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Join me as I share my favorite tools with you after years of experience, teaching students, learning from my colleagues, taking workshops as a life long learner and simply finding better ways to do things.
What’s the difference between a Rule vs Ruler?
Ruler: Begins away from the edge where you start measuring.
The edge of a RULE is where you start measuring.
This distinction was provided to me by Phil, a student who is a retired engineer.
I use a clear see through Centering Ruler.
I like that the 0 mark is in the middle. It makes for easy measuring.
The brand that I use is Westcott, available online.
My bone folder of choice is not made of Bone!
I use a non-stick Teflon bone folder.
Advantages:
- No gluey stick from previous projects and it does not discolor from glue paint or ink, so it always looks good.
- It doesn’t leave a shiny burnish mark so you can make direct contact with your paper surface.
- The ergonomic shape is comfortable in your hand.
The brand I use is CrafTreat and is available online.
Specialized choices for cutting blades and collage scissors.
Use scissors designed for paper cutting. They are small for cutting close to your paper and have a sharp tip for precision. These are also great for collage. There are a wide variety available online.
Cutting Blades: I prefer cutting blades that have snap off edges, so I always have a sharp edge for clean and precise cuts. Use a pliers to snap off the dull tip. These are usually available inexpensively at hardware stores or a higher-quality one is here.
Booklet Stapler: Binding device that’s great for simple and easy books, working with children, intimidated beginners, and mass production. It substitutes for a pamphlet stitch. The brand that I use is Bostitch and it’s available online.
Travel Kit musts!
Some of us work from school, workshops, traveling and other places than our home studios where we have all of our supplies.
For carrying a lot of items or bulky items, some of use a travel carry on size rolling suitcase or rolling carrier made for art crafts. If you are traveling light, or have organizers with in your larger bag, there are smaller options.
I also always like to bring my own:
Scoring Board with specialized bone folder for creating accordion books.
I keep 2 sets of everything, one for my studio and one for travel.
A couple of good tricks taught to me by BAG Ladies, and my fellow board officer colleagues, Julie Filatoff and Linda Zwick, these tips make sewn stitch binding easier:
- Shelf liner for pulling thread through our paper, signatures and covers vs struggle or pliers assist.
- Tapestry needles are good due to their large eyes being able to accommodate for the thickness of waxed thread.
- Curved sewing needles are more adept and flexible for hand stitching where a straight needle has difficulty or cannot pass.
My favorite subject matter, Artist Adhesives!
Artist adhesives include both wet and dry adhesives, glues, tapes and double sided adhesives chosen for durability, quality and specific material bonding. I use a variety of adhesives for different purposes and I look forward to sharing my favorites with you and why!
Dry adhesive double-sided glue tape runners:
This is my most used double sided permanent adhesive runner for book making and collage.
Features:
Good permanent adhesion
No drying time, no wrinkles!
Acid free and photo safe
My favorite brand: Glue Tape I purchase multipack packages online.
You can also acquire repositionable double sided runner adhesives which is great for collages. I use both.
For a heavy duty double sided dry adhesive, I use a 3M/ Scotch ATG 700 Adhesive Transfer Tape Dispenser with replaceable 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch inch rolls.
For attaching bookboard to fabric covers liners, I use double sided mounting adhesive. The brand that I’m using presently is Remington All Purpose Economy Mounting Adhesive. I purchase it online and it comes in a very long roll, enough for 2 or 3 people to split. It is available in widths 30 to 61 inches; I have it sawed into 3 or 4 sections to make placement more manageable.
Wet Adhesives:
Although I prefer dry contact adhesives, occasionally, a wet adhesive is the appropriate choice. If I’m using a wet adhesive, I purchase it in small quantities to avoid drying and waste. I choose one with a small nozzle for precision and to avoid the ooze factor.
When I need a stronger grip, I use a recent discovery, B-7000, a multi-purpose wet adhesive that is also good for attaching small 3D items. I prefer it to E-6000. It can be acquired in small tubes. You don’t combine two parts like epoxy, so it’s easier, quicker, not messy, and no waste. The application is very precise and right out of the tube. The scent is much less unpleasant as well.
Thank you for your interest. I hope that this was helpful and that you learned some new possibilities for your making your own artwork!
Ro Gouletas
Ro Gouletas is a faculty member of Santa Fe Community College where she teaches Book Arts, Printmaking, and Creative Expression. She also leads workshops for SFCC Continuing Education. Ro is an active member and on the board of directors of Santa Fe BAG. She earned her MFA degree at State University of New York, New Paltz.