30 by 30

I turned 29 yesterday. I remember my parents turning thirty. Thirty in my mind has always meant: Adult. 

Gulp. 

I have one year left before I'm officially an adult. So what am I going to do in that year? Here's my Thirty Things to Do before I Turn Thirty:

(they are in no particular order of importance, just a random list of things I'd like to do)

1. Give five handmade gifts away (not for any special occasion, but just because)
2. Take another out-of-state trip with Daniel
3. Start a photo album of our family -- (we make albums and Daniel is a photographer. You'd think we'd have one started already, right?)
4. Teach an Online Class -- (Will you be attending?)
5. Hiking trip overnighter with Daniel and the boys. 
6. Finish a landscape painting. 
7. Create a self-portrait.
8. Girl's day out with Mom, and Sisters. This has to be the whole works: shopping, lunch, pedicures, movie. Seriously. So. Excited. For this.
9. Strengthen my voice. I lost it last May teaching a week of workshops in Los Angeles. It's never been the same.
10. Read the Standard Works again. (This includes the Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.)
11. Printmaking with the boys. Jadon has been persistent about asking to do this. I love that.
12. Buy a Car. We have never owned a vehicle. I think it's time.
13. Teach a free class open to the whole community. 
14. Watch a foreign film with Daniel. (we use to do this often, I'd like to start doing this again.) 
15. Take the boys bowling.
16. Create a new set of one-of-a-kind monotype prints (12-15)
17. Organize and decorate every room in our apartment.
18. Replace the eye glasses I lost a few years ago. I'll be needing them to drive at night.
19. Visit the zoo with my boys.
20. Learn to play 5 hymns on the piano.
21. Enter 3 juried art shows within the year
22. Attend the temple monthly for one year 
23. Finish a quilt (one of the many already started)
24. Finish my kids Halloween costumes at least 2 weeks before Halloween
25. Finish my 100 artist books in one year project (finished date is set for Oct 1, 2013)
26. Reach blog post #300. This post is #185. Please leave comments. They motivate me.
27. New family photos taken
28. Take another class or workshop in relation to bookbinding. I'm always learning. It's a must.
29. Learn to meditate. 
30. Write 10 letters to my children to give to them at some far future date. 

I can do this. I can be an adult.

Secret Belgian Binding Workshop

The 10 book workshop in Logan was going to be the last bookbinding class I taught this year, but upon request, I'll be teaching a couple more before this year is through.

The Secret Belgian Binding Workshop

November 30th, 2012
5:30 pm - 9pm

201 West Center Street, Provo, UT

The studio above Provo Art & Frame

There are five Secret Belgian Binding Books in this photo
(the rest are coptic). These Coptic Stitch and Secret Belgian Binding
Books are from the workshop in Los Angeles back in
May of this year (2012). I love the combinations
of decorative papers that my students used.  

The Secret Belgian Binding has a look similar to a Japanese Stab Bound
but it's a hardbound book that will open really nice with pages
that lay flat.

This binding works well for any purpose: journaling, sketchbooks,
guestbooks, photo albums... it really is a very versatile book and we
discuss the different materials you can use for this book in the
Secret Belgian Binding workshop.

The workshop is November 30th which is a Friday Night. Is Friday night your date night? Bring your husband or wife and they get a $10 discount.

Students need to bring the following tools but all other materials/tools are provided. We bring our stash of papers from around the world for you to choose from . . . you'll love it!

Tool list (all my students get a discount at Provo Art & Frame, just ask for a discount card at the checkout):

Pencil

Scissors

Bonefolder 

Bookbinding Awl 

Xacto Type Craft Knife

Cutting Mat

Metal Edged Ruler

Glue Brush (we recommend a 1" flat brush)

Last chance to sign up!

Today is the last day to register for the ten book workshop in Logan, UT.

View more info or register here!

Teaching the ten book workshop

At work making beautiful books. This photo is from the
Bountiful Davis Art Center which is one of my favorite
places to teach. I loved this class and students went
away with amazing books.

Bookbinding Now: Have you been listening to these podcasts?

I have. And I think they are absolutely wonderful. We live in the middle of the rural Western United States and I must say, there are not many bookbinders in our area. For me to be able to connect to other bookbinders through the internet is such a blessing!

My newest love has been Bookbinding Now which is a series of interviews with people who are involved in anything book art related. I find myself connecting with certain book artists and saying out loud, "Me too!" or "That's exactly how I view my own approach to books."

Visit Bookbinding Now to listen to past interviews and upcoming ones. They come out every other Wednesday. I look forward to each of them!

A big thanks to Susan Mills for her wonderful contribution to the book arts world with Bookbinding Now. You can also make a donation to Susan for these amazing podcasts which will help to keep them coming!

Bookbinding 101: Headbands or Endbands

If you don't already know about headbands on books, you just might always notice them on books from here on out.

Headbands are found at the very top of the spine of a book. If the book has a covered spine, then the headbands can be found between the text block and the material covering the spine.

Let's talk terminology for just a second. The book has a head and a tail at either end of the spine. Headband refers to only the one side. I'm not sure when the change occurred but some people nowadays call them endbands. I prefer the term "endbands" because we aren't leaving out the tail end. It's more fair that way.

Do you see the endband on this book?

Originally, endbands were created not primarily for decoration but as part of the sewing structure to strengthen the binding of the book, and the endband's good looks were a bonus. So, traditional endbands are actually sewn onto the ends of the text block before the cover is put on, binding the ends of the pages together along the spine. Today though, you can purchase or make your own faux endbands to add to your books. The faux endbands do give added support to the structure, because it is glued in place, acting as a tape to help hold things together, but support might just be secondary to their decorative purpose. Even if people don't consciously notice them, it gives a subtle, finished look.

Faux endbands can be purchased by the foot or yard and
can be cut to the width of the book spine and glued on
using the linen or cotton tape that the endband
is sewn onto.

There are different materials, styles and sizes of endbands. If you are making a small book, like on the "booklace" shown below, then you'll need size 0.

For this 1.5" tall book,
I used a size 0 end band

For a larger book use size 2 or 3.

For this 8" x 10" book,
Daniel used a size 3 end band.

We buy our endbands from Talasonline.com because we buy them in bulk and it's less expensive that way, but you can also buy them from Hollanders.com.

For those of you who would like to learn to sew your own end bands. Here are some great tutorials from fellow bookbinders:

Pied Crow Press: Hand-sewn Headbands!

Veterok for Books: sewing headbands: a tutorial

Buechertiger: Simple Two-colored Coptic Headbands