A return to Bali

Bali Journal 2015 Front cover (and back). Water soluble crayon and ink

I have to returned to Bali for another quick vacation, this time with my sister, Lynette. We have had a tough few months as my niece has been very ill.  she is much better now, so we have scampered away from the end of a long cold Melbourne winter to sunny and warm Bali.  We can going to spa, dine and make pretty things.  For me of course this means more art, and a new journal of course.  I spent the week before we left making it.

Original Journal I made my journal from

Making the front cover, while having breakfast

This time I have re purposed a couple of purchased journals.  I took them apart as they were only stapled together, recovered the old cover and sewed them together with Coptic stitch.  Still a bit of work, but so much fun and a great way to get in the mood for my holiday.  I dug out my Balinese patterns and used them to design the cover and front page.

Spine of journal showing coptic stiching

Inside front cover. Water soluble crayon and sliver ink

Front Page water colour pencils and ink

I am a little behind on the posting, but I will catch you up with the first few days in the next post.  I have had technical difficulties with the iPad and guess who forgot to bring the charger for her lap top.  I think this will be the third that I have bought because I have forgotten to bring it.  Never mind I have to have the computer with me for work so perhaps they will pay me for this one.

Making little Note Books

The set of finished notebooks

A couple of weekends ago I found enough time and energy to make some little note books that I had been meaning to do for ages.  I wanted to get back into some book binding and to use the paper that a friend had brought back from Sennelier Art shop in Paris for me.

Note Book 1 front

 

The set of finished notebooks

I had brought some of the same paper on an earlier trip to Paris and hadn’t been able to bring myself to use it, although I would bring it out and admire and pat it on occasion.  With the extra my friend bought and the possibility to get more I thought it was time to get brave and use them.  The idea of using the paper as covers for sketch books seemed a great idea and I was itching to have a go.

Making the Notebooks

These are small (A5) size and I wanted to give them to some friends who would not necessarily use them for sketching but would be writing in them.  With that in mind I used some lighter bleed proof paper.

Note Book 2 front

Note Book 2 inside

They have light cardboard covers that I covered with my special paper on the outside and used some photocopies of my drawings on the inside for a pop of colour.  The binding is a simple saddle stitch, it really could not be easier to make a book.  I gave them all different closures to mix things up.

Note Book 4 front

Note Book 4 inside

So please with my few hours work and happy to have such useful little gifts.

Note Book 3 inside

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