Category Archives: Book arts

Finding artist book inspiration

Posted on March 28, 2009 by

Creative block is one of the things I struggle with. Things are rocking along and then one day, without warning, it’s like someone dammed up the river of ideas. Suddenly I got nothin‘. If you are stuck, lacking inspiration or just afraid to try something new, maybe you can try one of these: Found Magazine is filled with ideas and inspiration. It’s all about old receipts and love notes and pictures of strangers just begging … read on, my friend…

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My Etsy favorites

Posted on March 25, 2009 by

Thought I’d share some things I love from other artisans at Etsy. It’s hard not to buy everything I love at Etsy–even things that have nothing to do with books! new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(90665, ‘favorites’,'thumbnail’,5,4).renderIframe();

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vlog: make your own book cloth

Posted on March 23, 2009 by

Here’s my first ever video tutorial–on making your own book cloth. Hope you find it helpful. Please understand, it is my first shot at this. Hope it’s not too long! Make your own book cloth from Anna Hawthorne on Vimeo.

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How much fun can you fit on one page?

Posted on March 9, 2009 by

Books are great tools for homeschoolers. It seems there is no end to the creative possibilities. But sometimes the choices can seem a bit overwhelming, or the process is complicated and you stress about creating content that will be worthy of the container. How about trying a book that is made from one page, a little book that can be cut and pasted and scribbled to your heart’s content. Fill it with poetry or facts … read on, my friend…

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Winning is just too much pressure

Posted on March 4, 2009 by

Well the great news is that I won the journal I wrote about here. Woohoo! Thanks again Chrysti. She’s a terrific artist and you can see her work all over the place. She’s at her blog and at Twitter too. I guess now that means I am going to become a journaler. Now I am obligated to pour my heart out on paper every day. Well, not really. I just get to tear one up, … read on, my friend…

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Book making fun with kids

Posted on February 23, 2009 by

If you don’t make books with your kids you are missing out on some fun! Books are a great alternative to lapbooks or notebooks. There’s no way you can not have fun making and filling books with stories, songs, poems, math tables, pictures, essays and anything else your children can produce. Here are a few links to whet your appetite.

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Using your artistic voice

Posted on February 1, 2009 by

I was reading this post on Sarah Hodson’s blog. There is a new machine out there that I am crazy about. It’s a screen printing machine that Provo has come out with that, like the Cricut, is going to revolutionize the craft world. See a video demo of Yudu here. What I appreciated about Sara’s post was the video from Provo featuring a man giving the homeless a voice using the machine. Please view the … read on, my friend…

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What is Bristol?

Posted on January 10, 2009 by

My almost 11 yo daughter was flipping through the latest Dick Blick catalog, eyeing the tempera paints and charcoal pencils and gum erasers. When she got to the paper section she asked me question I had no answer for: what is Bristol paper? I have bought it many times for my text blocks when I wanted a toothy medium weight paper that was good for several different media, but wasn’t really sure what made it … read on, my friend…

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more accordion books

Posted on October 17, 2008 by

Here is some eye candy! Julie Chen is one of my all-time favorite book artists. See her at Flying Fish Press. This book is called “view.” See the whole book here. It is worth the time to see her work. Here is a pretty book using family photos. Here is a great tutorial for making accordion fold books using envelopes form WhiMSy Love. They are too cute…and so handy too! (And I really like her … read on, my friend…

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Book of the month: accordion fold

Posted on October 7, 2008 by

An accordion book is my first “book of the month” offering. It is a simple, simple, simple book that almost anyone can make. If you can fold a paper and glue it, you can make this book. Here is a little tutorial on the basic accordion fold book. accordion fold book tutorial From these instructions you can make any variety of accordion books. For the rest of the month I’ll explain more about this construction, … read on, my friend…

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