FAMILY ALBUM POP-UP BOOK MAKING @ QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY.2 7/19/2021

 

QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY - CREATIVE AGING PROGRAM

FAMILY ALBUM POP-UP BOOK MAKING

Blog 2 7/19/21

Madlyn gave us some interesting background about the Creative Aging Program at Queens Public Library. She has been involved for many years with offering services to the home-bound, such as mail-a-book, music and DVDs and has wanted to increase outreach for older adults. Her staff call over fifteen older and homebound adults every day to check in and tell them about programming offered. Some play Bingo over the phone and work on crosswords. What a terrific service!!

 

Spica and I are encouraged to see so many returned students and to welcome a few new ones. Each week we teach a different pop-up technique so if you miss a class it doesn’t matter. You will be able to put a book together with however many pages you have made. However, a couple of new students did request the steps for how to make a pop-up house which we taught last week, and we are happy to email them directly. 

 

Diane sent us a photo of her home page which she finished after class. Her drawing displays a perspective which enhances the 3 D effect. She identified where she lives within by adding pink curtains to 3 windows. Out front she drew and colored trees and shrubs and added giant colorful butterflies and a dog to create a delightful effect. Diane also cleverly used the V fold stand technique to make a “road” which she placed in front of the building and added a red car traveling along it. 

 

Our warmup entailed revealing facial expressions one hand at a time. Madlyn remarked it reminded her of playing peek-a boo with little children. The technique taught today was the flap. We shared images of historical moveable books utilizing this technique, originally as anatomical texts in the fourteenth century, then later as books to amuse children in the eighteenth century called harlequinades. Single sheets folded perpendicularly into four like a pamphlet, revealing pictures on each page when opened. In the twentieth century, German manufacturers used these methods to make books showing the mechanics of locomotives, steam boilers and cars. 

 

I shared my sample of the door of my family home and created a moving hand beckoning all. On the opposite page I made a refrigerator with a flap to open for the freezer and another for the door. Inside there were 2 other flaps for the bottom compartments containing a collage of fruit and vegetables. 

 

For inspiration we asked students to look about their home and see the many different doors and to imagine what might be on the other side, either something realistic or abstract. Spica reviewed making the base page then modeled how to fold colored paper for the door and cut it to size. Using a piece of white paper, they cut it to slightly less than the size of the inside of the door, as a framing device. This paper is glued in place and can be collaged or colored to create the backdrop. Decorating the front of the door personalizes it. Once completed the door was glued into the base page. Next students drew what was behind the door, making sure it was smaller than the frame so it can hide within. Then a paper stick was attached, a slit cut on the inside of the door through the base page and the stick thread through. Now you can move the object that’s hiding behind the door.

 

On the opposite page, students made their refrigerator. As inspiration we asked them to think about what is in their freezer and refrigerator and stories associated with the food or drink. They chose colored paper, folded it, and trimmed to the appropriate size, then penciled the freezer door and cut it open, creating 2 flaps. They used the same technique to trace the inside of the refrigerator on white but this time making sure it is the exact same size. This paper is glued inside the refrigerator and shelves with food and drink drawn. Next add 2 more flaps opening down for the vegetable and fruit drawers or crispers! 

 

Yun shared her work, a pink door and a yellow refrigerator with a many tiered cake inside. We look forward to receiving more photos of students’ work.