Curren's book

Day two of being on the Blog Every Day challenge and I already screwed it up. Well, I'm technically still blogging but I wanted to dedicated a whole days post to my latest little project. I love how this commission turned out so be ready for a bunch of photos! 

This book was commissioned by my friend Tina. She wanted a big blank book with a nautical/ocean theme to use as a photo album for her little son Curren. I love how this book turned out! It was my first big book commission that wasn't filled with large illustrations or stories on every page, so it was a little different compared to other projects. I did sneak in little ocean related illustrations every other page in the book, and the wave wreath on the front is my absolute favorite part of the whole book! 

bookbinding workshop

Yesterday I taught my first adult workshop on bookbinding. It was a nice contrast to the weaving class I taught all week. I love teaching small kiddos and all, but it was nice to be able to give an instruction and have the student actually listen and execute the step without whining that it was too hard (or refusing to try entirely! che palle...)


I had to two lovely ladies in my Fat Mini Book workshop at the C Gallery in Los Alamos. I couldn't have asked for better ladies to work with! As soon as they saw my Vino Book, they wanted to try it! So we spent some time dying their pages with wine and coffee for a bit. Unfortunately, the pages became too brittle to sew with the coptic stitch so we had to improvise and use plain white pages. I definitely want to experiment with both wine and coffee in a book of my own sometime soon. 

During the class, I started making a mini book of my own to demonstrate all the bookbinding steps. I was able to finish binding it that afternoon at my other job. It was so nice to bind a book again, it has probably been a couple months since I made an artist book just for the hell of it. I love this little one, especially the sea glass wrapping cord! I put this little lovely in my Etsy shop already too! Hooray!

In other news, I will be posting about my kiddo workshops sometime this week. I taught a weaving workshop last week and this week it's printmaking! YESSSSSSS! 


And, I finally caved and got an Iphone. I love it. I knew I would tho. Aaaaannd subsequently, I got an Instagram account. Just like the Iphone, I knew I would love it. That app has always irked me a bit but I really do enjoy using it. It will never replace a good 'ol film camera for me but it is a fun little toy on my new tool! The one here is a peek at my weaving class (if you're curious to see the rest of my photos, my name is: sketchynotions)

threaded book edition

The edition of little books is complete! I'm rather pleased with how they turned out, considering their format changed  in one way or another about 3 or 4 times.

They were my first edition I've made since college! Eek! Nice to get back into that state of mind though, I had missed it.


They're made of watercolor paper, sewing thread, paper bags and ribbon.

Really simple materials, but pretty complex in their design...

They are a single accordion signature with three lines of stitching, one red and two white, from on end to the other. The signature isn't connected to the covers but rather slips into two pockets on the inside of the cover panels, making it so two pages are hidden from view until fully removed.

So the books can be read either as a normal book once untied or as a single long page once the signature is removed from the covers.

The pages slide out together and are completely separate from the covers... I left the books blank with the idea that their potential owner could personalize them and possibly leave a message for someone else on the pages hidden inside the cover pockets.

Three of the five will be for sale at The C Gallery and one will be on my Etsy shop (the last one I'm greedily keeping for myself!)

editioning

It's been a long time since I made an edition of an artist book. I always love the finished collection and how they all look together as a group, but I forgot how time consuming they are...just as soon as you finished up a cover board, you remember you have to do it 9 more times. Troubleshooting also becomes a problem...you change one detail, then have to repeat it 4 more times!

Vabbè! I started making this edition of 5 the other night to accompany the cards I stitched up for Mother's Day at the C Gallery. They will be for sale up there and there will be kind of an artist presentation of all the goods for sale on May 5th.

They're still a work in progress and I'm actually going to make a separate larger version (left photo right above) of the book outside of the edition (from the pieces after the first revision to the book...) but they make for some nice photos on a dreary day.

sketchy notions

It's official! I have my own website! I'm so unbelievably happy to finally have one. It is high time that I got one and started getting more professional with my work. Next step...business cards!

Also! I've been getting a 2nd Etsy shop, heckyl & jyve, up and ready for my prints and less children's book oriented stuff.

AND! The icing on the happy cake for these past 24 hours...my sketchbook post was featured on one of my favorite sites, Craftgawker. Happy day!

SO! Check out my website if you'd like, sketchy notions. It has all my children's books, artist books, prints, photos and many things I never even put on this blog...for example, my little Belgium book (which was I actually photographed for the first time ever yesterday!)

Dear Little Aubrey

Aubrey is completed! She is currently on her way to her new home in Nova Scotia. It's still a weird sensation putting one of these guys in mail, knowing I will likely never see this little creation ever again in person. Vabbe'.....

On to the story!

Dear Little Aubrey

Dear little Aubrey,

so big you have grown,

how sweet you have become,

all the promise you've shown.

But there’s so much more to do

and a lot more room to grow,

many great things for you to be

and grand places for you to go.

You could go abroad

and see everything far and wide!

Travel by plane, boat and caravan

with cousin Jesse, by your side.

You can see the world!

Oh, wouldn’t that be grand?

Aubrey, you can see it all,

from every ocean to far off land.

You two can be Prince and Princess

and travel all throughout the land,

make friends with all your people

but being sure to lend a hand.

You’ll fly with dragons, swim with mermaids,

ride horses ‘cross the plains;

and remember to write home

about all these places you have been.

And don’t forget my dear,

all the great things that you can be;

A great singer, artist or ballet dancer,

so many choices, don’t you see?

Or maybe be a teacher!

How proud your mom would be.

Miss Aubrey teaching her lessons,

how to count, one, two, three!

You are sure to be amazing

at whatever you choose to be.

Be it baking cakes or skydiving,

writing books or taming bees. 

Maybe singing in an opera,

or making friends with Kings and Queens.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be an astronaut

all by the time you’re three!

And you won’t have to go very far

to find people who love and care.

There’s always Mom, Dad, Tucker,

Aunt Jill and Jesse, who will all be there.

But right now, dear Aubrey,

seeing as you’re only one,

just be sweet, grow up slowly,

be a good girl and have fun!

more photos...