Welcome to the new subscribers!

I had a great weekend teaching for the Fairbank Calligraphy Society in Victoria last month. Check in and have a look at the
Class Photos
to see what they were up to!
Thanks for having me!

There are lots of things of interest in this issue of byhand!

The Anniversary Draw
The New Subscriber Draw
The Premium Subscriber Offer
The first byhand Products Sale

the Sarah Lugg Swap
the ATCs Swap
more Inspiration Journals
more Altered Book Project eye candy

as well as Stolen Moments and other great info!

Make sure you get to the very bottom of the newsletter, because it just keeps getting better!

What's New

You may have tried to email me recently and had your message bounce. My apologies for that, but I've made some changes to the website!

In the last few months, I've realized that all good things must come to an end - relax! it's not the end of this newsletter!
My website has outgrown the size my host is allowing me to have at a reasonable cost. So it's time to upgrade. In order to defray some of the costs of this upgrade and allow you to become a supporter of byhand,
I am offering a
Premium Subscriber Membership.
This membership will be $12 CAD or $10US for the remainder of 2004.
As a Premium Subscriber, you will receive a limited-release unmounted rubber stamp as well as first notification of new rubber and new byhand products!

Many people email me in surprise that this newsletter is free. I really love it this way, and it will not change. It is entirely up to you if you would like to be a
Premium Subscriber!

The 2004 Rubber Stamp will be:

The width of this stamp will be approximately 3.5"

You'll have to be a Premium Subscriber to acquire this rubber in 2004!
For more information on becoming a Premium Subscriber
(for less than it costs for a cup of coffee each day!)
click here!

This month the winner of the draw is:

Nadine A. Reposkey
Fairbank, PA
USA

Congratulations Nadine! Thanks for joining the byhand Family!

I am back for a repeat engagement on the New VI New Day breakfast show, scheduled for
March 24th, 2004.
(If you missed the buzz on this, it is in last months newsletter).
The show begins at 7 a.m. and continues to 9 a.m. during which time I will be interviewed intermittently.
The New Day can be viewed on The New VI (CIVI), Channel 12 on Vancouver Island and Bell ExpressVu #259.

Cross your fingers for me!

Important links at your fingertips!

Back Issues of byhand

byhand Products shopping cool stuff for the creative spirit!

Quietfire Rubber Stamps

Acrylic Blocks for Rubber Stamps

Stamping Gallery

Subscriber's Gallery Page

Class Photos page

Links Page

Quietfire Design

To be a regular subscriber to the byhand newsletter, click here

To be a Premium subscriber to the byhand newsletter, click here

If you wish to contact me, my email address is: suzanne@quietfiredesign.com

or Quietfire Design, Box 1231, Port Alberni, BC
V9Y 7M1  Canada

To unsubscribe: send me an email saying 'unsubscribe'. I'll live....
To change your email address: send me an email with both your new and old address. Thanks!

Come join us in our Yahoo discussion group, where we talk about artistic inspirations, make inquiries about techniques, and share quotes and resources. Subscribe to byhandartists   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/byhandartists/

Books to Inspire

Back next month!

 

 

Don't forget if you'd like to share some artwork that you have stamped with a Quietfire Rubber Stamp, please send me a copy and I'll be delighted to put in the Stamping Gallery.

Don't be shy!

 

If you're Canadian (like me!) and you'd like to order byhand products in Canadian dollars but don't want to wait for the mail system to deliver your cheque, there are alternatives! You can read more details here or email me. I'll try to make it easy-peasy!

 

A big
Thank You to Susan Ewart
for allowing me to add her
instructions for mounting Unmounted Stamps
on the Acrylic Mounts page of this website.

As well as her price list you can also find the Fitment Guide for the Quietfire Gentle Thoughts Rubber stamps.

If you'll be at Stampers Celebration you'll get to meet Susan in person (as well byhand helper Nancy Q!). Susan will be bringing a whooooole bunch of acrylic blocks with her and some of her hand-torched lampwork beads to sell. There might be some left after I get there......

 

 

Anniversary Draw

It's time to celebrate THREE years of publishing byhand!

Which means it's time for a draw.

Send me a
hand-decorated postcard
which must arrive before April 1, 2004 and your name will go in a draw for a fabulous prize! All the submissions will be displayed on the Subscriber's Gallery Page.
(We're way overdue for some more artwork on there!)

Here's the link to the
postcard back with address or http://quietfiredesign.com/postcard.htm.
You can print this out and use it if it makes life easier (and I'm all for that!) or create or alter your own! Or here's the address:

Suzanne Cannon
Quietfire Design Anniversary
Box 1231
Port Alberni, BC
V9Y 7M1
Canada

Gentle Thoughts

Favourite things

Send me your "Favourite Things" suggestions and you might see it here!

Suzanne's Schedule 2004

Mar 6	Burnaby BC	Altered Book Project	Burnaby Community Education
Mar 7	Surrey BC	Belgian Binding	Bookmakers of Vancouver
starting Mar 23	Port Alberni BC	Altered Book Project	Port Alberni Park and Recreation. Four Tuesday evening classes.
Wed Mar 24	Nanaimo BC	7a.m. to 9a.m. Pacific Time The New VI (CIVI), Channel 12 on Vancouver Island and Bell ExpressVu #259.
Mar 27	Victoria BC	Coptic Bound Journal	Island Blue Print
Mar 28	Victoria BC	Instant Letters	Island Blue Print
April 23	Calgary AB	Flag Book	Stampers Celebration
April 24	Calgary AB	Star Book	Stampers Celebration
April 23,24,25	Calgary AB	Stampers Celebration Vendor	Best Western Port O'Call Inn, Calgary
May 1	Port Alberni BC	Spring Craft Fair	Athletic Hall
May 13-16	Courtenay, BC	Vendor	Fibre Arts Symposium
Fri May 14	Courtenay, BC	Stitching a Fibre Artist's Journal	Fibre Arts Symposium
May 30	Calgary AB	Altered Book Project	for Select Imports at the Canadian Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show
June 26	Victoria BC	Altered Book Project	Island Blue Print
June 27	Victoria BC	Criss Cross Coptic	Island Blue Print
Fri Aug 13	Richmond BC	Vendor Evening (see below)	Artwerx
Sat Aug 14	Richmond BC	The Altered Word	Artwerx
Aug 15-22	Lethbridge AB	The Altered Word	Kalligraphia (see below for details)

This event will feature acclaimed fibre artists workshop instructors, seminars and presentations by internationally acclaimed speakers. It will focus on fibre's diverse functional and decorative forms with professional fibre artists from all over the Pacific Northwest.

Engaging presentations, seminars and dynamic workshop in
basketry, weaving, quilting, paper making, journal design, silk painting, embroidery, rug hooking, passementerie, indigo dyeing and more. Treat yourself and engage in a learning experience with acclaimed instructors and top fibre experts.

Visit the Fibre Arts Symposium web site www.fibrearts.iscn.ca for frequent updates or the Comox Valley Arts Council www.island.net/~cvcac. For more information contact cvcartscouncil@shaw.ca

My class at the Fibre Arts Symposium is
Stitching a Fibre Artist’s Journal: Creating your Own Handbound Book
Friday, May 14, 2004

AND

I will be a vendor throughout the symposium.

Quietfire Design is a Sponsor,
Vendor
and Instructor
at this wonderful 3 day event.

On Friday the 13th, I'll be part of an amazing group of vendors at the
Vendor's Market
from 7 to 10 p.m. Even if you're not involved in the conference, it's a fabulous opportunity to see the goodies these vendors have.

On Saturday the 14th, I'll be teaching a short evening class
The Altered Word.

Kalligraphia '04

Lethbridge Community College August 15-22 2004
Lethbridge AB Canada

Here is the list of instructors and their classes:
Suzanne Cannon: "The Altered Word"
Ewan Clayton: "A Study Workshop of the ALAettering and Working Methods of David Jones" and "Working With the Imagination:
Lorraine Douglas: "The Ruling Pen" and "Cut Paper Letters"
Jean Formo "Walnut Ink Meets the Book" and "Alphabet Inventions"
Kathy Guthrie: "Back in the Day"
Eliza Holliday: "Pointed Brush...The Dancing Hand" and "Graphite Techniques"
Martin Jackson: Uncials" and "Design and Layout"
Betty Locke: "Evoking the Muse"
Gaye Mackie: "Copperplate"
Cherryl Moote: "Sleight of Binding" and "The Journal: Form and Content
Peter Thornton: "The Creative and Expressive Potnential of Italic" and "White on White"

NOTE: There may be slight changes or additions to classes as numbers dictate...full class descriptions, supply lists, housing and food information will be included in the course registration packet due out by the end of March.
Dates: Arrive in Lethbridge Sunday, Aug 15. Classes begin Monday Aug. 16 and end at noon on Saturday Aug. 21. Departure Sunday Aug 22. Cost: Approx $550 CAD. Full details in registration packet.

To hold a registration spot (classes will be filled according to registration number) send a $100 (cheque or money order made out to Kalligraphia '04) deposit to:
Connie Furgason
5105-24 Ave South
Lethbridge, Alberta
T1K 7C2
Canada
403-320-9092
e-mail: furgasonc@hotmail.com

Wendy

The Copper Skeleton Leaf

This scan is enlarged to help show the incredible detail that is visible in this small piece of copper. Overall approximate size of each copper plate is 1 3/4" x 3". Each one is an individual as each leaf is different.

$4.00 USD each.

The Star Book Kits and Bare Bones refills are now available!

Stolen Moments

Making a Tile

Many times I have been out to the Stamp Garden, a wonderful Stamp Shop in, yes, you guessed it, the Alberni Valley. Sharon, the owner, has a wonderful collection of goodies waiting to tempt anyone who enters.

I noticed Sharon had this fabulous "tile" on the cover of her Star Book and I admired every time I went in. I coerced her into showing me how to make one (because I was a dismal failure at making one just like hers....) and she was gracious enough to allow me to share the steps with you. When she began, she was a bit worried about being able to reproduce a tile exactly as she had the first time - but I think she did a wonderful job!

Thanks very much Sharon!

Here is the cover of Sharon's Star Book. I'm afraid there is a lot of glare in the photo - sorry!

More Stolen Moments!

Some of the byhandartists either have new studio spaces or are in the throes of creating new spaces. In our discussions on that subject, Becky Sorensen wrote about her organizing problems with expanding collection of art supplies:

my unmounteds are in 4 square boxes and I just have them in there on top of each other.

So, I asked the byhandartists how they stored their unmounted stamps and here were their replies.... (of course this often goes hand in hand with how they are mounted)

If you are looking for acrylic mounts and a mounting system please check out the system on this site produced by Grow More Wheat Designs.

Suzanne Cannon

This was certainly not my idea, but it seems to work for me right now. Perhaps when I have a collection the size of others', I'll have to modify it!

This is just a three ring binder with page protectors in it. Inside the page protector is a thin piece of cardboard to give some support to the page. As well as the cardboard there is a piece of paper with an "index" sheet that tells me which stamp it is - the right way 'round! The stamps stick to the page protector and are easily removable.

I sometimes use a product like Aleene's Tack it Over and Over on the back of my stamps and/or cushion.

Patti Sandham

I bought cafeteria trays and built 2 cabinets with my dads help. The trays slide in and out and I make each tray a theme. I store the mounted and unmounted together.

Charmaine Stack

I store my UMs in CD jewel cases in a CD tower, with the CD spines indexed according to subject. The naked UMs have the company name written in permanent ink on their backs, in case I ever submit anything for publication and need to provide a source. (Have yet to do that, but just in case...)

I have some UMs that are not naked, they are wearing coats of HALOs velcro, but they also fit in the CD cases (the older, thicker ones). The naked ones fit in the slimline CD cases.

I used to use the HALOs (velcro) system for temporarily mounting stamps, but it had its drawbacks. Now I use what is the best IMHO, 3M #109 Poster Tape (I buy it at Staples). I put it on the smooth side of my HALOs acrylic block (but you could use wood), then put the UM on it. I put a mouse pad under my work, so I don't need cushioning on the UM. The UM peels right off and I can drop it in the sink to clean if I want to. The tape stickiness lasts a long time. When I put the block away to store, I put a piece of plastic (acetate) on top of the tape to keep it from picking up lint. If it loses its sticking power, then I peel it off (it is easily removable, which is why it is good for posters) and put another piece on.

Vickie Enkoff

I use the HALOS system--hook and loop tape with acrylic blocks.

I use the snack size ziplocks or my glassine envelopes and put small sets of stamps in each envelope. It is see-through and I have the index sheet with the stamps on it so I know what is in each envelope.

Lizard

When I first started with unmounteds I was storing them in a binder. Then I got too many for that so bought some restaurant trays to put them on.

I then moved a music cabinet I have into my art room but the trays were a little too big for the cabinet so I made some trays and that is how they are being stored right now.

BUT, I have a card filing index at work that I might start using for my unmounteds. I thought I could index it on an envelope and keep them in the file. Now I just have to find time to do all the organizing. I think it is a never ending process, at least for me I always seem to be doing more reorganizing than artwork. I guess I am just trying to find a way so I can find things when I want them.

byhand Altered Book Project II

This Altered Book Project is closed, but if there is enough interest in a couple of months, I will begin another one.

This month the players in round II would like to present their Tag spreads. A round of applause please! Just click on any of the images below to take you to the complete page of spreads!

Please click here to see all the posted spreads from our Tags pages!

byhand ATC Swap

Several of the byhandartists are dedicated Artists Trading Card (ATC) traders. Vickie Rhinehart (our Site Siting in the newsletter) frequently shares her ATC artwork with us. Gillian Gravenor is also a serious ATC trader and I guess between Vickie's visual stimulation and knowing Gillian (thanks Gillybean!) enough to bug her into hosting, the byhandartists had their very own swap.

What are ATCs? They are small collectible pieces of artwork measuring exactly 2.5 x 3.5". That's the first rule. The second rule is that they may only be traded, not bought and sold!

Many of us in this swap had never done ATCs before and it sure made going to the mailbox a sweet experience everyday!

Bonnie

Colleen

Patti

Elaine

Vickie R.

Faith

Nadia

Spring Challenge

The byhand ATC Quotation Swap

Well now that you have seen what Artists Trading Cards look like, maybe now you'd like to try them!

I'd like to propose a byhand ATC Quotation Swap. Just email me (suzanne@quietfiredesign.com) if you'd like to play.

The rules are simple! The cards must be 2.5" x 3.5" and must have a quotation on them. They may be all the same, or all different. How many cards you have to make depends on how many sign up! (I'll give you a chance to change your mind if it's a problem.) This is a great opportunity to connect with other artists from all kinds of different backgrounds. That's the really wonderful thing about this group - the diversity is amazing! You may get calligraphic cards or fabric cards, rubber stamped or collaged cards. Anything is possible and everyone likes quotes!

The deadline for sign-up will be March 15, 2004.
Deadline for mailing the cards will be March 31, 2004

Once you sign up, I will send out a group email to all the participants.

If you'd like to see lots more inspiring ATCs, click on Vickie's website ATC Gallery. At the bottom of that page you will see links to even more eye candy!

In addition to this, Gillian brought to my attention that CBCRadio3 currently has an article entitled "Changing Hands" which features ATCs and byhandsubscriber Dale Roberts cards can be seen in this collection! Go to http://www.cbcradio3.com for a most interesting experience.

A number of months ago, byhandartist Sandy Sommerfeld suggested that we have an

Inspiration Journal

round robin. And so it began.... You may see some of the pages in the last newsletter. Here are a few more! Thanks to each of the artists for allowing me to reproduce their pages and journals. Enjoy!

Sandy in Nadia's

Sandy in Nadia's

Tracey in Nadia's

Tracey in Nadia's

Rose in Nadia's

Rose in Nadia's

Suzanne in Nadia's

Suzanne in Nadia's

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!

suzanne@quietfiredesign.com
(250) 723-0321 Quietfire Design

The original title lettering of byhand was done with a Mitchell's Roundhand Nib, size 0, and Higgins Eternal Ink. Quietfire Design Rubber stamps were used to create the other designs.