Walk along the Beach

Beach Walk watercolour pencils and ink. Journal page

One of my favourite things to do in winter is to walk along the beach with my dog.  There has been a few dogs now that I have done this with, Hannah my latest is dog number four.  The one thing that always makes me smile when walking a dog is how far they walk compared with you.  I wander in a fairly straight line while they dart all over the place going at least four times the distance as I do.  You know with the keen sense of smell that there is so much more for them to discover, I feel rather left out sometimes.  But them considering what they like to stick their noses into, perhaps not.

Hannah at the Beach at Lorne

While walking Hannah along the beach at Lorne yesterday a noticed all our prints on the wet sand on the way back and thought what a great pattern they would make, so at lunch time I started the picture.  I think it shows how the walk along the beach went.

Karen

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