Making books in the Vale of Pewsey

Sue a UWE and book artist friend mentioned that Lori Sauer was running a crossed-structure binding workshop this week and had one place left. Sounded intriguing, so I decided to spend a little time getting to grips with a new technique.
http://www.bookbindingworkshops.com/workshops/bookbindingworkshops.html

And I'm really glad I did.

Not least because it's been a while since I've driven over the Pewsey Downs and I'd forgotten just how lovely they are. I know where I want to go walking this weekend!

And Marden (where the workshop was held in the village hall) has a sweet little medieval parish church, which I remember intending to visit when I used to drive the boys to school, and as I discovered this week Marden Henge is the largest stone age henge in the UK, although it has been almost destroyed by ploughing, and no longer has any standing stones. Hey ho.

To the books. These photos show a selection of our finished works.

What I enjoyed most about this technique is the surprise inside the covers, and, now having made this structure I have some idea of how to plan the interior.

Possibly a return to making books about secrets? I think that would suit this style of binding very well.

Hard back bookbinding workshop

Don't you just love it when things fall into place.

Yesterday was like that for me. Up uncharacteristically early for a Sunday and driving through heavy rain to Bristol to attend a one day 'Introduction to adhesive hard back bookbinding' workshop at the Bristol Drawing School.

http://www.drawingschool.org.uk/

For so long now I've deliberately chosen book styles that do not require more than some folding and a dab of glue, I imagined it would be a) difficult and b) time consuming to make hard back books - how wrong! 

Of course it goes without saying a good teacher helps, and Tortie Rye was that person. http://pinterest.com/tortierye/ In six hours she helped us pack in so much, with each of us participants taking home four finished hard bound books - not bad eh. 

I was reminded once again, not to put something off just because I think it may be a little tricky - get on with it and find out what it's really like, after all I may be in for a very pleasant surprise.

Here are my very first hard back books, simple I know, but now I've breached the hurdles of uncertainty and procrastination - well who knows what's next.

Home Made Rubber Stamp Workshops - Led by Stephen Fowler

Weds 7th and Thursday 8th July 2010

Stephen Fowler led a 2-day course in July at UWE which focused on rubber stamps and producing small pamphlet books. Something that really amazed me was the distances people travelled to attend, students came from Bristol, London, Wales, Scotland and Froxfield. I am very lucky to just have an hour car journey.