Creative HeArt

Strong Arm Bindery: A Bookbinding Adventure!

My bookbinding adventure began with a walk down a blustery alleyway at the Portland Company Complex on Fore Street in Portland’s Old Port.  The building looked deserted, aside from the chirping of the birds living in the eaves.  But Strong Arm Bindery’s studio is alive and well, tucked away on the second floor of the Complex, in a brick and stone building that once served as storage for a foundry. 

The studio space is vintage-cool.  Light floods the room through floor to ceiling windows.  The shelves that line one wall are original foundry storage shelves, and also provide good climbing for Dirty Girl, Strong Arm’s kitty mascot.  (Dirty Girl is named for her penchant for rolling in the dirt.)  Martha Kearsley, the owner of the Bindery, greeted me at the door and immediately made me feel at home.  

The two-day workshop I decided to try was an intro to the classic case binding.  I was excited, but a little nervous as well.  I'd never bound anything before and I didn't know how I'd ever assemble a pile of paper, cover board, waxed linen, and book cloth into anything that looked remotely attractive.  But I had faith in Martha, and she proved to be an excellent instructor.  She knows her stuff—she learned the art of bookbinding and restoration 18 years ago at the North Bennett Street School in Boston, and she's been in business for 12 years.  She explained and demonstrated every step carefully and had no problem repeating anything when I inevitably asked.  She also has a great sense of humor and put up with the, "Oh my GOD I'M MAKING A BOOK!" outbursts I'd have every so often.

The workshop felt like therapy.  As Martha brought us through measuring and cutting, folding signatures, sewing the signatures into a text block, and building a case for the cover, the outside world disappeared for a little while and I relaxed into the work.  The studio space was soothing as well, and I loved having Dirty Girl around, checking out our work and winding through our legs and asking to come in and go out every few minutes, as cats do.  

And...I'm really pleased with the finished product!

Martha will be offering new workshops soon at Strong Arm in non-adhesive binding and box making.  I'll definitely be checking them out!

I took a bazillion pics in the course of two days, but here are a few:

 
And...Dirty Girl, Princess of the Bindery!

Get Him Some Pages...Stat. "The Book Surgeon"

I had to blog this...these photos completely blew me away.  These books are works of art by Brian Dettmer, carved using knives, tweezers, and surgical tools, layer by painstaking layer.  The results are amazing!!!  

Here's the link to a blog with more mind blowing pics.  Check it out, it's worth it!  I'm definitely a fan. 

My Modern Met: The Book Surgeon

...and a link to an interview with more pics: Interview With the Book Surgeon

Brian Dettmer's website

Journal Jumpstart: Japan

I've been watching events unfold on the other side of the world and wonder how...why...what can we do?  Mother Nature is rocking and rolling, and humankind has no choice but go along for the ride.  The power of natural forces is overwhelming; the before and after satellite imagery of the stricken areas is horrifying.  I donate, but it doesn't seem like enough. People are suffering and all I can do is watch and wait. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and press the "off" button on the remote, only to think about the people who don't have the option of an "off" button.  What can I do?  What can I do.  

The stories filter in from across the miles.  Loss, grief, hope, rescue, reunions. I watch people care for each other despite immense fear and hardship, and it reminds me that although we are so small on this rock we call home, our human connections are vast and deep.

Japan, my heart is breaking for you, and I'm sending love and light across the miles. 

 

Journal Jumpstart:

If ever there is a time to journal, it's now.  Sketch, draw, and write through your feelings about current events.  Tell your journal about the grief you're feeling, your fears, your hopes, and ask questions about what's happening.

Dawn Sokol's blog entry today is a great example: d'blogala

*Photo credit: Jagadeesh Nv / EPA via MSNBC

Terrariums: Create Your OWN Spring!

There I was, standing in my kitchen, in the full throes of a cabin fever fit, staring up at this gorgeous jar that a friend of mine bought for me years ago.  I've always loved it but I've never found a good use for it. I gave it a perch on top of my kitchen cabinet, and it's just hung out up there, watching me cook, clean, and dance around in my bathrobe in the mornings.  I don't know why the word "terrarium" occurred to me as I stared at it.  I don't even know why I was staring at it.  Regardless, the idea for a terrarium hatched in my noggin and after researching how to put one together, I launched a creative project this weekend in hopes of bringing a little spring indoors.  Here's what you'll need to do if you'd like to make one, too!

Stuff you'll need:

• A large glass container with a lid.

• Gravel for drainage.  You can also use pretty glass pieces or broken crockery.  (I bought pea gravel at Michael's Crafts in the floral section.)

• Potting soil

• Sphagnum Moss (I bought mine at Michael's Crafts in the floral section).

• Activated charcoal (I bought something called Activated Filter Carbon at the pet store in the fish section.  The fish dude assured me it was the same thing.)

• Small plants.  Cacti or succulents work well.

1. Wash the glass jar and gravel with hot water and a couple of drops of bleach, and dry all thoroughly with paper towels.

2. Carefully spread a layer of gravel at the bottom of the jar.

3.  Add a layer of activated charcoal.  Hint: roll up a newspaper page and use it as a funnel...this stuff is VERY dusty and black and gets everywhere if you don't funnel it!

4. Add a layer of moss.  Be sure to check the sides of the jar to see if your layers look pleasing to you.

5. Add a layer of potting soil.  Pull the plants out of their containers, separating them if needed, loosening roots, and removing excess soil from the roots.

6. Add the plants to the terrarium, arranging them how you'd like.  Give them a little room to grow.  Add more potting soil to cover roots and support the plant, press the soil firmly.  (Water lightly..too wet and you'll have a bog when you put the lid on the container.)  

7. Add decorative elements, like little ceramic or resin lizards, gnomes, snails, etc.  I used rocks and shells we picked up from a vacation, but I washed them first with a drop of bleach to be sure I didn't introduce any funky weirdness to the terrarium.  E thought her four foot long rubber snake would look awesome in there, but I had to explain that there wouldn't be enough room left for the plants.

In hindsight, I would have used a much bigger jar, or tinier plants.  But it was cathartic to get our hands dirty and work with natural materials.  The potting soil held the aroma of spring gardening and plants always make me happy!  

If you try this out at your place, send me a pic!  I'd love to see what you create.  Here are a few more shots: