michelle ward

new article - old favorite

As you know, I've been playing with cardboard for quite a while.  If you're a regular here you've seen my cardboard journals (right sidebar photo album has some archived pages).  I think it's such a fabulous material to work with and I continually find new ways to push it's usefulness.  My May/June Somerset Studio column is about the journals, in particular a new Black & Kraft one.  Scroll down for previous sneak peeks, or if you're reading through a feed, click HERE.  Magazine on shelves May 1st.

I will be teaching two cardboard classes in NYC in October.  Visit www.TheInkPadNYC.com for details.  All my upcoming classes are posted in the left sidebar or you can click on WORKSHOPS at the navigation bar on top.  I will be teaching three classes in NJ in July, and I'm coming to San Diego for the first time in September, for San Diego Book Arts.

My apologies to visitors who got frustrated during the week as Typepad had issues on and off for several days.  I wasn't able to connect either!  Hopefully all is fixed and we won't experience outages again.  Happy to see things back up!

EDIT:  In late May, I was a guest blogger on Stampington's site.  I offered a tutorial on making your own cardboard journal.  In case you missed it I'm posting here, as well as in my Cardboard Journal album in the right sidebar.

 

happy easter

one thing leads to another

I've been a fan of M.C. Escher for a long time....like before high school.  I added another book to the collection - a super fun flipbook, HERE.  I love how a familiar piece of work takes on a new form.  It got me thinking about a poster I've had rolled up for a while.  Metamorphosis II - it comes as 4 panels, 8.5" x 41" each.  I thought I would install around the ceiling line of my studio, but I never did it, and now my shelves go up so high it would hardly be visible.  The little flipbook gave me an idea, and the motivation, to alter the present state of the poster, and turn it into a book that I could hold in my hand. 

 

It took some manuevering to flatten out the rolls, match up the pattern and make the attachments so it was one loooooong panel, then measure and do a little math to arrive at a suitable division.  I left an extra flap at the leading edge so it could be tucked under a paper strip to hold in place within a cardboard portfolio.  The whole thing can be pulled out and still viewed in its full panoramic glory, but within the covers I'm enjoying savoring the details page by page.  One thing always leads to another!  This accordion generated more ideas....still in progress, I'll report in later :)

 

black and kraft

I'm knee deep in three different projects, and I haven't even started our taxes.  Yikes!  I handcut some new stencils today to test out before I send into production - can't wait to show you!!  For now, since I've been an absent blogger, I will give you a peek into my latest Debris Journal - I call this one Black & Kraft.  You can see more from this one in an upcoming article for Somerset Studio (May/June).  You can also take a class with me and make your own Debris Journal at the Ink Pad in New York City, October 19.  We'll be doing some fun stuff on the pages, like you see below - using stencils to make marks, and to peel away the top surface.