Past Workshops – Page 2 – Handcrafted Books by Michele Olsen

The Basics

Learn the basics about the tools, materials, and techniques required to make your own books. A survey of current book arts programs and book artists will be sure to inspire you. You will practice all of your new skills in this clever little structure. The single section is sewn using the simple pamphlet stitch. There is no stitching visible on the spine! The materials are provided and the text block contains information and techniques being taught in the course.

Bring to class: Cutting mat (or old phone book), small utility knife, small sharp scissors, metal ruler, sharp pencil, bone folder (or small wooden spoon), glue stick, bookbinder’s awl (or T-pin).

Day & Date: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center

Register Here: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

January 17, 2016/2 Comments/by Michele

Past Workshops, Sewn Spine

Altered Book Long Stitch

OLLI Book Arts: Judge a Book by Its Cover with Michele Olsen

Create your own personal journal by using the covers from an old book. The spine will be replaced with book cloth made in class and sections of the book will be sewn using the easy long stitch pattern. This technique can be used with just about anything for covers.

Bring to class:

Basic Toolkit: cutting mat, small utility knife, metal ruler, bookbinder’s awl, embroidery thread or linen thread, size 20 or 22 tapestry needle, PVA glue, glue brush, sharp pencil, baby wipes, sewing cradle (or phonebook), bone folder.

Materials: an old book with interesting covers (about 5 ” x 7″ would be best), favorite text weight papers, decorative papers, a strip of fabric for the spine (2-3″ wide and 2 inches taller than the height of your book), button for a closure.

Prerequisite: Book Arts: The Basics or previous instruction in book arts. Level: Beginner.

Day & Date: Saturday, Feb. 20

Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fee: OLLI Members $50

Class #: 27851: REGISTER ONLINE

Location: Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center

January 17, 2016/0 Comments/by Michele

Past Workshops, Photography, Sewn Spine

French Link Stitch with Wood

OLLI Book Arts: The “What’s It” Book

I’m calling this structure a “What’s It ” book because it’s a creative space for organizing anything you treasure. These make great planning journals with pullouts for photos, a couple of pockets, and sections for writing. The accordion spine provides expansion space for attaching tickets, packets, flyers, etc. Everything is sewn together using either the long stitch or French link stitch and the wooden hand-painted covers make it very durable. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A THREE-AFTERNOON CLASS and most of our time will be spent assembling the structure! Some homework too.
Materials List: Bring to the first day of class.Basic Toolkit: Cutting mat, small utility knife, metal ruler, bookbinder’s awl, sewing cradle (or old phone book), bone folder, small sharp scissors, sharp pencil, #20 or #22 tapestry needles, waxed linen or embroidery thread, PVA glue, glue brush, baby wipes, rags, waste paper, 125- and 220-grit sandpaper, two 2″ foam paint brushes. Materials: Pad of sketching paper (11″ x 14″), 1 sheet black Mi-Tientes, 1 sheet colored Mi-Tientes. Several sheets of decorative card stock. Optional: Electric handheld drill (Dremel) with drill bit slightly larger than tapestry needles (1/16 inch drill bit for wood).

Level: Intermediate. Previous Basic Book Arts course required.

Day & Date: Thurs., March 10, 17 & Tues. March 15

Time: 1-4 p.m.

Fee: OLLI Members $65

Class #: 27852: REGISTER ONLINE

Location: Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center

January 17, 2016/0 Comments/by Michele

Past Workshops, Sewn Spine

Double Needle Coptic Stitch

It’s time for the last book arts class of the HSU OLLI Fall 2015 Semester!

Course Description:

Explore the written word as an art form as you create pages for your small book. Bring your favorite writing or drawing tools — pens, watercolor, stamps, or colored pencils — to decorate the pages. The structure is sewn using a double needle Coptic stitch. The cover will include a small window. The book will be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and would make a wonderful gift.

Prerequisite: “Book Arts: The Basics” or an introductory book arts class elsewhere.

Day & Date: Tues. & Thurs., Dec. 8 & 10

Time: 1-4 p.m.

Fee: OLLI Members $65

Class #: 47546

Location: HBAC

Supplies:

Basic Toolkit: bone folder, cutting mat, small cutting knife, small sharp scissors, metal ruler (bring 25″or 36″ if you have them), bookmaker’s awl, two #20 or #22 tapestry needles, PVA glue, glue brush, book press (or heavy book or brick), wet wipes, beeswax, glossy magazines for scrap paper.

Materials: mark making supplies (stamps/stamp pads, watercolors, colored pencils, markers, or acrylic ink), cotton embroidery thread (or linen thread) in color of choice.

Provided: Arches Text Wove and Mat Board, Stencils

See you soon!

December 6, 2015/0 Comments/by Michele

Folded, Past Workshops

The Versatile Concertina Spine

Date: Tues. & Thurs. Feb. 17-19, 2015
Time: 1-4 pm
Place: HBAC (Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center)

Come join this class of book arts enthusiasts as we explore the many possibilities of the concertina (accordion) spine. You decide: pamphlet, long, or coptic stitch; folded or board cover; double, folded, or back-to-back signatures; glue or no glue.

The Fly uses two concertinas—one for the spine and one for the pages. I used papers I painted in a wonderful Randi Parkhurst workshop for the covers. The poem was written by friend Dwight Marsh of Hastings,
Nebraska . I used InDesign for the text layout.

January 25, 2015/2 Comments/by Michele

Boxes, Past Workshops

Book-in-a-Box

It’s getting to be that time again. OLLI Fall 2014 semester starts next week and I have a two day course you might be interested in taking. This is a wonderful box/book structure that fits in your hands. When the cover is opened the accordion book folds open; the book can be displayed in the open or closed position. This particular book is a celebration of my sister and her love of horses. I created the papers at a Randi Parkhurst workshop. Photoshop was used to size and print a photo of my sister in full-fledged cowgirl regalia. The closure has a vintage button with a silver horse and beads on linen thread.
“All horses, at least once in their lives, should be loved by a little girl.”

INFORMATION FROM THE OLLI CATALOG:

Book Arts: Book-in-a-Box

Create a custom box to encase your handmade book. Learn the basics of making and covering boxes, then create a simple book to place in the box. Boxes protect the book, but can also be an integral part of the book. They can hold small treasures that further enhance the theme of your book.
Basic Toolkit: Cutting mat, cutting knife, metal ruler, sharp pencil, bookmaker’s awl, bone folder, small sharp scissors, wet wipes, old telephone book, small glue brush, PVA (Art Center or Ellis Engineering). Additional materials will be provided. ($5 materials fee)
date ………. Tues./Thurs., Aug. 26 & 28
time ………. 1-4 p.m.
fee ………. Members $55/non-members $80 (47526)
place ………. Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center (HBAC)
instr ………. Michele Olsen

Thank you Ellen Golla for the wonderful photos of the book. Thanks also to Nancy Holley for teaching me this structure.

August 18, 2014/0 Comments/by Michele

Past Workshops, Sewn Spine

Crossed Structure Binding

It’s time for another OLLI book arts course—Cross Structured Bindings. These wonderful books require no glue and the sewing is straightforward. I will teach two stitches that should be in a book artist’s repertoire—the long stitch and the kettle stitch—and we will use acrylic inks to create background designs for our pages. I will be supplying paper for the pages and faux emu upholstery fabric for the covers (see photo above). See the list below for materials to bring to the class.

Carmencho Arrigui adapted the Cross Structured Binding from historical structures. If you are interested in seeing more of this type of book, her website is filled with information.
Out of Binding: http://www.outofbinding.com/00_origin.htm

Details:
Basic Toolkit: cutting board, cutting knife, metal ruler, sharp pencil, bookmaker’s awl, bone folder, wet wipes, sewing cradle (or telephone book), size 18 or 22 Tapestry needle. Materials: 1-3 bottles of FW Acrylic Artist lnks (or similar), lnexpensive 2”-3” flat brushes, 1 inexpensive large round brush, cotton perle embroidery floss (or linen thread).
date ………. Tues/Thurs., July 22-24
time ………. 1-4 p.m.

July 7, 2014/5 Comments/by Michele

Past Workshops, Sewn Spine, Workshop Followup

Japanese Stab Binding

Twelve students learned the “ins and outs” of a side bound book. Book board was covered to create two hinged covers. Students could choose to make a photo album (with a fold on each page to accommodate the extra dimensions of added photos) or a journal. Everyone used either a Dremel drill or power drill to create the holes for the sewing. There were as many types of sewing thread as people; some chose the basic side stitch and others sewed the hemp stitch. One student used beads on the front. Great results after an afternoon of class!

Tip for students: Because the back and front look the same, put some type of embellishment on the front. I just finished my book and use this as an example. Happy Booking!

May 5, 2014/2 Comments/by Michele

Folded, Past Workshops, Sewn Spine

Star Book

This Book Is a Star!
This spectacular book, when closed, looks like any other book. But when it is opened, the pages pop out and form a star. This book will have board covers and will be sewn using double needles (beading optional). The double-page spread lends itself to artwork or photos. Variations will contain tunnels or pockets. The basic skills of gluing, folding, measuring and cutting, and long-stitch sewing will be covered. Appropriate for all levels.
Basic tool kit needed: bone folder, sharp pencil, metal ruler, cutting mat, glue stick, sharp scissors, small cutting knife, awl, double-stick tape.
Materials needed: Cardstock – 4 sheets each of colors A, B and C (solid colors); 7 sheets of color D (solid or printed); 2 sheets of pliable, decorative paper; beads for spine decoration; 1.5 yards of linen thread or cotton perle embroidery floss; 24 inches of ribbon.
date ………. Tues. & Thurs., Feb. 4-6
time ………. 1-5 p.m.
fee ………. Members $45/nonmembers $70 (27726)
place ………. Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka
instr ………. Michele Olsen

Stab Binding: Side Bound Book
Stab bindings are formal bindings developed over hundreds of years in Japan, Korea and China. There were variations in the number of holes used, as well as the sewing pattern. Stab-bound books lend themselves to journals, scrapbooks, guest books, and gift books.
Basic tool kit needed: bone folder, sharp pencil, metal ruler, cutting mat, glue stick, sharp scissors, small cutting knife, awl, double-stick tape.
Materials needed: 15 sheets of text-weight paper (i.e. colored copier paper); one sheet strong, pliable cover paper (at least 15” x 15”); lightweight decorative paper (at least 8 1/2” x 11”); several yards sewing material (linen thread, embroidery floss, string, raffia, or ribbon will work) and needle to accommodate choice.
date ………. Thurs., May 1
time ………. 1-4 p.m.
fee ………. Members $55/nonmembers $80 (27727)
place ………. Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka
instr ………. Michele Olsen

January 10, 2014/0 Comments/by Michele

My Books, Past Workshops

Blizzard Book

I have a book that is part of the International Printmaking Conference in Dundee, Scotland. My book Equations is near the bottom of the table on the right edge. This is a book I made for an international exchange. One never knows where our books may show up! This is exciting and thanks to my friend Ellen for bringing it to my attention. I used a gelatin plate and printing inks to print plants from Humboldt County, California. These images were then enhanced using Photoshop. The wooden covers are made from recycled Bubinga and the pages were inserted into a Blizzard structure.

I love book arts!
I will be using this structure as a model for an OLLI class on this fun book.

September 1, 2013/1 Comment/by Michele