After introducing ourselves at the start of the class, we learned how Shanna gets her supply of Elk bone and had a peek at pieces she had cut. We selected from these pictured pieces which she had cut into a variety of widths and lengths. Elk bone works well for bone folders due to its density, strength, and color. The elk bones we used were leftovers. Shanna gets them from game processing houses out west. When they are made into bone folders they are repurposed, and not thrown away. I liked the sounds the pieces made as I shuffled through them making selections for my own endeavors.
Here I am using the hatchet to cut away excess bone and rough out the ‘envisioned’ shape of a bone folder or awl handle. This was a bit intimidating at first. But once I got the hang of it; I was fine being very careful of where my fingers were throughout the process.
My first completed tools - bone folders and an awl. Each one of these has gone through all the stages. The feather-like image was made using the Dremel tool to etch the design, filling it with epoxy and black acrylic paint, then filing and sanding away the excess (when dried) to get to the etched image. The heart was made by sawing the shape with a jeweler’s saw. The awl was made by taking the bone through all of the stages, drilling a small hole for a needle (eye removed), placing epoxy in the hole, and inserting the needle. I did a bit more sanding and polishing after the epoxy had dried and I was sure the needle was securely in place.
Bone folders and closures for books at various stages.
Each student had the opportunity to make a custom tool roll for their bone folders and other tools.
I am fortunate to have had this experience working among these talented, kind, and generous folks!
I recently had the good fortune to take a class at the Penland School of Craft. It was a week long intensive titled Bone Folders Elevated taught by Shanna Leino. Shanna makes beautiful artist books as well as creating a line of tools for bookbinding and various other gadgets. Visit her website and store at www.shannaleino.com and see for yourself.
Here are some pictures and information about this experience.
This is a small sampling of the beautiful bone folders (and other tools) made by Shanna.
Tools and work table - it was great to have these necessary tools supplied by Penland (at Shanna’s request). The work board and sea clamp, anvil, and saw would serve us well throughout the week.
Here is a selection of folders I worked on. They are at different stages of the process. Some have been cut with the hatchet, rasped using the farrier’s rasp (after using the hatchet) to remove more of the bone, and filed and sanded. Notice how I have drawn on some of the pieces, working out the shape of the folder or the embellishments for the surface.
This set-up was for using the Dremel drill with a wide selection of bits. I enjoyed this process. In enabled us to apply numerous types of surface decoration such as drilling patterned holes or embossing designs such as leaves or flowers and other patterns.
The hose provided a vacuum to help control the dust created during this process.
I added an embossed leaf to this small bone folder. I used these small files to get into the spaces around the leaf in order to smooth out the surface of the bone.
The epoxy with paint has been filed and sanded away revealing the drawn and etched ginkgo leaves.
Show and Tell, sharing our work with one another and students and teachers in other classes.
The ‘line up’ - Shanna, MB, Beth, Rachel, Anne, and Paul…joy!
I am so glad I seized this opportunity and ventured to Penland. What a gift to focus on learning and creating in these beautiful surroundings!