Hi everyone, it's Ann (aksbarchitectCREATES) here with you today.
This year on the blog, we are being given free rein to do a deep dive into one of the PaperArtsy product ranges, and for this post I have been exploring Seth Apter products. I have always been drawn to the circles seen so often in the PaperArtsy stamp designs by Seth. I wanted to explore incorporating some of these stamps into a handmade book. I'm looking forward to sharing this fun circle book that I created.
I love making my own books. I know for some people, the book binding can be a daunting task, especially when it involves sewing multiple signatures together. This circle book is created in a way that removes all of the stress and also allows pages to be easily removed and worked on or even replaced!
A while back I was inspired by a technique that Laura Denison Designs used to create a "Twisted Pin-Bound Book". For the binding, Laura used a "pin" that the pages swing/rotate around. Extensions can be added to the "pin" to allow for multiple thicknesses. You can easily find her project if you search for her on YouTube.
Since I envisioned creating a book in the shape of a circle, I struggled with how I would bind it together, and then I remembered Laura's technique. For my book, I use a "Chigago Screw". These fasteners are used for a variety of purposes, from construction to leather and handmade crafts and are easily sourced.
While I was thrilled to be able to put the hinged technique to use in my circle book, I must admit that one of my favorite parts of working on this project was playing with some new-to-me PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic paint colors by Seth Apter. Squid Ink (FF56) becoming a fast favorite; I have already added it to my to be replenished list!
I loved selecting a palette from Seth's PaperArtsy colors and getting busy with my gel plate.
I first gather all of my supplies, starting with an inventory of which Seth Apter circle stamp designs I have in my collection. Seth has many wonderful stamp sets, the themes may vary but his incredible underlying grungy style remains throughout. When I saw the Seth Apter stamp set 30 (ESA30), I knew I'd found the perfect focal image for my covers. I also grabbed a few of his mini stamp designs EM40, EM45, EM107, EM112.
My original thoughts were to create my book in a monochromatic color scheme, focusing on Fresco Chalk Acrylic blues in the Seth Apter range. When I started selecting my colors I grabbed Squid Ink, imagining that it would be a dark inky blue color, but as I began to add colors to my gel plate, I quickly realized that it was so much more. I fell in love with this deep, dark eggplant color. It is gorgeous and looks amazing with Steel Grey (FF134), as well as Midnight (FF123), Double Denim (FF128), and Venice Blue (FF133). When I realized that Squid Ink (FF56) was a purple, I also added Spanish Mulberry (FF71) for a bit of pop.
Using a brayer I add the paint colors to my gel plate and make pulls on high strength tissue paper. I layer the prints with each pull from the gel plate. When I have a nice background, I also stamp into the wet paint on the plate with some of the rubber stamps. (Note: if you prefer to keep your stamps clean, be sure to keep a shallow tub of water nearby to wash the stamps after using them with paint.) I love seeing the faint designs among the layers.
I am really pleased with the combination of colors that I have chosen and am excited to work on the pages. I originally envisioned using these pages as collage material for the pages inside the book, but after seeing how wonderful they turned out, I am considering covering the entire page with the tissue and building upon it.
When I have a couple large master sheets of tissue that I am pleased with, I make the decision to create double sided pages. The master sheet layers of color are fairly dark. I decide that one face of each circle page will be layered using the same colors, but in a lighter palette. Effectively each page will be light on the front and dark on the back (or vice versa.)
For the lighter sides I print directly onto the page, using Fresco Finish Heavy Cream (FF203). I love the look of these lighter sides, they both complement and contrast the darker papers.
After letting everything dry while I clean up from the gel plate printing session, I am considering how it will all come together. This is when I decide to paint the covers in Squid Ink. The dark cover will be the perfect base for the stamped image and also highlight the color which is seen throughout the pages. I have a feeling that I will want to take the pages in and out to work on them, so I decide that it will be a good idea to reinforce the hinge point. I die cut chipboard circles and paint these with the Squid Ink color as well.
Using Ranger Distress Collage Matte Medium, I adhere the tissue to the unfinished sides of the pages. I weight down the pages to keep them flat while they are drying. After the glue is completely dry, I use a sanding block to create a clean edge. I have found this to be a simple way to ensure that the edges align.
I cut circles of various sizes out of the remaining painted tissue. These circles will be used as college elements within the book as well as on the cover.
Each page is then modified using the collection of stamps I have gathered. Stamping always brings to mind something I once heard Seth mention during one of his demos, "try to make the stamps your own..." One way to do this is by partial stamping, where you don't imprint the entire design, and another way is to modify the image once it is stamped. I love playing around with different ways of making Seth's designs more of my own, it makes it feel more like a collaborative effort.
The last step to completing the book is adding the title. Since the book is circular and double sided, I thought it would be fun to have one portion of the title on the front cover and the second half on the back cover. Essentially allowing you to flip the book over and browse the back sides as well. When I chose the "what comes around goes around stamp" I thought it would be fun to use the first portion of the saying on the front and the ending on the back cover. To do this it required a bit of simple masking.
I use a stamping platform and an embossing ink pad to stamp "what comes around" onto my cover. Simply mask the words "goes around" so that they do not transfer. Then I sprinkle some charred gold embossing powder over the impression and heat it. I do the same for the back cover but I mask the words "what comes around". I then add embossing ink along the outer edge of both covers, coat it with embossing powder, and heat it. I have always enjoyed watching the powder melt.
While I have the embossing ink pad and powder out on my desk, I also add a bit of stamping and embossing to each of my pages. I use different techniques to create interest, making sure to brush off areas of the stamped images prior to heating to make the images unique.
I added some rub-on words and images to a few of the pages as well. I have a feeling I will be adding more to each of these pages over time. I just love how it turned out.
Obviously, I was drawn to the idea of creating a circular piece, but I think this binding technique could be used in a lot of different formats. I think the best takeaway from my project is that trying out new techniques and blending new color combinations can yield amazing results!
I hope that I have inspired you to pull out your stamps and Fresco Finish paints and try to create something new! Wishing you a creative day ~Ann
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