Second only to Christmas, Halloween has become the most commercialized holiday in this country, with entire catalogs devoted to creating million-dollar monsters and fairies. But homemade costumes need not be hooky or cheap. Instead they offer a chance to unleash our inner magician, who with a modest potion of paper, scissor, and some glue, can transform themselves into any creature of their imagination.

Of course it all boils down to materials. Using Egg Press’ expressive collection of wrapping paper, along with Studio Carta tight weave cotton ribbon in Halloween hues, we conjured our own enchanting rabbit, in about as much time as it takes to say, “Hocus Pocus, Alakazam!”

Step 1: Using a flexible, lightweight cardboard or poster board (we used a manila envelope) make a simple sketch of a creature or critter of your choice. Cut this out.

Step 2: Choose a paper for the underlying layer of your mask. (We used selects from their Blue, Orange and Yellow Collection.) Place your cardboard cutout onto the back to this paper. Trace and cut.

Step 3: Using an Exact-o knife cut out the eye holes of your base mask. Then brush glue onto the back of your paper and paste over the base layer. Again, cut out the eyes.

Step 4: Choose another piece of paper for your accents. Using the edges of your mask as a template, draw these details onto the back of your second piece of paper. Cut these out.

Step 5: Apply glue and paste you accent pieces onto your mask.

Step 6: Punch holes into the sides of your mask.

Step 7: Measure two lengths of ribbon long enough to tie around you head. (We used Tight Weave Cotton Ribbon in dark indigo.) Give yourself a little extra. You can always trim.

Step 8: Thread the ribbons through your holes and tie.

That’s it. Of course the sky (or your imagination) is the limit on what you can do. Swap papers for a different look. Add a sequin or two. Try a fox or an owl. Or wouldn’t a lion with a Studio Carta ribbon mane look cool?

Spring has sprung! And with it weddings, babies, and all things “new beginnings.” In celebration of this season of rebirth, for our 3rd project Angela and I chose to resurrect one of her old talents: bookmaking. (In fact it was the pursuit of elegant bindings for her books that led Angela to begin importing Italian ribbons in the first place!)

Though Angela, who studied and taught at Minnesota Center for Book Arts, is a pro, this keepsake book is easy enough for anyone to tackle. Success is in the supplies. Made with beautiful Rifle Paper Co. Gift Wrap and Studio Carta Cotton Ribbon, our keepsake book is perfect for storing momentos from spring’s (or any season’s) most treasured events.

Materials:

• Rifle Paper Co. Gift Wrap or other fine paper *
• Studio Carta Tight Weave Ribbons
• two 8×10 pieces of bookbinding archival board, available at specialty online stores such as: Talas or Hollanders
• acid-free booking binding glue
• small brush
• bone folder, also available at Talas or Hollanders
• Studio Carta Paper Scissors with Gold Handle
• Studio Carta Ribbon Scissors
• hammer
• ruler
• X-Acto or utility knife

* When considering the entire line of Rifle Paper Gift Wrap and Studio Carta Ribbon, the possibilities are endless. Just let the occasion be your guide. For example, if you’re making a book for the parents of a baby boy, perhaps you could use Rifle Paper Co.’s Blue Toile Gift Wrap with Studio Carta Tight Weave Ribbon in Chartreuse. Or for a wedding Rifle’s Spearmint Blossoms Gift Wrap would look smashing with a bit of Studio Carta Metallic Tight Weave in Natural with Gold Stripe. (See even more colorful combinations on Rifle Paper Co.’s site.)

For our book, Angela and I selected spring-time pairing of Rifle Paper Co.’s romantic wildflower gift wrap with Studio Carta Tight Weave Cotton Ribbon in Peach.

Step 1: If you have not already done so, cut your archival cardboard to the desired size. We chose 8×10. To create your outside cover, lay the cardboard onto your paper and, using this as a template, measure and mark your paper so that it is a couple centimeters, or about 1/2 inch, larger all around. Cut out your paper. Repeat for the other cover.

Step 2: Working quickly brush the glue onto the back of your paper. Then transfer your cardboard to the center and press down, working out any air bubbles with your hands or bone folder.

Step 3: Cut the corners of your paper, leaving about a millimeter between the edge and the cardboard.

Step 4: Fold the first side over. Then using your bone folder, press the corner paper in towards the next fold so it lays against the cardboard edge. Then fold the second side down. Repeat as you go around.

Step 5: When you are done, gently work out any air bubbles with your bone folder. Then lightly tap down on all your corners, so that your cover doesn’t have any sharp edges. Repeat this whole process with the next piece of cardboard.

Step 6: Once you have the outsides of each piece of cardboard covered, it’s time to cover the inside. First measure and cut two pieces of paper so that each is slightly smaller than the cardboard. Again, working quickly, glue the smaller paper so that it covers the inside of each piece of cardboard.

Step 7: On each cover, create 4 slits for your ribbons. First measure the width of your ribbon. Then starting about 1 1/2  inches or 4 centimeters from the top (short side), and about 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters from the edge (long side), make a mark, length-wise, that measures the width of your ribbon. Repeat at all four corners of each cover.

Step 8: Using a small chisel or utility knife, hammer or cut the four slits you just measured. Repeat on the other piece of cardboard.

Step 9: Lay the cardboard covers side by side leaving about 1/4 inch or one centimeter gap in between. Using these as a template, cut two long pieces of ribbon that measure 10 or so inches (25 centimeters) longer, on each side, than your opened book. Then, starting in the middle, thread each end of the ribbon from the outside, across the inside, and back out to the outside. Repeat on the bottom.

That’s it. Though there are many steps, Angela was able to make this book in about 20 minutes!

Angela uses her keepsake books to house treasured correspondence from loved ones.

Instead of using potatoes and any old ink for our annual wrapping paper project, this year we got serious. Mom made real stamps (!!!!) and actually bought professional block printing ink. The kids didn’t really notice the difference. (They’re approach is more, err, extemporaneous.) But I fell in love. Block printing is my new passion.

Olie’s “flock”

Mom’s attempt birds and gnomes

white dogs

]]> http://designskool.net/annual-diy-wrapping-paper-2014-edition/feed/ 4 http://designskool.net/golden-biscotti/ http://designskool.net/golden-biscotti/#comments Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:27:39 +0000 http://designskool.net/?p=27064

drinking straws made from real straw!

Relatively new to Etsy, Golden Biscotti is a trim little shop featuring select items of pure and elemental charm. Simplicity reigns at this Swiss atelier, whose minimalists practices serve to enhance the intrinsic beauty of natural materials – paper, wood, and clay. Here ornamentation is sacrificed in favor of balance of form. Texture, rather than color, provides allure. As restrained as Ikebana, the results are like a quiet revelation. Serene and graceful, as precious and as intimate as solitude on a misty morning.

porcelain plates

hand folded paper garlands

maple boards

mat made from hemp cord

Sophie’s chien stitched on paper

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to hang out in the Boston studio of artist Sophie Truong, where, over tea and homemade clafoutis, we discussed her evolution from international business major to working artist.

Raised just outside of Paris, Sophie Truong came to America as a young woman and eventually found herself employed as a product developer for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Despite her proximity to the world of art, Sophie’s own transition to artist came about almost by accident. “A friend who was taking painting classes at the Museum School showed me what she was learning one afternoon, and it was an instant transformation.”

Sophie immediately started taking classes of her own, experimenting with painting and paper arts. Then “little by little I started incorporating fiber into my work,” she explained. “I’ve always loved antique textiles and was really drawn to handwork, mending, and embroidery. I started experimenting with mixed media and realized how a tactile process was much more satisfying to me. Stitching is very meditative, and I think it partially helped me stay sane when I was still working my day job. As time went by, it became clear that I wanted to give more time and space in my life to art making and less to my job.” Finally, a wave of layoffs at the Museum gave Sophie the push she needed to devote herself to art full time. Today, surrounded by her own fiber creations, Sophie is working on a new adventure, Stitch and Tickle: sumptuous leather totes and wallets, all hand sewn by Sophie in her Boston studio.

Sophie’s work is marked by an enticing mixture of raw, visceral energy, and delicate femininity. Threads fly, unruly and unbound off of paper and fibre. Unpolished, the tracks of creation are important. They lend a dynamic, ephemeral, and tactile quality to Sophie’s pieces that draws you in. Similarly Sophie’s bags display the artist’s playfulness and fascination with the material. The leathers are supple, sensual. The colors are deep and rich. The detailing, though minimal, is always spot on: passion pink against cloud gray, mustard velvet with chestnut brown.

Inhabited by Sophie’s creations as well as the artist herself (who is as hearty, warm, and dynamic as her pieces), Truong’s studio is nothing short of inspiring. And I, for one, am very glad that she made the switch to stitch.

Sophie working in her studio at Boston Center for the Arts

a box of thread scraps

a tote the color of red wine

small clutches with striking contrast stitching

The vintage doll in the window was a gift from a friend.

Some of Sophie’s work – a series made with tea bags and a more recent installation of wire and fabric balloons – float over the artist’s work table.

Framed by driftwood collected from New England beaches, a mixed media piece with wax and thread  hangs on the wall.

a driftwood heart

The detailing on Sophie’s tote bags is exquisite.

more bags in an array of rich colors and a rainbow of thread

“Less is More” thread stitched on teabags

Sophie’s work space is surrounded by her own pieces as well as tools of the trade.

making a bag

Sophie in her South End studio

a collection of vintage brushes

Sophie’s balloons seen from the floor

smaller wallets or card cases

white stitch on handmade paper

leather clutches with velvet ties

sewing station

sample thread

red stitch on tea bags

“What Goes Around…”

I stopped by Angela’s for some ribbon last week, and was rewarded with one of her spectacular calendars. Every year Angela and her friend, Rome-base graphic designer Silvana Amato, collaborate on a new, limited edition calendar book for their friends and clients.

This year’s model is a mobile, featuring 6 discs printed on both sides with the months of the year. Mine is now hanging in my office, alongside other gifts from friends, catching the light, and inspiring me to get creative with my camera.

and… some of my purchases from studio carta

Last week, I featured the breathtaking work of Swedish paper artist, Cecilia Levy. Today I bring you another talented paper artist from Sweden: Fideli Sundqvist. Working in the same medium, the work of these two artists shares a deep sense of story. And yet, in many ways they are quite different. Where Cecilia’s pieces tend to be more ethereal and introspective, Fideli’s work, especially her fantastical paper cuts for kids, is more often bright and jubilant. Or, in the case of her still lives with food, a little dark and downright succulent.

To achieve this kind of sensual lusciousness with paper is quite a feat. And it sets up a fascinating paradox between the senses and the mind. Intellectually, you know that it’s dry, tasteless paper – in fact the title of this series is “Tasteless”. Even so your eyes and tastebuds urge you to take a big bite!

And then there are the bugs. Natural and low, they enhance the earthiness of these pieces, as well as the ick-factor. And yet it’s all so intricate and lovely that you can’t look away. Beautifully styled by Joanna Lavén, Sundqvist’s still lives may indeed be tasteless, but they are nonetheless a feast for the eyes… and mind.

Originally from Uppsala, artist/designer Fideli Sundqvist grew up in a creative household. After high-school she moved to Stockholm, studying first at Nyckelviksskolan and then at Konstfack, from which she obtained a degree in illustration and graphic design. Today this prolific artist’s work includes, paper cut, prop-and-graphic design, as well as illustration.

Still life: “Smaklöst” – Photographer: Olivia Jeczmyk; Stylist: Joanna Lavén

Hi Everyone,

Don’t forget to check out my DIY accordion book on Remodelista today. This was a great little project that Angela showed me how to make last week. Easy and fun, accordion books make wonderful mini sketchbooks for kids. (See Angela’s son Hani’s book below.) You could also use them as a mini photo display, travel journal, event program, or as a wedding favor.

See Remodelista for the complete how to. Meantime here are some pictures.

I’m supposed to be vacuuming. I finished all my deadlines for the week, so now it’s time to banish the dust bunnies that have been multiplying under the bed.

Instead, while catching up on emails, I was distracted by a lovely gift that arrived in the mail yesterday: this beautiful calendar by Valerie at Pikku. Sitting at the edge of my desk, where one can clearly discern the grain of the wood and impressions of the letterpress, it’s even more striking in person. Love the playful bubble pattern and the warm gray (perfect for my New England-historic, Scandi-modern home). Really, who would resist playing with such an exquisite new toy?

Couldn’t help pairing works by two friends: Angela’s accordion books with Valerie’s calendar.

It fits right in with personal possessions like Oliver’s water buffalo, which he made for me two years ago.

light striations on the desk

Trying my new calendar out all over the house. This is the first time that I noticed Oliver’s drawing on the dining room wall. I can’t be mad; it’s too fabulous. I’m leaving it.

Stunning, no? Safe to say that when I first saw these paper boots by Swedish artist Cecilia Levy, they took my breath away. Such wit and liveliness, you can just picture the jaunty little gnome that sports them, pausing in his errand for a quick survey of the wintry landscape. At least that’s the image that comes to my mind.

And these wooly wellies are just one of Levy’s many storied works. Others include magical tea cups, as gossamer as faery wings. Do they reveal your fortune as you drink? Or desiccated thistles waiting to be taken by the wind, the seeds of a new tale wrapped in their stems.

To make these creations, Levy uses old books from the beginning of the last century. These, she notes, “carry their own history, not only in the words, but also in the stains and dog ears,” or perhaps the notes in the margins. Taking her cue from the paper itself, creamy whiteness or brittled browns, she lets the materials guide her. Ripping, shredding and cutting she destroys in order to conjure a new form.

The results are a new kind of ephemera. A push/pull between life and death. Organic and fluid, Levy’s sculptures remind of Nature’s bounty. Yet dry and faded, husk-like, they conjure images of fall. Dynamic, their translucent hulls dance in the light. They are light, airy and free, but also fragile. This powerful dichotomy is further enhanced by the fact that the artist never lets us fully forget the material’s previous form. Texts remain like phantoms of the tomes they once were.

Thus to me, Levy’s work reminds us that all is transient, but never completely lost. Though we may try and guarantee our immortality with weighty words or even lofty works of art, time will eventually wear away at these. And yet in some sense our imprint remains. As Cecilia herself, so deftly puts it: “The story continues, but in a different form.”

Hailing from Stockholm, Levy received her MFA in graphic design at the School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg. Seeking more hands-on work, she then went on to study bookbinding at Leksands Folkhögskola. Today she gives regular workshops on bookbinding and exhibits her work in and around Sweden.

detail Daily Thistles, 2012. Public commission for Gottsunda Library, Uppsala

Intet är som väntans tider, “Nothing is Like Expecting,” 2012

Mermaid, 2010

Hobo – Homeward Bound, 2012

Intet är som väntans tider, “Nothing is Like Expecting,” 2012

Daily Thistles, 2012. Public commission for Gottsunda Library, Uppsala

Colony 2011