Bookbinding

When it comes to creating and craft I can get bored using one product and one technique. I am the type of person who likes to constantly learn new things, learn about new products and how to use them. I love the research side of things and then the practice side of things. I get bored easily otherwise. So I consider myself always evolving.

 

I've always been interested in bookbinding. A few years ago I made a small art journal out of watercolour paper with chipboard for the covers, using what is called a Coptic Stitch to bind it all. It was a rewarding process. It was my first attempt at bookbinding and I was so afraid it would fall apart that I kept checking the tension of the stitches. I didn't want a thing to come loose. Well, I can tell you that not one stitch was ever going to come loose lol, infact it was stitched with such tension it was too tight which didn't leave much way for room when using different mediums lol. But I still used it, and still have it and still cherish it. I always find it interesting and rewarding to see how I have progressed.

 

When I was away over New Years I went to the Mill Markets in Daylesford. I LOVE Daylesford Mill Markets. It always has the BEST vintage finds at reasonable prices. It is where I found a awesome antique hardcover, leather bound book I use as a art journal a year or so ago. I love the brown leather, it is just yummy, soft and full of character. So imagine my delight when on this visit I found another antique ledger, but infact it was just the cover of the ledger! Beautiful hard bound with a nice stiff spine, with the yummy brown leather cover all but stained but who cares it shows character. It shows that this book has lived!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it is A3 size. I just knew straight away I had to have it. The only question was should I make it a Art Journal or a Portfolio. Well I decided on Art Journal. Now usually in bookbinding I am used to working with paper that you fold in half to create the pages. But that is a bit hard with A3 size. So I had to find a bookbinding technique for single pages. So I researched and found a technique. Then due to the way single page bookbinding works I had to buy 9 curved needles as every single page has

to be stitched separate lol. It was great fun!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And although I tried my dam hardest my pages don't line up perfectly as I would have hoped. But I spose that is the beauty of hand made isn't it? So then I had to adhere the gorgeous watercolour bookbinding I had put together into this gorgeous antique leather bound ledger cover. And this is what I got.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love how big this art journal is. I love that it is hand made and lays open flat for me to work in. This is definitely a bookbinding technique I will use again. Even though it is a much longer process it is definitely worth it.

Now it is time for me to go create something in this beauty.

 

Cassandra xo

 

 

Upward Beauty

So after drawing two faces that are looking straight ahead I thought I should again get out of my comfort zone and try to have a lady looking upward toward the sky. So I started sketching and this is what I came up with.

 

 

By this stage of the retreat I had gotten forgetful and was having too much fun so I forgot to take a picture of just the sketch on my wood panel canvas. I again decided to have lotus flowers in the background and am yet to decide if I will put a quote or favourite saying on the panel.

 

For this project I used Neo Colour II Crayons, Prisma pencils and a bit more acrylic paint the on the last panel.

I also created a third wood panel which makes a series of 3, however I didn't get a chance to finish her before I left the scrapbooking retreat. I am hoping to have time to finish her on the weekend and then I can share her with you. And whilst I am no amazing artist I am happy with my progress drawing/sketching faces just from the practice I had on the weekend. I don't think that next time I go to sketch a face I will be so daunted. Infact, I think I'll be a little excited cos I don't even know how they will turn out lol.

 

Thanks again for stopping by

 

Cassandra

 



Woodpanel Beauty

So today I am back to share the first wood panel canvas I created on my scrapping retreat as mentioned in yesterdays post.

 

Below is the sketch of the face I did on the wood panel, and one thing I can say about working on a 12x12 square panel compared to working in a large, tall moleskin book is that I found the faces I was sketching were much rounder. I wasn't intentionally going for that look, so I may have to get hubby to cut a few rectangle wood panels for me to try sketching on and see how the faces turn out then lol.

 

 

I used a mixture of ink, neo colour II watersoluble crayons, paint, paint pens and pencils to complete this piece. I'd never drawn or painted lotus flowers before so they are my first attempt. I am happy with them for a first attempt and I was lucky enough that my friend Jodie had some lotus flowers she had drawn with her so I could use them as a reference too.

 

It only seemed fitting that she should have blue hair! I mean hello, I love blue hair lol.

 

I'll share another one tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Cassandra

 



Luckiness and Art

I have been very busy but very lucky the last couple of weeks.

 

On Grand Final weekend we went on a 4 day caravan/camping weekend with friends and took our gorgeous rescue dog Daisy! It was Daisy's first camping trip so that was exciting and nerve racking, and apart from some anxiety on both her part and mine, she loved it!! And then on the weekend just gone I was lucky enough to go on a 4 day scrapbooking retreat with some awesome ladies! It was only about 45 mins from home too, so super convenient!

 

I must admit I had no idea what I would do or create on this retreat. I felt I had lost my mojo. So I just took as much junk as I could fit in the back cab of hubby's Navara and thought even if I don't use it all, at least it is there so I have the choice.

Funny thing is I ended up only using the items that were packed onto my craft trolley! It was fantastic. I grabbed my Jane Davenport book and just began drawing faces as per her instructions on her book. I am not keen on drawing tiny faces so I decided to draw a big face. Here is my first attempt.

 

 

And below her wavy fly away hair.

 

I loved the proportions of everything I had drawn on this face! So I decided to add some colour using Neo Colour II Watersoluable Crayons, Prisma Pencils and various other goodies.

 

And yeah she has a long neck, but I don't care! I wasn't going for realism here, I wouldn't like to put that pressure on myself for starters, I am more then happy with a whimsical look.

 

Anyway, I never expected her face to be so beautiful, so I was spewing I had drawn this face in a moleskin journal with paper that was not suited to water as it is buckled. I knew I should have used my Mixed Media Journal instead lol. So then I started getting out my wood panel canvases. I'll share the first one tomorrow.

 

Thanks for stopping by

 

Cassandra

 

 



Announcing Technique Class #5

Announcing!!

Technique Class #5 - Self Levelling Medium Canvas!

 

Where: Kaisercraft Geelong
When: Friday 16th October
Time: 10am til 1pm Kaisercraft...
Cost: $50 (Frame not included)
(Non Refundable Deposit of $20 Required for this Class)

 

I've been dying to teach a class on this wonderful product by Derivan! Self Levelling Medium was only introduced to the market in April this year!

 

In this class you will get a 250ml bottle of Self Levelling Medium of your own to create a 11x16inch canvas board! You will use your own choice of colours ofcourse to suit your personality or to suit a room in your house!

 

 

 

 

Canvases will need to either stay instore overnight to dry, or be taken home at your own risk, as the Medium does need to dry.

 

Deposits can be made instore with cash only or by Bank Deposit to my account.
Details:
Account Name: Cassandra Bright
BSB #: 063523
Account #: 10561283

 

Call KaisercraftGeelong to book your seat (03) 5222 3965
Feel free to contact me on fb or by email if you have any questions

 

Cassandra

 



Craftroom Clutter

So for about a week now I have been sitting in my craftroom unable to create, study or do anything in there as a matter of fact because it has been driving me insane!!!!!

 

Now, let me also start this post also by mentioning that I am very grateful for my craftroom. I know there are a hell of a lot of people out there be they scrapbookers, mixed media artists or any arts or crafts persons of any kind who would kill to have a craftroom, let alone one as big as mine. So I am very grateful for the fact that also have a very supportive husband, who just so happens to be a very talented DIY type as well.

 

 I remember in our last house we sold, I had one of the single (children sized) bedrooms as my craftroom. But when hubby, myself and my two Labradors where all in there I was suffocating. And I joked that I would love to take over the main bedroom as my craftroom. Well, that weekend I went to a 3 day scrapbooking retreat and came home to find my hubby had spent all weekend moving my entire room of supplies into the master bedroom for me! And setting up the bedding in my old small craftroom! I mean HELLO! What wife doesn't dream of her hubby doing that for her lol.

 

Then I wanted to start teaching at home. So hubby converted the single car garage out the back into a classroom! He put carpet in and heating and set up a coffee station. It was great. But yes, we sold and moved out.

 

But, I now have a craftroom/classroom that is the size of a single car garage in our industrial shed where we live! So I have never been neglected, and once again I am grateful for that. However, lately that room has seemed so small!!!!!! It has felt like I have product and junk caving in on me and it has beyond stifled my creativity. I spent the last two days just sitting in that dam room not knowing how to change so I was happy enough in my environment again to begin creating. Ofcourse money is a huge factor as I have not been lucky enough to be working very often lately. So I needed a change that was achievable.

 

So today after lunch I thought stuff it and hubby helped me attack my room. We were just going to move a bookcase. But we ended up moving a absolutely HUGE air compressor that has been taking up a corner and looking ugly. Then that left room to move a few other things. I also got my butt into gear and removed class trestle tables and extra chairs back into our shipping container as I don't have a class at home for a few weeks and that opens up so much space instantly. We moved the tv slightly and rejigged the peg boards and product.

 

Here is a pic of the backwall after todays efforts:

 

 

And we also added more art to the walls and layouts too:

 

It just feels so much more spacious.

One major major MAJOR thing my craftroom lacks that continually makes me unhappy and which I consider a necessity under normal circumstances is.......

NATURAL LIGHT

arghhhhhhhhhh the fact I don't have any natural light saddens me to no end. Unfortunately there is no change of adding any natural light to my craftroom. The closest I can get is leaving a roller door up (which is next to the entrance door to my craftroom) and letting light from our industrial shed come through. Before today I had a big bookcase and peg board not even allowing that. So I changed all that today, so that on nice warm days I can open the roller door and let the warm northerly winds come in and the natural light too.

 

We do have to make the best of our situations :)

 

I am so relieved that I can now walk into my craftroom without a heavy heart and lack of creativity. I can instead walk in excited again with my space and ready to create!

 

Woooooo!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Cassandra

 



A layout for me

It's been so long since I did something crafty and creative that was actually for me, and not for a class. So the other night a few crafty friends came over and with the encouragement of one friend who turns junk into craft gold! I actually looked through some of my craft items and even found things I forgot I had brought. It was like winning a craft lotto lol. So I ended up with a pile of product on my table and I just began. And this is the finished project.

This poor piece of cardstock certainly went to hell and back lol. I think next time I might be wise to try using a piece of watercolour paper as the base. It would be less likely to buckle under all the sprays, mists and water being used on it. I even got out my craft iron to try straighten the paper a bit lol. 

 

I LOVE this frame by Prima! I've been saving it for a special project. I think I better try buy some more before they are a deleted product. I have also used some of the Prima Mica Powders, Micro Beads and Mica Flakes. Gotta love Prima, always excellent product and quality. 

 

It was so hard to think of something to put on this page by the way of a title. Especially where I had the stickers to make up the feelings I wanted to express. So this layout it titled 'beautiful' for short.

 

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to get crafty!

 

Cassandra