new bag

I finally got round to making myself a new bag. I've been needing one for ages (well, I always need a new bag, don't we all, but I think I really needed one this time...) I've been scrabbling around in the bottom of my old bag for keys and purses and gloves for weeks because, you see, it has no pockets. So, a pocket plan began to form... 

A zip pocket, my first attempt, a bit messy but it seems to work...

A patch pocket for phone and purse and pen (oh, my life is going to run so smoothly from now on, and the bag even matches my hat!)

And the cleverest plan of all... A little string with a little clip to hold my keys. No more rooting around in the dark and rain in the depths of my bag, just follow the string! 

I should make things for myself more often :)

friday

Today has been a rainy day. The poor daffodils that have just about managed to survive the frost are now soaked and droopy and battered by wind (I'm sure they're wishing they stayed under the ground where its warm and cozy) But the weather outside hasn't deterred this little butternut squash... 

Every time I walk past it whispers... spring. 

So, as the rain has kept me inside, I've been catching up with sewing and tidying and drawing and planning (and sleep!) I've also been looking at some old bird watching books I got from the library, especially the 'waterfowl' section; there's something about the beaks that attracts me... and the feet...

Thank you for all your kind words about my slipcase book, your support means so much to me, its good to know you're all out there (wherever that may be!) thinking positive thoughts :) So thank you.

 

from book to book

Today I am excited because I've just found out some of my work has made it into an exhibition of artists books in Leeds City art gallery! It sounds like an interesting exhibition; the books are to be displayed in specially made cabinets and members of the public will be able to handle them...

The book I made focuses on my love of the accordion structure; 10 variations of the binding in a specially made slipcase book...

The lid comes off and the pages of the slipcase can be opened...

And the little concertina books can be removed for examination...

There are 10 different books all together, here are 6 of them (its bigger if you click on it)...

I also thought this book would be useful when trying to explain the virtues of experimentation to students; how its possible to take an element as simple as a folded strip of paper and vary its treatment a little each time to produce something new and possibly more interesting...

wednesday

Well, this week I've been mostly occupied with trying to find a new place to live... Between work and house hunting I don't feel to have had much spare time at all... but thats life I suppose, and I'm looking forward to a bit of a change of scenery...

I have found time to cut out this little fellow though... 

tweet!

work in progress continued...

I like lino prints; the effect created by flat blocks of colour and sharp lines. But I've not had much practice at making my own prints, and I always find it a bit hard to wrap my head around what to cut when... so this week I've been trying to improve my technique a bit...

The process of cutting a reduction lino plate (like this one) really feels to go against my instincts; the instincts that lead me to hoarding and wanting to keep things as they are. I find it hard to cut into the plate that I've just printed in order to start the next layer, what if I cut it wrong and ruin it? What if I make it worse?? It gets harder the more layers a print has, by the third layer I'm really having to force myself to make the cut and then print over the already-quite-nice-looking prints... But its the same for any artist I suppose, perhaps the point is that risks must be taken, perhaps something quite-nice must be destroyed to create something good... 

Its still hard though!

So, above is the plate from yesterday (and to answer your question from yesterday Barbara, its a lino plate, but looking at the image today, I think it works quite well as it is. Hmmm, something to think about...) in its various stages...

And some of the prints...

I think, in the end, the fourth layer (the outline) didn't work so well. The line is too heavy, I like the images best without it (which  is kind of lucky because halfway through printing the last layer the beak snapped off, then the toe, so I guess thats the end of that!)

This print was also an experiment in colour. I don't have much experience with colour mixing (what with most of my prints being black and my books being white :) ) I sometimes find the many decisions that need to be made overwhelming (and it ends up brown), and with a four layer print the combinations from even a few colours become incomprehensible to me. so I really tried to limit myself, and although I'm not entirely happy with the end results, I feel a little more confident about trying again.

P.S. I know its annoying but I've turned on the little spam protection letters on the comments. Dodgy spam comments had started to appear, and thats no good, so hopefully the letters will put a halt to that...

work in progress...

sunday

Last night I made one of these...

and one of these...

And for a moment this morning it crossed my mind that perhaps I should prefer to be out partying on a Saturday night, rather than in on my own sewing and making cakes... and then I realised that actually, I'm very happy the way I am (and I have a new pencil case to show for it, rather than a headache) 

Saturday

Well, today it feels like Spring may have finally arrived. Tulips are sprouting, daffodils are ready to flower any day, birds flapping about... suddenly everything is looking green and outside the sun feels warm on my face. I went on a little walk, no scarf or hat and I even ended up undoing my coat, oh, it makes me feel happy inside :)

And... yesterday Kaija made my day by nominating me as one of the people that Makes Her Day, I feel so honored! If you haven't already checked out her blog you should definitely pay her a visit, she is an incredibly talented book binder and I love her work, she is also very lovely! (And I'm not just saying that ;) ) 

The award rules:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day

2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver

3. Tell the award winners that they've won by commenting on their blogs

Its hard to choose, there are so many times a post or comment or email has made my day, (in fact I think every comment and email makes my day!) but here goes...

Amisha - heavenlydays

I greatly admire Amisha's commitment to the things she's passionate about, her peaceful writing always gets me thinking...

Leah - hyena in petticoats

I love Leah's style and sense of humor, she makes cool stuff...

Marta - marta writes

A more supportive, inspiring and lovely blogger you will not meet, so generous and kind she gets stuff done, I aspire to that :)

Rhonda - my handbound books

Rhonda makes beautiful beautiful books, everyday something new, she always inspires me to stop browsing and go and actually make something!

Nicole - pentimento

Beautiful paintings and wise words...

Right, its getting like the Oscars now, I'll be blubbing soon, better go!

birdie book

A birdie photo album, with embroidered bird and concertina & buttonhole binding...

I think buttonhole is my new favorite type of binding (apart from concertina of course ;) ) Its so satisfying and surprisingly quick to sew...

I love the way it makes a kind of headband at the spine...

And although this binding involved gluing the embroidered cloth to the cover boards (a tricky endeavor), the glue actually didn't get all over, could this be a breakthrough?!

sunday

Sunday already?? How did that happen...

This week I had a go at making a hardback book with a rounded spine. Its my first go at this type of binding, I normally shy away from anything involving glue (it usually ends up on my hands and trousers and face and all over the book in places it shouldn't be) but I've decided its time to face the fear, practice makes perfect right...

It was exciting; rounding the spine with a big hammer, layer after layer of glue...

In fact, I felt a bit sad covering the spine when the time came to add the cover... Oh, and I forgot to take a picture of the finished thing, but despite a few gluey fingerprints on the end papers (oh, end papers, why are you so tricky?!) its looking ok. I'll take a picture tomorrow :)

Ps. I got a car today, my first car! Oooo its exciting! 

Edited to add...

Not the most interesting photos but you get the idea :)