We're talking about making Scrolls ~ [Creative Scroll Project] ~ "Crafting your Scroll"

We're talking about making Scrolls ~ [Creative Scroll Project]

[Click the above link to get to our previous Blog Session]

Today's Blog Session...

"Crafting your Scroll"

BLOG SESSION

August 5th, 2017

Good Afternoon Blog Readers, Writers, Artists, Authors, Scroll Makers, Followers & Visitors ~ 

We're back here once again for another exciting Blog Session about making your personal Scroll.  As you know, if you have been following along with us, we are discussing our Creative Scroll Project.

Now is the time to grab your Journal to take more notes...

Journal Notes

In our last Blog Session, we talked about aging your paper, staining your paper, how to apply your stain, how to dry your paper, and distressing the edges of your paper for the ultimate aged look for your Creative Scroll Project.

Today, we are going to get into the topic that is of vital interest to everyone who has been following along on our Creative Scroll Project, and that is . . .

 "Crafting your Scroll"

In order to craft your Scroll for your own personal taste, you'll need to relax your mind, toss out rules, and make your Scroll personal and unique according to your own soul direction.

Following are some Guidelines that will help you to craft your Scroll...

1)   You'll want to write on your Scroll of you are an Author, Writer, Journalist or a Poet for sure.

2)   You'll want to draw, paint or add Renderings on your Scroll if you are an Artist, Designer or Architect.

3)   You'll enjoy adding photos to your Scroll if you are a Photographer.

MEDIUMS TO USE:

For Writing

1)   A black pen works well if your Scroll is aged or if you are using brown paper bags for your paper.

2)   Dark inks also work well if your Scroll is aged or if you are using brown paper bags for your paper.

3)   For those of you who would like to write on your Scroll using Calligraphy, here is a little background information for your Journal . . .

Calligraphy Notes

Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing.  It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad tip instrument, dip pen, or brush, among other writing instruments.  A contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as, "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner".

Modern Calligraphy ranges from functional inscriptions and designs to fine-art pieces where the letters may or may not be readable.

Classical Calligraphy differs from typography and non-classical hand-lettering, though a calligrapher may practice both.

PRINCIPAL TOOLS FOR A CALLIGRAPHER

The principal tools for a calligrapher are the pen and the brush.  Calligraphy pens write with nibs that may be flat, round, or pointed.  For some decorative purposes, multi-nibbed pens or steel brushes can be used.  However, works have also been created with felt-tip and ballpoint pens, although these works do not employ angled lines.  There are some styles of calligraphy, like Gothic script, which require a stub nib pen.

Common calligraphy pens and brushes are:

• Quill
• Dip pen
• Ink brush
• Qalam
• Fountain pen

Vietnamese Calligrapher

SCROLL

[ Writing in Hán-Nôm in preparation for Tết,

at the Temple of Literature, Hanoi (2011) ]

For Drawing

1)   Feel comfortable using crayons, colored pencils, colored markers, colored inks, or colored paints if you'd like your Scroll to be colorful.

2)   Be careful if you are using paints, inks, or heavy markers, especially if you are using a brown paper bag.  The reason you need to be careful is because the medium you use could possibly bleed through the more delicate papers.

3)   Make sure you allow your medium ~ be it ink, marker, or paint ~ to dry completely before you move on to the next step.  You definitely do not want to smear your writings or drawings and mess up your precious personal and unique Scroll.

NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Selection of your Dowels

for your Personal & Unique Scroll

Until our next Blog Session dear Friends ~

Peace, Love & Light,

By René Allen

© Copyright - René Allen - 2014 - 2017 - All Rights Reserved

We're talking about making Scrolls ~ [Creative Scroll Project]

We're talking about making Scrolls

[Creative Scroll Project]

BLOG SESSION

August 4th, 2017

Good Morning Blog Readers, Writers, Followers, Visitors and those interested in learning how to make a Scroll . . .

If you were here for our last Blog Session, then you have your Journal ready to take more notes on how to make a Scroll.

In our last Blog Session we discussed the idea of doing a Creative Scroll Project.  If you are a Writer, an Author, a Poet, a Designer, or a Creative person with the desire to do something different, then this Creative Scroll Project is just the thing you need to get your creative juices flowing!

You were given seven (7) points to get you started on your Creative Scroll Project in our last Session.  You can scroll down and you'll bump right into our last Session.  You may also sign up to "Follow by Email" by adding your email address over in the right hand column, then click the "Submit" button.  That way, you will receive every Blog Session as it comes out in your email, and you'll know exactly what we are discussing here on the Blog.  You may also click on any of the links over in the right hand column of this Blog where you see, "Blog Archive".  By checking the "Blog Archive", it will allow you to catch up on any Session that you may have missed, or that you'd like to go over again so that you may add information to your Journal.

Now's the time to grab your Journal to take notes...

Journal Notes

Here is the 8th point for your Journal . . .

8.    Aging your paper

If you'd like for your Scroll to look aged, you'll need to age your paper.  The way to make your paper look aged is to do the following...

         a)  Crumple your paper ~ Crumpling your paper makes it look wrinkled and aged.

         b)  Next, you spray your paper with a little water and crumple it into a ball.

         c)  Then, smooth your paper out.

         d)  After smoothing your paper, you will crumple your paper a few more times for a more wrinkled appearance.

          e)  You can iron your paper very lightly if you want your scroll to look extra flat.

          f)  Stop at this point if you like the way your scroll is looking.

          g)  If you want to stain your paper to make it look even older, keep going.

          h)  If you are using a brown paper bag for your scroll, you do not need to stain your paper.

9.    Staining your paper

In order to stain your paper, you will need to use coffee or tea.  Here is what you'll need to do . . .

         a)  Brew your coffee or tea.

         b)  You can age your paper by soaking it in either coffee or tea.

         c)  Pick whichever option is most convenient for you, and brew enough to cover the sheet you want to age.

         d)  You can brew coffee in a coffee machine, or use instant coffee.  Please note:  the darker the coffee the better!

         e)   Brew a strong cup of tea if you'd like to use tea instead of coffee.  Soak at least three (3) tea bags in a cup of hot water.

         f)  Be sure to brew extra coffee or tea of you are aging multiple sheets of paper.

10.   How to apply your coffee or tea mixture

You'll need to place your paper in a large pan, and then apply the coffee or tea mixture using a method of your choice.  Here are some options for you . . .

          a)  You can dab the coffee or tea mixture on with a sponge.

          b)  You can paint your coffee or tea mixture on with a paint brush.

          c)  You can dip your paper in the mixture until you achieve your desired color.  Note:  Make sure the coffee or tea is not too hot!

          d)  You can use your teabag as an applicator by wiping the wet teabag all over the paper, squeezing as you go until you achieve the color you want.

           e)  Your paper will look a little darker when it is dry, so stop applying the coffee or tea when it is a couple of shades lighter than you want it.

           f)  Add grains of instant coffee or flecks of tea to your paper for extra texture.

11)  Drying your paper

You will need to hang your paper to dry by using clothespins.  If it is nice out, hang it outside.  You can also lay it flat on a clean surface to dry, but beware of staining.

You can weigh your dried paper down with a book or some other heavy object if you'd like your paper flatter.

PLEASE NOTE:  If your paper turns too light, repeat the staining process until you achieve the shade you want.

12)   Distressing the edges of your paper

If you would like an aged look for your scroll, you may want to make your paper look even older by distressing the edges.  Here is how you can achieve the look of distressed edges . . .

        a)  You can burn the edges by lighting a match over a safe, non-flammable surface and wave the edges of your paper back and forth over the match.

        b)  Continue until you achieve the desired look.

        c)   Shake and brush away the burnt edges.

        d)  Alternatively, you can rip the edges with your fingers.

        e)  Practice distressing the edges on a few scrap sheets of paper before attempting to do so on your scroll paper.

        f)  Remember, you do not want to tear or burn away too much of the edges of your paper.

        g)  You can also burn the edges using lemon or lime juice and a heat gun:  Apply a little juice to the edges of the paper, then heat with the heat gun until you get the desired effect you would like.

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Crafting Your Scroll

We'll have a lot of fun in our next Session ~

See you tomorrow!

Until then Friends . . .

Peace, Love & Light,

By René Allen

© Copyright - René Allen - 2014 - 2017 - All Rights Reserved

Creative Scroll Project!

BLOG SESSION

August 3rd, 2017

Creative Scroll Project!

Good Afternoon Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors ~  This Blog Session is for all Authors, Novelists, Journalists, Aspiring Authors, Emerging Authors, Poets, and Creative Writers with ink.  If you are a Writer of any genre, or an Artist of any medium, then this Blog Session is for you too!

In fact, you'll enjoy this Blog Session no matter what your background is, or what you may think you are capable of creating or doing.

Today we are going to discuss how to get busy doing a Creative Scroll Project.  It is not common for people to be running around creating Scrolls, which is the very reason why we are going to do it!

First off, since we always come here to the Blog Session with our Journals in hand, you may want to get yours out at this point to take notes . . .

Creative Journals with pen & pencil holders

The reason why I am showcasing the above Journals is because it will put your mind into the zone of a Scroll.  In our last Blog Session there was a nice large Scroll for you to see so that you could begin to visualize doing something a little different from the norm...

Creative Scroll Project

Now the Scroll that you see above can be purchased, or if you are creative, it can be made.  Remember the old fashioned Scrolls that you have no doubt seen at some point in your life? . . .

Old Fashioned Scroll

Let's go over a little history lesson about Scrolls . . .

For centuries, people used paper scrolls to document information, much in the same way we use sheets of paper to document information today.  Scrolls were used for centuries in countries like China, Egypt, and Greece.  Whether you want to make a Scroll just to find out if you have it in you to do something unique, or you really think that you may like making Scrolls as a new hobby for yourself, it is worth checking this out.  Just for the sake of getting into the Literary Spirit and having some Writer's Fun, we are going to learn something new today.  The process is simple.  All you have to do is choose a type of paper and consider adding text or drawings.  If you want to make an ancient-looking scroll, you can age your paper with a tea or coffee stain.

Scroll Writers, here is what you need to do to get started with this great Creative Scroll Project:

1.   Do your Research

      Start by researching different scrolls.  In this new day and age, there is a wonderful tool out called the internet.  And there is also a Site called youtube, where you can find out anything, and learn anything.  Isn't that wonderful!

       Researching different types of scrolls will help you to decide how you want your personal scroll to look.  Check out all of the different types of scrolls online, and then see if any of the scrolls inspire you.  If you find that a particular type of scroll captures your attention, and you like the look of it, go with it!

2.   Next, make a decision

       Decide whether you want your scroll to look modern or ancient.  If you decide to go with the ancient look, then consider ageing your paper (use coffee or tea).

       If you would like to have your scroll look totally different from what you see online, then you can make a unique and innovative scroll.  You may also decide to combine various features that you like in the scrolls that you see when you do your research, and come up with a very unique and personal scroll that means the world to you!

3.   Next step, select your paper

       Choose the type of paper that you would like to use for your scroll.  You can use colorful construction paper, drawing paper, or plain printed paper.  All of these type papers can be aged later by soaking them in coffee or tea if you are going for the "ancient look".

        You can also consider using large brown paper bags for your scroll if you are going for the aged look.  If you use the brown paper bags, then you can forego the tea and coffee staining.  You will need to cut a rectangle shape out of the large brown paper bag, and use it as your form to make more rectangles to piece together.

         Using multiple pieces of paper, and taping them together to make an extra-long scroll will work just fine for your scroll project.

         Another genius idea for your scroll project is to mix and match different colors and/or papers ~ just make sure that each piece of paper that you use is the exact same size.

         Now, if you really feel like you want to get extra special with this fun scroll project, then try using papyrus like the ancient Egyptians did!

4.   Moving on to the next step ~ Decide what you want to write and/or draw on your scroll 

        Just remember that Scrolls were traditionally used to document information, history, and to tell stories.  Scrolls were also used as decorative literary displays.

        If you do Bible Studies on a daily or weekly basis, you may want to use your Scroll for recording your Bible Studies.

        If you are a Researcher, you may want to use your Scroll to record your Research Studies.

        If you are an Artist, your Scroll may be the perfect tool for your artistic creations.

        If you are a Fashion Designer, what a perfect idea and great instrument for you to lay out all of your latest fashion designs ~ Your Fashion Scroll!

        Of course Interior Designers will love the idea of a Scroll as well.

         Do you have an idea for a decorative new lay~out for your home or office?  Maybe a nice Scroll can be just the thing to get your ideas flowing.

         If your Drawings could use a new form of display to make your artistic creations jump out ~ Try a Scroll.  Animator?  Try a Scroll.  Graphic Designer?  Try a scroll!

5.   Be Innovative with your Scroll Ideas

       Try your hand at an Egyptian inspired scroll using hieroglyphics (the ancient form of Egyptian writing).

       You may also want to use your scroll for your language studies if you are studying foreign languages.

        Are you a World Traveler?  If so, you may want to use your scroll to map out your travels.

6.   Mystery Writer ~ try something new!

       If you are a Mystery Writer, you may want to use a scroll for your latest story.

7.    Are you into calligraphy?

        If so, what a perfect way for you to use your talent ~ on your scroll!  Use different colour inks to make your scroll interesting.

There's a lot more to making a Scroll, and we will go over more inspirational tips about our Creative Scroll Project in our next Blog Session.

Friends, Writers, Artists and Creatives ~ See you in our next Session with your Journal ready for more note taking!      

Be ready with your Journal in hand for our next Blog Session!

Peace, Love & Light,

By René Allen

© Copyright - René Allen - 2014 - 2017 - All Rights Reserved

Scroll Writers

Scroll Writers

BLOG SESSION

August 2nd, 2017

Good Evening Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors ~ We're back again for another interesting Blog Session.  Tonight we are going to do something that you probably have not ever done before ~ Scroll Writing!

Now you may be wondering what is Scroll Writing?

Torah Scroll Writing

HISTORY:  Writing a Personal Torah Scroll

The 613^th mitzvah of the Torah is the obligation for every Jew to write a Torah scroll.  In the words of the verse:  "And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel.  Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel."

Although Rashi and some other commentaries understand this as a command only to write the Torah portion that immediately follows, Ha'azinu (which is referred to as a song), the Talmud understands it as an obligation to write the entire Torah.  Maimonides explains that although the word "song" in the verse is referring to Ha'azinu, since it is forbidden to write only a single portion of the Torah on a scroll, it is understood that there is an obligation to write the entire Torah.

The Details of Writing a Torah Scroll

1. In order to fulfill this obligation, one does not need to write the Torah oneself; one may commission a scribe to write it.
2. However, if one does write a Torah scroll himself, it is as if he has received it from Mt. Sinai.
3. If one simply buys a ready-written Torah scroll, he has not fulfilled his obligation, unless he then fixes at least one letter that was previously invalid.  Others say that one fulfills the mitzvah through purchasing a Torah, but not in the optimal way.
4. If one fulfilled this mitzvah and then subsequently sold or lost his Torah scroll, he must write or commission the writing of a new one.
5. Some say that this mitzvah cannot be fulfilled with a Torah scroll which is owned in partnership.  Others disagree.
6. Maimonides rules that women are not obligated to fulfill this mitvah.

NOTE:  The Beit HaLevi explains that this is because women are exempt from the mitzvah of studying Torah.  Others question Maimonides' ruling on this matter.

What about Creative Scroll Writers?

 

There are old ideas that can become FRESH IDEAS!

Just imagine taking what you have been writing in your Journals and transferring your creative writing onto a Scroll...

Creative Writers and Artists have a way of making anything exciting ~ Be it a Journal, a Diary, a Notebook, index cards, or a . . .

S C R O L L

Guess what?  We'll be back to give you some ideas for a Creative Scroll Project!

See you back here for the next Blog Session!

Until then Friends ~

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - AUGUST 2017 - All Rights Reserved

We're talking about Scrapbooking!

Scrapbooking Organization

BLOG SESSION

August 1st, 2017

"We're talking about Scrapbooking!"

Good Afternoon Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors!

In today's Blog Session we are going to be talking about "Scrapbooking".

If you are an Artist or a creative & crafty person, then Scrapbooking may interest you.  If you are a Journal Writer, or a World Traveler, you may also be interested in trying your hand at Scrapbooking.

What is Scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking is a method of artistic preservation, presentation, and arrangement of personal items, family history, or any other specific area of your choice personal to you ~ in the form of a book, album, box, or large card.  For your information, Scrapbooking is a hobby that is commonly practiced in many parts of the world.  It is the extensive global nature if Scrapbooking that makes it a very interesting hobby for those of you who like to Travel! 

The typical memorabilia that a Scrapbooker would include is photographs, printed media, and artwork.

Scrapbook Albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling.  (The extensive Journaling should interest those of you who are into Journaling or enjoy keeping a Diary).

Just to give you an idea of what Scrapbooking is all about, take a look at this Scrapbook Page...

Scrapbook Page

The Scrapbook Page above is beautifully and personally designed.  At the bottom are the words, "you are the one".

Your Scrapbook Pages will be personal to you for the specific moment or timeframe when you are inspired to create them.

At the top of this Blog Page, you will see a photograph of a Scrapbooking Design Station created for the inspired Scrapbooker.

Good organization of your tools, papers, and Scrapbooking items helps when you are ready to sit down and get to work on your Scrapbooking Projects.

Having loads of storage and a nice area for your Scrapbooking Station is essential if this is a hobby that you plan to stick with.

Below is an example of a Scrapbooking Embellishment Center . . .

Scrapbooking Embellishment Center

Taking a look at the "Making Memories" Scrapbooking Embellishment Center above, you will see that it has various areas for your Scrapbooking items.  There are multiple shelves for your storage jars or tins, two dowels for ribbon organization, and the entire Scrapbooking embellishment Center shown above measures approximately 31.5" tall by 25.5" wide by 3.75" deep.  You will notice paints, and all types of items in the various jars.  The items you choose to use for your Scrapbooking Projects are entirely up to you.

There are many items and tools that Scrapbookers use, such as . . .

1)    Paints

2)    Stickles

3)    Flowers

4)    Buttons

5)    Spooled Ribbon

6)    Various tags and embellishments

7)    Glitter

8)    Embossing Powder

9)    Markers

10)  Stamps ~ Acrylic Stamping Blocks

11)   Pens

12)   Gelatos

13)   Universal Page Protectors

14)   Hole Punchers

15)   Adhesive

16)   Finger Daubers

17)   Paper Trays

18)   Paper Cutter

19)   Scissors

20)   Ink

21)   Classic Albums

22)   Scrapbooks

23)   Patterned Paper

24)   Stickers

25)   Construction Paper

26)   Card Stock

The possibilities are endless!  If you are interested in taking up Scrapbooking as a hobby, my suggestion to you is to research on the internet to find out more information, and visit craft stores to take a look at all of the various items available to you to have fun Scrapbooking!

BACKGROUND HISTORY ON SCRAPBOOKING:

Scrapbooking is rooted in the history of printed images and also in the long history of personal Storytelling.  It is the merging of these two progressions that we come to the modern Scrapbook in all of its current forms.

College women around the turn of the century used Scrapbooks extensively to construct representations of their everyday life as students.  Without photograph albums to provide images of these life events, students created unique representations through Scrapbooks in order to illustrate their lives using ephemera and memorabilia.  A Guest List or group of visitation cards might represent a young woman's visit to a party.  A Playbill and ticket stub might serve as reminders of a trip to New York to see a Broadway Show.  Solid objects such as plants, silverware, or small trinkets were also used when further visual representation was needed.

Journal Notes & Notations

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR JOURNAL FOR TODAY ABOUT OUR SCRAPBOOKING TOPIC:

Early Diaries and Journals played a role

Where did Scrapbooking originate?  We have to go way, way back to early Diaries and Journals.  As early as the Middle Ages, it was quite common for well-educated people to keep personal diaries or journals that recorded their thoughts on their life’s activities and events around them. Perhaps the earliest known surviving Journal is known today as Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris, The Diary of a Bourgeois from Paris.  Written in Paris between 1409 and 1449 by an anonymous French Priest, the Journal’s personal accounts of 15th-century life in the French capital is a treasure trove for historians.

Commonplace Books

During the Renaissance period (the 14th to 17th centuries), it became popular for noble and educated Europeans to keep what were called "Commonplace Books".  As the printing press wasn’t invented until the later half of that period, these books had a closer resemblance to what today we would call “bullet journals” – a bound journal of blank pages that contains assemblages of notes from various sources on various topics, rather than a book that is filled with glued-in paper items.

Commonplace Book

[Photo of Commonplace Book featuring English Poetry (CC 2.0).

The owner of this original commonplace book is unknown.] 

Enjoy your day today Friends, and make it a creative one.

See you in our next Blog Session!

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - AUGUST 2017 - All Rights Reserved