Paper Buttons

Lilac Creek

2012-02-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

The challenge book I made for week 6 is titled Lilac Creek. It's a tiny book, about one and a half inches on each side. The story of this book is about the beauty of nature, about the celebration of creating things ...of being involved in a process, and it's about the joy in small things.

Lilac Creek

The pages are handmade paper I made by beating kozo (the Japanese mulberry bush) fibers with a wooden mallet. There is a magic in drumming that goes way back; and the rhythmic pounding of the mallet on the table was delightful and enlivening. There were a group of us that day, and as we pounded the piles of kozo stalks, we became a laughing, sassy, happy tribe. When I had the right consistancy of soupy pulp, I sprinkled in crushed mica I had gathered from the mountain paths and dirt roads at Penland where I sometimes live in the summers.. Then I formed the sheets of delicate paper by dipping in a papermaking screen and draining off the excess water. In the finished paper sheets, mica catches the light and throws it back to me, like a sweet gift, a flirtation, a smile from the earth.

And I added sheets of paper I marbled on another day. Marbling too, is a process that is somewhat magic, usually fun, often challenging, and always interesting. Sometimes it works perfectly.. sometimes the pigments drop to the bottom of the tray, or colors muddy up, or bubbles form like some poltergeist's light... unexpected and unwelcome. But this marbled paper was lovely with its swirling patterns of color and shaded hues of stone-like shapes. Some of the marbled papers reflected the muddy browns of a North Carolina creek bed, the olive greens of algae and moss, and the purple hues of lilac and paulownia petals floating along a lazy stream...

The book cover, etched vines on copper then enameled holds the pages by coptic stitching along an exposed spine. And the clasp of macrame linen thread with a handblown glass bead and a pearl, keeps the contents safe from too much exposure...

My book for week 6 is Lilac Creek... reflections of walking alongside a vine-covered meandering creek, smells of honeysuckle and lilac, heat of a sauna-hot Carolina-blue-sky summer day, sounds of a cool stream trickling close by.... Where is your Lilac Creek?

Week 5: True's World

2012-02-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

The book for week 5 is a tunnel book titled True's World. Tunnel books seem to have originated around the middle ages as "Peepshow" books, which were sort of portable puppet stages with layers of scenery within suitcase-like contraptions. They evolved to have accordion folded sides and be card-like. Often they were to commemorate a special event such as the building of the tunnel under the Thames River in London in the 1800's... which lead to the term tunnel book. They are credited with leading to the invention of moving pictures! wow!

True's World is a sort of fantastical portrayal of a day I spent with my friend True.. an artist, story teller, teacher, animal lover, naturalist, clown, mystic, and Pied Piper of sorts... Spending the day with True was something like falling into Alice's rabbit hole...full of wonder and magic.

The cover boards are covered with marbled italian paper and have glass beads sewn on.

The inside panels are watercolor paper cutouts painted with watercolors and the side accordions are colograph prints on heavyweight paper.

There are also some collaged photographs from my day spent assisting True teach a childrens' art and nature appreciation class. It was a day of drum circles, clown costumes, and learning about caring for "our forest friends." Though we were in a rather cluttered and tiny local art center and performance venue, I felt as if we were sitting cross legged in the middle of a very old forest. There's no doubt True's World is filled with magic.

Kathy

Week 4: In the Year of the Dragon

2012-01-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! This past Monday, January 23rd, 2012, was the first day of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar. In Chinese astrology, dating back thousands of years, the dragon symbolizes heaven, luck, and power. Those born in the year of the dragon (1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012) are thought to be creative, ambitious, and successful extraverts. Chinese astrology is complicated as well as fascinating, so rather than misquote the information, I urge you to read more about it on your own. If you missed celebrating Chinese New Year on January 23rd, you can follow the Chinese tradition of celebrating until the Lantern Festival, which occurs every year 15 days after Chinese New Year. Meanwhile, I'm celebrating by eating lots of dumplings and tangerines, which according to folklore, will build up my stash of good luck and prosperity!

For this week's Book of the Week I was inspired to make a dragon book, titled In the Year of the Dragon. The scale pages are a string of origami "stars" made of pastepaper lined with suminagashi on kozo, the scary mouth is a folded "devil's pocketbook" of marbled paper lined with suminagashi on kozo, the legs are accordion-folded marbled paper lined with natural dyed kozo, the tail is a strip of serrated pastepaper, the eyes are spiral-cut circles of pastepaper, and the fiery breath is two strips of marbled paper lined with natural dyed kozo. All along the breath, the tail, the scales, and the legs I wrote fortunes, facts, and folklore about the wonderful Year of the Dragon. Below are some photos of the book, In the Year of the Dragon, taken at NC State University's Ralston Arboretum.

Dragon in a Tree

Dragon in a fiery bush

Dragon in the Dragon Bush

My friend mentioned these pictures reminded her of certain gnome photography... oh dear...

Have a Happy Chinese New Year and may your year be filled with good luck and happiness!

Kathy

Week 3: Ages of Japan

2012-01-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Two things... The scroll book Ages of Japan and healing energy. I spent last week working on the sample book for this week's Bento Box of Books class. Its the scroll, one of the oldest book forms in existence. Egyptian antiquities as well as the ancient Chinese have examples of the scroll that date to the 3rd century BC and before. The Japanese got it from the Chinese.. rather late in the game... maybe 12th century AD. The oldest Japanese book (in existence) is a scroll... The Tale of the Genji written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu between 1120-1140AD. It's all written (very small!) on my scroll, Ages of Japan... my book for Week 3.

The scroll is made of strips of kozo with suminagashi background which are glued end-to-end for over 6 feet then glued to a small handprinted Japanese paper wrapper with satin ribbon. The strip is glued to and wrapped around a shortened round wooden chopstick. The ends of the chopstick dowel are paper beads. Once I finished marking the Japanese cultural timeline from the present back to 10,500BC in 1-inch/100 year increments, I was afraid the thing would resemble a roll of toilet paper rather than a lovely scroll. But, it didn't, thank goodness, and is quite sweet.

Now about the healing energy... I attended my first qigong workshop this weekend. Titled, The Healing Energy of Qigong, it was led by Kert Peterson of Eastside Qigong in Burnsville, NC. We practiced the sitting modes of movement. Actually the first 10 of 30. One of the other 8 students asked me if I had fun. "No." I said rather emphatically. But on thinking of it now, the reaching our hands up, rotating them in a circle, wiggling our fingers, sweeping them gracefully from side-to-side or floating them up and down, breathing in and out, and counting it all... it was fun. Or will be fun... when I'm not concentrating so much on following the directions and mimicking the others. Paulus said, "Just don't think about it so much." He is right about that. And I was wrong, it was FUN, I just didn't realize it... You can read more about Kert Peterson's form of qigong by checking out his website at www.eastsideqigong.com

With (more) energy,
Kathy

Grids in Chaos

2012-01-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

That's the title of the tiny book I've made for week 2 of the Book A Week challenge. What is it about grids, an array of lines in a repetitive pattern, that calm and intrigue at the same time? Graph paper grids, like some urban street patterns, have that element of assurance that things will turn out as expected. Point A will lead to point B... and there is no unexpected, no unexplainable...it's all right there.. on the grid. Math is like that.. 1 +1 = 2 and so on..except math goes on to infinity...wherever that is.. which in my mind looks like chaos. So the tiny book, small enough to fit in a hand, is a mathematical line from 1 + 1 to infinity...

A Book a Week

2012-01-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

That's the challenge that Jenny and I have made for 2012. There are all sorts of ideas, but for Week One, Jan. 1 to midnight Jan 7, I have bound a book that has been sitting unfinished for 3 years. Editions can be like that.. write the story, draw the illustrations, letterpress the text.. and the background... and the illustrations... then sew up ONE book. The other 9 just sit on the shelf. Waiting. It's because the covers are the real problem for me.. all that judgement based on the covers! So finding just the right cover for this book has been... hard. The story is called "The Tale of the Blueberries". This is the story and a picture of the cover.

The Tale of the Blueberries

On top of a mountain, in a land far away
The blueberries lived each glorious day.

They lived all together on Bob's Berry Farm...
in neat little rows, far from danger and harm.

Each berry wore a button that said, "Sinners Repent!
Blueberries are the Best, 'cause we're Heaven-Sent!"

The berries were raised with culture and art
given every advantage to promote a strong start.

Farmer Bob watered and fed them, and cultivated them too.
So the proud little berries grew, and grew, and GREW!

Over in the valley, in the Tall Piney Wood
lived a family of robins - their songs sweet and good.

Mother Robin loved her babies, and went searching each day
for fat worms and berries - her brood's hunger to stay.

She flew to The Mountain and asked the berries there -
a bit of their sweet fruit with her would they share?

"Oh NO!" said their leader. "We won't share our wealth.
We need all our berries to ensure our perfect health.

"We live on this mountain, the richest on earth.
We're Heaven-Sent berries. We're special from birth!"

"Oh please," said Mother Robin. "My babies need food.
Just a few small berries to feed my poor brood?"

But the berries were certain that their way was the best.
So they ignored Mother Robin and the babies in her nest.

Then Old Mother Earth said to Great Father Sky,
"If you don't do something, those babies will die!"

So Great Father Sky gathered the clouds and the wind
and made a huge hurricane - No WAY to defend.

And he sent it to The Mountain, and it did its job well.
It was a Blueberry Hurricane! It was Blueberry Hell!

Some say 'change is inevitable'; and 'from each bad comes some good.'
Well, the berries blew ALL OVER, even Mother Robin's neighborhood!

Now the berries are scattered to lands HIGH and lands LOW;
a treasure to EVERYONE - and this we all know.

For each berry wears a button. You know, that small round dent?
Well, it says quite plainly, "Blueberries Are Heaven-Sent!"

Jenny and I would like to invite anyone reading this blog to join the One Book A Week Challenge for your own enjoyment. You can start any time, but make it for an entire year to complete the challenge. To see a photo of Jenny's weekly books check out her blog, whatsmahappenin.blogspot.com. and if you would like to share some examples of your books, email them to me and I'll try to get them on the blog. I'd love to see them!
Kathy

Book Classes are Fun!

2011-12-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hey! So here are the upcoming book classes I've planned for Winter and Spring 2012. They are fun, packed with information, and always have a great group of folks.

At Pullen Arts Center, Raleigh, NC (Call them at 919-996-6126 for information about registering)

Bento Box of Books - In Japan, the art of paper crafts, calligraphy, paper-making, printing and bookmaking are in the forefront of historical culture and everyday life. Washi (Japanese paper) has as strong an impact on art and literature as it does in architecture and religion. In this introductory class we will spend 6 weeks exploring Japanese culture through books and paper. The scroll, the accordion book, the butterfly book, the 4-hole pouch book, and the multi-section book will be taught. In addition to bindings, we will explore the arts of suminagashi (marbling on paper) and kumihimo (cord braiding). Each book will be small enough to fit into a section of a commercial luncheon bento box. 6 Tuesdays, Jan. 17- Feb 21. 6-8:30pm

Bento Box of Books

Coptic Book with Headband- Coptic bound books make great journals, drawing and sketch books, wedding and celebration sign-in books, and beautiful works of art. We will make a small coptic book with a beautiful exposed binding of chain-stitched linen, pastepaper on book board covers, and pages of mouldmade Italian paper. We'll finish the book with a stitched headband along the top and bottom of the spine. 4 Thursdays, March 22- April 12, 6:30 - 9:30pm

Coptic Book with Headband

Travel Journal - Travel has an element of the unexpected, of adventure and an awareness of something new. The travel journal has to be compact and sturdy, but also adaptable to change and the unexpected. Most importantly, it must be able to hold a variety of treasures safe. This class will make a softcover journal with pockets, fold-outs, windows, and a multitude of ways to incorporate memories and mementos into a variety of book forms. Fan books, stab books, rubber band books, tacket books, and pamphlet books will be made to tuck into the pockets and envelopes. We'll make paper buttons, and incorporate all types of papers for collecting specimens on your journey. Bring any maps or travel ephemera you would like to incorporate! Tuesdays for 6 weeks, March 27- May 1, 6:30-9pm

Travel Journal of Books

At Cary Arts Center, Cary, NC (Call them at 919-469-4069 for information about registering.)

The Perfect Book - The casebound, flat back book is one of the most common books seen in libraries and in homes. It is a lovely book to use for any purpose but especially for diaries, special occasions, and a very special written story. For this class we will make the text block from mould made paper imported from Italy, then cover a "case" (the outer cover) in beautiful commercial book cloth and decorated paper we made ourselves with paste paints. 5 Mondays, 7-9:30pm, April 16- May 14.

A Flat Back Book, "Wang's Chinese"

Covers and Closures - This class focuses on unique and interesting covering materials for books as well as a variety of closures. For covers, we will explore book board with putty painting, recycled paper goods, textiles, wood, and handmade paper. Well will use simple bindings such as the long stitch, tacket stitch, coptic stitch, and accordion fold. We will spend one day making a sample card of 5-10 closure options and complete 4-5 books. 6 Mondays 6:30-9:30pm, March 5 - April 9

Painted Linen Cover Book

So that's the plan... hope to see you!

Kathy

Resolutions

2011-12-29T06:37:00.000-08:00

With the New Year comes the most ignored list of the year.. The New Year's Resolutions. I loved reading about The Pillow Book, a journal of sorts written by Sei Shōnagona who was lady-in-waiting for the Japanese Empress Teishi around 1001 AD. It includes musings, poetry, sketches, and LISTS. There are 164 lists. (The best description I have found of The Pillow Book is at www.koyotojournal.org.) Perhaps you would enjoy reading about this very personal journal and the lady who wrote it. Meanwhile, I'm still writing my lists. Every day I start with my "To Do" list.... very mundane things like "water the garden, pull weeds for 1 hour, write next week's class handout, work on class sample books, use up the pastepaints, vacume..." But The New Year's Resolution list is different... it's about aspirations, about dreams, and sometimes wishful thinking (that diet?) In the past, the things on the lists have been pretty hard to imagine attaining. It doesn't matter if I cross off all the things on the list or not. Eventually they might get crossed off.. But they are a record of my aspirations at the time.. a record of what I think would be the perfect life, of who would be the perfect me.

Several years ago I came across my New Years Resolution List from 1995. I remember writing the list, crying (good grief!) and thinking "These are things I WILL NEVER ATTAIN, but I'm writing them anyway, just to see them." The list was:
New Year's Resolutions for 1995
1. Write a book
2. Travel outside the USA
3. Have my art in shows and be recognized
4. Learn to play the guitar
I still haven't learned to play the guitar, but realized in 2005 that I had achieved each of the others many times over!

Now, my big list of the year...

Kathy's New Year's Resolutions for 2012
1. Write in the blog once a week... communicate
2. Complete 52 books for Jenny's "One Book A Week" project... commit to a challenge
3. Join the local Literacy council... volunteer
4. Write more letters and support the USPS... honor the past
5. Figure out my IPhone... embrace the future
6. Write in the blog once a week... love my mistakes

What's your New Year's Resolutions list? If you're local to the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, consider one of my book arts classes.. or some other sort of creative endeavor. I'll list the upcoming book arts classes in my next post. I promise!
Kathy

What happened to July?

2011-08-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

We all say that more and more.. "Where did the time go?" At the time, the present seems so permanent, so real, yet within seconds the clock has moved.. then spun full circle and the calendar has turned another page. What was now has become then. For me, writing seems to be the best way to keep the past with me.. to keep it present. I'm teaching a journaling and imagery class right now. The class is at the just- renovated Cary Arts Center in Cary, NC.. a 100+ year old school/ teaching academy... now art center and performance venue.

...Architecture is certainly another way to keep the past as a present, though it sometimes has a ghostlike quality.. The newly painted walls, now artsy greys and taupe, once institution greens and yellows, appear to be uncomfortable in their showy new finery.. like the too tight black patent leather shoes I once wore, and too starched white petticoats. But after only a few weeks, the classrooms are already cluttered with tempera paint jars, crafts supplies, and drying finger paintings... the halls ringing with laughter and shouting. So the air is beginning to get the feeling of renewed energy.. of heart beating.. of life renewed.

We started class last week working with the idea of self. I read excerpts from a number of published diaries and biographies; Charles Darwin, Samuel Pepys, Agnes Custis Lee, Georgia O'Keefe, Dang Thuy Tram. Reading the simply worded prose, imaging the daily tasks, lists, musings and insights of the world changers and the common folk was inspiring and also comforting.. Their days, that moment in time, was returned to me. I promise to write in my journal everyday (for awhile), even if it is only a word. Wonder if I can do it?... unlike time's passage, constancy is not my forte...

July also was spent with a trip to Penland and Burnsville, NC... to volunteer in the Penland School of Crafts' print studio sorting type and painting walls, and to work at a friend's studio and share how to sew the Belgian binding. I spent two mornings picking blackberries at my friend's beautiful mountainside home.. and couldn't help thinking of Brer' Rabbit begging to be thrown in the briar patch as my arms and fingers became scratched and poked with the cruel briars.. not me! but the berries were delicious and worth it.

Another trip was to the Rare Books Collection housed in Wilson Library at UNC-Chapel Hill. This is a wonderful treasure, free to the public and open for anyone to visit and study their amazing collection of rare antique books.. some date back to the 1400's.. and many are quite special and all are unique and wonderful. Currently there is an exhibition of books, "Meaningful Marks: Image and Text and the History of the Book". May 20 to Sept. 28, 2011 in the Saltarelli Gallery, Wilson Library. The head librarian, Claudia Funke has invited anyone to feel free to contact her for a visit, or just come by during operating hours.. also there will be free lectures beginning in September. And guess what? they too have a blog! It's www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/rbc

ok, time to head out for my walk.. and to drop off some Belgian bound books at the local chocolatiere.

What's UP around Raleigh and NC this summer?

2011-06-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from Penland, NC and the TRAC (Toe River Arts Council) tour of Mitchell and Avery County. I participated in the tour at Bringle Gallery along with Cynthia Bringle, Edwina Bringle, Pam Brewer, and Susan Feagin. They had beautiful clay and textile work, I had the only books, but Susan's pottery had PRINT on it! I bought two pieces.. almost my whole income for the weekend..

We had 100 visitors on Saturday! (and about 10 on Sunday) Still, it was a lovely weekend meeting so many nice people. Some folks came by especially to find out about making books! So here are some upcoming classes for the summer of 2011. Call the numbers listed for information about how to sign up. There are some great classes on schedule for Fall '11, so watch for them to post here in a month or so when applications are available.

At Pullen Arts Center:
105 Pullen Rd
Raleigh, NC 27607
919-996-6126
www.raleighnc.gov/home/content/PRecRecreation/Articles/PullenArtsHome.html

Bookmaking – Leather Long-Stitch Book

Age 16 yrs. and up.

This class explores the long-stitch book by making a leather covered codex with three different decorative stitches: the cross-hatch, the long-stitch, and the link-stitch. The emphasis of this class is to explore the issues and criteria relevant in making a book using leather cover material and exposed bindings. Supply fee of $15-20 payable to instructor at first class.
Instructor: Kathy Steinsberger (2 sessions)

$40 #108460 Aug 9-10 Tu-W 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

At Cary Art Center:
101 Dry Ave.,
Cary, NC 27513
919.463.4069
www.townofcary.org/Assets/Parks$!2c+Recreation+and+Cultural+Resources+Department/Parks$!2c+Recreation+$!26+Cultural+Resources+Department+PDFs/fall+09+program+brochure/arts.pdf

"Marvelous Marbling"
Marbled paper is a beautiful form of paper surface design where inks or colored pigments are floated on a medium to form a swirling pattern, then transferred onto paper. In this class we will experiment with the art of marbling on paper and textiles. A supply fee of approximately $35 is payable to the instructor on the first day of class.
Instructor: Kathy Steinsberger

Fees: $60(R) $79(N) (3 classes)
52631 Thu Jul 7-21 6:30-9:30 p.m.

"The Decorated Journal and Coptic Bound Book "
Learn the art of bookbinding using the Coptic stitch. Coptic bindings date back to the 2nd century AD, and were developed by early Egyptian Christians (the Copts). Now Coptic bound books make great journals, drawing and sketch books, and beautiful works of art. You will make a medium sized Coptic book suitable for journaling and sketching, along with daily exercises in writing, paper embellishment, and surface design techniques. A supply fee of approximately $35-50 is payable to instructor on the first day of class.
Instructor: Kathy Steinsberger
Fees: $93(R) $121(N) (6 classes)
52435 Thu Jul 28-Sep 1 7-9:30 p.m.

Mengei the Cat asleep at Bringle Gallery, Penland, NC

Enjoy your summer, and stay cool!

They look like this...

2011-06-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Paper button

2011-05-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

So what ARE paper buttons? and what's the big deal? I don't know for sure what's the big deal, but someone told me paper buttons were a leisure lady's pass-time in the Victorian era. They would roll, laminate, collage, and assemble all sorts of paper scraps into buttons. Why? They must have loved the feel and look of paper just like me! I can't imagine them being used on clothing.. unless coated with some serious poly-goop.. but they might have been used in some paper sculpture, paper art thingy. Cool! or just made and collected in cute little boxes. Nice!

I've been making them to go in my books as closures for pockets and fore-edge flaps. I make them so they're flat; that way the book isn't so bulky and the pages nearby aren't pressed out of shape by some bulky paper button. I like to use my photographs. Since the paper buttons are only an inch or less square, I can use just the pretty parts of a blah photograph.. or some bizarre shadow/design impression from a random cut up photograph. I remember where the photograph was taken, the day I took it, maybe some special thing like that.. My favorites? a donkey in France, a dragon rooftop in Taipei, the grasses at Penland...

Today I made a book with 3 sets of paper buttons. The book has a purple leather cover, so I was looking for paper button material with purples. I finally got to use my pictures of the masses of crosses in an 18th century cemetery in rural France. Creepy!

I am born..

2011-03-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

So, today I have begun this blog.. golly. Why? well, to get the word out about paper and books arts in our small locale of central North Carolina.. to begin to move outside my narrow world and to hear from folks about what's happening in your area. To share a bit of our stories. My teacher George Kokis said, "Have courage." This blog is definitely out of my comfort zone. If I can figure out how to get back on, I'll post more tomorrow.