The Little Prince altered book

I have been working on altering some classic children's books this week. I have an idea for

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

, by Lewis Carroll, but am letting it stew for now. In the meantime, I have been drawing, measuring, and cutting into a student copy of

Le Petit Prince

, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I wanted to make it look like there was a staircase leading the prince from his asteroid home down to Earth. There are things I would do differently if I did it again, but all in all I am happy with the results. Let me know what you think and come back soon to see how I transform Alice...

The book before I started to cut.

I wanted the stairs to spiral, so I drew one using the Fibonacci sequence. It works well, if you need a quick, accurate spiral.

I also wanted the stairs to be evenly spaced and radiate out from a center point. To do this I divided a circle into 1/6ths and subdivided this twice more to create the above drawing. I made all the drawings on tracing paper so I could overlay the designs for the final one below.

Here is the piece of tracing paper I used to make the cuts in the book. I first traced the outline of the boy and asteroid that I wanted to keep, then I added the spiral and the radiating lines from the drawings above.

This picture illustrates how I cut each section of the stairs starting at the back of the book and cutting larger wedges as I went.

Here are the tools of the trade that I used during the process: a thin cutting mat, two exacto knives (one for straight lines and one for curves), a 1/4" spacer for the page edges, and a pencil to trace the lines from the tracing paper onto the book pages.

Voila!! 

Figuring out Hedi Kyle's Pocketbook fold

I spent a hot weekend here in San Diego trying to figure out how to fold an expandable file book based on 

Hedi Kyle's Blizzard Fold

. It took some trial and error to get things just right. I think in the end I had to make 5 or 6 models to get a book that would hold ATC size inserts (3.5 x 2.5 inch cards). The book can be modified to make it taller, squarer, wider, etc. depending on the size of the piece of paper you begin with and how much you fold in the long edges.

Below is a series of pictures I took while folding the 3.75 x 2.5 inch model for my 

ATC's

. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments. I like to hear from you.

~Gina

1. Cut paper to 7.5 x 20 inches. Fold both long edges in 1/4 of the width (1 7/8 inch). I used a long clear ruler to score and fold these lines since the paper is grained short (the grain of the paper is parallel to the 7.5 inch width of the paper). Once both edges of the paper are folded unfold them in preparation for step 2.

2. Accordion fold the paper into 8 equal sections. The best way to fold paper is to fold it in half, unfold, fold the two edges into the center fold, unfold and finally fold each of these 4 sections in half. Do them one at the time and do not stack the folds as this leads to the paper twisting. Only fold one layer at a time for best results.

3. Fold up all of the accordion folds. Your paper should look like this. The first page should open away from you.

4. This step is where we diverge from the normal Hedi Kyle Blizzard Fold. Follow the steps in the handwritten directions above numbered 1-3. Hopefully, the pictures and lines make sense. When you are done your model should look like the picture above.

5. Open the page and this is how the model looks. 

6. Now we need to fold the next section the same way as above, but with two sides. This time we have a bit of help from the previous fold. The angle of the triangle is established by the crease made in the last step. This will help you line up the diagonal that meets in the center of the folded page. 

7. This picture shows you what the model looks like once both top and bottom triangles have been folded on one side.

8. Here is the model with both sides folded down and in.

9. Open the next page and repeat the process two more times.

10. Here is the last page ready to have its triangle flaps folded.

11. This is what the back page looks like with the triangle flaps folded in. Notice the overall shape of the model now.

12. This is the top front view of the model.

13. Compare this picture to the one above. See how I have folded in the triangles that stuck out above?

14. Here is what the back side of the model looks like. I kind of like this look too. You could tuck item in here if they were flat enough. In the final book this side will get hidden, though.

15. This is the completed model from the side. The triangular pieces in between each accordion fold give this book its expandability. You can put bulky objects in each section. 

16. To finish the book simply attach a cover with narrow spine and you are ready to go. The cover for this size book measures 4 x 5.5 inches.  I attached it with glue and double sided tape, but you can use whatever you like.

Circle Segment Sculpture

I have been working for a few weeks on a project and taking pictures of the art in progress. I thought you might like to see how a piece of art goes from concept to completion. I took a series of pictures throughout the process and they appear below with descriptions. You will see that I changed directions along the way. I often begin a piece of art with one idea in mind and as I work other ideas surface and demand to be given a chance. I like the end result of this project and hope you do too. I still need to come up with a name so if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments section. Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 The idea for this piece came from a segment I saw on Antiques Roadshow some time ago. This guy brought a round table in that was made of six curved parts. It turned out that each part had its own set of legs and could, therefore be deconstructed and rearranged into different configurations. I loved it instantly and drew a sketch to save for later. I made my circle and segments from foam core using a circle cutter to make the cuts.

 At first I planned to make this with a top and bottom piece suspended with wooden dowels. I made a couple of segments to try out the concept and played with different origami objects to place inside.

Here are some of the parts and tools I used at this stage to create the interior space. After I lined up the two segments I didn't like the open feeling of the piece, but wanted it to have thickness. I decided to undo this work but save the cut pieces. I ended up cutting out 3 circles and segmenting them to make the final circle form.

 This is a picture of the open space design with an origami butterfly suspended in the middle on a pin. I ended up changing the concept entirely.

Here is one segment wrapped in Japanese paper the meld the three pieces of foam core together. I ended up painting the sides the match the colors of the top. See the next few pictures.

 This painting for the top of the circle started out as just a sample. I ended up liking it so much that I used it on the final work. I love the way the gold and blue work together. I used the circle stencil to mask the center, which was originally black, so that I could paint it gold to match the gold stencil work.

 My favorite configuration for these segments is the one shown above. before I glued the cut paper wedges to the foam core I played around with their arrangement once the circle design was broken up. I was surprised that the design worked so well after being broken apart and reformed.

When I was satisfied with the look of the design, I glued the watercolor paper design onto the six segments being careful to align each piece with the edges of the foam core base.

Then I rearranged the segments into my favorite shape and turned the pieces over. 

I decided to use a piece of Japanese paper (the same kind I used for the sides of each segment) with writing on it for the back. I laid a sheet of paper beneath this shape and traced each segment in pencil. Then I used a divider with pencil lead to trace a 1/8th inch indent. I cut out the paper and glued it down.

This is how the back looks when the piece is returned to its circle form. I still prefer the shape above, but this looks good too. What do you think?

My Mini Album Structure

It has been a while since my last post. Somehow I missed May altogether. I will work on posting more regularly now that summer is almost here. Today I have pictures of my latest creation, a mini album. I invented the page structure and sewed the spine so that the pages lay flat when open. I used Graphic 45 Bird Song 8 x 8 papers to decorate the pages and I used Japanese handmade paper and black book cloth for the covers. The best thing about the page structure is that the folding process creates pockets and corner tabs as you will see in the pictures. It also creates a between-the-page pocket for a large photo mat. I folded the pages two ways to get side and top pockets, but you could make them all the same way. I will post a tutorial for making the pages on You Tube as soon as my editor (son) has some free time to do his technical magic. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and descriptions below.

Thanks for visiting.

Gina

 Picture one shows the book with the pages sewn to the accordion folded grey paper.

Here are all of the pages laid out before they were decorated with G45 paper.

A side view of the pages and accordion fold binding.

Two page spread with side and top/bottom pockets.

Two page spread with corner tabs showing.

Good view of sewn accordion fold spine.

Finished book cover. I used Japanese paper for this along with black book cloth. The grey spine paper has a 3 inch end that I glued onto the book cover.

Inside page spread with G45 Bird Song papers decorating the pages. Notice the tabs at the top and sides of the pages. These are the photo mats.

Here is another two page spread showing floral patterns. I just love the florals in this set.

Here I have pulled out the photo mats so you can see that they match the pages and pull out from the top or the side depending on how I folded the pages.

Another two page spread showing off the greens from this collection.

Another page spread.

Here you can see that sometimes the pockets are both the same (in this case from the top of the book).

More photographs of the pages decorated. I love the way the papers work together.

This is a photograph of the binding sewn to make the book sturdy. I did sew the binding loosely so that when photographs are inserted they won't make the open end of the book bulge. I used scrap book board as spacers when I was sewing to keep the spacing between pages consistent.

Teaching the Modified Blizzard Fold at SDBA

Good day and welcome to my sixth post on Wednesday. Today I would like to share some pictures from a recent workshop I taught. It was lots of fun teaching a group of 

San Diego Book Arts

 members how to make a

Hedi Kyle Blizzard Fold book

. We then changed some of the folds to make a box structure that I developed several years ago. I call it the

Modified Blizzard Fold

. I have since discovered another

modification

that you are welcome to try as well. One of these days I will make a video of the folding process so stay tuned for that.

Please check out the pictures Joan Crone took of the group as we folded our books. It was a pleasure to teach and learn from everyone. Enjoy!

~Gina

 Here are some of the supplies we used to color and decorate our paper before folding.

 Yvonne is folding in the foreground while I sit back and explain the next fold.

 Sara and Sibyl are busy popping open their boxes.

 Britta inspects her work.

 Sara makes a box.

 Showing Pam how to get the box to "pop."

 Helping Kathy get the box to close properly.

 Pam and Sari look at the interaction of structure and design.

 Sibyl inspects her work.

Sara with her model fully open.

Topographic Altered Artist Books

Welcome to a new month and a new post. Today I would like to share some pictures of my topographic books. I have been a book artist for about 13 years and recently I started making sculptural books based on topographic maps. I "carve" the books page by page to leave a landscape behind. Sometimes hidden lines and text come out and make the pieces more than what I intented them to be. Several of these books have been juried into art galleries or university shows.

Enjoy!

~Gina

My first foray into topographic book arts was a Library Card Catalog traveling exhibit. I used the positive and negative pieces to make 2 complimentary books.

 Closeup of Mesa Tables.

Here is "Mesa Tables." I only carved the right side of the book of pipe tables into a mesa formation. Hence the name of the piece.

I made this box of treats for my mom. The very tiny carved book is a river flow in reverse. I also made the very tiny box in the lower right.

Here is another boxed art piece with the reverse of a mountain carved into a small German book. I love the way the beach rock mimics the shape of the topographic book.

This is my most recent carved book. It is an old german book that I carved into a table mountain. I think the rock in the center perfectly matches the antique marbled paper revealed once the pages are carved away.

Woven Paper Structures

I have created a video to show you how to make beautiful woven paper creations. I am also sharing photographs of several projects I have made using this versatile technique. I hope you give it a try too.

Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 These first two images are woven paper that I then joined at the end to form a circular form. 

This is a recent project that uses Graphic 45 papers and vintage gloves to make a book.

Watch the video below to learn how to make woven paper.

My Map Art

Today I would like to share with you some of the map art I made about a year ago. I was obsessed with vintage maps and atlases; the kind you can pick up at local estate sales or second hand book stores for a few dollars. I was fascinated by the colors, lines and differences between maps from 30 or 40 years ago and now. I cut folded, layered, and reshaped them to fit the projects I wanted to create. I hope you enjoy this little tour of my map art. Thanks for stopping by.

~Gina

 "Edna's Travels" is an artist's book made of envelopes and letters written by Edna Rudolph, a teacher who spent her summers traveling the world and writing home about it. Each letter is housed in an atlas envelope of the country she was visiting at the time. The envelopes are folded using Hedi Kyle's method and sewn into the spine of the book. This book was shown at Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad, CA and the Carmel Valley Library in CA.

"Red Routes" is an origami folded single sheet of orange paper that forms pockets to hold the twist folded map squares. I tried to find map sections with red lines that moved around the piece.

 "Crossover" uses several techniques, including folded vellum with text cut and carefully inserted in each pleat in the shape of a river with an accompanying map of the same river with punched holes showing the relative width of the river as it meanders along. This piece traveled around the country last year as part of San Diego Book Arts member shows at Cerritos Library in Orange County, CA and the Graficas Gallery on Nantucket.

"Meeting Creek is a river in Kentucky that has a nice shape. It was cut into the pleated vellum and a vellum river is overlaid on the map of Kentucky. This tin box used to hold watercolors.

 I worked on a series of cut maps in which I carefully cut out everything but the roads on maps and then inserted them in bottles. I like the shadows the paper casts in the light that shines through them. The one above is called "Nesting" and the two below are "Network I and II." The maps came from an old travel guide on England and each map is from a different city.

I created this map house and origami inside tea bags for a friend who kindly gave me the tea in the first place. The lovely triangular mesh tea bags just begged to be used for something creative.

Finally, here is a close up of "Entanglement." This is a single sheet of map paper folded accordion style, with cut windows that are then folded into cranes and their heads are entwined. I invented this crane creation by combining several different techniques. It was shown at CODEX 2013 in Richmond, CA.

You Tube video, Flexigon

Today I have a tutorial that you can watch on You Tube. Learn how to make a dynamic card called a flexigon and use Graphic 45 to decorate it. You can use any paper designs for this project or draw your own images and text. Once you learn this fun technique the sky's the limit.

The materials and sizes you will need are listed below along with some step by step pictures, but following along with the video is the easiest way to learn how to make this flexigon.

Materials:

Paper measurements:

4 pieces of

cardstock

cut to 3" x 6"

4 images (ie. faces, animals, flowers, etc.) that measure 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" square. Cut each of these into

1 7/16" (just shy of 1.5 inches) square quarters.

Hardware:

Glue stick or your favorite white glue

Bone Folder

Cutting mat

Cutting knife (ex-acto blade)

Ruler

Paper trimmer (optional)

http://youtu.be/vZEoayzQKck

3" x 6" black cardstock with Tim Holtz embossed gears

 Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells Stamp Images cut to almost 1.5" squares.

Partly glued image on center part of Flexigon. Glue images after flexigon is put together.

Finished side of the Flexigon with central image and embellishments in corners.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will try this interactive card and enjoy the creative process.

Graphic 45 Mini Albums

Today I am posting pictures of several mini albums. I think I fell in love with Graphic 45 when I was searching You Tube for crafting videos and stumbled upon the world of mini albums. Two people who make amazing albums and offer tutorials are xannero1 (Anne) and SoMuchScrap (Cathy). The Botanical Tea album pictured below was made using some of Cathy's (So Much Scrap) tutorial pages. Thank you to everyone who shares their creations and love of crafting on the web. I hope my pictures inspire you to create something beautiful.

P.S. This post is also my entry for the Craft Hoarders Anonymous blog challenge #3. I have been collecting vintage photos for many years and these mini albums are the perfect place to show them off.

 G45 Botanical Tea 8 x 8 mini album

 Vintage photos  on display

 I love the interactive pages in this album and the paper colors work well 

with the sepia tones of the vintage photos.

 Last pages of the Botanical Tea Album

 G45 Communique 8 x 6 Album. I like clean lines and letting the beauty of the papers shine in this album. The reds, blacks and masculine patterns work well with the album for a WWII soldier whose original scrapbook was falling apart.

 First pages

 Newspaper clipping and names and addresses of the servicemen who attended the party.

 Pictures of the Wireless school in Calgary and tourist pictures from Niagara Falls taken by Gordon.

 G45 Bird Song 4.5 x 6 Album, I used Japanese washi paper and silk book cloth for the covers.

Love the blues and pinks together.

These papers offer so much room for creating your own designs.

Inaugural Post

Dear Everyone,

Welcome to my shiny new blog. I will be posting projects, tutorials, and other paper art related ideas here. I plan to post every Wednesday. I hope you will join me here to see what I am creating this week. 

There is one thing I want to make very clear right now... This will mainly be a pictorial blog. I will try not to bore you with unnecessary asides or musings on non-paper related topics. So, sit back, scroll down, relax and enjoy my recent paper creations.

Regards,

Gina

 Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime Accordion Book w/ attached tunnel

 Graphic 45 Springtime tunnel portion of book

 Graphic 45 Accordion Book using Steampunk Debutante 

 Irra's Birthday Card Flag Book in Morse Code and Braille

Graphic 45 Gallery Book with Couture and Ladies Diary Papers