Quince and Quire

Flying Books

We started a project a few years back: a book, filled with art and letters, that the kids mail back and forth to their grandparents. We call it the Flying Book. We've been through a few of these books now; the photos show our current editions, one for each child. I sewed a piece of their artwork to the paper cover.

 

Each child draws pictures and writes a few thoughts for the grandparents. Sometimes they ask questions, like, "What do you like best about autumn?" Sometimes they tell them about the art they've made. 

 

The kids often have seasonal themes.

 

Everyone enjoyed writing about and drawing birds that they see in their neighborhoods. 

Sometimes we get wonderful memories of a grandparent's childhood--as when my mother recounted a story of the time she was given a kitten as a party favor.

The four-year-old dictates to me. I like that there is simple honesty in his correspondence, and that it always ends with those most important words. I love you.

 

I love you very much. We can never hear it, or read it, too often. 


 

Links

Here's a list of links, eclectic in outlook and varied in purpose--and in no particular order. Hope you enjoy! 

 

I loved this post on wonder.

And, if you, like so many of us, feel overwhelmed by all the stuff that arrived with the holidays, here's a nice post on "de-owning." 

Speaking of material things, there are so many chic houses here--and lovely photography--but it's hard to imagine myself living in them. 

I love the beauty and the ideas that went into creating this gorgeous piece of textile warmth!

These photos make me want to visit Copenhagen.

As always, this talented lady inspired me with her creative re-use of materials and her lovely aesthetic. She and Ariadne have wonderful photos of their Epiphany celebrations as well. 

I love following the progress at this incredible school in the Atlas mountains. 

The Artful Parent has a series of excellent guest posts this month; the one on painting with light is intriguing.

I hope she continues to take too many pictures of the sky, don't you? When was the last time you looked at the sky without telephone wires, a screen, or a windshield in front of you? Do it now!

Little woodland

Fun link

Good morning! There's a nice post on storing kids' art over at Be a Fun Mum. Kelly used one of my ideas and shares many more! And of course you can always do what my daughter did in the photo: sew up a book for a friend to use for art collation. You all know how to sew a pamphlet, right? If not, let me know and I'll do a review.

Artful things around the house

My daughter and I are obsessed with this puzzle. Do you see the fun we have with color and design? Available here.

Grandpa sent these chalkboard for the kids. You are seeing them in a clean moment; usually they are covered in cake recipes & names for imaginary dogs. 

 

I found this book at my local independent used & rare bookseller. So great! Lots of photos, good synopses, great for non-homeschoolers who still do lots of teaching and exploration at home (that would be most of us, yes?) 

 

My daughter made this ceramic hand for us at school. I am in love with it. It sits next to all my little tiny hand-bound books: reminders of where I've been and what I've got now. And its beauty makes me think of all the not-beautiful ceramics I made as a child, which my parents always displayed and used. 

 

I don't know where I got this book: I think it arrived by osmosis: I really like it. (You can find it here, though.) Author Heather Smith Jones provides a nice overview of tools, materials and techniques for the non-art school person who wants to make art. Many inspiring photos, interesting projects, guest artists, and so forth. I have so many ideas now! I just need a little time alone.

 

Time: look at my beautiful calendar from Pat. I am really enjoying this one, and it is a lovely way to keep track of the days. I am so pleased to report that two months into the new year I am holding steady to my resolution to rise before the rest of the family, all seven days of the week, to be starting my work before they are awake. Sometimes that means I am reading at 5 in the morning; sometimes I am doing dishes and laundry; sometimes I am sitting at the computer (like now), though I am trying to limit my own screen time. 

 
If you remember this project you will enjoy seeing what Mona has done with hers. So lovely! My February is in the middle. 

Happy news from a local friend: see Maya's blog! Here's to more art and words in the world!

 

Favorites for my son

I know it's blurry . . . the point of this photo is to show the hat in motion. You saw the hat coming, didn't you? It's a new one, made just for my little guy. I just really needed to make that red pom. The pom made my week. 

I've been thinking about the stages of reading. The New York Times had an article about how picture books are falling out of favor; kids are outgrowing them, or being encouraged to move on to chapter books, at an earlier age. How depressing! I have never outgrown picture books, and in fact look forward to reading them every night with my kids. Sure, the 6-year-old likes her chapter books too, but why would anyone rush away from the sublime format of image and word together? For me it all goes back to Blake, and book arts, and the unity of idea and execution that can be so brilliant in a good picture book. Bah. Do not rush your child through childhood. (You can find many interesting ideas about stages of childhood--and some ideas on peaceful parenting and intentional homemaking--here, at one of my new favorite blogs.)

I wanted to share some of the books I've been reading with the almost-three-year-old, who seems to be in a major moment of transition in his life: behavior, skills, interests, and temperament: all are evolving. (I need that red pom pom on the hat to keep track of him.) Many of the books are not new, but are beloved nonetheless: the Tom and Pippo series by Helen Oxenbury; the Maple Hill Farm books by Alice and Martin Provensen; Polo and his many adventures by Regis Faller; the hapless duo Boo and Baa by Olaf and Lena Landstrom. What strikes me is that nearly all of these books--with the notable exception of Polo (which provides fantastic and reality-defying feats on every page)--recount very ordinary events. I guess there is something comforting about seeing our daily lives reflected, in an artful way, in literature--no matter what our age.

More artful books for children

Last fall I compiled a list of a few of my favorite artful books for children, which accompanied an interview with Jean of the Artful Parent.

This spring, several new and new-to-us books about art have come through our door, and I thought I'd share them with you. The books seem to fall into three general categories: non-fiction books about artists and their techniques, materials and goals; books about color; and fictional works that incorporate real artists. You will notice that all of these books deal with European (and some American) artists. This does not represent a personal bias; I'm just showing you what we have received as gifts or found easily in a library. I am now on a mission to find books for children with art from the rest of the world!

Nonfiction books about artists and their techniques, materials, & goals

These vintage books by Ernest Raboff feature color reproductions of great art; discussions of what the artist is trying to communicate and how he or she does it, and biographical information. Hand-lettering and an intimate tone make these books feel friendly and accessible, even for a kindergartener. We really like these and would love to have more in the extensive series.

These recent volumes are part of a series of books. I don't generally like any book to tell me what my child "should" or shouldn't know, but putting that aside, I think they are useful. High-quality reproductions on glossy paper, with timelines, a glossary, and suggested activities, these books try to do a bit of everything. Biography is central, with analysis of artwork in the sidebars. Written for kids in elementary school and up. 

The Art Book for Children (Book One), published by Phaidon, also features large color reproductions of art, offers analysis, and asks a lot of questions of the reader about particular works of art. Performance art and conceptual art are included, and the book seems most interested in investigating ideas rather than detailing biography. The seemingly-clever choice to indent every other block of text irritated this conservative book designer. What was gained by such a trick? A minor point in an otherwise intriguing book, with a target audience of kids older than my own--maybe mid-level elementary school.
 

Books about color 

A Book About Color came out last month; the author has written other well-received books about design which I have not yet read. My 6-year-old really likes this book; it covers things she already knows, like the primary and secondary colors, the color wheel, and the notion of complementary colors. It also covers value, saturation, and analogous colors, which she did not know. Sometimes the writing is imprecise, but the pictures carry the message nicely. 

This is a lovely little volume with a selection of paintings by Renoir, which offers a way to talk about color, light and composition. Each painting is shown as a detail and then as a full-page work. The text consists of brief riffs that contain a bit of biography or a thoughtful question about mood or intention. Both my 2-year-old and my 6-year-old love this book.

Red Sings from Treetops is a collection of verse and mixed-media artwork that explores color through the seasons. The book feels inventive and fresh, with bits of synesthesia and whimsical imaginings; the art is lush. The typography almost ruined the visual experience of the book, alas: who thought it would be a good idea to put a colored box around some of the "color" words? We've already gotten the message that color matters in this book--but if one overlooks the typography, it's a beautiful book.  

Fictional books that incorporate real artists

Joan Yolleck imagines how artists passed their day before convening in the evening at Gertrude Stein's residence; the story presents an engaging suggestion of what life might have been like for seminal artists and writers such as Stein, Toklas, Picasso, Apollinaire, and Max Jacob. The art in this book sings; Marjorie Priceman uses vivid colors and dynamic perspective to create an appealing world. This book would be fun to read in conjunction with a child's ongoing studies about early 20th century art and literature.

Melissa Sweet's delicate watercolors illustrate the fictitious adventures of Charlotte, a young girl living with her family in France. Charlotte's father is studying painting, and along the way Charlotte learns intriguing details about artists in his circle, including Manet, Monet and Cassat. Vintage photographs, a recipe, maps, and French vocabulary add to the book's appeal. I will confess that I found the text a teeny bit tedious, but it appears I am in the minority. The book seems suited for children in elementary school and up--my kindergartener enjoyed the images but had trouble keeping track of who was whom. 

A lost tutu sends a young dancer on a search through the streets of Paris to find Monsieur Degas, who has been painting the ballerinas at rehearsal. She has his rucksack with tubes of paint--he must have the bag with her tutu. Along the way she meets other artists, including Cassat, Renoir, Monet and Caillebotte, and learns a bit about their work. The art in this book is soft and pretty, while managing to evoke the paintings of its more famous subjects. My daughter was charmed by the story.

I hope you find something interesting in this list for the young artists in your life. If you have any suggestions for other books, please leave a note in the comments!

Pattern play (Or, fun ways to procrastinate)

I like to look at patterns. I like color and rainbows, as you ought to know by now. I also like to procrastinate on things I ought to be doing. Here are a few favorite things to play with instead of working . . . . 

My son received the puzzle at the top of this photo for his first birthday. I liked it so much that I got the puzzle at bottom for me! These are made by Grimm's toys, available here. By the way, both puzzles are quite small; the larger one is approximately 16 centimeters across. Those nice beads are also by Grimm's--I love all of their things, which are carefully made and have beautiful luminous colors. (No shady sponsorship is happening here--I just like their stuff!)

I also like the patterns my two-year-old makes with watercolors.

I like coloring books. Yes, I admit it! When I was more, you know, professional, and taught at a liberal arts college, the nice lunch lady there used to work on her coloring books when not collecting meal tickets. This seemed so liberating and wonderful to me. I have now taken up the hobby in my old age. The two pages pictured above are from the Rosie Flo's Garden book.

This amazing book came from a sweet friend of mine who is from Israel. She tells me the cover of this simply says "My Coloring Book." 

This is a compact book, eight inches high, so each of those little spaces is darn small. I have not even filled in one page yet, but it has been a lot of fun. You can get your own copy of this coloring book at the artist's Etsy shop, found here.
 

Since I am thinking about childish things, I have a nice collection of new and new-to-me artful books (to borrow Jean's phrase) for children, which I will post in the next day or two.

Things to see and do

One of my favorite blogs, JardarMama, has a photo a day this month. Be sure to visit and see all of her lovely images. 

If you, like me, found that all of your spring clothes shrank while in storage over the winter, then go visit my friend Kristi for some words of wisdom. Fellow vegetarians: beware of the chicken post that follows the wisdom. 

For those of you who are obsessed with letters and the alphabet see this resource for exploring the history of the alphabet with kids. 

If you are concerned about our modern educational system, don't forget to visit here.

I think I really need a pair of these.

This book looks very tempting. 

I finally updated my weekly favorites sidebar. I think it's already been a week so you'd better check it out before I have to change it again!

Thank goodness for Jane Austen

I have been quite sick for a week now, and every evening has found me installed on the couch with a hot toddy and a book. One of the great pleasures of this illness (and perhaps one of the reasons it has taken me so long to recover) has been the re-reading of the novels of Jane Austen. In the past week I have read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Emma. Is there anyone who understands the human heart better than Austen? I think not. Oh, she is so perceptive, so thoughtful, sometimes so cutting in her assessment of human motives and desires. I also finished a lovely biography of Austen by Carol Shields which, though slender, offers sensitive insights into the author's life. 

Spring has come to upstate New York a few days early! I'll have some fun spring things to share tomorrow and Monday.

Order and inspiration

The sparkle has left winter this week with warmer weather and messy, melting sand-covered snow. I have felt a little bit like the Moomin character on this mug: a bit mischievous, a bit grumpy, ready for change. (My husband grew up reading all the Moomintroll books, while I did not; coming to them as an adult, I find them odd--but fun, too.)

I've gotten a few more books unpacked. We've been here almost three years and there are boxes and boxes of books still waiting for shelves. The winter weather and warm fires at night have brought me back to serious reading, something that I think suffers in my days of busy craft production. How nice to be back with the elegance and inventiveness of writers like Anne Carson, CS Lewis, Cole Swensen, and George Bradley. 

My slower pace of creating and posting is likely to continue. My need for contemplative silence is becoming more important than my need for making material things. I still have plenty of projects and ideas to share with you in the coming weeks; they will simply appear at a more leisurely pace. 
 
And thank you, friends, for the thoughtful comments on my last post about my grandmother (and my kids). You understood perfectly, just as I'd hoped.

The world of design

As usual, my father sent me creatively wrapped presents this Christmas, and among them were two books I thought you might like to know about. The first, Isetatsu Collection, features Japanese wood print patterns arranged by season. The variety of motifs--animals, flora, clothing, abstract designs--and the sophistication of palettes are perhaps what inspire me most. I will use the book for ideas and to study more about what makes a visual pattern successful. What creates pleasing proportions? What engages the eye without tiring it? How do repetition and variation work together on the page? This is an affordable resource for anyone interested in decorative papers, in textile patten, and in Japanese design.

My father also sent Shapes for Sounds, by Timothy Donaldson. This is the kind of book that makes my heart beat faster: a volume that offers history, analysis and images of the alphabet in action. Oh, letters! How I love them, in all their forms and mysteries. I have studied the history of our alphabet a fair bit--let's say more than the average person, but less than someone with a doctorate on the topic--and this book seems to offer some familiar research with new ways to make comparisons across culture and time. Perhaps more than other books that cover similar territory, this book focuses on the sound of letters, and how these sounds are created. 

As you can see from the cover, this book is very stylish and determined, perhaps too stylish for my temperament. I'm trying not to let that bother me. So far my pleasure in the content outweighs the slight irritation I feel at the self-consciously apparent design. Yes, all design is self-conscious: I guess I am a typographic conservative. That's a topic for another day . . . 

And why might the average crafter or mother care about this book? Why, because you speak and write, of course. Because as a maker of things you are interested in shape and design. Because you want to know why an A looks as it does, especially when you child wants to know where letters come from. There are many great books on this topic, and if you want to know more, contact me.

So there you have it: two new books, in case you needed a reason to visit the library.

Tiny books will be flying to . . .

Launa and the Magic Onions! Congratulations!

Thank you all so much for leaving a comment on the books. It made me very happy to share these little volumes with you, and to know there is enthusiasm for them!

I will have more giveaways in the new year! 

Tomorrow will be my last "snapshot" for the season. Hope to see you then.

Tiny book tutorial, part two; plus sneaky giveaway

You will recall that we were working on making one of these small books. The red rose paper pictured above is one of my favorite covers.

Let us now work on preparing and sewing the inner gathering, or signature, of paper. 

 
 
This part may seem self-evident. The important point to note is that you want to take your paper, starting with small scraps if you are making the 2 by 2 1/2 inch book, and fold several sheets together, at the same time. That is, don't fold each sheet and then nest the sheets--they won't fit together well. 

I took five sheets of paper and folded them in half. I used a bone folder to get a nice crisp fold. I then trimmed the head, tail and fore edges of the paper so that I had a straight, clean edge. The final dimensions of my paper, when folded, were approximately 2 inches by 2/14 inches.

If you want your end pages (which are the sheets that will be glued to the inside of the book's cover: look at the red rose book above and you see the plain red paper peeking from the back cover) to be a different color than the rest of the pages, then the colored sheet of paper should be the outermost page that you fold in your gathering. (I chose to use white for the demonstration book in this tutorial). In other words, the end pages will be sewn with the other pages, then glued later.

Take your awl and make three holes along the inner fold of your gathering, through all the sheets of paper. Make one hole in the center, as shown, and then make one near the top and bottom (the head and tail) of the pages. You don't have to measure with a ruler; just make it look even. 

Thread an embroidery needle, but do not put a knot at the end of your thread. (You won't need much thread; I have much more than I need in the picture above. Ten inches for a book this size will give you plenty of room to sew.) Begin on the outside of your book, in the middle hole, and pull the needle through to the inside.

Take your needle and sew through the bottom hole from interior to exterior.

Go back through the exterior center hole (the one you began with). Yes, it will seem a bit crowded. 

From the inside, sew through the top hole from interior to exterior. You will now have both ends of your thread on the outside of the gathering, ready to tie in a knot. You have sewn in a figure eight pattern.

If you want this book to be an ornament, leave enough thread to tie a loop for hanging.

You can see I tied my thread so that the knot falls in the center of the spine. For an ornament, it is nicer to tie the knot so that it is more toward the top, or head, of the book, so that when it hangs the book is more upright. 

Next, it's time to glue your end pages to the interior of the book boards that your prepared in part one of this tutorial. Brush glue on the outermost page of your gathering, as shown in the photo above. Glue within 1/16th of an inch to the spine.      

Brush glue on the interior, uncovered side of the book board.

Next, carefully place the glued-up end page on the glued-up book board, then smooth down with the bone folder. 

Repeat these steps with the other side: Brush glue on the end page; brush glue on the book cover; carefully place the end page on top of the book cover; smooth with a bone folder and gently straighten if things get crooked. 

It is okay if the spine of your gathering (where your sewing shows) extends a bit beyond the book covers.

Cut a few scraps of parchment paper a little bit larger than the dimensions of your book. Place the parchment paper between the end papers that you just glued to boards and the rest of the book. Put your book under weight for a day or two so that it dries without warping.

Here's another example of what the finished book will look like, this time with green hand-marbled cover paper. 

Are you still with me after such a long tutorial? 

If you have made it to this point, then maybe you will leave a comment--and in return I will choose two people to receive one of these little books as a new year's gift. Think of the tiny resolutions you can write! The giant wish list in tiny pages! The mini magnum opus waiting for your pen! Don't be shy: you have a very good chance of winning this. And with that, I wish you a delightful weekend. I'll close comments on Tuesday, 22 December, at 10pm.

Tiny book tutorial, part one

Today I have the first of what I think will be a three-part tutorial to make small books. These books can function on their own, or you can make them into ornaments by simply leaving a tail of thread from which to hang them.

The entire tutorial relies on bookbinding terminology, of course; I'll teach you what I can through photos and explanations, and at the end I'll give you resources for further exploration. These little books are not hard to make, but there are many steps.

This first part of the tutorial looks at how to cover boards with decorative paper. 

These are the supplies you will need for the entire project:

• Book board or museum board
• Decorative papers (heavy-weight origami or stationery weight printed papers, etc.)
• Plain paper for the interior, of good quality
• Linen bookbinding thread
• Embroidery needle
• Awl
• Bone folder
• White glue
• Glue brush
• Utility knife 
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• Parchment paper

If you can't find some of the more unusual supplies at your local craft store (book board, bone folder, awl, linen thread, etc), they can be purchased at Talas. I am telling you this rather than making a link from each supply to Talas. (I also want you to know I am not being paid by Talas to tell you this. They have no idea who I am. I just like to shop there because I trust the quality and service.)

If you aren't trying to make an archival, for-the-ages book, you can relax a bit about supplies and just use what is on hand. You can use thread that isn't linen, paper that might be headed for the recycling bin, and so forth. 

So here is my book board, which is a dense, stable board that bookbinders use. Do you see the green lines? Those mark the grain of the board. Paper products have a grain, which is simply the way most of the fibers line up. If you bend a sheet of paper, it bends more easily in one direction (with the grain) than the other (against the grain). The same is true of any sort of paper board. For this project, you want the grain of your board to run the long way, with what will be the "spine" of the book. I marked mine so I wouldn't forget which way the grain runs.

Cut two boards to the following size: 2 inches by 2 1/2 inches. I took a utility knife with a sharp blade and used my ruler as a straight edge. I made several slow careful cuts until I made my way all the way through the book board.

Next, cut the paper that will cover the board. Do you see how mine is curling in the photo above? That shows you the grain: it curls with the grain. I want the grain of my paper to be going in the same direction as the grain of my book board; for this project, that means both things should have the grain running parallel to the longer dimension of the book.

I had some more vintage printed paper on hand. I cut my paper so that it was about 3/8 of an inch larger in all directions than my book board. (Which makes the size of the paper--oh! I can't do math when I'm tired!--let's see, 2 3/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches, I hope.)

Put some glue in a dish. An old yogurt lid will work fine. Choose a brush that you will not use for any other purpose except to glue. 

Glue up your board. Don't use too much or you'll have a big mess. You can put a light coat of glue on the "wrong side" of your paper, too, but keep in mind paper tends to stretch, swell and go crazy when it gets glued up. Give it a minute to relax before you try to adhere the paper to the board.

Once you've got glue on the board and paper, put the board on the paper, center it so you have even overhang of paper at the edges, and smooth the two together with your hands. Do the same to your second board, then let them sit under weight for a few minutes. 

Next, miter your corners. Don't cut the paper all the way to the pointy corner of the board. Leave about an eighth of an inch.  
 
Start with the longer sides of your board (what will be the spine and fore edge of your book) and glue up those overhanging flaps of paper. Gently fold them around the back of the board. Take your bone folder and gently crimp down at the mitered corner, as shown in the photo above. You can just use your finger if you don't have a bone folder. The goal is to get a tidy corner that isn't lumpy. 

Once you've done that, glue up the shorter sides of your board (what will become the head and tail of your book) and gently fold them around the back of the board.

You can see the back of the covered board in this picture. I took my bone folder and worked on smoothing the paper down to make sure the glue adhered well and didn't leave any bubbles or lumps. 

You now have two very small, decoratively-covered pieces of book board. (The back of each board is still unfinished, as in the photo with the bone folder above.) The boards need to sit under weight overnight before you continue with the project. Put them between pieces of parchment paper so that any residual glue does not cause them to stick to other things while they dry.

I'll show you how to sew up your tiny 'text block" in the next post.