Sunday, October 25, 2020

Box making class with Andrew Huot

I over committed this month. I am doing Inktober, and also taking an online class, Preservation Enclosures, with Andrew Huot through Book Paper Thread. The website says the class will be offered again in 2021. I'm half way through the class. To start we did two kinds of wrappers and a soft sided slip case. Below is one of the wrappers and the slipcase.

Self-closing wrapper and soft sided slipcase, from Andrew Huot's class, Preservation Enclosures

Then we did a corrugated clamshell box. This was much easier than I expected. These are mainly intended as preservation enclosures, as the class title says. But there are other applications. I can easily modify the clamshell box to be a tray for storage of collage parts. The materials are already ordered.

Corrugated clamshell box, from Andrew Huot's class, Preservation Enclosures

Andrew is a good teacher. He is clear and explains what he's doing plus there are handouts. I learn so much better when I can watch someone go through the process. I have not taken any formal book arts classes. I did do one intense workshop years ago with Shereen LaPlantz which was good. And of course I watch videos online. But everyone has different ways of working and I don't absorb everything the first time around. This time I have learned stuff about gluing and measuring, aside from the box techniques. Being able to go back and watch the video multiple times is helpful. The one good thing about Covid is that there is so much online now. Andrew has taught at FOBA, and I had planned to go out there next time he was teaching. But this is much better for me. I don't travel well and it's exhausting and stressful. 

These are hard times for everyone. I often feel stressed and anxious about the future. Having something to do that takes my mind off all that for awhile has been helpful. I hope you are finding this break from normal life productive, or at least not too stressful. I know some people are busier than ever, and others are at loose ends. Which ever it is, I send you my best wishes.

7 comments:

eileen2000 said...

Very cool. Excited to see how the new stuff will be incorporated.

Judith Hoffman said...

I'm curious to see how it gets used too. I think wrappers and boxes could be very useful.

coolsnags said...

Art to planning to make a bunch of clamshells for storage? What kind of cardboard?

Judith Hoffman said...

I'm going to make a tray, based on a half clamshell. The one we made is cut from one sheet of material, the sides fold up. So no complicated measuring. I will use b-flute. It's a corrugated material that is archival. I think Talas sells it. I have a set of shelves for desktop organization and want trays that slide into each shelf for collage parts. I will post in the future when I get them made.

Wendy Jordan said...

These are great! What is the org sponsoring the class? I don't understand the alphabet soup!
I'm so glad you've found something engaging to help get through these crazy times. You will have lasting skills and some beautiful cases and boxes to use for years. Thanks for posting.

Judith Hoffman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Judith Hoffman said...

Hi Wendy, I'm so glad you like them. I am definitely pleased with my new knowledge. The class is sponsored by Book Paper Thread. I don't seem to. be able to put a link here, in the first paragraph of the post, the words "Book Paper Thread" link to their website.