How to Make a Tunnel Book

I have tried several times over the years to make tunnel books. They are wonderful, interactive structures that are visually appealing as well. I have not been very successful in my endeavors as my "pages" tend to warp and bend. Last month at a San Diego Book Arts Salon I met a woman who makes beautiful tunnel books and she was working on one invented by Ed Hutchins. She downloaded the directions here and I came home and did the same. Fast forward to yesterday when I finally had the time to make a tunnel book myself. Below are pictures of the results. This version of the structure has lightweight side hinges and doubled pages. In other words, no more warping!

I used a roll of craft paper for the base structure and it worked beautifully. I used three pages from an old calendar to get the images, but you can use anything, or just draw your own images. I hope you will be inspired to try this project.

-Gina

1. Choose images.

2. Cut and fold craft paper (8" x 30") and lay out images.

3. Cut holes in pages so you can see through the tunnel.

4. Pasted first image and cut in an oval around elements you want to keep.

5. Paste down the other images and glue side tabs together.

Finished tunnel book with 4 layers of images.

Top view of tunnel book.

Side view of book with hinges showing.

How To Make Artist's Books: Book Recommendations

My friend Nancy suggested that I do an occasional book recommendation for book artists, origami enthusiasts and paper crafters. Since I was a blogger in need of a post it seemed like a good fit. So here is my first list of books on book arts. These are ones that I return to time and again for structure and content ideas. You can get them at your favorite online bookstore. I hope you find some inspiration or a new treasure here.

My top three recommendations are:

1. Creating Handmade Books by Alisa Golden has clear, concise text and illustrations for making everything from simple one-page structures all the way up to multi-signature sewn structures.

2. Making and Keeping Creative Journals by Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott is a feast for journal lovers. She offers innovative structures to match topics such as gardening, birding and art journaling.

3. Sleight of Binding by Cherryl Moote offers playful structures to lift your books into the third dimension. You will find kinetic and interactive designs in shapes and colors that wake up your creative mind.

Here are some pictures of my work using these books for instruction and inspiration.

 Book/card with tunnel from Creating Handmade Books. (2014)

Jacob's Ladder book (front and back) and content from Creating Handmade Books. (2004)

Jacob's Ladder "Flight" book from Creating Handmade Books. (2009)

Journal with different color and size pages from Making and Keeping Creative Journals.

Inside of journal showing content. (2003)

Dos-a-Dos book from Making and Keeping Creative Journals.

Inside the Dos-a-Dos book. (2003)

 Glove book inspired by one in Making and Keeping Creative Journals. (2007)

Gallery Book from Sleight of Binding. I modified Cherryl's structure by leaving the paper on the front of the "windows" and using it to fold the cranes. (2012)

Cherrly's book Sleight of Binding has many kinds of flexigon structures. Here are three that I made using Graphic 45 papers. (2014)

Wednesday Post #15: Origami and Kumi Korf workshops

I have been very busy the last two weekends making paper art. First, the San Diego Origami Club met and we learned to make this wonderful box structure. Last weekend I participated in two Kumi Korf workshops. The first workshop was a whirlwind of 5 book/box structures. The second was a kinetic book structure that is housed in a lovely box. I am still finishing up the second workshop projects, but it was a wonderful weekend and my head is now swimming with ideas. Below are some pictures of what I made as well as the diagram I created for the origami box structure. I hope you enjoy.

-Gina

Origami Box

Instructions for the folded box

Kumi Korf Workshop book

Another Kumi Korf workshop structure.

The outside of this structure.

"Hole in My Heart" structure. I still need to cover the top and bottom sections with decorative paper.

Configuration 1 of the above structure. Slots will house small books.

Configuration 2 of the above structure. I can't wait to finish.

I would like to thank Kumi for sharing her talents, humor and amazing structures with the participants of this San Diego Book Arts workshop.

Wednesday Post #14: Juried Show Entries

Its a Wednesday post on Wednesday, woohoo! I have been working hard the last few weeks preparing books for several juried shows around the country. I got my altered books photographed and electronically mailed into the Bound-Unbound III show at the University of South Dakota. I was fortunate enough to have three books in their Bound-Unbound II show, so I am hoping they will accept one or more this time as well.

Puget Sound Book Arts is having their member show in the summer, but books are being selected by a jury starting March 1 so I needed something to submit for that too. Below are pictures of a new book called Tine Language using the flag book structure, invented by Hedi Kyle. I cut out forks from cardstock using my baby fork as a template. Then I bent and glued the tines as needed to create a version of the American Sign Language manual alphabet. I like the interplay of the shapes in this structure.

The third juried show I plan to enter is called Hello Hedi. It is being hosted by 23 Sandy Gallery and as Hedi Kyle is my favorite book artist and I love her structures I must try to get into this show. I needed different books for each of these shows as they are all happening simultaneously. So I have been very busy as you can see below. I will let you know if I am fortunate enough to get juried into any of these shows. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
-Gina

Stone Mountain, GA, by Gina Pisello (altered book)

Tine Language, by Gina Pisello (ASL alphabet flag book)

Side view of Tine Language

Edna's Travels, by Gina Pisello (Hedi Kyle envelope book structure)

Modified Blizzard Fold Pinwheel Structure

I would like to share a model today that I invented based on Hedi Kyle's Blizzard Fold book (instructions are given in the Penland Book of Handmade Books). I was playing around with the folds and wondered what would happen if I folded every other triangle fold back instead of forward as you do in her model. The result was 4 little niches with roofs and floors. I then manipulated this linear structure and realized that if I turned it in on itself I could create a pinwheel design and a book in the round. Below are step by step pictures with descriptions for how to fold this structure. I hope you will try it and come up with interesting uses for this wonderful design. Thanks for stopping by.

-Gina

 Step 1: Start by folding a piece of paper measuring 6 x 24 inches into 16 equal parts (ie. accordion fold the length of the paper). Then with the accordion folded up, fold down the top and bottom corners to form triangles like you see in the picture above.

Step 2: Repeat the triangle fold for each mountain fold (page) of the structure.

Step 3: Here is where my model diverges from Hedi Kyle's. Unfold all of the triangle folds made above and reverse fold the first one on the mountain fold as shown above.

Step 4: Unfold the next mountain fold, making it a valley fold and fold the triangles toward you. Your model should look like the picture above.

Step 5: Keep the next mountain fold and fold the triangles to the back of the structure. Repeat this process, first folding the triangles towards you then unfolding the next mountain fold and folding the triangles to the back until you reach the end of the paper.

Step 6: Your model should look like the picture above. The one below gives a different angle showing the triangle folds going back and forth.

Step 7: Close up the model along the valley folds and mountain folds. Notice that the structure is now twice as wide. That is because we opened up every other mountain fold in the previous steps.

Step 8: Now we return to the Blizzard Fold and starting with the first page fold the triangle sections into the middle of the pages. 

Step 9: The next set of triangles is on the back side of the model. Fold them in as shown above.

Step 10: Continue folding in the triangles at the back and front of the accordion folds, tucking in and folding along existing lines. Use the pictures to help you get your model working.

This picture shows the triangle flaps being folded in on the second page.

Here is the model with the first and second pages and their triangles folded in. Note how the rest of the model looks at this stage.

The third set of triangles are now folded up.

Here is the other side of the model at this stage.

The forth set of triangles are now folded up and the folding is complete.

This is the model from the other side. At this point you can use the model as a linear structure. It has these 4 niches on one side and 3 on the other. Or you can proceed and get the pinwheel pictured below.

Step 11: If you want to turn the model into a self closing pinwheel structure make sure the model has the side with 4 niches facing you. Grab the first and last page and pull them towards each other, but away from you and the niches will open out to form the structure you see above and below. 

Step 12: To get the model to stay in this open position, take the triangle tabs from the last page and fold them over the triangle tabs on the first page (shown in the picture above on the left).

Here I have turned the model into an artist's book using paper threads to represent waves.