Welcome to this edition of byhand!

Holiday Offer

Do you have a creative friend in need of some new toys?
Why don't you select and purchase some byhand products for them? We'll send the items directly to your friend, specially wrapped with a gift card from you!

If you are using the PayPal shopping cart, please email me separately with instructions, otherwise the order will be sent directly to you!

Canadian artlings are welcome to use PayPal in Canadian dollars, by emailing me your order. I will calculate the total and you may pay me through PayPal in Canadian funds. I can even send you a request for funds in Canadian Dollars to simplify things! It also saves the time of sending your order in the mail - I recently had an order take a week from Vancouver to me on Vancouver Island! And that's not far..... (An order from Florida won't take that long....!)

New byhand Products!

Here are just a few of the new products we have in stock... How could I resist?

petite pewter charms	Self-adhesive Pewter embellishments
bone scorer

If you haven't had a look at the Class Photos recently, there's lots of good stuff there!

Important links at your fingertips!

Back Issues of byhand

byhand Products shopping cart

Quietfire Rubber Stamps

Acrylic Blocks for Rubber Stamps

Stamping Gallery

Subscriber's Gallery Page

Class Photos page

Links Page

Quietfire Design

How to subscribe to the byhand newsletter and other stuff!
If you wish to contact me, my email address is: suzanne@quietfiredesign.com

To subscribe: send me an email saying 'subscribe'!
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

The Zine Queens: Redux

The Zine Queens: Redux is a directory of art zines created by women, including excerpts and contact information. This year's edition is a whopping 92 pages (double the size of the 2002 edition) and includes excerpts from 21 zines.

I'm delighted that byhand is again included in The Zine Queens accompanying some absolutely fabulous zines. This publication is a great way to see what is being created by a collection of very keen women who have great passion for what they do.

The Zine Queens is the creation of Kara Sjoblom (whose wedding bouquet of tiny books can be seen in a recent issue of Somerset Studio!) and can be acquired from her on her website: http://www.karasjoblom.com/

Thanks for including byhand Kara!

Don't forget if you're proud of 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!

In Memory of Kim

Over the summer, artist and friend, Kim Sickler died in a car accident.
byhand artist, Elaine, suggested a memorial swap to honour Kim. Sparked by an idea on the Belle Papier yahoo list, we decided to make Beaded Prayer Bags in the style originated by
Sonya Clark's Beaded Prayers Project.
Each participant has made a bag to go to Kim's family.
Many thanks to Karen Krumbach for her generosity in allowing me to use this photo of Kim
and to Mish Kopack for sending along a card to go to Kim's family.

We will miss you, Kim. Here are our gifts in honour of your life.

Karin Fung
Vancouver, BC

Anne Atkinson
Saanich, BC

Marilyn Smitshoek
Vancouver, BC

Elaine McLeod
Port Alberni BC

Kathy Guthrie
Calgary AB

Joan Byers and Ginny Porter
Saanich, BC

Suzanne Cannon
Port Alberni, BC

Kim participated in a number of swaps hosted here on byhand. If you would like to see her creations, please click on the links below.

May 2002 near the top on the left.
November 2002 about half way down.
April 2003 about a third of the way down.

Favourite things

This month I am featuring the Quietfire Rubber envelope template.

This stamp creates the outline for the cutest 1" square envelopes. You can use the stamp on any paper, you can laminate papers, so that you can have "lined" envelopes. One of my favourite things to do is to reverse the envelope flap so the seam can be glued down and "invisible". Adding a brad and a mini-tag incorporate a delightful detail!

Here are the papers I chose to make the envelope. One is a marble Thai paper, the other is a shiny gold.	This shows the back of the two papers glued together. The outline of the envelope has been stamped on the gold paper.	The stamp mounted on an acrylic block.
The shape of the envelope has been cut using scissors.	The two sides of the envelope were folded in first.	The bottom flap, which is the smaller one has been folded up.
The top flap is folded to the outside.	The back of the envelope.	The envelope flap is pierced with an awl and the tiny tag has been coloured with Memories Sand ink. As well, I've chosen a brass "D" to add to the envelope.
Using my best technique (ahem), I used a French knot to attach the tiny tag and the brass letter to the envelope flap. By turning the flap you can enjoy the beauty of the envelope, but still readily access whatever treasure is inside!		The Envelope template can be found on the Rubber Stamps page. The Mini-tags may be found on the Paper Joys Page The Brads and Eyelets may be found on the Metalworks Page
	Here are two other examples. On the left, I folded the flap back and used a tiny button embellishment. This was the sign-in page for my blue Deco. On the right you can see where I have use a tag, a washer and an eyelet embellishment on the 2x2" glassine envelope. This is from The Altered Book Project envelopes spread.

Stampers Celebration

The Stampers Celebration is an exciting rubber stamp and paper crafting convention sponsored by Crafting with Carol & Co., and the Canadian Stamper©. It will take place

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 23, 24, and 25, 2004

at the Best Western Port O'Call Inn
conveniently located at 1935 McKnight Blvd. NE, Calgary, AB.

Quietfire Design will be there with all the goodies, some new rubber and two instructional classes: the Star Book and the Flag Book. See ya there!

For more information, click here to visit their website or write:

Stampers Celebration
203 - 304 Main Street South Suite 506
Airdrie, AB T4B 3C3 Canada
Phone (403) 912-6881
Fax (403) 912-2656
Email: info@stamperscelebration.ca

This idea started with the Altered Islanders, and Susan Horton's Westcoast themed altered book.(You may see these in the March 2003 byhand) Each person in the round robin was requested to create an altered totem pole from a tongue depressor! I thought this was a good challenge and suggested it to the byhandartists group. I have some that I am saving for the next newsletter, but thought it would be fun to throw out the challenge to all the newsletter subscribers - that's you!

So, here's the challenge:

Create, using a tongue depressor, an altered mini totem pole and sent it to me, as a real object (include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish it back) or as a jpg.

Due Date: December 31, 2003

Create without Limits!

P.S. My address is
Quietfire Design, Box 1231, Port Alberni, BC    V9Y 7M1   Canada

Did you want to see some special quotations in rubber?
Here's your chance!
I'm collecting your favourite copyright-free quotes
to letter and turn into rubber. If your quote is chosen for the Quietfire Rubber Collection, you will receive my handlettered unmounted rubber for your collection.

I'd be delighted to receive your suggestions! Please email me (suzanne@quietfiredesign.com) your typed quotes for consideration.

PS It may be a while before your quotation is turned into rubber if your quote is chosen!

Suzanne's Schedule 2003

2004

Rose's Black page

Purple Deco

Rose in Pat's Purple Deco

Patti in Barb's Deco

Rose in Sue's Blue Deco

Patti in Pam's Deco

Patti in Pam's Deco

Janice in Lesley's Deco

Kathy in her own Deco

Kathy in Suzanne's Deco

Lesley in Suzanne's Deco

Evie in Suzanne's Deco

Janice in Suzanne's Deco

A Passion for Copper - Part X

Parts I through IX are available in previous issues of byhand

Liver of Sulfer

I was first "exposed" to Liver of Sulfer in Nina Bagley's class at Artwerx in 2002. After the class I was determined to find Liver of Sulfer locally. The first place I found it was McGill and Orme in Victoria, BC. They were really sticky about it and would not have mailed it out - they even made me sign for it! My next success was with a jewelry supplier Lacey West in Vancouver, BC. They had no problem mailing it to me! Both suppliers had their Liver of Sulfer in solid form unlike Nina who had hers in solution. That's okay, I have water to mix it up!

Liver of Sulfer is used in jewelery-making to darken silver and copper. It has little effect on brass. Liver of Sulfer is a mixture of bisulfides of Sulfer. When you mix it in water, it's really stinky, with that hard-boiled-eggy smell we all love and hate... It's toxicity is low, and it does smell better than mixing bleach and vinegar as discussed in another issue of byhand.

Mixing the solid with water is simple. Just take a pea-sized lump of the solid and add warm water. Mixing the solution that is too strong causes the copper to blacken instantly. I wanted to see the metal go through a range of colours, so a weaker solution is recommended.

Left, top is a "fresh" piece of copper. Below are the various degrees of patina left when the copper has been immersed in a Liver of Sulfer solution. The piece in the middle of the bottom row is virtually black in real life!

Liver of Sulfur must be carefully stored as it loses it's strength with extended exposure to light and air. A pea-sized piece is a cup of water is a good starting point. You may brush it on or immerse the metal. Dip quickly and rinse immediately with water or you may miss the colour changes. Have fun!

byhand Altered Book Project

This month we would like to present our "Metals" spreads.

Please click here or on any of the images below to take you to the complete page of Metals

The byhand Altered Book Project II has begun - look forward to some more great altered pages!

Stolen Moments

Un-du is an extremely helpful product when you are trying to remove things you've stuck down in the wrong place.... ahem. It does happen on occasion... If you own a Xyron, then you'll want some of this stuff. I first learned about it on Aleene's Creative Living a few years ago (that show has been defunct for a while....) where they were using it to remove old photos from those nasty magnetic page albums. If you've tried removing photos from those you'll know what a challenge it is and your poor photo is in peril of imminent destruction! UN-du makes the job a snap. It seems to work on anything that's self-adhesive.

To use Un-du, remove the cap and drop some of the solvent into the black scoop. Let the solvent run off the tip of the scoop under the offending sticky thing until you can easily run the scoop edge under it and lift it off. When the solvent evaporates, the sticky thing will be sticky again and can be properly positioned. Definitely worth having in your studio!

To read more about UN-du and it's companion products, click here to go to their website.

Below are just a few of the byhand products! To check out the complete selection, click here!

Waxed Linen Thread

Samples from Left to Right: Black, Rust, Slate Grey (looks pink to me!), Sage, Royal Blue, Denim
Sorry but it's almost impossible for me to get true colour on the web!

4-ply Waxed Linen Thread

Please see the byhand Products page for the complete list of colours!

The eyelets!

These are weeny cute little guys. They are 1/8" eyelets. There are regular and long neck eyelets. The long neck eyelets will go through a regular thickness of bookboard.
100 eyelets per package.

(the long and short Copper are real copper and the long neck brass are real brass)

The Envelopes
These cool fellas are perfect for altered books, journals and cards! They come in 4x4" and 2x2" in packages of 10.

This is just the best little eyelet setter! It's hard to mess up, in fact, since I began using this setter, I haven't messed up!

Subtle, but they make a statement!

These are washers for your 1/8" eyelets. What will they think of next???100/package

available in:

brass
silver
copper

Anywhere punch with 6 bits This wonderful punch has 6 different bits allowing you to punch holes in the following sizes: 5/64, 3/32, 1/8, 9/64, 5/32 and 11/64 (or 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 and 5 mm)

I have put together some Book 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. The legs come off so they're perfect for going to classes. They are large enough for an 8.5" spine length and are $18Cdn (or $12US - to the States). I will try to bring these to classes so you can see them in person!
There is an additional $2.00 shipping charge for this item

Book Corners
Jazz up your book covers with metal corners!
I use them on the foredges of books, by applying a little glue and then crimping them, ever so lightly with a pair of pliers.They are all brass except the 3rd one down is Nickel or silver coloured.

They fit nicely on a bookboard of about 2.2mm thickness covered with decorative paper.

Bone Folders	Chicago Screws, brass, post and screw,
Collage Packs - 40 different collage paper treasures - colour-coordinated Japanese papers. There is one colour scheme on the front and a different one on the back. For invitations, name tags, collage, card-making, bookmarks, drawing, painting, poetry, rubber-stamping, photo mats, calligraphy, place cards, book covers, gift wrapping. . .    Assorted colours	Book Boards - precut 9" x 6", perfect for Coptic Bound, Criss-Cross Coptic and Pipe Organ Bindings. Give yourself a break! (there is an additional $0.50/pair charge for shipping this item)

To order any of the above items and the rubber stamps go to:
Printable byhand Products Order Form OR the PayPal shopping cart.

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.