July Workshop: Illuminations taught by Linda Hirsch

Our book this month was inspired by the illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages. Many of those handmade books had decorated margins, marginalia or elaborate first letters created in beautiful colors and real gold and silver. We will be using metallic paints or gold and silver stamps to suggest this same idea. 

We will decorate our papers, before folding, with stamping in gold and silver. Then we will sew our pages onto the spine of an accordion.

These books can be made in a variety of sizes and shapes depending on the size of your starting paper and your own preferences. The one we will be making is about four and a half inches by seven and a quarter inches and will be in cool colors: blues, greens and purple.

Materials to bring: 

•  2 covers: 4.5" high by 7.25" wide, with the grain going up and down on the short side. 

• Mat board, cereal box cardboard, or any similar pasteboard will work. Cover the cardboard on one side with a decorative paper and wrap the edges over and onto the back, covering at least a half inch around the edges. The materials I provide will make the inside cover, spine, and pages. 

Tools to bring: 

• Ruler and T-square if you have one 

• Thread, such as waxed linen or six-strand embroidery floss in one or two colors 

• Rubber stamps and metallic-colored stamp pads 

• 1/16" paper punch or awl and thick magazine to punch holes 

• Scissors 

• Mat knife 

• Cutting mat 

• Pencil 

• Scribe 

• PVA glue or glue stick 

• Bone folder 

Please note: An RSVP is required by July 10 for this workshop. Check your newsletter for contact details. We'll be meeting at the usual time in our usual location. There will be a $1.50 fee for materials.