Christmas Star 2024

 

Our delayed Christmas meeting due to high winds and gales,  saw us making our Star Card, which can be adapted to use for various occasions depending on the paper or card used.   It’s also suitable for smaller people to make as you can use scissors and not knives for cutting. Something to tuck away for later in the year.

 

  

For those wishing to find the instructions online, they can be found via 

lalalandcrafts.blogspot.com for the smaller star and craftingwithjoanie.blogspot.com for the larger star.

We also enjoyed our sharing food and bought at the bring and buy stall, all profits going to group funds.

After discussion, we agreed that we will have to raise our monthly fee to £6 a month to cover the higher room charges.

Frances suggested an annual fee, something many groups use for stability of funding, and after discussion we agreed that this will become payable each March from this year, 2025. 

Anyone wishing to join us or currently a member who might have problems with this please be reassured that we may well be able to help. Just speak in confidence to Marilyn or email her. Discretion is guaranteed.

Show and tell unearthed some interesting books, many seemingly emanating from Kit Davey. Several of these are earmarked for future workshops in 2025.

After some thought, we agreed not to participate in the Sefton Open this year. Having had a good selling year in 2024 we need to replenish stocks! Marilyn will send her annual reminder out to all current members to see if they wish to continue receiving communications from us.

Jacobs Ladder

At November’s meeting we welcomed June for the first time, and the morning saw us needing to concentrate as we made a Jacob’s ladder book, guided by Jac.

This is quite a technical construction, but by the end of the meeting we had all made a book that operated in a very clever way. Not a quick make but very satisfactory.

We talked about the Liverpool Book Fair, which had been quite successful for us, especially the Sales Box.

Books on the theme of Inky were shared, including very imaginative works from Frances, a ‘drum’ book from Jac , explorations of inks and their properties from Marilyn and a book in progress from Rose. 

We will set a theme for our next two months at the December meeting where we will enjoy our usual Christmas-themed make and ' bring and buy session.'

You will all be relieved  to know Frances has found some oat cakes

Mark Making

We had a lot of fun  making cola pens and making marks with inks and a range of materials members brought with them. The cola pens were made from aluminium cans cut into sheets, and the nibs  fashioned from the sheets and some type of holder-bamboo sticks, stirrers, old pencils etc. Everyone was surprised by how much ink the pens hold as they have no reservoir, and they can be made to have a narrow or broad nib, or even a two or three nibbed pen. 

 

 For making information :

https://paperwhitestudio.com/handlettering/folded-soda-can-pen/. 

 

This is the easiest template, but there are  others on the net.

Of the experimental mark makers we tried, the metal scourer, bamboo knife, 5 cotton buds tied together, a finger stall, shaped bamboo and a feather all made really interesting marks. The underside of a plastic pencil sharpener made great rectangular shapes too. Plenty of ideas to take away and try, and all great for making book covers.

 

 

We had a short show and tell, and Jac had made a book for the theme of inked/inky which was very effective and beautifully bound in black and white.

Some of us then went on to the Liverpool Book Fair, where we had a stall. The foot fall was better than expected and we made decent sales, and enjoyed the company of other makers. There were enquiries about the group from several people, so we may see them at future meetings.

Envelope Book

Our September meeting saw us making an envelope book, led by Chris. Small and with a square format this was not a complicated book to make but required patience and time; the former of course all book artists have in abundance!

We did some planning for the months to come, and spent time discussing the upcoming Liverpool Book Arts Fair which takes place on October 5th and 6th, and coincides with our monthly meeting, which will take place as planned. The Fair is almost next door to us at the Bluecoat in Liverpool city centre, so if you are reading this and fancy finding out a bit more about book art, do come along and meet us and lots of other makers. 

 

Further details will be emailed to members in good time later this month.

There is also an opportunity to individually show off our work in Chester.   Please follow the  link below:
https://www.artinliverpool.com/opportunities/calls-archive/call-to-artists-the-grosvenor-museums-15th-open-art-exhibition/

Waterfall Book

This month Frances led us in making a waterfall book, which we all completed successfully. This style lends itself well to photographs and semi-hidden text, and is a very satisfying alternative to a flip book.

We also enjoyed seeing books on the theme of 'poetry' and other completed books or works in progress. 

Our theme for the next two months is ‘inked or inky’.

Marilyn has booked a table for the Liverpool book arts fair in October. We will have our meeting first whilst Alan looks after our table, and we will then take turns to keep things going. Marilyn will stay on for Saturday if needed, and she and Jac will look after things on Sunday. Timings etc to be explained at our September meeting.