Creative HeArt

Maine Festival of the Book: Rock Star Artists at the Book Arts Bazaar

What:  The Book Arts Bazaar

Where:  USM's Wishcamper Center, Portland, Maine

Produced by: Maine Reads

For book and paper junkies like me and my daughter, Sunday's Book Arts Bazaar was a little slice of paradise. Part of the Maine Festival of the Book, the bazaar featured book and paper artists from all over Maine and New England, who displayed luscious handbound journals and books, vibrantly colored and deeply textured handmade papers, and handmade boxes with hidden folds and surprise compartments.

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Alison Kuller, 3 Stone Folios.  Alison blew our minds with her intricately folded compartments and creatively bound journals.  She graciously allowed my daughter to open everything.  Each box or journal seemed to hold a little secret, and my daughter had a blast looking through each one.

Just a sampling of handmade paper by Virginia Sarsfield.  Made from a mixture of plant and abaca fibers, and hand dyed.

Anna Low, of Purplebean Bindery, had one of my favorite tables.  Her journals are so vibrant and colorful and I don't think any two are alike.  She does custom book orders as well.

My homegirl Martha Kearsley from Strong Arm Bindery was in the house, with her expertly bound books, earthy prints, and cool stationary.

This was a cool table from Erin Sweeney of Lovely in The Home Press.  One of my favorite concepts was a tiny canvas-paged journal with a mosaic tile cover (you can see it at the top of the photo).  I imagined my friend Shelley, a button collector, using the canvas pages to pin and keep track of her favorite buttons.

...and my 8 year old daughter had a little moment with artist Scott Mullenberg, whose company creates sleek, gorgeous custom portfolios for visual artists. Scott displayed a table of industrial style black rubber covered journals, which my daughter loves.  We bought a journal, met Scott, and as we walked away, she whispered, "I can't believe I got to meet the artist!  I should have asked for his autograph."  (I love it!!)

This highlights just a few of the artists who were in attendance--I can't begin to capture all of the talent in just one blog post.  Overall, it was a great day with amazingly creative people.  If you missed it, be sure to check it out next year!

If you're interested in Book Arts, The University of Southern Maine also hosts a week-long Book Arts Intensive, held at USM's Stone House in Freeport, Maine.  Faculty include Rebecca Goodale, Karen Adrienne, Michael Connor, Mary Howe, Martha Kearsley, Colleen Kinsella, Wesley McNair, Carrie Scanga, and Bonnie Vinzani.  Workshops range from bookbinding to paste paper making to visual poetry.  The Stone House is a beautiful place to learn!  

I'm Stylin'!

I was so excited to see a comment from Two Maine Moms saying that they'd selected me for a Stylish Blogger Award!  What a great honor, and thank you so much!!  Now it's my turn to return the favor to other bloggers that I think are special, as well.

Here are the rules for the bloggers I'm about to nominate:

  1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

  2. Share 7 things about yourself

  3. Pay it forward and award 5-15 new bloggers a Stylish Blogger Award.

  4. Contact the bloggers and let them know about their award

*If you make someone’s list twice then you are twice as stylish!! Now, go show a blogger some ♥!!

So here we go....

1. Thank you so much, Two Maine Moms, for nominating me for this great award!

2. 7 things you might not know about me:

1) I can't stand green bean almondine. 

2) I am a huge Goo Goo Dolls fan, and I've met some really wonderful friends through my Goo fandom.

3) My favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama.

4) My favorite color is red.

5) I have an irrational fear of bees.

6) I never liked the taste of beer until I had a Guinness in Dublin, Ireland.  

7) I wish I could play the piano.

3. My nominations for Stylish Blogger Awards:

          1)  Always Chrysti

          2)  The View From Here

          3)  Journal Artista

          4) Dreaming in Orange

          5) Dose of Creativity

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