Lantern and New Website 2022

On another rather wet and windy Saturday, North West Book Artists met at the Quaker Meeting House next door to the Bluecoat Chambers.  With Metal dies and Sissix Cutting Machines  that 2 of our members kindly brought along,  some of us made a paper lantern, which looked great when there is a light put inside. Others prepared pages for future books. 

For those interested in making nature-themed books they were a great choice and we all loved the results. 

 

 

At our show and tell session later, Frances showed us two very intricate small books made with walnut-dyed paper, which again looked great with the light behind them. 

 

Jac had completed a triangular book on one of our previous themes of the journey between home and our meeting, and Julie showed us a new book style she had been investigating which she is willing to teach at our March meeting if time allows. 

March will be mostly given over to working towards the completion of our Magellan scroll, and sewing it together once Jac has demonstrated how to do it. We for see wintry evenings with needle in hand, but it’s so good to feel we are ‘nearly’ there with the biggest co-operative piece of work any of us have ever attempted.
 

A final discussion saw Jac volunteering to develop a website for us, and Frances adding a Twitter feed to this blog she already produces. Along with our Instagram account (northwestbookartists) this will complete our social media presence.

 https://nwbookartists.weebly.com/

Check out our new website by selecting the above link.

At our next meeting we look forward to seeing work in the theme of “this will come in useful”, for we know all of us have materials stuffed into drawers that come under this heading!   

New Members 

If you’re enjoying reading this blog and would like to know what we actually do in the meetings, do come along one Saturday for a trial session as you’d be very welcome. We have no membership, only paying a monthly fee of £5  to cover the cost of the room. 

Meetings run from 10.30-12.30. If you’d like to know more you can contact us via this blog.

 

 

 

  

Lantern Instructions.       Materials

Dark card …. 4, cut to 5 ¼” x 5 ¼” (You could use white if your background is dark)

Dark card …. 1, cut to 6” x 6”

Dark card …. 1, cut to 4 ¾” x 4 ¾” 

 

Vellum, parchment or acetate .... 5, cut to 4 ½” x 4 ½” (All could be shaded using coloured pencils, paints, alcohol markers etc).

I used Clarity Fresh Cut Dies, 5 square 4” dies, www.claritystamp.com If you use a different shape die just allow 1 ¼” larger than the die for your card size.

Method  

Box Sides…. Score ½” on 2 adjoining sides of the 5 ¼” cards and cut out a slight slither from top right and bottom left and cut out the square at bottom right. (Fig 1)

Place the die in the centre of the square formed by the score lines NOT THE CENTRE OF THE CARD and cut. Keep the cards the same way round ie creases to the bottom and RH side.

Lid….  

Score ½” on all 4 sides of the 6” x 6” card and make one cut up the bottom right square created by the score lines. Turn card 90 degrees until you’ve made 4 cuts in total. (Fig 1a)

Place the die in the centre of the square formed by the score lines .

Assembly…. 

Once all sides and top are cut, glue parchment/vellum on the back of each panel. (use kitchen roll to press down in order to mop up any glue).

When all panels and lid are stuck, re-crease all folds and stick double-sided tape to the flaps.

Place the 4 ¾” base card on the back of the first panel and carefully fold the bottom flap over the base.

Stick all 4 sides on the base which will form the shape of a cross. (Fig 2) Remove tape and bring each side up in turn to attach to the next side. This will create the box.

Fold the flaps of the lid and join. Place a battery tea light inside the box and add the lid.