Cards and Stickers

This month has been a busy month with my creating ATCs and Stickers going back to my early days to present with favorite illustrations.

After creating the individual ATCs, I had to then set up onto sheets to be printed and cut.  Then I took the time to catalog over 700 cards I have created by assigning numbers to them and creating a list using Excel and a photo reference using Word and tables.

Next are the stickers I've started working on.  I had to figure out a way to make my stickers where my Scan n Cut machine can read an outline and then remember to use certain adjustments in the machine itself to cut just INSIDE the outlined area leaving a nice white border around the illustration.  I wasn't able to find a tutorial or video on setting up for cutting so I had to figure all this out on my own which took a lot of trial and error.  Once I found something that worked, I made myself a document I can refer back to along with step by step screenshots.  I'm sure there are probably other ways to do this but at least I found something that worked for me.

As I sit and type this post, I am asking myself why am I creating stickers?  I'm really not sure why but I think it's neat and something I might have a use for at a later time.

 

Miya's Toy - Different Look with Color

Today I decided I wanted what I did yesterday in color.  One of the positives in working digital AND working everything on separate layers is the ability to work from ALMOST scratch.  In this case creating a new file with a copy of the initial line drawing and building on top of that working color in separate transparent layers.

Another bonus with the layers and digital is trying various color combinations or brush tool/patterns to see what works and what doesn't.  As an example, I had worked the cast shadow in different colors - three separate layers...a bluish gray, purplish gray, and brown.  I didn't care for the blue or purple so I just deleted those layers.  I did similar with the background working one with a soft blue and the one you see here.  Didn't care for the blue.

Today I played with a brush tools I haven't used too much, which is the 2B Compressed Charcoal brush tool.  I also used Gesinski Ink and Splatter brush tools for the table.   I was after a soft plush look and the Compressed Charcoal did the trick for me.

Steps showing how each top layer is used to render the final results:

Labeling Spiral Journals and Sketchbooks

It used to be all I ever worked in were spiral sketchbooks/journals (once I stepped away from single sheets and placing in Itoya presentation folders).  Then I was introduced to the hard bound journals like Stillman and Birn or even hand-sewn journals we can make.

I kept going back and forth as to which I prefer and I'm at a point now that it's a true toss up.  Sometimes spirals can be difficult to lay completely flat for scanning but then I've also had problems with hard bounds as well.

Some people feel you can't work a two-page spread but I have and to me looks fine even with the spiral in between the pages.

What I determined was the biggest positive for hard bounds was the fact you had a spine you could write contents on so you could see at a glance on a book shelf what they contained (time period covered, subject, etc.). 

I like spirals because they are often lighter in weight.  Mentally they also give me permission to not treat the journal as some priceless book I can't use for fear of messing up the pages.  If a page is that poorly messed up, you can tear it out without leaving any trace you've done that........lol.

The problem is, of course, with a bookshelf of spirals, you have to take them all down just to flip open to see what's in them or you pull off the shelf to see what you might have written on the front cover.  If you have several (like I do), that can be horribly time consuming.

Here's my solution to that :-)  You can use the round key ring labels but I used what I have on hand and to me these work out beautifully.  And you can color code if you wish depending on brand or type of journals you're using.  Or color code by subject, etc.


Couple other ideas:

One friend of mine takes stiff paper (watercolor paper as an example) and wraps it around folding the ends inside front and back cover.  That creates a spine you can write the contents on.  Unfortunately, I don't have paper laying around that I could use for that or large enough for some of my spirals.

I've also tried sticking a pen through in between the spirals and trying to write on the edge of the pages with very little luck. 

How to Disassemble Your Favorite Fountain Pens

A friend on Facebook shared about a video series that shows us how to disassemble several of our favorite fountain pens (thank you Kate Powell).  Here are just a few videos along with the link to the video series itself:

How to Disassemble the Lamy Safari:

How to Disassemble the Namiki Falcon:

How to Disassemble the Pilot Prera:

The Disassembling Line Series

Making Your Own Hand Sewn Hard Cased Journals

My favorite videos (and a PDF) on how to make your own Hand Sewn Journal Books - Hard Cover

Of all the videos I have watched, those listed below are my #1 favorites!  All are by Sea Lemon on the YouTube Channel.  She has several other videos related to bookbinding as well......different variations.  For the complete playlist, follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2F704E01F80BA1E9

Click on images to take you to the videos/pdf

1)  Making a Text Block of signatures - shows how to sew signatures together using a Kettle Stitch

2)  Making Headbands (Optional)

3)  Creating the Book Casing

4)  Making Your Own Book Cloth

5)  Make Your Own Book Press

6)  Make Your Own Punch Cradle (pdf)

NOTE:  The book press and punch cradle are totally optional.  You can use a stack of books or anything heavy in place of the book press and an old telephone book opened up using the center to place your folded signatures for punching.  That's how I did it before my husband made me both.

Making a Simple Accordion Fold Journal

There are a few different ways of folding paper to make these accordion or meandering journals depending upon size paper one is starting with and the size of the finished journal one wishes to end up with.

I learned from watching this YouTube video by Cathy Johnson.

For my post here, I'm using an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of bond paper just as a visual example.  In fact I practiced this a couple of times on bond paper before I made one out of watercolor paper.

When I made several mini journals out of watercolor paper, I went all out adding covers as seen in this earlier post.......

http://sbwatercolors.blogspot.com/search?q=accordion

Also.......if you want longer accordion folded journals, you can glue two together making sure the folds remain at the join folding in the direction you need it to continue.  (Hopefully that made sense)

Working Watercolor over Spray Fixative

Wanted to share the results of working graphite with a spray fixative and adding color afterwards using watercolor.

Here is a section of the sketch crawl page I worked in graphite:

Using Blair, Very Low Odor Spray Fix, I sprayed the page with enough coverage to where I knew the graphite wouldn't smudge.  I spray lightly so not to get runs holding the can about a foot away from the surface.slowly sweeping back and forth.

Once I knew it was completely dry (which this stuff dries quickly), I applied light washes of watercolor.  Because there is a coating over that graphite, when I apply the watercolor, it doesn't turn all muddy like it would if applying directly over top without the spray.  The sprayed surface is like working on internal and external sized papers.

And, like painting on sized paper surfaces, if you go back over top a painted area, it could lift the previous layer back off.  Just need to use a light touch.  In my case I was using a dagger brush for this because it's soft.

Once the watercolor was dry, I went back in with my Lamy Safari pen and Lexington Gray ink.  I chose the Lamy because it has a super fine nib applying just enough ink without taking over the graphite (mainly to emphasize just a bit some areas).

Did the same thing with this guy at the table......

My First Hard Bound Hand Sewn Journal Book

Ohhhh what lessons learned with my first attempt!!!

It was touch and go with various mishaps along the way but I managed to finish my first journal and I have to say, I'm pleased as can be.............flaws and all.

I watched so many YouTube videos on this and in doing so became a bit confused with stitches used on sewing together the signatures.  With this first one..........I can't say what stitch I used but definitely not the coptic stitch which I later used on the other two text blocks I have waiting to be covered.  This stitch didn't really pull this thick watercolor paper together as tightly like the coptic stitch but I understand gaps are normal between signatures when using heavier paper stock regardless of stitch used.

I debated gluing the text block along the spine but ended up doing so which helped a bit but still have some gaps between signatures.  When I glued the spine on this book, I didn't add any paper or cloth.......instead straight on the spine itself.  I think with the other two books, I'll add a piece of cloth when gluing the spine.

With this one, I made end sheets (or liner sheets for front and back of text block).  At first I thought maybe I should have used thicker paper but it actually turned out OK in the end.  Still think I'll try for thicker paper as it might not wrinkle as easily when gluing to the hard casing.  Then again, I may just glue book casing straight onto the first and last page of the actual signatures.

Another little mishap was with the book cloth.  I purchased actual book cloth for this first book, rather than making my own.  It's not a very big piece either so I didn't have room for error.  What do I do????  I'm all set up with glued mat board to place on the book cloth and lay it down smoothing it out only to realize I had just placed it on the wrong side of the book cloth.  I quickly pulled the mat board back up but glue was on the cloth.  Trying to (hopefully) dab the glue up with a wet cloth, the material lost its stiffness and started to deform and wrinkle.  I thought for sure I had ruined it.  But I decided to go ahead and continue forward after the cloth dried from where I wet it.

Amazingly, it all worked out smoothing the cloth with a bone folder onto the glued mat board (correctly placed on the proper side........LOL)

As a last minute decision, I decided to use headbands but of course should have been placed on the text block before adding the mull.  But again.........it worked out OK in the end.

Placing the case onto the text block was the most challenging of all.  I honestly didn't think it would look all that great and had trouble placing it.  Thank goodness the glue doesn't dry too quickly.

One other lesson learned is taking greater care in measuring my boards for the book casing.  I only wanted about 1/8" to 1/4" border showing around the text block but ended up with much more.  Top and bottom were OK but the right side not so much.  Had I planned it that way, I could have added a loop to hold a pencil which would have worked out perfect in the space.  Maybe next time if I decide to go that route but I really prefer to have less inside casing border.

All in all.................I am truly happy with the results.

1)  Sewing the Signatures into Text Block

2)  Inside after gluing the spine (still some gaps between the signatures towards the back of the book

3)  Text Block after adding End Sheets and Mull (that green paper as added support holding it all together)

4)  Cutting the front and back cover boards (mat board) plus spine support

5)  After gluing cover boards and spine support on book cloth and folding glued cloth around edges

6)  Outside of book casing

7)  After text block glued to book casing

8)  Front cover finished book

9)  Inside front cover

10)  Center of book

11)  Inside back cover

12)  Back of finished book