LIBRARY STAFF BULLETIN

In the article 'Around the traps' from the Library Staff Bulletin was the article about our Handmade books didplay with some photos from the open day. I have attached the article below: Click on the article to see the large image.


Books and more books

BOOKS FROM ENVELOPES

If you love paper and working in a library you are in paper heaven. I didn't know how to make books when I started working in the library 4 years ago. Because I love using recycled materials and re-purposing stuff I was constantly thinking of ways to use all the envelopes, cardboard, and dust jackets. I started making handmade books in early 2008 with my dear friend Tricia. She generously gave a few of us a beginner's workshop in book binding. I was hooked like a poor fish! Not long after that, my colleagues (who were librarians) saw my handmade books and asked me to teach them book making. We started meeting one hour a week during the lunch break. The result from our meetings is now in the display cabinet at Monash University library until the end of April 2009.










This cute cat book is made from internal mail envelopes torn in half and stitched on to the covers. The yellow handmade paper I bought in Nepal many years ago. The cat picture came from a painting. I made this book as a gift for my daughter Kit. She loves cats.











This is my favorite envelope; it came from a Beijing rare book publishing company. The picture is printed on the outside of an envelope and it comes in A4 size and standard envelope size. This book is bound with Coptic stitch using twine.

Books for life.

HANDMADE BOOKS

Here are some more of my handmade books in the Display at Monash University Library at the moment. The Display will be on until the end of April. The Display is well received by the library staff and students. Today we rearranged it just to give it a fresher look. We had extra books stacked at the side supported by book ends. Today we brought them forward and swapped them around.

I found the front cover of this combo book from the YMCA sale in Canberra a few months ago. It must have been designed at a key plate. The plate has 2 holes for screws to hold it in place and a large rectangular hole for a key. For signatures I am using handmade papers, soft brown papers and papers from used envelopes. I have not finished it yet, I wanted to keep adding more signatures to it to see how it will end.

The Journal of a Quilter is designed to be a journal of my complete quilts. I have not entered anything in it yet. I can't seem to mix my two crafts together at the moment.

This red concertina book is a travel journal. It has pockets for brochures and memorabilia from my travels. The fabric came from an upholstery sample. I embroidered over it with hand dyed threads and added beads to give the lines a lift.


This brown concertina book is a travel journal. It has pockets for brochures and memorabilia from my travels. The fabric came from an upholstery sample. I embroidered over it with hand dyed threads and added beads to give the lines a lift. I used this book for teaching sample to my students. They have now made some of their own.

Practice make perfect

PAPER MAKERS OF VICTORIA

I am a member of the Paper Makers of Victoria I am not a very active member and I don't make paper (not yet anyway). I have only been to their meetings a few times. I went today to take the brochure of the book display 'Rags to Riches' for them to publish in their next newsletter. They are very supportive of our display and a few said they would go and see the display.

Today the guest speaker was Amanda Degener the paper artist from the USA. She spoke to the group and showed the slides of her work. I was very impressed with her process. Amanda's paper is called CAVE PAPER. She had some paper with her for sale as well. I bought one called Walnut Red and another one called Green Crackle. They are beautiful and I don't know if I would be able to cut into them...! Amanda is such a nice lady. She is very friendly and down to earth. I asked if I could have a photo taken with her for my blog. She was very happy for me to do that.


I also took a whole bunch of dust jackets to share with the members of POV. They were very happy sifting through them and took want they wanted. I hope they will make something with them.

Enjoy

RAGS TO RICHES OPEN DAY

Three months of planning and a year of work has finally gone on display today. The opening for the 'Rags to Riches Handmade Books' Display was this afternoon. Over sixty guests attended. The cabinet which normally would be used to display library collections is now bursting at the seams with our handmade books. The variety of colours and materials brilliantly blends together. All different shapes and forms of books we have been making since the beginning of 2008 are now together in one place. I am so pleased with how it looks. Full, overlapping and crushed together as I pictured it in my mind beforehand.

Kumi Suzuki is showing off our handywork.

A red section of the display.

Dennis Kishere introduced the University Librarian Cathrine Harboe-Ree. Cathrine said that taking part in creating some of this work was a great deal of fun and most satisfying. She called us a gleaning group and said the name Rags to Riches is very well suited for the display.

Picture of us infront of the display cabinet, while Cathrine was busy inspecting her gift, the Librarian book - see previous posting on this blog.

All guests listening to Cathrine's speech.

Guests crowding to view the display.
Rags to Riches Handmade Books Display is showing at Matheson Library Music & Multimedia foyer Monash University Clayton Campus during library opening hours.

Enjoy

THE LIBRARIAN BOOK

The Display is next Tuesday March the 31st. I have finally finished a gift for the university librarian for when she comes and opens the Display for us. I made her a concertina style book with pockets. I filled posckets with interesing goodies. I hope she will like it.


Inside the pockets from left to right: bone folder, sewing kit, matches, measuring gauge and menify glass, hand painted button, secret lettle book, scissors and pencil.

I just added the new background on my blog for fun. Hope you like it?


Enjoy
♥

INVITATION TO THE OPENING - Click to view full screen

ENJOY

COPTIC STITCH BINDING

Okay, finally I have managed to uploaded these photos into a group of 2 x 2, wow, it's not easy!!!
Anyway, lets get on with the blog.
These are two of my handmade books. Both of these books were bind using Coptic stitch binding. I used book cloth for the cover for the one on the left. Putting window on the cover was quite challenging, but it gives a lot of potential to insert pictures, letters or other interesting motives in the window. The red and yellow book came from a tea box El Arosa Tea. I picked it up from a waste paper basket at the Coptic Church in Cairo when I visited there last year.














I made these books for presents. The redwork book was for Georgina's last birthday. I did her initial in redwork embroidery and Coptic stitch binding.
The book Ine's of My Soul was for the university librarian. The dust jacket came from a book of that title. She had since read the book. This book was also used Coptic stitch binding.













Enjoy

FRUITY LITTLE BOOKS

A treasure to discovered this journal cover to use as covers for these little books. The signatures papers were recycled also. I am happy with how they turned out at the end.

Set of three little books with watermelon, pomegranate and orange covers.


Enjoy

STEVE'S BOOK

Steve Langan saved this red dust jacket for a long time. When he knew that I use dust jacket for handmade books, he gave it to me. I then made it into a book and given it back to him. He just loved how it turned out and couldn't bring himself to write on it. I have borrowed it from him to enter it in an exhibition we are having on March 31.

Graham Harrison's book. Graham's book made from a cover of The Journal of History of Idea. Before we send journals to the binder we removed the covers and some of the covers are very beautiful like this one. This book was bound using Coptic stitch binding and recycled photo copy papers for signatures.