Summer Craft-a-palooza: LINKS

I spend more time than I should surfing the crafty blogs and following links from crafty blog to crafty blog---the result is a nice list of crafty tutorials of interesting projects--items I would like to make "someday".....
(when does that someday actually arrive?)
Anyhow---here are some links to a few crafty projects I am intrigued by:

1) from the CraftyPod blog---HOW TO MAKE A BOOK WITH PLAYING CARD COVERS
so cute--a small blank book! to fit in your backpack or purse.




2) a yummy knit HOT WATER BOTTLE COZY --with a cable on it! from Yarn-A-Go-Go. This is just how I want to make that old rubber hot water bottle all comfy....




3) Great sewing pattern and instructions for that essential hippy "peasant skirt" from jcarolinecreatvie. Just like those ones I made in the '60's ! and still as comfortable in hot summer weather.



4) How about a purse made from playing cards? from the Craftbits website. A great way to use up those old worn out playing cards you have lying around.




5) How to make your own Embroidered Buttons from the Feeling Stitchy blog. These would be fun on that fabulous handknit sweater--or just to spice up a vintage thrifted blouse.



Have fun!

Biblio-fun @ the Book Fair

papercut from the 19th century from the ephemera dealers ECLECTIBLES from Tolland, CT

I took my digital point-and-shoot camera to the San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print, and Paper Fair this weekend ---and I just wandered around the Fair taking some photos of images that I thought were interesting. This Book Fair--as the title suggests---is so much more than just books! The artist/craftswomen part of me loves all the wonderful images at this Fair---from old maps, to gorgeous botanical prints, to illuminated manuscripts, to vintage valentines---this Fair has all of these and more.

I fell in love with these hand-drawn paperdolls from the 1950's---so quirky, with handlettered notes, and an "outsider art" type of appeal...also from ECLECTIBLES booth.

More movable ephemera from the ECLECTIBLES

and from ANTIQUARIAT BOTANICUM ---located in Lydnen, Washington --a lovely image from a BOOK OF PEONIES


plus, some lovely bindings from Turtle Island Books, Berkeley, Ca --the booth where I was working....why don't they make hardbacks with these lovely bindings now?



Here is a partial shot of Serendipity Books booth---a Berkeley landmark bookshop on University Ave.


There were many posters and vintage photos --like this one of poet Allen Ginsberg that Serendipity Books had for sale.


And original paintings...this one from Serendipity Books...I thought the folk art style in this painting was intriguing.



More ephemera---(and oops! I'm not sure whose booth this was)--but you can get a notion of how much paper ephemera treasures there were to look at...if you like ephemera and vintage paper, or old trade cards, greeting cards, or postcards--you might check out the Ephemera Society of America's website.


Cobblestone Books from Sacramento, Ca had a trunk full of colorful vintage OZ books...(when I was child in the '50's I read every Oz book our local library had in stock--about 20 of them)


and some lovely lurid dime mystery magazines....


There were numerous antique maps, both large and small.......these ones from Alexandre Antique Prints, Maps & Books from Toronto, Cananda




and rare maps in books....this one from Antiquariaat FORUM from the Netherlands. This map is from a Folio --GEOGRAPHIA by Claudius PTOLEMAEUS, published in 1490. "One of the most important early editions of the world-famous atlas, based on Ptolemy's description of the world..."

Walking through the Book Fair and looking at historical treasures like this---is a stroll through history...one I never tire of. I am acutely aware I have the privilege of looking at museum quality books that are truly "rare."

Then we have the illuminated books and manuscripts--my most favorite part! This book from Phillip J. Pirages of McMinnville, Oregon.

He also has numerous illuminated vellum manuscript leafs....


and lastly, these "fine bindings" ---also from Phillip Pirages




I hope this has been a visual feast for you--blog reader! like the past weekend was for me...

Creative Every Day: San Francisco Book Fair Weekend

I'm off this weekend to work at this:


you can find more info on the Book Fair here. I 'm working for Roger Wicker of Turtle Island Books---a small antiquarian ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers of America) bookstore about 2 blocks from my house. Turtle Island Books specializes in antiquarian and scholarly out of print books in the Fine & Decorative Arts, Literary First Editions, Architecture, Photography, Fine Press Books, Book Arts and Printing History and is located at 3032 Claremont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705.

If you are new to my blog then you won't know that books--especially antiquarian books--are my other love! after creating art---then comes the books! I once owned a Used and Out Of Print Bookstore, Morningstar Books, in Bellingham, Washington. I always find working at an antiquarian book fair fun and stimulating, with interesting books to see and many fascinating people to meet.

For those who may be wondering what "antiquarian" means---an antiquarian book is one that is at least 100 years old--(that would make a book published in 1908 an antiquarian book), but many book sellers at the Fair also sell Modern First Editions. However, many if the books at thus fair will look like these...
Nowadays I'm mostly on the look out for interesting design and art books----or anything I can use as reference for textile and surface pattern design. I usually find some item in this genre that really interests me. I will also be on the look out for older knitting and needlework books and ephemera---but mostly I will be working---which means showing lovely old books to potential customers....if you live in the Bay Area, come on by and say hi!

Fabric Journal

I have started a visual fabric journal-- well the journal is sewn--but I am mixing paper and fabrics on each page. The paper is all my own designs---mostly small "roughs" from my fabric design classes (visit the design school here)--in color palettes I ended up not using, or designs I haven't completed. I wanted to create a textile "sample book" or "swatch book" with some of my designs--and so far this is the result. I used grommets and ribbon for the binding. Here the large flowers in purples and green on the pink background are my design--painted in gouache. I eventually chose a very different palette to use with this design.

The left page here is part of a of a flower design I created in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and the right page has part of a design painted in watercolors with inked linework (midpage).

On this page the orange arrows on lavender are my design--painted in gouache.

Here the left side is part of a "doodled" design--but I used a very different color palette for the finished design. I drew this in black and white, then scanned it into the computer and colored it in Photoshop. On the right, the dark gold, brown, and red design is another "doodle"--never used. The nice thing about the ribbon/grommet binding is that I can easily add pages as I make them since this is an on-going journal.

Handmade Journal Book

Last weekend I took a fun one day workshop at The San Francisco Center For The Book. I created this daily journal book under the tutelage of Carolee Gilligan Wheeler. Carolee and her friend, Jenny Hinchcliff, have the website PodPost MailArt Gallery of Glory.



The workshop was called Fresh Start: A Personalized Daybook for the New Year and this book has one page for each day of the year. Of course I have vowed to myself that I will, indeed, fill one page each day...so far, so good! and what fun! I had been hoarding this lovely pink, yellow, and brown paste paper a friend made me some years ago, and the covers of this journal seemed the perfect place to use it. The sewn spine just called out for some beads dangling from it, so I added those. The book's signatures are sewn with a simple buttonhole stitch; and the journal is sized to fit into my shoulder bag.