Ink Stained Book Arts

Tutorial: How to Make a Gift Box out of a Cereal Box

I have a friend who's way into kids' cereals, and I thought it would be fun for her birthday to give her a gift wrapped in a cereal box. 

But rather than just clear out a box of cereal, open the top and stuff the gift in, I thought it would be better to actually make a real gift box--the kind with a bottom and top. Since cereal boxes are about the same size as those collapsable white gift boxes, I thought they'd do the job.

I started with two identical boxes--for this project the boxes have to be the same size. I'm not much into sweetened cereals, but I did try this one--you know, in the interest of science or something. They're a little too good. You don't even need milk, especially when you're standing in the kitchen shoving it in your face straight from the box. 

Before you start cutting, you'll have to re-glue the open top flaps. I did this with PVA (polyvinyl acetate, or bookbinding glue), but you can use any white glue, including heavy craft glue.

Tape the flaps closed until they dry. I used low-tack artist tape to hold them in place.

I cut the front from one box and the back from another. Below, I've drawn cutting lines around the front of the box with a Sharpie, about 1/2 an inch from the edge. I did this because I wanted to preserve the front and back for something else, which I'll reveal later. I took my craft knife and, folllowing the lines, cut out the front and back panels. If you don't want to preserve them, you can cut an 'X' across the top from corner to corner, and skip the next step.

Here's what it'll look like when you're done. You don't have to be super neat, but be careful not to cut yourself, or cut through the edge of the box.

Carefully make a diagonal cut to the edge of the box on all four corners.

Place a metal ruler over the excess cover flap on one side and cut it off with a craft knife. This is a bit awkward, and one of those times you wished you had a third hand, but it's doable. I'm right-handed, and I brought the blade down from the top to the half-way point, then turned it and brought it from the bottom. You can cut the flaps with scissors, just make sure you make neat cuts. Do this on all four sides.

At this point you may see that the top needs a bit of re-gluing, and there may be a couple of loose flaps. Glue everything down well and let dry.

On the box bottom, make diagonal score lines on the long sides of the box. Mark 2" (5 cm) from the corner and draw a pencil line, or just make a mark. Score the line with a scoring tool or bone folder. You don't have to do this on the box top; if you're really stuffing the box you might need to, but usually just scoring the box bottom will suffice.

The box bottom should be able to fold like this. Collapsing the bottom box is what allows it to fit into the same-size top. 

Now you're ready to fill it! Here's the scarf I made my friend. It fit perfectly.

Tie it all up with a ribbon and you're ready to go! 

Now about the part I cut out...you didn't expect me to throw that away, did you? Of course not! I used the front and back cover pieces to make the birthday girl a notebook (finished size 6 1/2" x 8 1/2", or 16.5 cm x 21.6 cm), using the same technique as the sewn journal, which is described here. 

Here's what the book looks like on the inside. My friend loved both gifts, loved the box, and plans on re-using the cereal gift box to give to someone else. Now that's true recyclling! 

Books Bound for the LA Printers Fair

These books were bound for and are bound for the Los Angeles Printers Fair on October 5th at the International Printing Museum in Carson. This is the first year I'll be participating in this show--I've been to it before, but never taken a table. I'm excited to not only meet the people who are coming to the fair, but also the other book, print and letterpress vendors.

The book above has antique tin types for covers. The signatures are wrapped with French pages from an 18th century book, and they're bound with a coptic stitch. The inside pages are light denim blue handmade paper from Hook Pottery Paper. Whenever I buy tin types at flea markets, my husband has the first right of refusal. He collects tin types mostly from the Civil War era, so any from that time go to him first. If we had had a pre-nup, that probably would have been in there.

This one is a soft leather journal made from beautiful embossed leather. It's sewn with a longstitch combined with a French stitch, and has a buckle closure. There are 60 pages inside, and the paper is mid-weight, slightly textured handmade paper from Hiromi.

Above is a one-signature, pamphlet-sewn notebook decorated with patchworked text pages from various 18th century French books, so probably cotton or linen paper. Inside are 20 pages of smooth ivory paper, and sturdy linen bookcloth covers the back and part of the front.

Looking at these, one thing becomes apparent: I need to do something in color!! That said, I hope to see you at the Printers Fair!

Book Repair: Spine Replacement

It's been two years since I went to the Paper and Book Intensive, where I took a class in basic book restoration from the phenomenal Ann Frellsen, Collections Conservator at Emory University. 

Do you think I've repaired one book since then? The answer would be a big, fat no. But a friend who wanted one of her favorite books fixed was the catalyst that finally got me going again. Knowing I would completely screw it up if I went it alone, I asked my good friend and uber-talented book binder and artist Charlene Matthews if she would supervise. Luckily, she said yes.

The book was in pretty bad, but not irreparable shape. I'm pretty sure A.A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young" was on most kids' reading list, but not everyone is as fortunate as my friend to still have the copy they read when they were very young.

The spine, as you can see above, had been partially eaten away, and the text block had become completely detached from the covers. Isn't that spine disgusting? Beautiful endpapers, though. The four thick signatures were also coming apart and needed to be bolstered with Japanese hinging paper and re-sewn.

The bookcloth was worn away on the edges of the front and back cover as well, but that would require a more extensive repair than my friend wanted, so I just trimmed the loose threads.

Here are the signatures after being repaired and re-sewn, above. I also repaired several torn pages with the hinging tape. Good stuff, that.

I glued up the spine with a mixture of PVA and wheat paste, then added the mull (above), cut a bit shorter than the spine height. The wheat paste delayed the drying time which was helpful, since it was a billion degrees that day. No, I didn't leave those big globs of glue there. A piece of paper that perfectly fit the spine--grain long, of course-was glued over the mull.

Next on the agenda was creating a new spine. I used Buckram--it was a shade darker than the rest of the book, but still in the same color family. The material also has kind of a vintage look and feel to it, so it's perfect for older books.

Here's Charlene gluing up the paper strip to attach to the Buckram. It's the same width and height as the spine. Yes, she glued it on straight.

Before the spine is attached to the covers, the bookcloth and endpapers have to be separated from the board using a knife or thin spatula. Those spaces get glued up, and the mull and Buckram are eased in. Here's Charlene working on the front cover:

Since I didn't want to remove the endpapers I hinged the text block to the covers with the Japanese hinging paper.

Here's how the new spine looked when it was completely attached:

The original spine was pretty much a mess. Wheat paste smeared on the back side helped to remove some of the paper, but since the bookcloth was so fragile it ripped in a couple of places. I salvaged what I could, cleaned it up and glued it onto the new spine. 

Here's the finished book, in all its glory. Not great, but not too bad. I was so grateful to have Charlene guiding me. Without her help, I'm sure the "after" would have looked far worse than the "before."

It's true that you learn so much about making a book by fixing one. I hope to do more and hone my lacking skills. Next stop: Goodwill! 

Not to Just Talk About Me...

I realize this is my blog, ergo it's essentially about me, but I'm really not comfortable about putting up a series of posts on stuff I'm doing. So I'm condensing a few things into one post to minimize the cringe factor.

We'll start with Pages magazine, the special annual publication put out by Cloth Paper Scissors that's all about books and art journaling (see above). I love this magazine, and I would say that even if I weren't in it. But I am, as it turns out. The current issue (volume 3), now on newsstands, features instructions on how to make my miniature book necklaces, nicknamed "booklaces." They're featured on the cover, which took me by complete surprise, and I am humbled to be in such great company with other book artists.

I adore making these tiny literary treasures, and I hope you will as well. I'll be teaching this as a class at The Word Is Art Gallery in Culver City on Sept. 28th, so please sign up if you're interested. In addition to making the book, you'll also get to customze a necklace, and as usually I'll be bringing a suitcase of supplies.

 

I've also got a couple of video tutorials up on YouTube, courtesy of Craftside. Here is one on my file folder book, and here's another on my mini travel journal with a pop-out map. I know that it's difficult to see the stitching in the videos, but here are written instructions for the file folder book,and instructions for the travel journal are below the video in the blog post.

Let me know what you think, and if you'd like to see more of these. Huge props go to Quayside Publishing craft marketing manager Stefanie Girard, my co-host, and to the very talented Maria Del Pinto, who did the camera work and has a deft hand with makeup. 

If you'd like to see another take on file folder books, head over to The Creative Beast and check out this amazing file folder book and this one. I especially love the tip for making a bookmark!

Studios Magazine Profile: Charlene Matthews

Ever wonder what a professional bookbinder's studio looks like? Pick up a copy of the Summer 2013 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Studios magazine and read my profile of Charlene Matthews, a Los Angeles-based bookbinder, book artist and book restorer.

I loved Charlene's bindery the minute I stepped foot in it. The space is unlike any I've ever seen, populated with serious equipment like a 19th century board shear and a 20th century guillotine (for cutting paper, not heads), along with amazing books and other works of art.

Not many people in the U.S. make their living creating custom handmade books and doing book restoration, so this is a rare view into the inner works of a bindery. Charlene also talks about why she decided to move from a private space into a public one, and how the studio influences her work.

 

Here are a few more photos I took when I stopped by her bindery the other day. She was in the process of working on this 17th century leather Bible for a client, creating new clasps for it:

Here's a close-up of the brass on one of the corners. Beautiful, no? The detail is incredible.

I noticed that part of the first page (shown below) had been cut out. I asked Charlene about it, and she said that people would often remove images if they thought them too salacious. Apparently this drawing of Adam and Eve was a bit too much for the owner.

When books are taken apart for repair, Charlene often finds surprises inside and tacks them on her wall. Here's some writing discovered inside a cover of an antique leather-covered book:

And here's a great view of her John Jacques & Son board shear, which she fondly refers to as "Jacques." I covet this piece of equipment, and hope to have my own Jacques one day.

I'm a huge fan of Charlene's own books, and this is a particular favorite. It's made with a Panavision fish-eye lens embedded in the cover and lives in a custom clamshell box:

There are more photos of Charlene's bindery in the magazine, taken by the very talented Marissa Roth. Other terrific studios are featured in the magazine as well, so pick up a copy! More info on Charlene, her work and her bindery can be found here.

Bookbinding Classes in Los Angeles

I'm teaching again! Yay! I'm excited to let you know that I'll be teaching Bookbinding 101: Sewn Books at The Word Is Art Gallery in Culver City on Saturday, June 15th from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Here's the description for the class:

"Get started in bookbinding by making three easy sewn books. We’ll begin by sewing single sheets with a Japanese stab binding, using handmade paper for the covers. Then we’ll make a chunky book using a long stitch, and incorporate vintage ephemera into the pages. The last book will be a hard-bound, single-signature book covered in gorgeous bookcloth. You’ll learn helpful techniques and tips as well as information on basic bookbinding materials and tools."

This is a great class for those who have been wanting to learn bookbinding basics, and for those who need a little refresher. All tools and materials will be provided, but you're welcome to bring your own tools if you're more comfortable with them. Only the usual suspects are needed: a bone folder, awl, cutting mat, pencil, eraser and scissors. The cost for the class is $65, and you can sign up online via the link above.

Reserve some time to look around the gallery, too. Owner Renee Troy has created a wonderful space filled with amazing art.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments, or send me an email. Hope to see you there! Stay tuned for information on more upcoming classes!

For more classes, please see my classes page! 

File Folder Book Tutorial

Last month I taught this file folder book as part of an Etsy Meet & Make event at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. Now you can make one too!

Head on over to Craftside, where the instructions are posted. And here's an extra added bonus tip: Instead of making one or both pockets, sew more pages into the fold(s) on the side, using the same 5-hole pamphlet stitch that you used for the pages in the center.

If you make one of these books, please let me know! I'd love to see what you come up with!

Mom & Pop Up Shop at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles

I'll be selling my books at the Mom & Pop Up Shop at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles on Saturday, April 27th. The SoCal Etsy Guild has teamed up with Crafted to do this one-day outdoor show.

If you've never been to Crafted, you should really check it out. There are some incredibly talented artists and crafters who have booths inside the enormous refurbished warehouse. And there's food, too!

I'll shut down my Etsy shop for the weekend, but I'll also be bringing some new books. Here's a sneak peek at something I'm working on now. I actually meant to do a completely different binding, but without thinking I punched holes for kettle stitches, so had to change direction. I actually like this one better. It had been a while since I'd done the French stitch, and I had forgotten how pretty it is. I also love showing the linen tapes.

I hope you can stop by! If you want to make a day of it, there's plenty to do nearby, such as touring the USS Iowa, the Banning Museum, and the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum. See you on Saturday!

A Great Night at the Craft and Folk Art Museum

What a fantastic evening at the Craft and Folk Art Museum's Etsy Meet & Make! We had a packed house on the patio, where heat lamps warmed up the brisk air while we made books.

After a couple of quick demos everyone was off and running on the two projects. I brought a selection of stamps, some scrap decorative paper and punches to decorate the books, and I was blown away by the designs people were coming up with.

Books were covered with collages, stamped patterns and drawings that were just gorgeous. Above is a file folder book by Michelle Yashar. I think it was brilliant that she used parts of the kit bags to decorate the front. 

Above, Scottie Bowden holds up a book he made, which he covered with patterned paper. Fantastic.

We couldn't have had a nicer crowd. Everyone was in a good mood, and why not? Where else can you get together with fellow creative types, have some drinks and snacks and make cool projects for a mere $7? Kudos to CAFAM for hosting these monthly Etsy nights. 

Thanks to CAFAM, their staff and volunteers for all the help that night. I truly couldn't have done it without them. Thanks also to Stefanie Girard of Craftside, who did a giveaway of journals and wrapping paper, and to my friend Debra Disman. If you want to attend the next one, they're held on the first Thursday of each month. Don't miss it!

Etsy Meet & Make at the Craft and Folk Art Museum

I'm thrilled to be teaching at Etsy Meet & Make at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 4th! If you've never been to one of the museum's Etsy craft events, you have to go.

We'll be making two easy sewn books: one is made from a file folder and has pockets, and the other (above) is a little folded booklet with a fold-out map in the back (below). No previous experience is necessary, so come on down! Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and I'll be demo-ing the projects at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There will be people around to offer help on the projects if needed.

CAFAM hosts these Etsy craft nights each month on the first Thursday. For a mere $7 (free for musem members) you can hang out with your friends (and make new ones), craft to your heart's content and have some snacks. You can also check out the amazing galleries. All the materials are supplied, so you just have to bring your lovely self. 

Check out these photos from the last time I hosted an Etsy night with Craftside. Everyone had a blast. Gift toppers and ornaments were on the menu, and felt and paper were flying like nobody's business. People were making some incredible projects.

So don't miss this event! Make sure to RSVP here, and I will see you next week!