DIY Archives | CLEVERcreating

Folding a special booklet

May 31, 2017November 13, 2014 by Hannie

Sometimes budget is scarse and the wish to make an outstanding item is big.
At an event I had organized a friend and I wanted to give our audience a poem bundle. We both wanted to show off our skills – he as a poet and I as a designer.
There was just one minor problem: we didn’t have any money to spend. 😉

Problems can lead to great solutions. The end result was a folded booklet which made our guests really happy.

Form follows function

The poems of my friend have a specific style. The sentences are very short, hence a small page is an obvious choice. So the form dictates the found solution of the folded pages.

It’s not common for a text to influence the form that strong, but also with ‘normal’ text, you can make folded pages. Just make sure the columns are small and the letterfont is not too big. And I would use the pages on the other side as well in that case. I mean the pages I left blank, not the backside of the paper.

Pages at the inside

For the pages I chose paper of 100 grs of a good quality to have a nice feeling in my fingers when I hold it. The sheet is an A3 printed with a laser printer, and then cut longitudinally, resulting in two strips of 420×148,5mm.

The strip is folded a few times as a harmonica, resulting in 8 pages of 52,5×148,5 mm.

Cover is folded as well

The cover is an A5 of 300 grs verge board. Verge paper means ‘ribbed paper’. It is produced by the mesh on which the paper is made, looks like lines in relief and gives the paper a cool look.

The outside could be this thick because it is not printed.
First, the cardboard is folded in half and then again just halfway, leaving space for the white pages to fit in.

A special folding mode

Sure, you can also make a booklet by folding some papers together and staple them, but this looks more special don’t you think? And our edition conteined just 30 copies, making it not too time consuming to make.

Can you think of more occasions to use a folding booklet like this? Let me know in the commentbox below.

DIY framing in Photoshop

May 9, 2017October 30, 2014 by Hannie

Make your own remarkable frame

There are tons of free frames available on the Internet. They’re fun to use. But wouldn’t it be great to make your own frame? If you have a photo program that works with layers, it’s not that hard.

I have made the frame in the accompanying picture with a bristle brush. I love the imperfection of a handmade drawing. Of course there are ways to make it digitally though you will probably need a drawing tablet to get a similar result.

I’ll explain step by step how you can make a frame like the one shown here. And I’ll also give alternatives, so you know how you can customize it to your own liking.

I use Adobe Photoshop, but Photoshop Elements or any other program that works in layers will do. Gimp and PaintShopPro seem to give good results, although I don’t know them myself. I am an Apple user by religion 🙂

What do you need?
A picture you want to level up

Tulip fields in april in Holland

The picture can either be a really good one, so you want it to stand out extraordinarily. Or it can be a picture that isn’t very good, but that has others reasons to be handled with extra care. For instance, it’s a picture that resembles great memories and you want to combine several of those memories into one image.

A self-made frame
Try to think in layers on forehand

Self-made frames, paint on paper that was spanned on plywood

Although I adore my computer I am from the age of paint and stained fingers. So I make my frames with real paint or ink as in this example. But in any photo program there are tools to make similar quadrangles and spots in a digital way.

The tricky part when painting
Wet paper crinkles easily

Wetted paper will not dry flat

Paper that is not supported in any way will stay bubbled after getting wet and drying. You can easily prevent this by adhering the paper on the edges. (Have a look at this painting in Museum Insel Hombroich – talk about crumbled paper!)

The easy way
Which is of course more expensive

If you can afford it, you can buy a block of quality paper. It’s quite expensive but the color and the surface are really grand. Because the sides are pressed together it doesn’t matter that the paper gets wet: it will dry flat every single time. It’s for sale in any good art supply store.

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The difficult way

And more affordable with the same or even a better result

I use water-resistant plywood to span the paper. As you can see I pull the old layers of paper tape off and use the board several times.

Gather the following: plywood board, paper tape, a sheet of paper, a sponge and a bowl of water
Use a sheet of good quality paper and wet it with a non-marking sponge. The paper will swell. Make sure the paper is wetted evenly
Let it rest for a couple of minutes
Tear the paper tape to the desired length. Wet the pieces of paper tape and let them rest for a moment too
Place the paper on the plywood and rub it gently from the center to the sides
Paste one long side with a strip of tape
Rub the paper again on the board until it’s more or less flat and adhere the opposite side. And then the two short sides
Let it dry completely, before you paint on it

I use water-resistant plywood to span the paper. As you can see I pull the old layers of paper tape off and use the board several times.

Good preparation is half the job

Collect the right tools for the other half of the job

Usually I’ll try both ink and paint with different kind of brushes, because they will give a varied texture

Once the paper is tight and flat in front of you, draw all kind of frames on it.
The paper will swell again of course, but because of the paper tape it will dry up nicely time and again.

Sometimes I draw rectangles in the ratio of the photographs I am going to use. Sometimes I draw freeform shapes. You can do whatever is to your liking. Just make sure that the contrast between the color of the paper and the color of the ink or paint is high enough.

From old-fashioned to new media

Scanning, choosing, masking

For the intro picture I chose a painted, stripy blot.

I scan all the frames I have made and choose which one to use after that. The reason to scan also the frames that are not completely right is to be able to digitally copy and paste parts of them.

Open the scan in your editing program.

The magic wand in Photoshop or another photo program

I am a huge fan of Adobe Photoshop, but any other photo editing program if fine too.
By varying the value of the magic wand you can select as much of the smudge as you want.

Layers make my life so much easier

Copy the selection and paste it in a new layer on your picture.

I made the mask yellow so you can see what I selected

Invert the selection and activate the layer with the picture. And throw away the selected part.

The result

I added another layer that I made yellow, well, kind of yellow. The main reason being that it supports the explanation. Generally I would make that layer white to make the spot stand out more.

Layering

My article about a selfmade card is also about layers in Photoshop.

Combining Ceramics with Linocut and Stencils

May 21, 2017July 4, 2013 by Hannie

The tricks of the trade

Usually I make abstract sculptural ceramics, but occasionally I take a side road at making bowls. Not that these bowls can be used to put something in, because I always tend to make objects, but the starting point is better known to others than my abstract work.

The creativity of others, for instance someone like Escher, inspires me and I hope I can be an inspiration for people as well.
The techniques I will describe here are tips I got several years ago. There is so much possible with clay! It keeps amazing me. And it keeps me real enthusiastic about ceramics.

If you try new things, a new way of working or a new technique, you will not have instant result. Well, most of the times. But try and don’t give up and you will surprise yourself. I know I did.

(Drawings, bowl and photographs are mine © Hannie Mommers)

Designing and sketching

I always start with a drawing

Computer sketch of two variations of the bowl

I am more of a designer than an artist. Meaning I sketch and draw before I make anything. Other artists are more intuitive and start right away. Both ways of working are fine, I guess. I feel happiest when I make a plan on forehand.

Sketching can be by hand or by computer. For these lizard-bowls I sketched the lizard by hand, scanned it and made the layout by computer.

Two of the results

Is imitation a form of flattery?

Inspiration is everywhere

Browse through books, visit websites

I found the inspiration for my bowls in a book about Escher.

There is a lot of talk in my profession about imitation and inspiration. I do not believe in plain imitation. If you do not know what you’re doing, even something that is an exact replica will have no soul.

But start with imitating and try to give it your own twist and you will discover new paths.

Reptiles – M.C. Escher

Three pieces of linoleum

The linocut – Preparing

My idea was to use embossing that went from flat to higher parts. I cut three pieces of lino. In one I cut only the outlines (1), the next piece had more texture (2) and the latter had recessed portions (3).
With these linopieces I can press in the clay like a stamp.

My lino cutter of choice

I have my set since I attended the Academy of Visual Arts. So it must be 40 years old. Most of the time when I want to suggest a tool, it has been changed. This one rightfully hasn’t, as you can see. And why should it, it’s a marvelous set and with proper care, it’ll last for ages.

A lot of my tools have a blue marking of tape. That way they don’t get lost if I attend a workshop!

Stamped parts

Combined with little hand built parts

Stamped with respectively lino (1) and lino (2). I didn’t alter stamps (1) and (2) afterwards.

In bowl A I used one stamped part of lino (1), one of lino (2) and 4 of lino (3). The dish is made in a mold, making it easy to draw guidelines with pencil and positioning the stamped parts. When they are positioned the way I want, I can finish the rest of the platter. The plaster mold extracts moisture from the clay, so it dries. As soon as the form has shrunk loose, I can finish the back.

This is one of the four stamps with lino (3)

Three of the four stamped parts of lino (3) were altered after assembling. Either a little tail is peeking out of the surface or the body is thickened. Or the head is lifted up completely. That is why these vessels can’t be used as bowls, the protruding parts would break by the first apple that was thrown into them.

Experiment, improving each time

Bowl B has more resemblance to Escher’s drawing

In Bowl (B) I used the same stamps as in (A) and added drawings. These lizards don’t walk round behind each other, but vanish off in a spiral with the last one leaving a shadow behind.

Stencils and colored slibs

Supplemented by sgraffito and glaze

Several techniques are used for the background

The background of Bowl (A) is decorated with leaves. If you want to make something like this, try to think in layers.
The bowl is made of white clay. Before the first firing I added an ochre layer of slib.
I cut leaves from paper (newspaper is ideal, because it’s thin and absorbs water) and while the clay is still moist I press them gently on the surface. If it won’t stick you can ‘paint’ them with water, just make sure it doesn’t get too wet.
The next layer I added was the green one. After drying the paper leafs can be peeled off.
The leaf veins are scratched, making them white. It’s a technique I call sgraffito, but I am not sure that is an English word as well?

After the first firing I have added more slibs as shadows. And glazed some of the leaves, leaving the others with a matte finish. I love the contrast between shiny and matt.

Clay tools from the kitchen drawer

July 26, 2020May 10, 2013 by Hannie

You can start making ceramics right away

Working with your hands, and especially with clay, is a great way to relax. It is also a way to develop your creativity and very satisfying. And it is not very expensive at all.

Over the years I have collected a lot of professional tools for my clay processing – wire tools, knives, hole cutters, kidneys. But you can use cheap clay tools right away, because most of these utensils you have in your house anyway.

All you have to do is buy some clay and you’re set.

DIY How to smooth the surface of your clay object

July 26, 2020May 9, 2013 by Hannie

Three affordable tips

DIY: How to smooth the surface of your clay object

Ceramics can be produced in several ways. You can press clay in molds, hand build or merge slabs. Depending completion or decoration it can be necessary to smooth the surface as best as possible.

If you intend to use slip on the finished form, it’s best not to smooth the surface too thoroughly. When the clay molecules are pressed too tight against each other the engobe will not attach very well.

On the other hand, if you plan to put your work in the smoke kiln, it is better if the surface is polished. The smoother the better.

Dyeing with plants, a natural way of coloring

July 26, 2020May 5, 2013 by Hannie

Colors from your garden

DIY: Dyeing with plants, a natural way of coloring

Generally, when thinking of gardening, one will think of flowers for beauty and vegetables to eat.
But wouldn’t it be fantastic to see vegetation as a way to make your own colors?

As a ceramicist I am interested in the way colors are produced. I have been making my own colored slibs for years now, but writing my article about the coloring of clay aroused my interest in natural coloring in general once again.

I can’t garden myself anymore because of a back problem, but we have a public garden in my village with a tremendous explanation about all the features of plants.

Shades of clay. How to use the color of clay itself

May 21, 2017May 3, 2013 by Hannie

Dutch Design in a pure form

Since the 70s Dutch Design is a major export article. And that design covers all areas, like graphic design, industrial design and architecture.

Some great schools were accountable for the high level of their students. To name a few: the Delft University of Technology, the Design Academy Eindhoven and the Academy for Art and Design St. Joost in Breda.

I had my education at the Academy of Visual Arts in Tilburg and at St. Joost, where I learned to have an inquisitive attitude. And it gives me a real boost if I see this spirit in others.

Clay is in the ground

Does old-fashioned craft still exist in the 21st century?

Old-fashioned tiles at the exhibition ‘Hand Made’ in museum Boymans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Nowadays some young people think every item comes from the store or the factory. They see no connection with the soil or with the cultivation of the land. I once was at an exhibition of home spun wool and what I remember most of that exhibition is that one of the participants said she had discovered that sheep eat grass in the meadow!
Duh.

But of course there is also a large group of (young and old) people that want to live consciously in regard to the environment and consider how fragile our planet is.

When you are a designer and you are interested in sustainability you might want to do the same as this Dutch girl did. Lonny van Ryswyck decided to go back to the roots for her graduation project for the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Sheer clay- Pure colors

An abandoned brick factory in Gilze, the Netherlands, is rebuild to a beautiful exhibition center

Armed with a bucket and a shovel van Ryswyck traveled through the Netherlands and scooped clay in different regions. These regions used to be areas of clay extractions for household and industrial purposes. For example Makkum, in Friesland, the north of the Netherlands, was famous for its tiles in the 17th century. Or Gilze, which is near my hometown, used to have large brick factories.

Clay consists of minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. At each site the clay has a different composition, which will cause different colors and a different degree of shrinkage. Van Ryswyck did a meticulous examination of these disparities. She made a study of the composites, so now she knows what causes the colors.

She made molds for cups and saucers, thus making it visible that the shrinkage varies. The end result is a ceramic set with a beautiful variation of brown, ochre and white of which not one pair has the same size.

To top it off she stamped the names of the regions in the objects. You can imagine why I as a graphic designer and ceramist am so delighted with this project and its end products.

Can green be commercial?
Quality comes fast, my father used to say

A couple of years ago I heard Lonny in a lecture. She is really passionate about her work and rightly proud of it. And I am so happy for her that a factory – Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum – has taken an interest in her designs and has put it into production.

If you dig clay you can also dug it

Do it yourself

It’s not that hard to shovel your own clay and prepare it.

Dig up clay from a field or from an area near a river
Let it rest outside for a winter. This is called ‘let the clay rot’
Break it in small pieces and ground it
Add water and sift it in order to remove plant debris and little stones
Let it rest for a while and pour the water that comes on top
Let the clay dry to kneadable thickness. You can do this by either warmth or spread it on plaster plates
Knead or grind it into uniform composition
Store it cool and moist
Before working with the clay you can add grog or paper to your liking. Depending of course on what you want to make with it.

What is product design?

Have a look at how designers think.
It’s so great to leaf through design books and see all the marvelous products people came up with.

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How to make the perfect slabs of clay

July 26, 2020April 24, 2013 by Hannie

Ever tried to roll clay on cloth?

DIY: How to make the perfect slabs of clay

If you did, you probably will have noticed that it’s hard to keep the cloth tight and flat.
To make slabs of clay, I used to roll the clay on a piece of textile, supported by two wood slats.

There is nothing wrong with that method. Just that the fabric doesn’t always behave the way I want it to behave. It often crinkles, making lines in the slabs I don’t want.

Then one day somebody gave me this tip. I thought it was ‘the egg of Columbus‘. (Do you use this expression in your country as well?)

DIY How to make the perfect clay rolls

May 21, 2017April 21, 2013 by Hannie

The secret of the waffle cloth

I am a ceramicist and make sculptural, abstract art. In a lot of my work I need rolls of clay. These can be thick, even rolls. Or rolls that vary from thick to thin.

I used to roll them in between two hands. Usually ending up with lumpy and strange looking things. Not too bad, but certainly not perfect.

Here is my look behind the scenes.

A simple solution, yet very effective

Do try this at home. Take a simple waffle cloth – I have several in different colors, not that the colors are of any importance – and wet it. Put it flat on the table and roll a little piece of clay on it.
Piece of cake.

Even, thick rolls that I used in the piece on the right. An extra touch is the use of two colors of clay.

From thick to thin

And trust me, it can go really thin with this method.

As you can see in the pictures I use several textures of waffle cloth.

The big series: Reaching for the sky

“Reaching for the sky 4” – 23x23x137 cm

All the rolls for these series of very large built forms were made using this technique.

I made this YouTube video when my company celebrated its 25th anniversary

Try several

Although I am very faithfull, once used to a certain brand, I occasionally buy different kinds as well. Just to try it. Some deteriorate too easily, others just have the perfect texture and sustainability.