FAMILY ARTMAKING
Fall Into Bookmaking at the West Valley Regional Branch Library!
Please join us at the West Valley Regional Branch Library and kick off your holiday season by learning how to create your own handmade book with our Artist in Residence Debra Disman!
Learn folding, gluing and sewing techniques, and use your book to hold holiday recipes, photos, good wishes and more!
All materials provided.
Making Journals at the Granada Hills Branch Library
It was a pleasure to lead a “journal-making” workshop/program at the Granada Hills Branch Library as part of my Artist Residency there, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Who knew creating a journal, traditionally a place to record daily thoughts, ideas, activities, fears, concerns, dreams and wishes would be so salient?
Families joined together to learn how to fold a “signature” (gathering of folded pages),
glue cover and spine boards to white-prepped canvas to create the book structure and “house” the pages,
then sew the signature into the book through the spine using durable, earthy hemp cord.
Having exerted this labor to create their book structure, participants had the glorious pleasure of developing and embellishing their journals with decorative papers, washi tape, markers, beads, and other collage materials. The canvas book covering, functioning as a book cloth is a wonderful surface for painting, stamping, printmaking, stenciling and any other wet or dry media.
May journaling help all and any through this very difficult time we are in.
Journal on!
Feeding our Souls: Making Recipe Books at the Granada Hills Branch Library
Seeing 2020: Making a Calendar at the Granada Hills Library Part II
Using an Asian-style side stab binding stitch, participants sewed their calendar pages between a front cover made of watercolor paper to allow it to bend, and thus open, and a back cover made of board, to keep the calendar pages from bending.
Once they had completed the labor of putting the pieces together, the proud makers proceeded to embellish their creations with zeal!
Teen Council members served as assistants, and participants! We were so lucky to have them.
In a digitized world, working with our hands becomes even more precious.
Mom looks on….
.Mom participates!
Grandma gets into the act!
A family of sisters.
A family of makers.
Caring and devoted Children’s Librarian Stephanie encourages a happy family to proudly share their calendars with the camera.
2020 is off to a good start.
Happy New Decade!
Seeing 2020: Making a Calendar at the Granada Hills Library Part I
As part of my Artist Residency at the Granada Hills Branch Library supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, we welcomed a new year and new decade with a calendar-making program!
Participants sewed together their calendar pages between front and back cover, and proceeded to embellish their creations with zeal!
Some ambitious participants covered their covers in decorative papers before binding!
inside and
outside cover designs.
We were blessed with a great group of teens that both assisted and participated in the making process.
Mother and Daughter work together creating their calendars step by step.
When the calendars were bound, participants were encouraged to add content to the reverse of each page and add highlight each month’s special dates.
Nothing could surpass the glorious adornment of the front covers (made of watercolor paper), a celebration of materials in a riot of color, pattern and texture.
Some of our wonderful and industrious teen helpers from the Library Teen Council took it upon themselves to sort through all the binding cords and arrange them by color. WOW. Not even I have ever had the patience to do that! Thank you!
The caring and devoted Children’s librarian Stephanie encourages a happy family to share their calendars with the camera and be proud!
So were we all.
Happy 2020!