Below are some photos of recent projects I made in my Book & Paper Class.
We just learned the buttonhole stitch binding. I did one plain with the basic rectangle "buttonhole" opening on the spine. Then I did one at home with an octagon opening that flows over to the covers.
This is the octagon cover open. The cover is sewing pattern paper base with inks and rubberstamped images.
I continued the octagon theme by dry embossing my paper (first page of each signature) with an octagon design using a Sizzix textured plate.
One of the woman in the class showed us how to fold a square piece of paper into a box and a piece into a lid without cuts or adhesive. The square for the lid is just a tad (~1/8") larger than the square for the base. Fun and easy.
I am glad we finally did image transfer in class. There are many methods and I did the matte medium technique. Once the medium dried, I just peeled off the image - typically, it is soaked in water and the paper is rubbed off. I don't know why my first try just peeled so easily.
These lovely embellishments were made by taking bottle caps and other metal (open) charms, inserting an image or object, and then my teacher filled them with resin.
A guest instructor came and share various ways to use inks to color background paper. These papers were crumpled, straightened out, and then ink pads were swiped across them with the process repeated several times (crumpling and different color applied).
These are the scanned images of my first batch of artistamps (faux postage). I used inks, rubberstamps, paper punches, and markers. The "62" stamps also have some glimmer mist sprayed on them. I recently learned of artistamps and since I love all things associated with letter writing, mail art, or postage stamps; I had to make some. 
Just a quick, short entry. I want to blog more often so I am trying different ways to do so. This is a photo at one of the Ohio State Parks I went to with a girlfriend a couple years ago. We went in the fall so the trees are brown or losing leaves. I miss being near large bodies of water.
One day this week I used my new 8.5" x 11" pour handmold to make recycled paper. I made about 12 sheets in 4-5 hours. You can left click on any photo to view a larger image.
My papermaking supplies set up (taking over the eating area):
The pulp (recycled paper plus party napkins for colors beyond grey and I also added some mica flakes which don't show in the photos) in the handmold:
The wet pulp formed on the screen and the wooden mold removed:
The paper after the initial removal of water (several sponge-fulls):
The completely dried paper (after hours between couch sheets and under heavy weight):
Gold dust (hard to photograph):
The tan (left) has scrubbed corn husks and cotton pulp added. The red in the middle has some flower petals. The blue on the end has some sparkle fibers (hard to photograph).
The purple on the right has iridescent flakes (hard to photograph).
I've always been partial to woodwork and wooden items. While in Peru, I saw several wooden doors that really caught my eye.
Some were more intricately carved than others.
When I decided to participate in an ATC / LTC* swap with a theme of doors, I chose to replicate one I had seen in Peru for my LTC. I hand carved the rubberstamp and colored the paper to appear more "wood-like" before stamping the image.
On Friday my improv troupe WTF? (Where's The Funny?) had its debut performance at the Wild Goose Creative in Columbus, Ohio. A special thanks to the troupe See You Thursday for letting us perform after their show! I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the audience since most the people I know couldn't make it that night. The show went well, we got some laughs, and I had fun.
