Secret Book Binding Business

 

Secret Belgium Binding Journal 27cm x 24.5cm 200gsm paper

Here is the last book I made in my book binding frenzy.  it is a journal with thick watercolour paper pages.  I made it for myself for a little drawing project I wanted to undertake.

It is bound using the ‘Secret Belgium’ binding technique.  Don’t you just love the title, how could I not have a go at this.  This binding technique is similar to coptic but it has a spine that is sewn.  A slightly tricksy technique but I am very pleased with the finished result.

Sewing on the spine – Secret Belgium Binding

Secret Belgium Binding Journal Spine Detail

I added a couple of extra details to this book, it has a closure of a crystal button and a handmade cord, which I finally choose after a weeks dithering around with a multitude of different options.  I am far more decisive when making decisions for other people and hopeless when it is something for me.  It took me four months to choose paint colours for my house and I was able to choose all the colours for a whole house in 3 hours when I was a colour consultant.

Button and cord closure

I also added washi tape to the edges of the papers to give it greater strength, a nice subtle touch to the journal.

Secret Belgium Binding Journal Binding Detail

So that is the book binding for the moment, I have been drawing in my journal and have started a new large art work, so plenty happening at the moment.

Karen

 

Case Binding, another book made

Case Binding Sturt Desert Pea Book A5

This is the first book I made.  I did a class earlier in February and learnt to do case binding.  This is (in my mind) the real book binding, with spine, headbands and end papers.  Just like a real book.  The book we did in class was very basic and black and while I was happy with it, (despite the few wobbles); I didn’t actually like it.

The basic book before I reworked it.

Like all my works that I am having trouble with, I left it to one side and made the coptic bound book that I showed you in my previous blog.  But thinking over it and considering a number of options I came up with some ideas.

The plain black book-cloth covering was very boring, especially for a handmade book so I got out my silver gel pen and went to work on the cover.

Added a little decoration

I did a simple dot and dash design and then glued on another one of my prints of previous art work.  This one got the Sturt Desert Peas and I am now loving my little book.

Case Binding Sturt Desert Pea Book A5 size

Karen

I made a Book

Yvette’s Coptic Bound Book

It was my good friends birthday last week and I decided to make her a journal. I had just done a short course on book binding and was eager to put the new skills to the test.

Last year I had given her one of my drawings for a significant birthday and decided to use that image on the cover of her book.  While I was at it, I decided to print off some of my other pictures as well to use.  It is great fun to see your work in another format.

I decided to use some of the other drawing of Australian Natives through out the book to give it a bit of colour.

Sturt Desert Peas

Grevillia

Warratah

I made the book using ‘coptic binding’, which means that it has front and back covers and these and the paper are stitched together. Found a really great YouTube site  ‘Sealemon‘ that has clear and precise instructions on a whole range of bookbinding techniques.

Coptic Book Binding

Coptic Book Binding

 

Really enjoyed making this book, off to make one for me now.

Karen

New Portrait underway

Paper Lace

Here is a quick preview of the latest portrait I am working on.  It has incorporated my newest fascination (such a kinder word than obsession) with paper cut art.

I have cut out some of this paper lace which I will probably use over the portrait.  Really enjoyed doing this and it was an extension from cutting out my grevillea.

Backgound

 

The person I am doing the portrait of is a lovely friend who has a fantastic style, I see her pattern as a beautiful, french baroque in clear, pastel colours, I am channeling the divine palette that was used in the movie Marie Antoinette.  Then I will use the lovely lace overlay in dark grey, to give further style and mystery to the work.

As you can see I have only started to add the colour to the background, it is being done in oil pastels this time, for something different.  I hope to make it a little soft on the edges rather than my usual crisp style, it is fun to break out the pastels again and they give a certain lushness to the work which is rather baroque.

I still longingly look at my lino cutting tools, but the wrist is still giving me trouble so I must keep away from them until I can get it sorted.

Karen