Book Recommendations Take 2

Today I would like to add some books to my recommended list. I keep a well stocked bookcase in my studio. Some are old dictionaries and vintage books that I use in art. Some are how-to books and some are yummy books full of pictures of artist's books. There is quite a variety and when I am stuck for a new project I love to peruse these them for inspiration. My suggested readings for this post are:

1. The Book as Art: Artists' Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts by Krystyna Wasserman is a feast for the eyes and mind. It is full of wonderful books created by women. It is organized by broad categories like Food and the Body or Travelers and showcases beautiful photographs of each work as well as a description by the artist.

2. 1000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art by Sandra Salamony with Peter & Donna Thomas is also broadly categorized into sections based on structure and is mainly visual in its presentation of artists' books. There are some very cleaver creations in this book and some that challenge the concept of what it means to be an artist's book.

3. The Penland Book of Handmade Books by Lark Books is both a showcase of amazing artists' books as well as a tutorial on making books. Each section includes an artist, a hands-on tutorial of their work and examples of what other people have made using their techniques as a jumping off point. It is a book I return to again and again for inspiration and instruction.

I hope that you will check out these books (perhaps from your local Library or bookstore) and spend some time immersed in the world of book arts. It is a rewarding journey, even if you aren't a book artist.

-Gina

This wing book I made was inspired by Brenda Watson's Comment attirer les oiseaux? (How to attract birds) on page 54 of The Book as Art.

These simple painted landscapes were inspired by Julie Baugnet books on page 76 of 1000 Artists' Books.

This Hedi Kyle Blizzard book and folded cover are detailed in The Penland Book of Handmade Books. My version has the blizzard pages folded slightly differently so that they pop up to make boxes.

Mixed Media Book Covers

Today's post is a blast from my past. I was recently visiting my mom and she showed me a set of collaged vintage book covers I made her several years ago. I had forgotten about them, but was inspired to make myself a set. Mine are wrapped in a packet and contain poems about birds. Please see pictures below for materials and the finished project that was inspired by an article from Somerset Studio called Poetic Packet Collages.

This post is also inspired by Mixed Media World challenge #3. I used vintage book covers, stamps, maps, and images from old dress patterns to make the covers. Enjoy, I'm off to the studio to make more!

-Gina

Finished Packet

Contents of the packet; front and back covers with collage elements and poems on tracing paper.

Component 1: Vintage dress pattern images.

Component 2: Vintage book covers.

Component 3: Maps, marbled paper, etc.

Component 4: Vintage stamps and samples of marbled paper.

Component 5:Tracing paper with topographic lines in pencil to add depth to the packet wrapper.

Bound and Kyled...

I am very happy to report that I have two books juried into each of the shows I submitted to last month. Bound and Unbound III at the University of South Dakota accepted Stone Mountain, GA and Alternatives for their altered book arts show beginning in August. Hello Hedi at 23 Sandy Gallery accepted Lost River and Three Fold Night my Hedi Kyle inspired creations. Puget Sound Book Arts accepted Tine Language and Small Migrations. I feel like I am floating on a cloud right now and I want to share my good fortune with you all.

Here are pictures of each book. Enjoy and please leave comments if you wish.

-Gina

Stone Mountain, GA

Alternative

Lost River

Three Fold Night

Tine Language

Small Migrations

Mixed Media Mini Book

Welcome to Wednesday post #16. Today's post serves two functions: first is for a mixed media contest at Mixed Media World;  second, is to share how I made this mixed media book as a sample for an upcoming workshop at Puget Sound Book Arts. We will be making Hedi Kyle's Pocket Book (step by step instructions are here), but I want to show some examples of other kinds of books that are bound using accordion folds. When I started this book I had a spine (another Hedi Kyle invention, the Crown Binding), but no content. I found a strip of paper that I painted a while ago and decided to stencil over the background with a Paris map by Artistcellar. I also made stencils of brown pelicans I photographed at the beach. I printed them out in black and white, cut out the silhouettes and used black ink to stencil them. On two pages I used writing in vertical and horizontal directions repeating a series of paired words.  I like the way the text becomes image when done this way. I folded the long strip of decorated paper into an accordion and inserted it into the Crown Binding spine. Finally, I dug through my folder of marble papers and found a pattern and colors that compliment the interior of the book and used it for the covers. I hope you enjoy the results.

Painted and stenciled page.

Paint and stencil background with writing in two directions. Note the white triangles at the top and bottom of the page. These are tabs that hold the pages together and bind the book.

My handmade marble paper in the Peacock design.

Books are hard to photograph, but here you can see the folded spine as well as glimpses of each page.

Pelican stencils I made from photographs.

How to Make a Tunnel Book

I have tried several times over the years to make tunnel books. They are wonderful, interactive structures that are visually appealing as well. I have not been very successful in my endeavors as my "pages" tend to warp and bend. Last month at a 

San Diego Book Arts Salon

 I met a woman who makes beautiful tunnel books and she was working on one invented by 

Ed Hutchins

. She downloaded the directions 

here

 and I came home and did the same. Fast forward to yesterday when I finally had the time to make a tunnel book myself. Below are pictures of the results. This version of the structure has lightweight side hinges and doubled pages. In other words, no more warping!

I used a roll of craft paper for the base structure and it worked beautifully. I used three pages from an old calendar to get the images, but you can use anything, or just draw your own images. I hope you will be inspired to try this project.

-Gina

1. Choose images.

2. Cut and fold craft paper (8" x 30") and lay out images.

3. Cut holes in pages so you can see through the tunnel.

4. Pasted first image and cut in an oval around elements you want to keep.

5. Paste down the other images and glue side tabs together.

Finished tunnel book with 4 layers of images.

Top view of tunnel book.

Side view of book with hinges showing.

How To Make Artist's Books: Book Recommendations

My friend Nancy suggested that I do an occasional book recommendation for book artists, origami enthusiasts and paper crafters. Since I was a blogger in need of a post it seemed like a good fit. So here is my first list of books on book arts. These are ones that I return to time and again for structure and content ideas. You can get them at your favorite online bookstore. I hope you find some inspiration or a new treasure here.

My top three recommendations are:

1. Creating Handmade Books by Alisa Golden has clear, concise text and illustrations for making everything from simple one-page structures all the way up to multi-signature sewn structures.

2. Making and Keeping Creative Journals by Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott is a feast for journal lovers. She offers innovative structures to match topics such as gardening, birding and art journaling.

3. Sleight of Binding by Cherryl Moote offers playful structures to lift your books into the third dimension. You will find kinetic and interactive designs in shapes and colors that wake up your creative mind.

Here are some pictures of my work using these books for instruction and inspiration.

 Book/card with tunnel from Creating Handmade Books. (2014)

Jacob's Ladder book (front and back) and content from Creating Handmade Books. (2004)

Jacob's Ladder "Flight" book from Creating Handmade Books. (2009)

Journal with different color and size pages from Making and Keeping Creative Journals.

Inside of journal showing content. (2003)

Dos-a-Dos book from Making and Keeping Creative Journals.

Inside the Dos-a-Dos book. (2003)

 Glove book inspired by one in Making and Keeping Creative Journals. (2007)

Gallery Book from Sleight of Binding. I modified Cherryl's structure by leaving the paper on the front of the "windows" and using it to fold the cranes. (2012)

Cherrly's book Sleight of Binding has many kinds of flexigon structures. Here are three that I made using Graphic 45 papers. (2014)

Origami and Kumi Korf workshops

I have been very busy the last two weekends making paper art. First, the

San Diego Origami Club

met and we learned to make this wonderful box structure. Last weekend I participated in two

Kumi Korf

workshops. The first workshop was a whirlwind of 5 book/box structures. The second was a kinetic book structure that is housed in a lovely box. I am still finishing up the second workshop projects, but it was a wonderful weekend and my head is now swimming with ideas. Below are some pictures of what I made as well as the diagram I created for the origami box structure. I hope you enjoy.

-Gina

Origami Box

Instructions for the folded box

Kumi Korf Workshop book

Another Kumi Korf workshop structure.

The outside of this structure.

"Hole in My Heart" structure. I still need to cover the top and bottom sections with decorative paper.

Configuration 1 of the above structure. Slots will house small books.

Configuration 2 of the above structure. I can't wait to finish.

I would like to thank Kumi for sharing her talents, humor and amazing structures with the participants of this

San Diego Book Arts

workshop.

Modified Blizzard Fold Pinwheel Structure

I would like to share a model today that I invented based on

Hedi Kyle's Blizzard Fold

book (instructions are given in the Penland Book of Handmade Books). I was playing around with the folds and wondered what would happen if I folded every other triangle fold back instead of forward as you do in her model. The result was 4 little niches with roofs and floors. I then manipulated this linear structure and realized that if I turned it in on itself I could create a pinwheel design and a book in the round. Below are step by step pictures with descriptions for how to fold this structure. I hope you will try it and come up with interesting uses for this wonderful design. Thanks for stopping by.

-Gina

 Step 1: Start by folding a piece of paper measuring 6 x 24 inches into 16 equal parts (ie. accordion fold the length of the paper). Then with the accordion folded up, fold down the top and bottom corners to form triangles like you see in the picture above.

Step 2: Repeat the triangle fold for each mountain fold (page) of the structure.

Step 3: Here is where my model diverges from Hedi Kyle's. Unfold all of the triangle folds made above and reverse fold the first one on the mountain fold as shown above.

Step 4: Unfold the next mountain fold, making it a valley fold and fold the triangles toward you. Your model should look like the picture above.

Step 5: Keep the next mountain fold and fold the triangles to the back of the structure. Repeat this process, first folding the triangles towards you then unfolding the next mountain fold and folding the triangles to the back until you reach the end of the paper.

Step 6: Your model should look like the picture above. The one below gives a different angle showing the triangle folds going back and forth.

Step 7: Close up the model along the valley folds and mountain folds. Notice that the structure is now twice as wide. That is because we opened up every other mountain fold in the previous steps.

Step 8: Now we return to the Blizzard Fold and starting with the first page fold the triangle sections into the middle of the pages. 

Step 9: The next set of triangles is on the back side of the model. Fold them in as shown above.

Step 10: Continue folding in the triangles at the back and front of the accordion folds, tucking in and folding along existing lines. Use the pictures to help you get your model working.

This picture shows the triangle flaps being folded in on the second page.

Here is the model with the first and second pages and their triangles folded in. Note how the rest of the model looks at this stage.

The third set of triangles are now folded up.

Here is the other side of the model at this stage.

The forth set of triangles are now folded up and the folding is complete.

This is the model from the other side. At this point you can use the model as a linear structure. It has these 4 niches on one side and 3 on the other. Or you can proceed and get the pinwheel pictured below.

Step 11: If you want to turn the model into a self closing pinwheel structure make sure the model has the side with 4 niches facing you. Grab the first and last page and pull them towards each other, but away from you and the niches will open out to form the structure you see above and below. 

Step 12: To get the model to stay in this open position, take the triangle tabs from the last page and fold them over the triangle tabs on the first page (shown in the picture above on the left).

Here I have turned the model into an artist's book using paper threads to represent waves. 

Glove Books

I thought I would share some of my other glove books. Yes, I have made more than one glove book in my career. I love collecting vintage gloves and some of them just want to become book covers while others want to

be

the book. I hope you like the selection.

Clasped Hands

is a book made entirely of gloves.

A is for Other, an ASL ABC

was juried into the

San Diego Book Arts National Juried Show

in 2010. It also won entry into the

Cannon Art Gallery

2011 Juried Biennial.

Woven pages of Graphic 45 paper adorn these lovely pink gloves.

These long gloves were perfect for a wedding guest book.

Somerset Weddings Magazine

agreed and showed this book in their 2007 edition.

Three glove books I made for a Graphic 45 Design Team tryout in 2014.

Grecian Fragments

was juried into the

Athenaeum's

6th Juried Artist's Book Biennial.

Inside

Grecian Fragments

, a poem about falling apart and remaining strong at the core.

San Diego Book Arts Member Show

I am finally posting something on a Wednesday, hurray!! Happy New Year and welcome to another blog post about saving ideas and letting them ferment until they become something interesting. I have tried many, many times to create a book using the pair of pink gloves pictured below. I even had the signatures sewn in at one point, only to remove them and start again. I tried watercolor, cut paper, dried flowers, having paper poke through from one page to another and nothing felt or looked right. Last night I was thinking about the theme for this year's

San Diego Book Arts Member Show

(Cerchez la Femme) and thought of this book again. I think the egg in the center of the cupped hands works as a nod to fertility and the paper butterfly emerging speaks to new life. I am finally happy with the pink glove book. I may refine the look over the next few months, or even add something to the pages, but for now I am just happy to be on the right track with a book that has been sitting in a drawer for years; waiting to be used.

Enjoy!

A New Book Structure, the Cube Book

Today's post is all about a lesson:

never throw anything away

. I made the parts of today's artist's book several years ago after taking a workshop from

Laura Wait

. In the workshop we painted large sheets of textwove paper with paste paints then folded, cut and bound books using the

Drum Leaf binding

, invented by

Tim Ely

. I loved the class and the surprise nature of how images, cut and rearranged, could look different once the final book was assembled. We learned how to write text in several interesting ways and to use this as imagery not words. I took the class to learn the Drum Leaf binding, but really enjoyed the embellishment aspects more.

Fast forward to my painted 24 by 18 sheet of textwove that I decided to cut and fold into a form I learned way back in 2005 from

Karen Thomas

. I have adapted her technique to folding one long strip of paper into a 4 page accordion book. I made the paneled long strip you see below in triplicate and then put it away in my bottom drawer and there it languished until a few weeks ago. I was looking through my origami models to see what I wanted to take to the origami group meeting and I found the painted, folded strips of paper and decided to rework the pieces. I kept one long strip and cut the others into squares, refolded them and inserted them into the available openings. I created a triangular tab to hold it all closed and realized that I could make the book cube shaped by flexing some of the folds. Voila! a new book was created from the cast-offs of an almost forgotten project. So, always keep interesting pieces of paper and paw through them once in a while and see if you can't come up with something new and different to do with them.

I hope you enjoy the results of my paper play.

Here is the book closed and in cube form.

This is what the book looks like open.

Looking straight down into the closed book.

Here is the book showing its parts. The four twist folded inserts at the top and the long paneled strip below. Notice the way the folds look when you make this book from a long strip of paper.

The back of the book showing the paste colors.

Folding directions for one panel of the accordion book.

Crease pattern for the twist insert "pages."

San Diego Origami Group

I went to Solana Beach Library yesterday to a meeting of the

San Diego Origami Group

. I had a wonderful time meeting all the other members who attended. I even met a former

San Diego Book Arts

member and reconnected. If you are interested in origami, learning to fold new models, or just want to meet a nice group of people; I encourage you to check out this group.

Here are some of the models we folded in our two hours together:

John and Kathy showed us how to fold this star.

Marti shared this cute stocking that can hold a mini candy cane.

John taught me how to make this hexagon bowl. Thanks.

I shared the German Bell.

The Little Prince altered book

I have been working on altering some classic children's books this week. I have an idea for

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

, by Lewis Carroll, but am letting it stew for now. In the meantime, I have been drawing, measuring, and cutting into a student copy of

Le Petit Prince

, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I wanted to make it look like there was a staircase leading the prince from his asteroid home down to Earth. There are things I would do differently if I did it again, but all in all I am happy with the results. Let me know what you think and come back soon to see how I transform Alice...

The book before I started to cut.

I wanted the stairs to spiral, so I drew one using the Fibonacci sequence. It works well, if you need a quick, accurate spiral.

I also wanted the stairs to be evenly spaced and radiate out from a center point. To do this I divided a circle into 1/6ths and subdivided this twice more to create the above drawing. I made all the drawings on tracing paper so I could overlay the designs for the final one below.

Here is the piece of tracing paper I used to make the cuts in the book. I first traced the outline of the boy and asteroid that I wanted to keep, then I added the spiral and the radiating lines from the drawings above.

This picture illustrates how I cut each section of the stairs starting at the back of the book and cutting larger wedges as I went.

Here are the tools of the trade that I used during the process: a thin cutting mat, two exacto knives (one for straight lines and one for curves), a 1/4" spacer for the page edges, and a pencil to trace the lines from the tracing paper onto the book pages.

Voila!! 

Figuring out Hedi Kyle's Pocketbook fold

I spent a hot weekend here in San Diego trying to figure out how to fold an expandable file book based on 

Hedi Kyle's Blizzard Fold

. It took some trial and error to get things just right. I think in the end I had to make 5 or 6 models to get a book that would hold ATC size inserts (3.5 x 2.5 inch cards). The book can be modified to make it taller, squarer, wider, etc. depending on the size of the piece of paper you begin with and how much you fold in the long edges.

Below is a series of pictures I took while folding the 3.75 x 2.5 inch model for my 

ATC's

. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments. I like to hear from you.

~Gina

1. Cut paper to 7.5 x 20 inches. Fold both long edges in 1/4 of the width (1 7/8 inch). I used a long clear ruler to score and fold these lines since the paper is grained short (the grain of the paper is parallel to the 7.5 inch width of the paper). Once both edges of the paper are folded unfold them in preparation for step 2.

2. Accordion fold the paper into 8 equal sections. The best way to fold paper is to fold it in half, unfold, fold the two edges into the center fold, unfold and finally fold each of these 4 sections in half. Do them one at the time and do not stack the folds as this leads to the paper twisting. Only fold one layer at a time for best results.

3. Fold up all of the accordion folds. Your paper should look like this. The first page should open away from you.

4. This step is where we diverge from the normal Hedi Kyle Blizzard Fold. Follow the steps in the handwritten directions above numbered 1-3. Hopefully, the pictures and lines make sense. When you are done your model should look like the picture above.

5. Open the page and this is how the model looks. 

6. Now we need to fold the next section the same way as above, but with two sides. This time we have a bit of help from the previous fold. The angle of the triangle is established by the crease made in the last step. This will help you line up the diagonal that meets in the center of the folded page. 

7. This picture shows you what the model looks like once both top and bottom triangles have been folded on one side.

8. Here is the model with both sides folded down and in.

9. Open the next page and repeat the process two more times.

10. Here is the last page ready to have its triangle flaps folded.

11. This is what the back page looks like with the triangle flaps folded in. Notice the overall shape of the model now.

12. This is the top front view of the model.

13. Compare this picture to the one above. See how I have folded in the triangles that stuck out above?

14. Here is what the back side of the model looks like. I kind of like this look too. You could tuck item in here if they were flat enough. In the final book this side will get hidden, though.

15. This is the completed model from the side. The triangular pieces in between each accordion fold give this book its expandability. You can put bulky objects in each section. 

16. To finish the book simply attach a cover with narrow spine and you are ready to go. The cover for this size book measures 4 x 5.5 inches.  I attached it with glue and double sided tape, but you can use whatever you like.

Circle Segment Sculpture

I have been working for a few weeks on a project and taking pictures of the art in progress. I thought you might like to see how a piece of art goes from concept to completion. I took a series of pictures throughout the process and they appear below with descriptions. You will see that I changed directions along the way. I often begin a piece of art with one idea in mind and as I work other ideas surface and demand to be given a chance. I like the end result of this project and hope you do too. I still need to come up with a name so if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments section. Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 The idea for this piece came from a segment I saw on Antiques Roadshow some time ago. This guy brought a round table in that was made of six curved parts. It turned out that each part had its own set of legs and could, therefore be deconstructed and rearranged into different configurations. I loved it instantly and drew a sketch to save for later. I made my circle and segments from foam core using a circle cutter to make the cuts.

 At first I planned to make this with a top and bottom piece suspended with wooden dowels. I made a couple of segments to try out the concept and played with different origami objects to place inside.

Here are some of the parts and tools I used at this stage to create the interior space. After I lined up the two segments I didn't like the open feeling of the piece, but wanted it to have thickness. I decided to undo this work but save the cut pieces. I ended up cutting out 3 circles and segmenting them to make the final circle form.

 This is a picture of the open space design with an origami butterfly suspended in the middle on a pin. I ended up changing the concept entirely.

Here is one segment wrapped in Japanese paper the meld the three pieces of foam core together. I ended up painting the sides the match the colors of the top. See the next few pictures.

 This painting for the top of the circle started out as just a sample. I ended up liking it so much that I used it on the final work. I love the way the gold and blue work together. I used the circle stencil to mask the center, which was originally black, so that I could paint it gold to match the gold stencil work.

 My favorite configuration for these segments is the one shown above. before I glued the cut paper wedges to the foam core I played around with their arrangement once the circle design was broken up. I was surprised that the design worked so well after being broken apart and reformed.

When I was satisfied with the look of the design, I glued the watercolor paper design onto the six segments being careful to align each piece with the edges of the foam core base.

Then I rearranged the segments into my favorite shape and turned the pieces over. 

I decided to use a piece of Japanese paper (the same kind I used for the sides of each segment) with writing on it for the back. I laid a sheet of paper beneath this shape and traced each segment in pencil. Then I used a divider with pencil lead to trace a 1/8th inch indent. I cut out the paper and glued it down.

This is how the back looks when the piece is returned to its circle form. I still prefer the shape above, but this looks good too. What do you think?

My Mini Album Structure

It has been a while since my last post. Somehow I missed May altogether. I will work on posting more regularly now that summer is almost here. Today I have pictures of my latest creation, a mini album. I invented the page structure and sewed the spine so that the pages lay flat when open. I used Graphic 45 Bird Song 8 x 8 papers to decorate the pages and I used Japanese handmade paper and black book cloth for the covers. The best thing about the page structure is that the folding process creates pockets and corner tabs as you will see in the pictures. It also creates a between-the-page pocket for a large photo mat. I folded the pages two ways to get side and top pockets, but you could make them all the same way. I will post a tutorial for making the pages on You Tube as soon as my editor (son) has some free time to do his technical magic. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and descriptions below.

Thanks for visiting.

Gina

 Picture one shows the book with the pages sewn to the accordion folded grey paper.

Here are all of the pages laid out before they were decorated with G45 paper.

A side view of the pages and accordion fold binding.

Two page spread with side and top/bottom pockets.

Two page spread with corner tabs showing.

Good view of sewn accordion fold spine.

Finished book cover. I used Japanese paper for this along with black book cloth. The grey spine paper has a 3 inch end that I glued onto the book cover.

Inside page spread with G45 Bird Song papers decorating the pages. Notice the tabs at the top and sides of the pages. These are the photo mats.

Here is another two page spread showing floral patterns. I just love the florals in this set.

Here I have pulled out the photo mats so you can see that they match the pages and pull out from the top or the side depending on how I folded the pages.

Another two page spread showing off the greens from this collection.

Another page spread.

Here you can see that sometimes the pockets are both the same (in this case from the top of the book).

More photographs of the pages decorated. I love the way the papers work together.

This is a photograph of the binding sewn to make the book sturdy. I did sew the binding loosely so that when photographs are inserted they won't make the open end of the book bulge. I used scrap book board as spacers when I was sewing to keep the spacing between pages consistent.

Teaching the Modified Blizzard Fold at SDBA

Good day and welcome to my sixth post on Wednesday. Today I would like to share some pictures from a recent workshop I taught. It was lots of fun teaching a group of 

San Diego Book Arts

 members how to make a

Hedi Kyle Blizzard Fold book

. We then changed some of the folds to make a box structure that I developed several years ago. I call it the

Modified Blizzard Fold

. I have since discovered another

modification

that you are welcome to try as well. One of these days I will make a video of the folding process so stay tuned for that.

Please check out the pictures Joan Crone took of the group as we folded our books. It was a pleasure to teach and learn from everyone. Enjoy!

~Gina

 Here are some of the supplies we used to color and decorate our paper before folding.

 Yvonne is folding in the foreground while I sit back and explain the next fold.

 Sara and Sibyl are busy popping open their boxes.

 Britta inspects her work.

 Sara makes a box.

 Showing Pam how to get the box to "pop."

 Helping Kathy get the box to close properly.

 Pam and Sari look at the interaction of structure and design.

 Sibyl inspects her work.

Sara with her model fully open.

Topographic Altered Artist Books

Welcome to a new month and a new post. Today I would like to share some pictures of my topographic books. I have been a book artist for about 13 years and recently I started making sculptural books based on topographic maps. I "carve" the books page by page to leave a landscape behind. Sometimes hidden lines and text come out and make the pieces more than what I intented them to be. Several of these books have been juried into art galleries or university shows.

Enjoy!

~Gina

My first foray into topographic book arts was a Library Card Catalog traveling exhibit. I used the positive and negative pieces to make 2 complimentary books.

 Closeup of Mesa Tables.

Here is "Mesa Tables." I only carved the right side of the book of pipe tables into a mesa formation. Hence the name of the piece.

I made this box of treats for my mom. The very tiny carved book is a river flow in reverse. I also made the very tiny box in the lower right.

Here is another boxed art piece with the reverse of a mountain carved into a small German book. I love the way the beach rock mimics the shape of the topographic book.

This is my most recent carved book. It is an old german book that I carved into a table mountain. I think the rock in the center perfectly matches the antique marbled paper revealed once the pages are carved away.

Woven Paper Structures

I have created a video to show you how to make beautiful woven paper creations. I am also sharing photographs of several projects I have made using this versatile technique. I hope you give it a try too.

Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 These first two images are woven paper that I then joined at the end to form a circular form. 

This is a recent project that uses Graphic 45 papers and vintage gloves to make a book.

Watch the video below to learn how to make woven paper.

My Map Art

Today I would like to share with you some of the map art I made about a year ago. I was obsessed with vintage maps and atlases; the kind you can pick up at local estate sales or second hand book stores for a few dollars. I was fascinated by the colors, lines and differences between maps from 30 or 40 years ago and now. I cut folded, layered, and reshaped them to fit the projects I wanted to create. I hope you enjoy this little tour of my map art. Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 "Edna's Travels" is an artist's book made of envelopes and letters written by Edna Rudolph, a teacher who spent her summers traveling the world and writing home about it. Each letter is housed in an atlas envelope of the country she was visiting at the time. The envelopes are folded using Hedi Kyle's method and sewn into the spine of the book. This book was shown at Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad, CA and the Carmel Valley Library in CA.

"Red Routes" is an origami folded single sheet of orange paper that forms pockets to hold the twist folded map squares. I tried to find map sections with red lines that moved around the piece.

 "Crossover" uses several techniques, including folded vellum with text cut and carefully inserted in each pleat in the shape of a river with an accompanying map of the same river with punched holes showing the relative width of the river as it meanders along. This piece traveled around the country last year as part of San Diego Book Arts member shows at Cerritos Library in Orange County, CA and the Graficas Gallery on Nantucket.

"Meeting Creek is a river in Kentucky that has a nice shape. It was cut into the pleated vellum and a vellum river is overlaid on the map of Kentucky. This tin box used to hold watercolors.

 I worked on a series of cut maps in which I carefully cut out everything but the roads on maps and then inserted them in bottles. I like the shadows the paper casts in the light that shines through them. The one above is called "Nesting" and the two below are "Network I and II." The maps came from an old travel guide on England and each map is from a different city.

I created this map house and origami inside tea bags for a friend who kindly gave me the tea in the first place. The lovely triangular mesh tea bags just begged to be used for something creative.

Finally, here is a close up of "Entanglement." This is a single sheet of map paper folded accordion style, with cut windows that are then folded into cranes and their heads are entwined. I invented this crane creation by combining several different techniques. It was shown at CODEX 2013 in Richmond, CA.