Project Calm Issue 12 sampler

WELLBEING

PA P E R C R A F T

CALLIGRAPHY

ADVENTURE

Discover the beauty of winter waves, embark on a wonderful solo adventure, explore intuitive eating and make your own maps...

EXTRAS DIY JOURNALS STITCHABLE TRAVEL POSTCARDS ORIGINAL PRINTS BOOKPLATES

W E LO V E C R A F T

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E XT RAS I N T H I S I SSU E Make all these projects using o u r exc l u s i ve p r i n ts, pa p e rs and templates.

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Bookplates for your books

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Capture the changing nature of the clouds and release your creativity with doodling

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Make and bind two journals

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Exclusive prints for your walls

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Create stitched postcards

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CO N TE N TS 06 NATURE 08 Nature news 12 The power of clouds 18 Create cloud doodles 20 Inspired by clouds 22 The joy of making books 25 Make a simple slit book 32 Make a Japanese-inspired stab booklet 36 A journey along the coast 42 Meet four coastal artists 44 Profile: Lucy Sherston 012

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46 MIND & BODY 48 Wellbeing news 52 Reviving the artform of calligraphy 56 Four modern calligraphers 58 Inspired by calligraphy 60 Calligraphy how-to 66 Exclusive prints 68 HOME 70 Interiors news

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74 Make birthday cake books 76 Profile: Bendix sisters 78 Inspired by paper 80 History of bookplates 82 A set of bookplates to keep or share 83 We head to Shetland for hearty winter food 92 Discover intuitive eating 99 Bring foraged and found wood into your home 104 TRAVEL 106 Travel news 109 Solo travel adventures 114 Create stitched postcards 116 Tips and tricks for drawing on the move 120 Draw your own map 126 Listen to our playlist 128 Susannah Conway’s

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Keeping Our Heads in the Clouds Clouds inform and inspire us. Kate O’Sullivan looks at the power these fluffy entities hold.

Clouds are the ultimate shapeshifters.

Their evocative forms influence stories to evoke feeling and mood, while references to them are everywhere in our everyday language.

Clouds are ethereal, celestial beings made up of a constantly evolving mix of water and air. We look to the sky for signs of what lies ahead and our clues are the shapes and intensity of the clouds, the forerunners of shifting weather conditions. It hardly seems surprising then that clouds have captured the imagination of storytellers and gained their place in so many popular myths

and global traditions. That we now use ‘cloud storage’ confirms that our mental attachment to clouds remains relevant even in a technological age.

Throughout much of the globe, cloud metaphors describe and capture mood and tone. For example, a dreamy, flyaway mood might mean that your head is ‘in the clouds’. ‘Clouds on the horizon’ means trouble looming and even the mere suggestion of a cloud in an otherwise-brilliant blue sky forewarns of the potential for discord. So powerful is the shifting energy of a cloud that the ultimate insult to a friend or colleague

is to steal their metaphorical thunder, striking at the heart of their powerful energy. Clouds are everywhere, even inside us.

Cloud metaphors weave their way throughout our everyday language and form a collective understanding of the changing nature of our thoughts and feelings. We recognise changing patterns of cloud as a foreshadowing of change looming and this in turn has found its way into literature and storytelling.

Broody skies and advancing rain clouds feature heavily in the literary work of the Brontës and Shelley as they reflect a character’s inner turmoil or forewarn of

disaster soon to befall the protagonist.

The symbolism of clouds to represent moods and foreshadow disaster is also a common theme in artworks. They feature heavily in both the written and pictorial work of William Blake whose fascination with their potent power is a recurring theme. Angels and gods appear among them, angry, vengeful and powerful. It’s interesting that clouds feature in the work of artists who so often have a passion for science and natural history. Even today, artists and scientists are combining forces to make us think about the clues nature is giving us about global climate change.

The SkyDay project, for example, hosts various initiatives that combine art and science to challenge us to think in new ways about our relationship to the sky.

The project wishes to encourage people to view themselves as members of a larger global community that must unite with a common will to protect the sky for the benefit of all.

Such is the fascination with clouds that there’s even a Cloud Appreciation Society that hosts thousands of members across 120 countries who also are entranced by the poetic, evocative nature

of clouds. Part of their manifesto reads, “We think that they are Nature’s poetry, and the most egalitarian of her displays, since everyone can have a fantastic view of them.” Part of the proceeds from membership fees even go to FogQuest, a drinking water project in the highlands of Guatemala. The project uses the simple but effective technology of ‘fog harvesting’ to collect the abundant mountain fog of the region as fresh water for the local communities.

To appreciate clouds then, is to be invested in the power of nature and to acknowledge our diminutive powers in comparison. It hardly seems surprising that celestial bodies are often draped in clouds as clothing in myths. This is a theme that can be found in Native American folklore such as the Skidi Pawnee tribe, who tell tales of gods spreading their arms to make clouds cover the skies. In ancient Greece, cloud nymphs named the Nephelai drifted through skies with billowing robes made of clouds.

Not all cultural references to clouds consider them to be sky dwellers, however. In ancient Hindu tradition, an elephant’s body was thought to be representative of a cloud, as they use their trunks to shower the earth with

rain. So it was the lumbering bodies of elephants that brought the rain, while the clouds themselves were the celestial relatives of the white elephants that roamed the earth. Even today, the Pueblo people of Southwest America worship the Cloud People, supernatural beings from the Underworld who bring rain and moisture to the earth. These Cloud People are the spirits of the deceased who lived a good life, taking on the form of clouds in the afterlife.

The love of clouds goes beyond ‘blue sky thinking’ that encourages us to think of skies as vast, limitless but ultimately pure and untouched. Clouds tether us to our moods and prepare us for the constantly changing nature of everyday life. A quick check out the window as we dress in the morning is almost always to check cloud cover and their shape and tone. A heavy, dense-looking sky means raincoats and wellies, but an unblemished sky might mean that special joy of packing sunscreen and a hat. Whatever your day holds, clouds are there to inspire, inform and unite us.

Keeping our heads firmly in the clouds might not be so whimsical after all.

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P U R E J O Y M A K I N G B O O K S

Tr a v e l l i n g b o o k b i n d e r a n d a u t h o r, R a c h e l H a z e l l s h a r e s h e r l o v e o f p a p e r, a n d b e l i e v e s t h a t e v e r y b o d y has a book in them, in whatever form that takes.

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aking aking books books is is my my way way of of making making sense sense of of the the world. world. II move move between between the the stimulations stimulations of of contrasting contrasting landscapes. landscapes.

The The journey journey from from Edinburgh Edinburgh to to Iona Iona is is aa creative creative catalyst. catalyst. Two Two trains, trains, two two ferries ferries and and aa bus! bus! By By the the time time I’ve I’ve got got there, there, and and shrugged shrugged on on my my yellow yellow wellies, wellies, the the transition transition from from city city to to island, island, from from East East coast coast to to West, West, is is complete. complete. II feel feel luckier luckier than than Virginia Virginia Woolf, Woolf, having having one one “room “room of of my my own” own” in in town town and and another, another, with with aa desk desk looking looking out out to to sea. sea.

Years Years ago, ago, bound bound for for an an art art residency residency on on Shetland, Shetland, aa friend friend told told me, me, “The “The thing thing about about islands islands is, is, there’s there’s less less space space between between heaven heaven and and earth.” earth.” It It turns turns out out that that the the quote quote is is aa variation variation of of something something that that the the Iona Iona Community Community founder founder said. said. And And so, so, my my island island meanderings meanderings have have come come full full circle. circle. There There is is aa fundamental fundamental pleasure pleasure in in being being surrounded surrounded by by water, water, big big skies skies and and wide wide open open horizons. horizons.

You You don’t don’t necessarily necessarily need need to to be be artistic artistic to to create create your your own own books. books.

As As ‘The ‘The Travelling Travelling Bookbinder’, Bookbinder’, II take take people people on on imaginative imaginative journeys journeys

P ut together a sampler of inky patterns, which are guaranteed to produce splendid decorated covers.

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Master the art of beautiful, modern calligraphy with L a u r e n C o o p e r o f O h Wo n d e r ’s e a s y h o w - t o .

L AU R E N ’S TO O L K IT NIB Nikko G. This is a Japanese nib, great for beginners.

There’s very little equipment you need to get started with calligraphy, so once you’ve got your nib, holder, ink and paper you’re almost ready to go. It’s worth remembering that you’ll need to buy the parts of your pen separately – the nib and holder. And before you get started you need to prep your nib, as they come with a factory seal that stops the ink flowing correctly. You can do this by cleaning the nib with toothpaste. Then place your nib in the holder (push it in as far as it will go), dip in the ink and you’re ready to go!

When you’re dipping your nib into the ink, you want the vent to fill up with ink as this is where the ink is held. Wipe off the back of the nib gently on the side of the pot so that you don’t get any big blobs of ink when you start writing. When the vent has emptied and you’ve run out of ink you’ll need to re-dip into the ink. This may happen quite often to start with but you’ll soon learn how to spot that you need to re-dip before actually running out of ink. When redipping, try to do it on a downstroke rather than an upstroke as it’s much easier to rejoin a thick line rather than a thin one.

The letters in modern calligraphy are made of thick and thin strokes. To create thick lines for downstrokes you want to apply more pressure so the tines of the nib spread to release more ink. Don’t be scared of putting the pressure on – these nibs are strong! For the thinner upstrokes, release the pressure so the tines return to the original position.

You want to hold your pen with a nice relaxed grip – too tight and you’ll get cramp and struggle to get your letters to flow. Try to move from your arm not your fingers, keeping your wrist and arm moving together so that you can make smooth movements. Turn the paper, not your arm, to get the correct position – you want the nib to be flat to the page so the split can open correctly. If you’re putting the pressure unevenly on one side then you won’t get the nice thick downstrokes.

PENHOLDER Speedball Straight Penholder.

There are many fancy straight penholders out there. This is the most basic but great for everyday use.

INK Higgins Eternal Black Ink. Very black and fast drying.

PAPER Rhodia Pad or Layout Paper.

This is super smooth paper, ideal for calligraphy. You will find that the ink will bleed on printer paper.

WATER A little pot of water and some kitchen roll are good to have on hand for cleaning your nib every now and again to stop the ink building up.

PENCILS A couple for practising shapes that you’re finding tough.

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hunger

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Lo t t i e S to rey d i sc u sses how intuitive eating teaches us to reject diet culture and place trust in what we eat.

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Photograph left: Kristina Bratko, above: Cayla1 (both Unsplash)

Close your eyes. Imagine a vast dining table, laid with beautiful china and polished cutlery. There are flowers. Cut-glass goblets. Crisp linen napkins.

The food appears in front of you – a lavish banquet that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see. All your favourite foods are here. There’s lobster and oysters. A roast dinner, steaming gravy in a jug nearby. Hot buttered toast. Pizza with melting mozzarella. Strawberries and cream. Lasagne and buttery garlic bread. Wobbly pink blancmange.

Fish and chips. Ice cream in cones with chocolate flakes and sprinkles.

How does it make you feel? For most of us, a childlike excitement bubbles up. It’s like a dream, like Christmas, your birthday – all three at once.

But for anyone who’s ever dieted, what follows are those familiar conflicted feelings. We want to tuck in and enjoy the pleasure of food without restriction but we’re, well, scared. We know there may be guilt attached. What’s the catch, we wonder? Maybe we haven’t been ‘good enough’ this week. Maybe we haven’t met our 10,000 step daily target. Maybe we’ll start eating and won’t be able to stop, bursting out of our clothes like a bacchanalian hulk in heels.

Enter intuitive eating. A term first coined in the mid-90s by two dieticians in the US, intuitive

A P P E T I T E

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“Intuitive eating teaches you to reject diet culture, instead reconnecting with your body’s own hunger and fullness cues.

You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.” eating turns diet culture on its head. Instead of putting the responsibility for our food intake into the hands of some external body (such as a diet company, celebrity chefs, a food conglomerate, or – let’s be honest here – the patriarchy), intuitive eating teaches you to reject diet culture, instead reconnecting with your body’s own hunger and fullness cues. You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Sounds straightforward?

There’s more.

The ten principles of intuitive eating as coined

by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch back in 1995 were designed to help you make peace with food, free yourself from chronic dieting forever, and rediscover the pleasures of eating. The holy grail, basically. Here’s Elyse: “Intuitive eating offers you the freedom to trust your inner wisdom to tell you what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. No diet could ever know the answers to those questions. They come from within.”

For many of us, the idea of trusting our inner wisdom is problematic in itself. Whisper it, but there is some twisted comfort in delegating our eating habits to an external force (even one without

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Drawing on the move

A w a r d - w i n n i n g a r t i s t , t u t o r a n d p a i n t e r, Clara Drummond offers her tips and tricks for taking your creativity with you, using a notebook and pencil or graphite stick.

Although there is plenty to draw in and around your own home, drawing out and about can be very rewarding and full of surprises. If you are not in the habit of carrying your sketchbook, try to always take it with you when you head out of the door – you never know what you might see! Unexpected places and people might inspire you – sitting on a bus looking at your fellow passengers, walking through a street market or lying on the ground looking at the sky – there is no right or wrong place to draw.

You may find it off-putting if people come and look over your shoulder while you are drawing in public places, but the more you do it the less distracting you will find this, and you might even inspire someone else to head out into the world with their sketchbook! If you are not used to drawing out and about it can be hard to know where to begin, so for those of you feeling a little overwhelmed by the idea, here are some suggestions: Train stations and airports Galleries and museums Streets and squares Markets Zoos, wildlife parks or aquariums Theatres and concert halls On the train or bus Farms, fields and open countryside Woodland River banks and bridges in the city or the countryside The view from a plane, train or bus window The interior or exterior of buildings Public parks or gardens Cafés, bars and restaurants

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L E A R N T O D R A W M A P S Bring out the story in your surroundings and make your map your own with these tips from two illustrators, Hennie Haworth and James Gulliver Hancock.

Cartography is a centuries-old science and art that has captivated and informed explorers, navigators, and wanderers throughout the ages. And while cities, countries, the world, and even the universe have been thoroughly mapped (and remapped), artists and cartographers continue to make new maps of these familiar places.

Why? Because a map tells a story – and everyone loves a good story.

You see, you can map more than just places. A map can share an idea or a concept, illustrate an experience, or capture a memory. It’s easy to think of maps as highly technical, showing routes, distances, and topographical features. But this art form is highly interpretive, and there is endless room for creativity. You can break borders and boundaries and skew size and scale as much as you like – in other words, you aren’t held captive to reality.

Best of all, you can illustrate maps using any art-making supplies, from pencils and pens to paints and digital tools. Mapmaking is a highly personal art form, so use these ideas as a jumping-off point from which to discover and develop your unique style, approach and aesthetic. What kind of stories will you tell?

G E T T H E L AT E S T I S S U E !

WELLBEING

PA P E R C R A F T

CALLIGRAPHY

ADVENTURE

Welcome to our beautiful magazine packed with creative projects & ideas, gorgeous photography and insightful features.

Discover new ways to bring the joys of mindfulness & making into your life. £9.99*

ISSUE

TWELVE

EXTRAS DIY JOURNALS STITCHABLE TRAVEL POSTCARDS ORIGINAL PRINTS BESPOKE BOOKPLATES

EXTRAS IN THIS ISSUE INCLUDE...

Send a unique greeting with stitchable postcards

Personalise your library with modern bookplates

Release your creativity with cloud-themed doodling

Decorate your home with exclusive art prints

Make and bind two beautiful journals from our papers

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