wood – Handcrafted Books by Michele Olsen

Barn Raising

I’ve been busy in the studio creating a new book. It features the history and reconstruction of the Long-Graham barn owned by the Northcoast Regional Land Trust in Freshwater, California. I didn’t have a fixed idea of what the book would look like when I started but it has evolved into a vessel containing memorabilia about the history of the barn. It’s a kind of miniature barn. I will be sewing it together with sticks on the spine and the sections contain pockets, foldouts, etc. I love making this kind of book: history, local materials, creative challenges, and s a snapshot in time. For now, here is a sneak preview! I still have time to add more memorabilia. The historical research has been fascinating. I found the 1880 Census records of the Long Family and listed below them were about 15 Chinese immigrants who were there to work on the railroad – I’m assuming the Freshwater Railroad. All Chinese were forced out of Humboldt County in 1885 and my Dutch ancestors arrived in 1890 to jeers and taunts on the Eureka dock; they were in native dress with clogs. The was not a proud moment in our local history.

After sewing it together, I still have time to add memorabilia. Research never ends.

Title Page

Photos

Map of Freshwater

Matchbook Book in a Pocket

Straw Paper, Articles from Local Newspapers, Blackberry prints

Redwood Boards from the Original Barn (1910)

I

June 7, 2017/4 Comments/by Michele

Sewn Spine

Redwood Journal

When I headed to Nebraska this Fall I had already committed to making a book for the Humboldt County Library Foundation auction to be held December 5 at the Ingomar Club in Eureka, California. I had an idea of what I wanted to make and I brought an abundance of materials along so that I could have choices. I love working in my studio in rural Nebraska; I’ve done some of my most creative work isolated from people, phones, and internet. I had almost completed the book when I discovered that one of my favorite artists Karen Kunc was offering a class in boxmaking in Lincoln, Nebraska, and this was no ordinary box! I was thrilled to take yet another class from such a talented artist and teacher. So. I built a box for the book.

The Coptic bound book is made from old growth redwood boards rescued from the 1905 carriage house of Liz Murguia, president of the library foundation board. The apple twigs come from a 50 year old Gravenstein apple tree belonging to Sara Traphagen, vice-president of the library foundation board. The book structure was inspired by another wonderful book artist and teacher Margo Klass.

The thread is heavy natural flax, the pebble comes from the Mad River Beach, and the sections inside were constructed from German Ingres paper wrapped in eco-dyed papers.

The clamshell box is covered with linen book cloth with recessed niches for eco-dyed papers on the front and spine.

When the book and platform are removed a tray is revealed which can also be removed. Whoever wins the bid on this can write in the journal and store their treasures in the tray. This is a fairly large box (9″ x 7″ x 4.5″) and I have plans to make a series of smaller ones. I’m always surprised by the completed project as I never know what I will create when I start out. I love the mathematical and logical ways of putting things together but it’s the unpredictability of the artistic opportunities that are the most exciting. Here is hoping that the auction brings in lots of money to support the purchase of non-fiction books for children – this year’s project.

December 1, 2016/5 Comments/by Michele

Folded, My Books

Terry Tempest Williams Special Edition

It was my sincere honor to be part of a reception for Terry Tempest Williams, June 6th, 2016, to celebrate the publication of her new book The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks and the debut of the special limited edition, Canyonlands National Park. I’ve been a fan of Terry’s since reading Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place in the 1990’s; I don’t know how many copies I’ve given away but the most recent gift was given in February. Little did Terry know that she was about to receive a handmade book with black walnut covers and Eco dyed endpapers using sagebrush from her beloved Castle Valley, Utah. I was blessed enough to be the book artist who designed and assembled the book. I will devote another post to the creation of this book – a story in itself. For now, enjoy some of the photos from this event and then run to your nearest bookstore and buy a book, any book, by this remarkable woman.

Terry’s first look at the handmade book. Bill Hedden, on the left, provided the black walnut covers. Andy Nettell, on the right, is the owner of Back of Beyond Books, Moab, Utah. Andy organized the reception and readings that evening. He also commissioned the three handmade books. One is for Terry, one Andy’s collection, and one for the Yale University Library that holds Terry’s papers.

Two true book lovers. One makes books and one writes them.

After many email messages over the last months I finally get to meet Bill Hedden who created the beautiful black walnut covers. The story of this wood will be included in the next post. Bill is the executive director of the Grand Canyon Trust.

Andy Nettell, owner of the my favorite bookstore in the West, Back of Beyond Books. He is an antiquarian book dealer who specializes in regional and natural history titles of the Colorado Plateau. Want a first edition of Edward Abbey’s Monkey Wrench Gang? He’s got it.

These special people were also at the reception. My husband, Rollie Lamberson, is on the left and he provided the finish for the covers. Our daughter and son-in-law, Laurie and Brian Evans, are in the center; they were the plant collectors for the vegetation I used for dyeing endpapers. Jen Jones is on the right and best friend of Laurie. Jen is a graduate of Humboldt State University!

Hour of Land and Canyonlands.

Commissioned book: Bradel binding, black walnut covers, black goatskin spine, Eco dyed papers with black walnut leaves and sagebrush on Japanese Nishinouchi handmade paper.

Next Post: Evolution of a Book

June 9, 2016/2 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

My Books, Sewn Spine

Caterpillars, Sewn Headbands, Coptic!

My Fall stay in Nebraska was very productive in terms of reading books (seven!) and making books (four!). Two of my books were created for future OLLI workshops so you will see those at the end of January. The book I enjoyed the most was created from lacewood boards (a gift from my woodworking husband). All of the sewing was done with waxed Irish linen thread. The section wraps were made with handmade papers. The interior pages were made a year ago from rose petals and various leaves. Folios were bundled together with the plant materials in a kind of “sandwich” and boiled for 1.5 hours in a solution of water, vinegar, and alum. All of the holes were drilled with a vintage Dremel rotary tool purchased several years ago at an antique store in Eastern Colorado. Except for the electric drill, I felt like I was working in a medieval bookbinding studio. I really do like older materials and techniques. I suppose I should start looking for a vintage hand drill.

December 17, 2015/2 Comments/by Michele

Mentors, My Books, Sewn Spine

Margo Klass at Newport 2015

Margo Klass is one of my favorite books artsts because of the way she works with wood, the care she takes with detail and bookbinding principles, and the Japanese feel of a lot of her work. I’ve been lucky to have taken three of her classes at the Newport Paper Arts Festival in Newport, Oregon. She is an exceptionally good teacher: patient, well organized, so very talented. She spends her time in Alaska and Maine and makes books as well as altar pieces and box constructions. I’m hoping she will teach at Newport again this April!

I made the book below during her April workshop; it uses sticks from Maine and wood from Alaska. The text block was created with torn Hannemuhle papers. Attaching the sticks was challenging but practice makes perfect and I managed to complete the book. The closure loops were made from fine leather from a repurposed woman’s glove and a fossil is embedded in the cover. The tie is braided waxed linen thread. I love workshops that are a cross between an art class and shop class—love those electric
drills.

My daughter is a serious surfer and beach lover. The following book was a gift for her. Most items are from the Redwood Coast where she grew up. The covers are redwood, sticks are driftwood from Clam Beach, stones are from Stone Lagoon. This book combines ideas from two workshop of Margo’s. The books I love the most are tactile, made of natural materials, and uusually have a rustic look. This is certainly one of them.

This has been a very busy year because of the number of workshops I’ve taken. I’ve neglected my blog. I’m going to catch up! Next: my 10 days in May at Ox Bow, Saugatuck, MIchigan

November 19, 2015/4 Comments/by Michele

Sewn Spine

Finished Product

The wedding guest book is finally done. The covers were drilled and sections assembled in California; coptic stitch was sewn in the car (mostly in Nevada on I80); and the headbands, rocks and redwood stick were attached at Horsecreek Ranch in central Nebraska. The bride and groom used the bed of a vintage pickup to display the book—their wedding was at a “farmette” in Colorado—it was perfect. Oh. The bride and groom are both geologists, hence the rocks. I truly loved making this book and have several more in the works. Stay tuned.

September 29, 2014/2 Comments/by Michele

How-To, Studio

Car Workstation 2

We had to make an “emergency” stop at Raley’s in Winnemucca, Nevada, to purchase small plastic dental floss feeders (see light blue loop on the inside of the left cover). While sewing the Coptic Stitch for this book I realized that the holes that are drilled diagonally from the edge into the first vertical hole (cannot see in the photo) were crooked enough that I couldn’t pass the needle and thread through. After trying to straighten the path, use a small needle, and threading with no needle, I remembered those little handy floss feeders I use to keep openings of my tiny glue bottle sealed. They worked! So, these little things are now a permanent part of my tool box. I have finished the Coptic and tomorrow it’s on to the headbands. The wood is black acacia (thanks to Rollie) and the blue paper is handmade flax paper from Minneapolis. The other holes in the front cover are for a surprise.
PS. Somewhere on the floor of the car are two size 22 tapestry needles, toasted almonds, and three dental floss feeders.

September 12, 2014/0 Comments/by Michele

How-To, My Books, Studio

Car Workstation

With long travel days and a need to work on a book I’ve decided to create a lap workstation for the car. I purchased the least colorful lap desk—hard to imagine that the others were brighter—and put together a little kit of threads, needles, prepunched sections and boards that I can store by my feet. The drink holder on the table is perfect for storing needles and scissors. Of course, I cannot be without my iPod. To the right, on the dash, I can store my piping hot coffee.

So, how’s it working? I’ve lost one needle between the seats and can sew without stabbing Rollie in the eye while he is driving. I also decided to go with 6-needle sewing against my better judgement—one needle would have been easier to keep track of but the need for longer thread has it’s disadvantages. I am sewing a wedding album for a dear friend. I will keep you posted.

September 11, 2014/0 Comments/by Michele

My Books, Photography, Sewn Spine

Found Objects

The making of this book has been a labor of love and one of constant problem solving; I didn’t think things through before starting the book. There is something to be said for that approach— I learned a lot and the book is more interesting because of it.

We have a little cabin in Nebraska and for several years we used an old “farm” table for dining. My husband found in an old barn; most of the red paint was gone and the wood was dry from years of extreme temperatures in that part of the world. I loved thinking about the meals that might have been served on this table when it was a bright color of “barn” red: fried chicken, peas in milk, puffy dinner rolls, lemonade, coleslaw, Jello something, raisin cream pie. When my husband built a new table I couldn’t bear to just toss the old one into the burn pile. We were able to salvage a couple of rectangles cut from the table top and I decided to use these as covers for a Farm Table Book. Straps were in order so I made book cloth from fabric purchased from a quilting fabric shop in nearby Fullerton—see the movie Nebraska and you will know. The orange hemp thread added the rustic look I wanted; it was not fun to work with and needed attention on every step of the sewing. Sections were covered with strips of handmade Nepalese paper. I covered the boards with layers of milk paint and waxed them to give this table new life. A rusty metal “thing” was embedded in the front cover—something from my explorations around our property. At the last minute I added a print from a deconstructed screen printing workshop and photos by daughter, Laurie Evans, taken on a visit to the ranch years ago.

It has been very satisfying to create this book from mostly local materials. I also enjoyed working without a finished product in mind—just letting the materials tell me what to do next. The wood told me to cut slots in it for the straps and that was really a challenge—hand drills and chisels. Next time I may not listen.

This book and seven others of mine are part of OLLI Arts Alive exhibit in Eureka, California on Saturday night, March 1. Come and see the work of over 30 local artists trying to raise funds for OLLI. If we raise $20,000 we will be eligible for $1,000,000 in endowments. We could use your support!

February 28, 2014/0 Comments/by Michele

Tag Archive for: wood

OLLI Book Arts: The “What’s It” Book