Double Wings!

Made another little book, approx 2 inches high. The cover is nice and fuzzy to the touch. The star at the corner is stitched down with a little bead in the center, you can spin it around. I didn't glue it down, more along the line of I forgot but since it's stitched in anyway I figured it didn't matter. Blanket stitch binding at the head and tail of the spine using invisible thread, this time I just stabbed through the cover instead of the usual slit in previous books.

Double wings cos I don't think one is enough for such a fat book, hehehe. Basically over the weekend I was playing making my books. I was experimenting, stayed out of the studio, sent my sister in and told her to surprise me and she came out with whatever happen to interest her. It was interesting, it got me out of the box. More books to come...

A Rose By Any Other Name

So far I like this painting of mine, it was sold and bought but the owner couldn't take it with them at that time and left it with a friend of theirs. I went over to that friend's place and they were saying they don't know what to do with it as they were moving house. I said I'll just keep it at my place then since it is my painting, just different owners. I rather hang on to it and know it'll be safe with me than to have the poor thing stuffed up somewhere in a store room.


So it currently hanging in my studio, I took down the black and white banana skin and spring charcoal morphed drawing I did from back in art school foundation, and hung up the rose. It' s about 4 feet by 3 feet, using acrylic paints. I like the bronze contract of the background to the rose, I'm trying to figure out how else to paint using metallic colours...

My First Fair In 2006

Look look! Isn't my table display lovely! This was my very first fair. I aimed to make about 30 books because I only had a month to prepare for and I had zero books. And for some reason I wanted to take the opportunity to show the locals hand bound books.


I also put up hand made cards, little note books, and shell brooches that I was making that time for sale.

My books were either coptic stitched binding or stab binding because those were the only two binding methods I knew how to do back then. I just get creative with the covers.

Hmmm, looking back at them I think I'll remake some of them again. But last time I tried that I didn't have the same passion for it. I felt I have moved on. They were nice basics, learned them when in art school and they stuck. But I wanted to do more, when I started work and earning money I ordered the Keith Smith's books, all five volumes. It took me a while to get used to and understand the books, now I'm slowly getting around to using it.

Oh, and what happened to these books you ask, I don't have them any more. They either got sold or given away as presents for when I needed presents.

Also because of this fair I practically stopped making books. Response wasn't great. I had people coming up to the table and having a look, said they're nice and left. Only sold one book and a couple of the smaller items. I felt dishearten because nobody saw the amount of work and time that went into making them, they are hand made for a reason. Well, it was a good experience anyway. I felt good for having the guts to put myself out there and tested the waters. And knew for my work to be appreciated, it has to come from me.

I know the value of my work. And I am not afraid to say no to you if you think you can get away with it by getting it less than what the asking price.

Birthday Wings Par Deux

First posting I did on this book the picture wasn't so great, just had to do another one...

This isn't the first time I made books with wings. Done it previously, but the wings I used were smaller then and the binding used was different.

The binding for this book that I've been using quite a lotlately is a blanket stitch binding. I like it cos it's fast and easy and I don't have to poke so many holes per sections. Each sections are pierced individually by hand, so the more sections there are and using other method of binding that uses more holes the longer the whole production takes as well as binding. That's why I don't fancy doing coptic stitch binding so much!


Books should fly...

I think I'll do an all white one with a halo on top...

Sections Waiting...

From the top layer: 5kg worth of weight plate, 3 of them, I don't know where my 4th one went to.

Next layer down: 'Paper Transformed' and 'The Penland Book of Handmade Books'. I picked these up the last time I was in Singapore. The Penland book I've been eying for almost a year to the date I bought it. Two books I gladly add to my library. The books I'm using to sandwich odd sections.

Next two layers from bottom: White and ivory (says the packaging) sections. Folded length ways and short ways. So the next batch of books I'm making are going to have these as their sections unless otherwise.

Just waiting for the sections to lay all nice and flat now so it'll be easier to cut uniformly and when bound into the cover the book won't spring open.

In the mean time, I got a whole bunch of stuff to iron out as their covers. Need to colour match as well, see which material will be complemented with the sections.

I got blue to fold next.

Birthday Wings

I needed a birthday present and didn't know what to get. Made a book *grin* Used a silk scrap (non padded), wings, and paper off cuts. Put them all into a mixing bowl. Set the speed to medium until everything comes together. Asked birthday girl her choice of decoration. And ta-da! Happy Birthday Zana! She basically sat and watched me make the book just after start to finish...


I wish I got a better camera, pictures came out blurry... Oh well... Make a wish!

New Materials!

I spent the afternoon going through a friend's, Lay Hien, stash of silk scraps. She's going to use it for patchwork. I'm looking for what I can use as book covers. Got several cool pieces, left her house with a bag full of scraps.

Then bought 2 reams of A4 in ivory and white, and 1 ream of A3 in light blue. Can't wait to make books out of these.

Hmmmm, silk book covers... padded or non padded?

I was talking to Pek Ching who does art classes at Rainforest Gallery here, and first time ever admitted I'm just not in the mood to draw or paint. All I want to do for now is to just make. Hence all these books. She invited me to come along their weekly outing drawing sessions, and I could always just drop by the gallery. Maybe that'll kick in the inspiration to start drawing and painting again...