Wednesday August 13th, 4-6pm
Wednesday September 10th, 4-6pm
Wednesday October 8th, 4-6pm
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​​​​Letterpress printing with Legos (Canceled)
Taught by Brenda Gallagher and Julia Seko
This is a one month drop in course, held 4x, on four consecutive Wednesdays. Students can attend all 4 classes or just which ones work with the summer family calendar. This class is open to students ages 9 and older.
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WEDNESDAYS July 16, 23, 30, and Aug 6
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10am-12:00pm
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$100
Combine the beauty of letterpress printing with the fun of setting legos! Students will be given a type high lego baseplate on which to design their lego printing with lego tiles. Plates will then be locked up in the Vandercook letterpress to print. Students will learn printing with two different colors in two passes on the press. Multiple prints are encouraged for a print swap on the last day of class. If time allows, students can make a soft case to hold the collection.
Leather spine hard covers binding*
Taught by Brenda Gallagher
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FRIDAY Aug 1st
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10am-4:30pm
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$120
This book combines the soft opening of a leather spine with the sturdy firmness of board covers. The completed book opens nearly perfectly flat making it an ideal book for your journal writing or drawing. Creating your book involves sewing folded signatures through a leather spine with the long stitch. We will begin by getting acquainted with paper grain and its importance for the finished book. We will cover the boards of the book with decorative paper and once dry we'll drill holes in the covers to prepare for sewing. The leather spine will also need holes for sewing which we will pierce with an awl or drill. Paper signatures will be folded and pierced and then we'll take a short break for lunch. After lunch we will learn to sew the long stitch to bind the book. Covers will then be sewn onto the leather spine piece. By the end of the workshop, you will have completed your book, and have the skill to make more on your own. Class fee includes all materials we use to make a book: leather for the spine, a sheet of decorative paper to cover boards, paper for your signatures, a pair of pre-cut cover boards, glue, and waxed-linen thread. Students can borrow tools from the BAL or you can bring your own bookbinder's toolkit. Students will need: bonefolder, medium-weight awl, Xacto knife, scissors, ruler, and a bookbinder's needle. Optional: Students may elect to bring their own sheet of decorative paper for covering the boards. *
*Optional bookplate printing for Leather spine book
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Thursday July 31st
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5pm-7pm
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$10
The evening before the longstitch journal class, students registered for the bookbinding class are invited to the letterpress shop to print a custom bookplate. This page will serve as the first page of the book that we'll bind on Friday. The book plate page will read, "This book belongs to ______" with the student's name. Students will choose a small cut from the Book Arts League collection and learn to set letterpress letters to print their names.
taught by Julia Seko and Greg Robl
Momigami is a Japanese craft used to strengthen paper-- it has traditionally been used for making clothing and other sturdy items. Konnyaku, a starch from an edible tuber, is applied to the long-fibered paper, which is then crumpled into a ball and worked until the paper is flexible, then is smoothed out to dry. In addition to durability, the paper acquires a lovely, faceted surface from which the colors of the paper shine through. When dry, students can create a simple business card wallet with finished momigami paper.
Join us for a day of playing with paper fiber and creative folding.
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August 7th
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10am-4pm
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$100
Thank-you Cards with Wood Type
taught by Julia Seko and Greg Robl
It's that time of year to send your thoughts of gratitude in a beautiful hand printed card! Students will use the Book Arts League's collection of wood type in multiple faces and sizes to set the words"thank you!" Words will then be locked up and printed on the Vandercook letterpress. Color choices or perhaps variegated colors will be decided on by the collected class. Each student will leave with a set of 8 cards with matching envelopes.
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August 14th
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10am-4pm
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price $100
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Teachers: Tom Parson
Date: Saturday September 6th, 10am-4pm with a break for lunch
Cost: $120
Have you ever wanted to learn how to print with a letterpress? What is a composition stick and how do you use it? Join Tom Parson as he guides students in how to "set type". This means choosing one drawer with one typeface in one point size, and picking up one letter at a time to spell out your message. You'll have to find spaces to go between each word and then transfer your message to a "chase". Tom will lead students in how to "lock up" the words students have set into the chase for printing on one of our tabletop presses or the platen Pilot press at the Book Arts League letterpress studio. Students who take this class will have all the skills necessary to join us for Open Studio dates held each month in our shop where we welcome beginning printers to print their own projects with a BAL volunteer. Come learn how early printing was done and how to "Mind your Ps and Qs!"
Teacher: Brenda Gallagher
Date: Saturday Sept 27th, 10am-2:30pm with a break for lunch
Cost: $120
Description: Learn to construct a fold-up pencil case from book board and beautiful decorative paper. Students can choose from papers provided by the instructor or bring a piece of their own choosing. Pieces of book board will be cut to form the walls and constructed into a collapsible, fold-up, triangle box. Next, students will learn how to punch holes to apply decorative (or plain!) rivets in the walls of the box. Finally the box will stay closed with the help of an elastic cord, decorative bead, and cord lock. The finished box is perfect for taking your pencils and pens on the go and it is also ideal for protecting your favorite paint brushes for safe transportation.
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Fall-themed greeting cards with Wood Type
Teachers: taught by Greg Robl and Julia Seko
Date: Saturday Sept 27th from 10am - 4pm
Cost: $100 including materials
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Description: The foliage will be turning colors, and the air will be getting chilly. Pumpkins will be ready to carve and eat. We'll spend the day in this workshop designing your own greeting cards for Hallowe'en, Dia de los Muertos, Thanksgiving, or simply "Boo!" or "Thank you!" We'll have some images on hand and add in some text in wood or metal type in multiple faces and sizes. Words will then be locked up and printed on the Vandercook letterpress. Color choices or perhaps variegated colors will be decided on by the collected class. Each student will leave with a set of 8 cards with matching envelopes.
Date night: Letterpress Printing with Legos! (Link coming soon)
Teachers: Brenda Gallagher and Julia Seko
Date: Wednesday October 1st, 6-9pm
Cost: $60
Description: Bring your significant person, spouse or friend, and join us to create prints with Lego. We'll provide type high Lego bases 20 x 20 studs wide. This is where the fun begins! With a collection of different shapes and curves of Lego tile pieces, create your printable design. We'll then lock up the Lego bases in the Vandercook letterpress and print keepsake prints! Students will each take home 5 prints of their master Lego work! Depending on class size we can trade prints, or work with a second color if time permits. Come play with Legos and get inky on date night!
