Spend a day creating your own fun and versatile box that can be used as a shadow display box or a traditional puzzle box with beads.

Students will build a small 4-5" square box, then choose paper imagery to create a tiny, layered diorama inside, protected with a Plexiglas cover. It's an interesting and useful structure on its own, but with the addition of some tiny balls it can also become a puzzle box!

Students will have the option to leave their boxes as-is, or add circular divots so that balls can be rolled about by manipulating the box, with the goal of getting each ball to settle in a divot. It's harder than it looks.

(Known as a “dexterity puzzle” or “ball-in-the-hole” puzzle, this is a classic children's toy and most folks over 40 will have handled or seen one at some point, though they're a bit more rare these days. If you're still not quite sure what we're talking about, do a google search for “vintage dexterity puzzle".)

In addition to being a fun project, this workshop is also an excellent introduction to simple box making, and good practice for some of our other workshops including the Box Making Core classes.

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to bring:

• Small objects to be used in your box, collage items, beads, pearls, coloring pens, pictures. Material for making these lively little boxes can be found everywhere: junk drawers, garage sales, second-hand shops, used bookstores, in the woods, at the seashore, the dollar store.
• Students are also welcome to bring any of their own favorite bookbinding tools or art supplies.

About the Instructor:
Bettina Pauly (she/her) lives in San Francisco and works as both a book artist and a letterpress printer with Kim Vanderheiden at Painted Tongue Studios, Oakland, California. She loves books and boxes both as physical objects and as containers of meaning. She is interested in a variety of folded, sewn and woven structures in which she can incorporate her printing.

In this introductory class, students will gain a basic understanding of the history, techniques, tools and styles of European marbling.

Students will get hands-on experience of all aspects of Western marbling techniques from paper priming and preparatory mixing of water medium and paints, to the creation of classical patterns. Specific attention will be given to learning how to obtain particular designs using a diverse array of rakes and combs. Students will have ample time for experimentation with guidance from the instructor and will leave with a sampling of papers they've marbled themselves.  

*Please note that paper marbling is a wet process and papers made in the workshop may not be dry at the end of class. Students may return to SFCB after the workshop to retrieve any papers left to dry at the of the day or request mailed returns. 

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to bring:
All tools and materials will be provided. Please wear comfortable shoes for standing that you don't mind getting wet.

About the Instructor:
Pietro Accardi (he/him) owned a Bookbindery in Turin (Italy) for 12 years. He worked for Turin’s main Library, Municipal Archives, and University Libraries restoring and binding documents and books. He also runs his own paper marbling and decorative box making business. Now he lives near Lake Tahoe with wife, cats and a studio. He is currently working for the library of special collections of University of Reno doing restoration work and teaches workshops.

In the world of paper marbling, metallics are rare due to the heavier weight of these types of pigments. Since marbling pigments must float perfectly on the surface of the water bath, metallics prove challenging; but when handled correctly, the shining hues of copper, silver, bronze, gold and pearl will transform a sheet of paper into an iridescent wonder.

The use of rakes and combs is also tricky, requiring carefully manipulated movements of these heavy paints in order to achieve the desired effects without sinking or breakage.

In this workshop, students will learn to handle metallic paints and be introduced to new and more intricate patterns. They will also explore the exciting territory of “Over-marbling”, where one pattern is superimposed upon another to create a magnificent and complex play of pattern. Students will receive instruction during the morning half of class, then spend the afternoon dedicated to personal practice with hands-on guidance from the instructor.

*Please note that paper marbling is a wet process and papers made in the workshop may not be dry at the end of class. Students may return to SFCB after the workshop to retrieve any papers left to dry at the of the day.  

Prequisite:
Introduction to Western Paper Marbling, Pietro's Paper Marbling online workshop, Introduction to Fabric Marbling, or other marbling experience.

Materials to bring:
All tools and materials will be provided. Please wear comfortable shoes for standing that you don't mind getting wet.

About the Instructor:
Pietro Accardi (he/him) owned a Bookbindery in Turin (Italy) for 12 years. He worked for Turin’s main Library, Municipal Archives, and University Libraries restoring and binding documents and books. He also runs his own paper marbling and decorative box making business. Now he lives near Lake Tahoe with wife, cats and a studio. He is currently working for the library of special collections of University of Reno doing restoration work and teaches workshops.

Learn not only the Turkish Map-Fold but also the lesser-known Hungarian Map-Fold!

If you are old (like me) you may remember these awesome Turkish map-folds used for City pocket maps when traveling. Who did not get one of those maps while visiting Rome? And yes, it is still the Turkish map fold even though we are in Italy. And did you know that there was a Hungarian Map-fold, too? It is not really used for maps… but nevertheless it is a great fold for your artist books or mail art.

We will play around with different sizes of paper, how to connect the folds to make infinite long map folds become a garland, and how to make a cover and have two folds facing each other.

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to Bring:
All tools and materials will be provided. 

About the Instructor:
Bettina Pauly (she/her) lives in San Francisco and works as both a book artist and a letterpress printer with Kim Vanderheiden at Painted Tongue Studios, Oakland, California. She loves books and boxes both as physical objects and as containers of meaning. She is interested in a variety of folded, sewn and woven structures in which she can incorporate her printing.

Sashiko - which translates to little stabs - is an embroidery technique developed in the Edo period in Japan. It became not only a decorative practice, but one that was used to mend and repair clothing.

In this workshop mixed media artist, author, and educator Lisa Solomon will first walk you thru how to sashiko stitch, with some pointers on how to create your own patterns from a grid. There will be templates and scrap fabric for you to use and practice with. After a bit of warm up, Lisa will demonstrate how give your clothes a new life and extend their use.

The class will provide a quick overview of supplies and techniques, including interior and exterior patchwork as well as ways to incorporate traditional sashiko patterning from simple to more complicated designs. Participants will also be encouraged to reflect their own personalities in the way they mend. Bring a garment that needs to be fixed! This class will offer a great way to think about sustainability, slow fashion and working with your hands in a meaningful and creative way. 

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to Bring:
Bring a garment that needs to be fixed, and any other scrap fabric you'd like to experiment on.

About the Instructor:
Lisa Solomon (she/her) is a mixed media artist based in the Bay Area who moonlights as an author, professor, illustrator, and color enthusiast. She often questions and deconstructs the meaning of identity and personal histories through the use of mediums traditionally associated with domestic crafts. A “hapa” [1/2 Japanese, 1/2 Caucasian] she feels as though hybridization is consistently at play in her work. She exhibits her work both nationally and internationally and is known for her books A Field Guide to Color and The Color Meditation Deck. Lisa shares her home with her husband, a teenager, a bevy of pets and many many spools of thread. She continually works to bridge the gaps between being creative, living creatively and making a living as a creative. Find Lisa on Instagram at @lisasolomon.

Suminagashi, aka Japanese Paper Marbling, is the ancient Japanese technique of decorating paper with inks. It is believed to be the oldest form of marbling, originating in China over 2,000 years ago and practiced in Japan by Shinto priests as early as the 12th century.

Suminagashi (sue-me-NAH-gah-she), which means literally “ink-floating” involves doing just that! We will explore the use of Japanese marbling inks and various papers to create our own unique, swirling beauties that take just a short time to dry and can be used for a multitude of creative projects going forward. Participants will leave with their own unique stack of marbled papers.

Prerequisite:
None.

Materials to Bring:
All tools and materials will be provided.

About the Instructor:
Molly C. Meng (she/her) studied literature with a personal minor in collecting other people’s lives. An obsession with old notebooks, vintage photos, and every single discarded book that exists, her work reimagines untold stories behind the otherwise forgotten items of everyday. The medium of collage in both paper and textiles is Molly’s dominant form of communicating. She teaches creative workshops around the U.S., and is currently living and working in New Hampshire. mollycmeng.com

This half-day workshop explores ways you can modify the traditional color wheel to suit your own creative practice.

We'll begin with an overview of color models used by artists from the 17th century to the present. A sequence of exercises will demonstrate ways to leverage traditional color concepts to meet different aims. You'll come away with new frameworks for experimentation, and potentially new ways of working with your trusted colors.

You're encouraged to bring your preferred color medium. The concepts and principles covered in the class can be applied to any color medium, wet or dry.

Prerequisite:
Students are expected to have a basic familiarity with color theory.

Materials to Bring:
Bring a range of colors in whichever medium you're comfortable with: colored pencil, pastel, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, plus any brushes or accessories needed. No oils, please. Paper will be provided.

About the Instructor:
Tim Svenonius (he/him) is a mixed-media artist whose work explores the intersections of history, memory and myth. A voracious reader and an avid researcher, his work is shaped by deep investigations into arcane knowledge and lore. He has worked for two decades in the museum field, as a designer, writer, and producer of digital media. In 2015 he self-published a monograph, A Book of Lost Latitudes, which explores the role of the whale in mythology and literature, through evocative drawings and found texts.

Using vibrant-colored European papers, wire, tape, and glue, learn to create your own lasting floral bouquets!

Choose from a variety of beautiful colors and shades to create vibrant hibiscus and daffodils. You’ll take home a small bouquet and the knowledge and skills to make more!

Prerequisite:
None

Materials to Bring:
None

About the Instructor:
Elaine G. Chu (she/her) has taught students of all ages, in person and online. Her work has been featured in “Greencraft” and “Somerset Studio” magazines as well as “1000 Artists’ Books.” She co-authored “Wood Paper Scissors,” a how-to crafts book. Elaine received a B.A. in music at Yale University and a B.F.A. in graphic design at University of the Arts. View more on Etsy and on Instagram @egchu1