Storing scrolls in ancient Rome from A History of Reading by Canadian author Alberto Manguel.
December - Issue 8
Storing scrolls in ancient Rome from A History of Reading by Canadian author Alberto Manguel. |
December - Issue 8 |
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Season's Greetings! Welcome to all the new subscribers! I hope you find something
useful in this newsletter. Keep on Creating! |
Welcome to issue 8 of byhand!
If you wish to check back issues of byhand
click here.
If you wish to contact me, my email address is: suzanne@quietfiredesign.com To subscribe: send me an email
saying 'subscribe'! Notes
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Gentle Thoughts
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Recently, my Mom was cleaning out some stuff and she came on this package of things that she thought I might find useful... It was an ancient package of "Document Corners". I think they are to use in place of paper clips... Now, at first I wasn't sure if these had any merit and then I thought, Hmmm.... I tore one apart to see how it was made and then decided that I could decorate these as bookmarks. Hey, why not? Here are a few of my attempts.
Sorry for the quality of the scan - this is really hard to do when you don't have a flatbed scanner!!! If you'd like to try some, I have included a printable
template for you to use. You can stamp them, collage them, letter
on them or just cut them out of pretty paper. The original ones were made
of card stock, but lighter weight paper seems to work just fine. You might
want to use a text weight if are collaging on it. I also made one out
of tracing paper, so I could position it appropriately over a stamp or
collage. Don't forget the back will show too. Swap Proposal! Several months ago when I began receiving postcards
for the draw for the handbound book, I felt it was a rather cheeky way
to receive mail art. This month I'd like to propose
a swap with the subscribers of this newsletter! This way it won't
be just me receiving all the goodies! For those who have never participated
in a swap here's what happens. Someone proposes and hosts (that's me)
the swap. You send in, say 5 pieces of your artwork, and you receive 5
back from different people, their personal interpretation of the swap
theme. What I would like to propose is an Alphabet swap on tags. The first thing you will have to do is email me and sign up! I will assign you one letter of the alphabet and you will decorate shipping tags - all the same decoration and as many as there are people in the swap and send them to me with a SASE. I will swap all the tags out and send them back to you. How many you have to make depends on the number of players. I promise I won't have you make 26 unless you want to! The reason I chose the Alphabet on tags is because 1) I'm a calligrapher, 2) I have no imagination, and 3) there is lots of inspiration out there in the form of children's ABC books. Everyone know A is for Apple, right? (except my francophone husband who would say P is for apple....) and 4) the shipping tag is small and non-threatening. I think this will be really fun! Please sign up by Dec. 10, but the tags won't be due to me until January 30. That should get you jumpstarted into being creative after the holidays. Try it, you'll like it. I will send out more information (and some ideas) to the swapees soon. Let me know if you're a newbie at this! I'll be crushed if nobody signs up....... Teaching Schedule Until a few weeks ago, my dance card was pretty bare... This has changed, which is very nice. I can hardly wait to get started! To get more details go to my website Calendar of Events page. Use the back button on your browser to return here. Jan 26 Victoria Coptic
Stitched Journal Private Class. Full Feb 2 Burnaby Instant
Letters Burnaby Community Ed starting Feb 6 Port Alberni Beginning Calligraphy and Continuing Calligraphy for Parks and Recreation. Six week class. Tuesday evenings 7 - 9 p.m. To register please call (250) 723-2181 after January 3, 2002. Feb 9 Port Alberni Instant Letters Parks and Recreation Feb 16 Courtenay Beginning Calligraphy North Island College Mar 2 Port Alberni Charmers Parks and Recreation Mar 9 Burnaby Artist’s
Journal in a Day Burnaby Comm. Ed. April 6 Victoria Artist’s Journal in a Day Fairbank Callig.Soc. April 13 Courtenay Instant Letters North Island College April 20 Victoria Instant Letters Shoreline Community School May 4 Port Alberni Spring Craft Fair P.A. Athletic Hall May 25 Kelowna Focus
on Foundational Kelowna Calligraphers Guild |
Books to Inspire I recently had a complaint that I hadn't included this section in the newsletter for a while.... It seems to me that this was the same person who had complained that when I did recommend a book, she had to go out and buy it and it was costing her a lot of money......! This month I'd like to bring to your attention a book that I just had to have. I have admired this lady's work in Somerset Studio and Belle Armoire. I think the thing that attracts me to Sherrill Kahn's work is are the colours. She reminds me of the work of Kaffe Fassett, that cool textile guy with the great colour palette. Sherrill was a school teacher for many years (which is hard to believe when you see her picture - she must have started teaching when she was very young....) and has done lots of experimenting with a wide variety of tools - mostly household! Her book has lots of different techniques, many (but not all) using her line of rubberstamps called Impress Me. This is a really wonderful, colourful book. It is called Creating with Paint and you can order it through Somerset Studio, but watch out for the shipping charges, or from Sherrill or here is the ISBN 1-56477-320-5. Of course, you can always try the library....
Studio Tips Have you ever
had the problem of trying to thread a thick fibre or ribbon through a
bead? I struggled with this, until I bought a needle called "The
Big Eye" from the craft store. Well, they worked really well, but
then I broke a couple of these and I couldn't make a beading needle work.
I think I've settled for using a piece of narrow gauge wire, folding it
in half and threading it through the bead. Another helpful thing is to
cut the end of the ribbon on a long diagonal and only put the tip through
the "needle". Hope this helps!
My sample tag News Flash I just received news the other day of a wonderful event happening in
Vancouver (well, okay, in Richmond) in September next year. It is organized
by local artist Christina Lazar-Schuler of Lazar
Studiowerx and is bringing in some really exciting artists to teach
workshops. The event is called
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| I have put together some sewing cradles for sale as some of you have been asking for them. They are not things of great beauty, but really, really handy for when you have a lot of holes to pierce. They are large enough for an 8.5" spine length and are $20Cdn (or $20US to the States) shipping included. Email me if you can't live without one! I will try to bring these to classes so you can see them in person! | 
Here is my nasty little illustration of one! |
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If there is any information you would like to see in this newsletter,
let me know. Each month I will email you to let you know the new issue
is published. If you know someone who would like to receive notice of
byhand, just have them email me and I
will put them on the list. Bye for now and thanks for visiting! (250) 723-0321 The original title lettering of byhand was done with a Mitchell's Roundhand Nib, size 0, and Higgins Eternal Ink.
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