Art Project Share 2: Soldered Little Books
Inspiration, images and tips
By Lynne Suprock
When I was a little girl, I wrote stories for, and read them to my dolls. I used shirt cardboard and crayons and of course there had to be glitter in the making of them. Today, I still love these little books and have been lucky enough to make a few of my own dolls, so that they may each have a book or two or many.....actually I have book cases for them!
As an artist with tremedous tool spirit, I found that soldered metal became the perfect media for making strong little books, to display or to wear, so I could continue my childhood book making obsession. I also love the idea of using scrap leather to make the binding and transferring images to make my own titles. Being able to write my own stories inside is just icing on the cake. A special touch to the front covers are recycled family jewels in the samples below.
Certain people in my life have also been true inspirations, not only as artists, but as friends. I am blessed and I love to give back when I can. It has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience to make a meaningful piece for people who mean so much to me.
Another inspiration comes with product. I met a fantastic beadmaker when I was teaching workshops and vending at Beadfest, Philadelphia, Heather Boardman of HMB studio. I fell in love with both Heather and her beads. They became part of my book plan for a series incorporating" Kaloops". See beautiful examples of Heather's Kaloops online at:
As well, there is a bit of ego involved when it comes to challenging myself with my work. I am my own worst critic but that ego drives me to a better place and gives me the persistance I need to create outside the box. A couple years back, I entered these books for publication in Lark Books. Yay! I was very excited to be accepted with book pieces published. I remember taking a day to savor the moment, patting myself on the back, then moving on the next day to work on my next idea!
SOME TIPS: When soldering for wear, use a lead free solder and one with a higher silver content. Silvergleem by Canfield is a good option. There are others available as jewelry grade, as well. Always use good ventilation, wear a solder fume mask and run an air filter to prevent absorbing any smoke or fumes into your lungs.
The hinge apparatus in some of my books are metal tubes, cut to size and soldered to both front and back plates. A hand formed wire then slides in and out of the back tube. A spiral prevents the wire from sliding completely out. Experiment with different closures.
When heating the fluxed copper plates, make sure you bring the copper up to temperature before applying the solder so it flows easily across the metal. For these books, you need only to solder the front part of both plates.
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Stay tuned for Segment Four with more stories, images, and tips throughout the weeks and months ahead.
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