Hi there!

First I'd like to say Welcome! to all the new subscribers. I hope you enjoy byhand!

I had a whirlwind trip to Calgary in September, took tons of photos and had a great time!
You can see some of the absolutely fabulous books and artwork done by the students. Thanks so much to each of them for allowing me to share their creations with you! It was a bit overwhelming to add everyone's names so you'll have to pardon me... I hope you'll all come to see me and say hi! when I return next April for Stampers Celebration.

And a special thanks to Deirdre at Out of Hand for her kindness and inspiration in initiating this trip and hosting me for the first few days.

Thanks also to Gail Stevens of the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild for hosting me for the balance of my recent stay in Calgary. It was a pleasure to meet her after hearing her name for so many years. And, Gail, I really did like the tofu!!
(As well as a wonderful calligrapher, Gail is a great cook)

New byhand Products!

fine awls
little manila tag envelopes
bare bones kit for small album
heart shaped mini-brads
diamond shaped mini-brads

Three new types of frames and more charms!

The Star Book

Make this fabulous book in a day!
Classes available through Burnaby Community Education and Centennial Bookbinding, in Vancouver and Island Blue Print in Victoria.
See the links below on the Schedule.

The Star Book is a combination of two books - a regular exposed-spine book and a tunnel book. I can't even begin to tell you here about all the possibilities for decoration of this book! We'll spend the morning making the book and the afternoon decorating it. Hope to see you!

Extra kits will be available for purchase at the class and I'll probably put them on this website too. (To begin, it will be a bare bones kit which means there will be no directions included with the kit)

 

Favourite things will return next month!

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

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!

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.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/byhandartists/ 

Books to Inspire

byhand artist Kathy O'Bryan generously sent me a copy of Quilting Arts Magazine recently. I just want to say - Gee she knows what a girl really likes!
This magazine is fabulous! The current issue is pictured above and includes an article on Fabric Altered Books. It's not just a magazine for quilters, it includes surface design, wearable art, beading and all sorts of mixed media stuff! Absolutely yummy!
Thanks so much to Kathy for thinking of me!
If you live in Calgary, you can easily get a copy at Out of Hand (this is where I was lucky enough to find some back issues, which was a real treat!)

Suzanne's Schedule 2003

2004

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: October 31, 2003

Create without Limits!

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

I think it's time for another minibook challenge.
I'm not sure whether this will be a swap or just a challenge - it will depend on how many sign up. The most you will need to make is 5, though.

The mini-book may be up to 5x5" this time and the requirement will be that you use fabric in it. Now, it could be a fabric book or it could be paper with fabric glued or stitched on the pages. Perhaps some copy transfer on the fabric, some hand dying, some beads stitched onto the fabric - your imagination is the limit! Perhaps this is just the project for some fabulous fabric that you bought and just didn't know what to do with...

Send me an email if you want to play! This will be due the end of November.

I'm suzanne@quietfiredesign.com

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.

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

Stolen Moments

	Recently, byhandartist, Nancy Quinn, felt sorry for me because I was having trouble acquiring those cute little washers for the eyelets from my supplier. Nancy sent me this little collection of jewllery findings to make me feel better. I liked the little matchbook they came in! Nancy is allowing me to tell you about how she made it (whether she wants to or not...!).
Nancy used strip of cardstock 2" wide by 8 1/2" long, which made it wide enough to accomodate the tiny ziplocks holding the findings. She stamped on one side of the cardstock, probably using a Stampin' Up stamp, and coloured each flower. The next step was to fold up one end of the strip to the "inside", so there is a 3/4" flap. This flap was stapled into place, which allowed a "loose" flap available for the other end of the strip to be folded and inserted under. Thanks Nancy for a great idea! Now I'm off to use the findings!!!

The byhand Colours
Deco Round Robin

What is a Deco?

It's a small book, originally sent out by it's maker to a friend, who passes it on to another friend, who passes it on to another friend and when full, is sent back to the maker. Once out of the hands of the maker, it could go anywhere. For this round robin, each person made a small book of their own using a specific colour as a theme. Each person who received that Deco used the colour scheme of the book and everyone knew who was in their group so the book did not go off into never-never land. The structure of the book could be as simple as a pamphlet stitched book (and no bigger than about 5" x 5"). We decorated one two-page spread per person.

Here are some of our creations! More next month!

Carolyn's Travel Deco

Carolyn's Travel Deco

Patti in Carolyn's Deco

Ellen's Black Deco

Ellen's Black Deco

Suzanne in Evie's Deco

Sandy in Nadia's Deco

Patti in Tracey's Deco

A Passion for Copper

Will return next month

Torso Tags

The challenge continues...

Last month we showed you a whole bunch of torso tags, a challenge inspired by dedicated torso decorator, Vickie. If you'd like to see those again click here for the shortcut!

Once some people get the torso itch, it's hard to stop them! Here are some more to tickle your fancy!

Becky

Becky had a cyberdrought, going without a computer for a number of weeks, so we had a collection of torsos presented to us all in one go!

Colleen's Rare Breed
Colleen was really nervous about sharing her torso tags, but are we ever glad she did!

Colleen's Chemistry

byhand Altered Book Project

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

The Altered Book Project has been going on for 5 months now and you've just seen a small sampling of what we've done! We'd like to share a few more of our pages with you.

Here are some comments from participants of the first byhand Altered Book Project:

I am sorry to see the project come to an end. It has been a joy for me :-))). Pat in Michigan

I'll be sorry to see this book finished - it's been a lot of fun and a lot of new ideas which I probably wouldn't have thought of by myself. Looking forward to the next one already. Evie in Edinburgh

I have learned so much from this project and look forward to starting a new book.
Karen Young Burlington, On

I love the book I've created, I thought they were wonderful assignments, with a lesson in each one ~ Thank you! Tracey in Surrey

Thank you to everyone who has participated! Let's do it again!

The next Altered Book Project will be starting shortly. If you would like to sign up for it please send an email to: byhandABProject-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or Click to subscribe to byhandABProject

We hope you enjoy our Tag spreads!

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

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.