Adults making Books

THE INTERSECTION-Where Art and Community Meet: Flag Bookmaking at 18th Street Arts Center

April 7, 2025 By Debra Disman

Working with the 18th Street Arts Center Community.
Making Flag Books.

On April 1st, 2025 (no joke).

A sublime experience.

Loved every minute.

Share the experience:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u-Oe8zYKArc
Animator Stephen Siemens Works his Flag Book
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fQl1I-KdJT0
Poet Susan Suntree and her Alter

“Create the Fun and Fantastic Flag Book” at the West Hollywood Library!

September 2, 2024 By Debra Disman

Learn How to Create the Fun and Fantastic Flag Book at the West Hollywood Library!!

A Free Workshop produced by Friends of the West Hollywood Library

Join us to “Create the Fun and Fantastic Flag Book” where participants will learn how to make a unique fold-out book featuring flag-shaped pages that move and groove when the book is opened and closed.

The workshop will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 10:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Held at the West Hollywood Library’s Community Room, this free workshop will be facilitated by Debra Disman, a Los Angeles-based teaching artist known for her work inspired by books. Debra’s work can be seen in galleries, museums, libraries and art centers across the country.

Through learning hands-on techniques in visual arts & crafts, participants will be able to design their own personal one-of-a-kind flag book. All materials will be provided, and free parking is available.

This workshop is proudly sponsored by the Friends of the West Hollywood Library, a 501c (3) nonprofit, committed to the promotion and enhancement of the West Hollywood Library‘s collections, facilities and programs. Friends also operates the Friends Bookstore, located adjacent to the West Hollywood Library at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, selling gently used books & films, with proceeds benefiting the West Hollywood Library.

“Crafting Our Stories By Hand”

April 22, 2020 By Debra Disman

I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.

Here is a treasure trove of moments from our workshops….

It has truly been an honor.
Thank you for the incredible artistry, work created, sharing, fun, histories and her-stories, and support of each other.

Looking forward to the next!

Friday Bookmakers Inspiration! We Stand (Sit?!) Together, Making Books! (1)

March 24, 2020 By Debra Disman

I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.

The series, “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” has had to be postponed due covid19.

Therefore, I have started an email newsletter to keep our community going, offering tips, images and sharing the work these makers are doing at home while “sheltering in place”.

Sharing these newsletters as a blog post makes their contents available for any and all. It inspiring to see what these makers have done and are doing during these crazy times.

Enjoy!

Dear Bookmakers,

I am happy to bring you images, tips, inspiration and learning for your bookmaking journey.

I hope you are all well, staying safe, and creating!

Today I will share with you:

A simple “pocketed” accordion book structure, into which you can keep recipes, poems, notes to yourself, keepsakes, photos,

Inspiration for creating “altered books”, for yourself or fun with the whole family,

Images shared by some of our students of amazing books they have created at home!

Joan also sent some beautiful images of exquisite books she has completed at home, and I hope she gives me permission to share them!

To create a simple accordion fold book with pockets, simply add another fold!

Fold the accordion as you did in class in creating your accordion fold books, then unfold, and fold the pocket up from the bottom.

You will have to really sharpen those folds to make the accordion open and close easily. Then just add your covers, and you are ready to fill your pockets!

Take a look at these “altered books” I photographed while visiting the Long Beach Museum of Art!

School children added paint, drawing, writing and collage to existing books, to create their own stories! Great project to do on your own, or suggest to the families and children in your lives! Use an old, discarded or out of date textbook, or replaceable paperback you have already read. Fun!

Finally, please enjoy these wonderful books created by three of our illustrious bookmakers: