give new parents 100 cranes to hang over a baby's crib. In this tradition, 9 strings of 11 cranes are suspended from a larger crane.

(Here you can see the detail of three of the different strings of cranes. Glass beads are used to keep the cranes from sliding down the string. Traditionally, three separate types of beads are used on a 100 crane project--pewter, brass, and pearl. Each signify a traditional wish for the child).

Here are my cranes hanging around my bulletin board.

I apologize for the spooky lighting for these pictures. It looks like an Alfred Hitchcock movie but I couldn't get a good picture without the shadows.

Pamphlet Stitch Hard Bound Book

2011-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted to work on some bookbinding projects this past weekend. I have a supply of Khadi handmade watercolor paper that I wanted to use for a project. The paper is handmade in India and is 100% cotton rag. The size is A4 which folds in half to a size of 4" x 6". I wanted to create something simple and fast so I decided to create a hard bound pamphlet stitch book.

The book consists of two signatures of 5 sheets of paper each. I could have stitched all ten sheets together into one signature but because the paper is so thick, the swell would have caused the usable space on the page to diminish too much. Instead, I sewed two signatures onto a piece of book cloth to act as the spine. The casing-in process is the same for any hardbound book with the exception that there is no actual spine board. Instead, a gap is left between the front cover and the back cover. I glued the text block into place and then pasted down the end sheets. I used some of the marbled papers from my Rhonda Miller stash.

The end result is a small watercolor/sketch book that fits comfortably in a pocket or handbag and is ready for quick and ready use. The book cloth cover is very durable and the book lies flat for easy access while sketching, writing or painting. I hope to sell these at my store in a couple of different sizes.

New Year's Resolution #3 & #4

2011-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

My third New Year's resolution is to keep my Etsy store open and stocked. I want to average 10 items available for sale every week. Right now, I have only been using my Etsy store for custom orders and credit card payments. This year, I will change that. I guess what has been hindering me from selling on etsy is the fear of putting myself out there for every to see. People who see my products seem to like them but dealing with complete strangers buying your work online is a little bit daunting.

My fourth New Year's resolution is to keep better records for my online and greeting card business. Every year around tax time, I am stumbling alone looking for receipts, and checks, and invoices, etc. for my business. Being the procrastinator that I am, I usually start dealing with all of this in December. My resolution this year is to stay on top of it all and enter everything on a monthly basis.

Paper Fridays--Rhonda Miller Marbled Paper

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am revisiting an old feature of previous years--Paper Fridays. Today, I am featuring more of the artistry of paper marbler extraordinaire--Rhonda Miller. I have gushed in previous posts about Rhonda's papers and I recently received another batch of her papers (in all fairness to Rhonda, I purchase all of the papers that are shown here. In other words, I am not on her payroll).

Truth be told, I have to prevent myself from visiting Rhonda's etsy store because I feel that I have to leave some paper for others to buy. I will be using Rhonda's papers this weekend for some journals that boxes that I will be listing on my etsy store. I am sorry to say but I have to release Rhonda's papers to the world and hope that others will enjoy it as much as I do.

Of the papers above, the orange and purple samples are my favorites. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Iron Craft Week Two--Part Two

2011-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since I didn't have any fabric to make a door snake, I decided to use Tyvek as my fabric. Tyvek is a synthetic material that envelopes are made of (think of those FedEx envelopes that you can't tear). I use Tyvek for my large scale silhouette pieces since it is black on one side and white on the other. It acts like fabric and is waterproof (which for some reason this is important when being a door snake). Since I didn't have a sewing machine available at the moment, I simply hand stitched the Tyvek.

The bigger problem was that I didn't have any materials to fill it with. Not wanting to lug around a big bag of cat litter or aquarium gravel, I started walking around my kitchen to try and find something to use. I looked at the recycling center in my kitchen when the light bulb went off. Rather than close off the Tyvek tube, I would leave one end open and sew in a piece of elastic so that it would shut (just like the waist band of swimming trunks or sweat pants). I could then fill the tube with those plastic shopping bags from the supermarket. This way, the materials would be waterproof and I would save the bags from entering the landfill for life.

So here is the final project:

I decorated the outside of the door snake with hand cut letters (I needed to practice my scalpel skills). I thought of the first five positive verbs to use as a motivation when looking at the door snake. BTW, it is much easier to glue the letters when the snake is flat. Also, it is much easier to turn out the Tvyek if you scrunch/wrinkle the material before trying to turn it out. The material becomes much more pliable when crinkled. I was able to stuff 25 plastic shopping bags into the door snake.

The final item in place in front of the door.

Iron Craft Week Two

2011-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week's challenge for Iron Craft was to make a "draft dodger" or "door snake." Having been raised in Texas and having lived in Tampa, I had never heard of such a thing. Even when I went to school in Indiana, I never came across such an item.

For the uninitiated, a door snake is something that is placed in front of a window or door that blocks the cold air from entering (or the cold air from the air conditioning from escaping). I had a roommate in college that would do the same thing with his sweatpants. In our case, it was a signal for me that I would probably be sleeping in the dormitory lounge or with a friend for the evening.

After doing some research, it appears that this would be an easy project for most people. You simply take a piece of fabric 4 " tall by the size of the opening you want to cover (my door is 31" wide), and add 1.5 inches for seam allowances and turn downs. This would make my piece of fabric 4" by 32.5". Fold in half on the long side, with right sides together and sew on the three open sides leaving a seam allowance of .5" to 1". Turn out the tube through the opening so the right side of the fabric is showing. You leave a small gap in order to pour in your filling material (usually beans, rice, cat litter, etc.). Once filled, you hand stitch the opening shut, decorate the outside as you please and Voila--you have a door snake.

The only problem for me--I didn't have a piece of fabric long enough to make the project, and I didn't have anything to fill the inside with. After mentioning my New Year's Resolution, I was bound and determined to make a draft dodger out of materials I already had.

Tune in tomorrow for my solution.

New Year's Resolution #2

2011-01-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

As promised, I wanted to share another of my New Year's resolutions. My first resolution was mentioned here. My second resolution is linked to the first--Don't buy art supplies in bulk.

I don't know from where it stems but if I need double-sided tape, for instance, why do I buy 10 rolls when two or three are sufficient. The rationalization that I use is "I don't want to stop a project because I don't have the supplies" or "I don't want to have to go into Manhattan" or "I don't know if I will have money when I need to get the supplies that I need." I think part of the problem can be attributed to not having money for a good portion of my life--not that I am living in the lap of luxury right now. I remember living from paycheck to paycheck and not having a lot of extra money for non-essentials.

The problem with all of the excess is (1) storage, (2) shelf life and (3) boredom. My studio is lined with rubbermaid containers that have my supplies. Sometime the containers are labeled--usually, they are not. The problem is when I need to find the replacement supplies sometimes I can't find them as fast as I think that I need them. Therefore, I go to the store and buy more rather than taking the time out to find where they are. I don't know why I am so insistent on getting the project finished NOW. Secondly, some of the items that I have probably have a shelf life that expires while they are on my shelf. Most of them don't--thank goodness glitter lasts forever and that stamp pads won't dry out (if you keep them tightly sealed). Finally, I have found out that I get bored with my current supplies. Right now, I don't think that I will be using glitter for quite a while. Mainly, because it gets everywhere--no matter how careful you are. I found red glitter in my underwear while I was changing at the gym--Try explaining that to the other guys in the dressing room. "Hey Mr. Sparkly, how many reps did YOU do today?"

So, in closing, my New Year's resolution is to survey my supplies before starting any new project. Should some essential item be needed, buy only the item needed and no more than ONE extra.

Last Minute Profile #1--Finished

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am happy to say that I finished the coordinating journals that I talked about in this post. I am very happy with the way they turned out. Friend C was quite happy with them as well. I delivered the items on Saturday, January 8. I am starting to require more of my commission work to be paid through my Etsy store. I figure if my friends feel comfortable enough to request last minute work then they should feel comfortable helping me out my boosting my online sales. In all actuality, it lose a little bit of money by having them go through the Etsy store because I have to pay for listing feels, commissions, and credit card processing but I feel that a better online presence will help when it comes to IRS and tax time.

Here is the bride's journal. The yellow Prestige paper is brighter than probably shows here (all computer monitors are different). There is a gold metallic ink on the paper so that it shimmers when the light hits.

Here is the groom's book. Even though it has the Prestige paper on it (used as book cloth here), I think that it still has a very masculine look. The book actually feels very luxurious in the hand. The decorative paper has a very matte look to it which I believe adds to the look.

All in all, I am very pleased with the finished product and Friend C is happy as well.

Weekend Posts

2011-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

In order to try and maintain this blog in a consistant and interesting manner, I only plan on blogging Monday through Friday. This will allow me to work on blog related matters on the weekend so that I don't feel so overwhelmed trying to keep the blog running.

Now granted, there might be some weekend posts if I get bored or when I am overly excited to share something with you. But mainly, I will use the weekends to prepare for the following week and to re-charge me creative and artistic batteries.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Last Minute Profile #1--Coordinating Bride and Groom Journals

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I try and treat my friends in the right way. Many times, they are my biggest supporters when they buy my handmade items. Unfortunately, many times they know that I can be their last minute gift provider when they procrastinate buying gifts for special occasions. My friends know that I take my craft seriously yet they have no problem in calling me for immediate Mother's Day cards, Valentine's cards, or last minute wedding gifts.

I would like to start a new feature to this blog--Last Minute Profiles. These are the last minute requests and briefings that I get from my friends when they want me to make something.

Last Minute Profile #1

Purchaser: Friend C

Date I was contacted: January 3, 2011

Date needed: Wedding on January 15, 2011

Special Situation: Leaving on January 14, 2001 but wants to mail the item before he leaves.

Item requested: Coordinating journals for the bride and groom.

Briefing I received: the bride is girlie, girlie but he does not know the groom.

Here is the wedding invitation:

In this case, I will case in a text block that I have bought from Hollanders. Friend C has requested that the journals should have lined pages. I keep several text blocks from Hollanders on hand for situations like this. Normally, I would hand sew signatures and make a book from scratch but with such a quick turn around needed, an already prepared text block is the answer--especially since he wants the pages lined.

I looked through my stash of papers and prepared several options for Friend C to choose from. I wanted to mainly concentrate on the bride since she is the actual friend and the one that he wants to please the most. I chose a yellow Prestige flocked paper that will act as the book cloth (because the paper is thick and lined it can actually be used as book cloth without worrying about cracking at the gutters). The yellow Prestige paper approximated the yellow mustard color of the invitation and envelope. The decorative paper is a Florentine print that mimics the swirly pattern of the invitation. For the groom, I simply chose a navy Prestige paper with a different Florentine patterned decorative paper. Together, the books will coordinate nicely due to the similarities in the papers chosen.

A confession & New Year's Resolution #1

2011-01-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

When I watch television, I get into such a reflective mood. Some shows inspire more than others and since my television time is limited to when I work at the theater, I don't watch a lot of the popular shows that others gossip or talk about.

Recently, I have been hooked on a show called Art Race; it appears on the Ovation channel. Two artists must cross the US by only selling their art. The artists start in NYC and LA respectively and must travel to the opposite cost by selling or bartering art that they make while they are out. While the premise of the situations seemed staged, the creativity of the artists is inspiring.

Another show that I have been watching via the computer and television is Hoarders. I am afraid to say that I am addicted to the show. While the psychological trauma associated with hoarding is heartbreaking, the realization that many people can easily become hoarders is rather frightening. Every time that I watch, there is a little voice inside my head that keeps on shouting--Russ, are you really a hoarder?

I do collect stuff. Not the tschotkes that other people do. But I do collect crafts and craft materials. When I see a craft technique displayed or explained, I buy all of the materials needed to replicate it. Not only do I buy all of the materials, I buy them in all colors and sizes available. For example, I have 32 vials of ultrafine glitter in 26 different colors because I saw a glitter demonstration on the Carol Duvall show. I have every color inkpad (in two different sizes) that Stampin Up! makes. I could go on but I don't want to depress myself any further. Don't even get me started on paper and bookbinding supplies.

So, one of my New Year's resolutions is this: When starting a new project--even when dealing with a commissioned work--go through all of my supplies before purchasing any new materials. I seem to have the habit of going to the stores to get motivation and inspiration when starting a new project. Unfortunately, I also seem to be drawn to the same materials and patterns. On my last shopping trip before the new year, I went to one of my favorite paper stores and returned home with five sheets of beautiful decorative paper. When I got home to put the papers in their respective flat file drawers, I realized that I already had three of the five patterns that I had just bought. After doing an inventory of the books in my craft library, I realized that I had 7 books that were duplicates. I now carry an Excel spreadsheet on my smart phone that has all of my books listed.

I am very happy to say that I have so far kept up with this resolution. I was asked to make coordinating journals for a bride and groom. I went to my stash of papers and took samples of the papers that I wanted to use when I had the consultation with the purchaser. I am happy to report that he accepted my recommendations (from my already purchased papers).

Iron Craft Week One

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here is my entry for the first week of the Iron Craft Challenge. As mentioned yesterday, the theme is Lighting the Winter Gloom.

Here is my card for the Fourth Day of Christmas--Four Calling Birds. The card is made from chocolate brown card stock (80 lb) that is cut into a tri-fold card. The first two panels (the left and center panels) have matching ovals cut from them. The artwork is then place on the center panel and the first panel is then glued shut and enveloping the artwork.

The artwork is from a Dover Stained Glass Coloring Book. It is reduced in size and printed on vellum. It is hand tinted using colored pencils and blended using a blending stick.

The below image shows the card with a candle resting behind the artwork.

The image below shows the card with the candle and the lights out.

Can you image what the winter gloom will look like with all Twelve Days finished. No more winter gloom here.

Iron Craft #1

2011-01-04T19:53:00.002-05:00

This week's entry in the Iron Craft Challenge is called Lighting the Winter Gloom. My design for this project will be one of my stained glass cards. When the card is upright and a tea light is placed behind the card opening, it looks like stained glass. The subject of the card will be one of the 12 Days of Christmas.

We are supposed to post our images on the Flickr account starting on Wednesday.

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-03T21:44:00.003-05:00

While I know that I haven't been blogging much since September, I have been busy with the holiday season and travel. I was also trying to recover from the latest in a string of burglaries where both of my new cameras were stolen. Santa said that I was a good boy this year so he brought me another camera for Christmas.

After reading one of the blogs that I frequent, I found this crafting challenge. A theme is announced each week and you post your response to the challenge on their Flickr account. Fifty-two projects for 2011. I figured that this could be a catalyst to keep me blogging each week. For at least one entry, I can share with you my design for the weekly challenge.

I hope that you and yours are well in this new year and hope that the holidays weren't too stressful. Here's wishing you a prosperous and crafting New Year.