Make a Book Day

I love making books!  It is one of my most favourite things to do. When I spied an upcoming class being advertised in a local flyer, I knew I would have to take this opportunity to learn a new way of binding and jumped in boots and all.  Our teacher had travelled from Melbourne to teach eight book-loving people in a room behind the Meeniyan Art Gallery.

Down went the newspaper and out came the tools of trade.  We got to play with ink and paint and wood blocks and beautiful handmade paper for six hours!  It was So Much Fun.  Here I am with my friend Jo who came along for the fun of it all and is now hooked on printing and stamping.  Looking like serious artistic groovers, I hear you say!!

The print below was made with a shell which had been sawn in half.  Beautiful.  We also used all sorts of different leaves.

This is my book.  Can you guess how this print was made?  It kind of looks skeletal, don't you think?  And the colours worked so beautifully on my draft page that I stitched it into my book.  Isn't it always the way that the print you do on the beautiful handmade paper is not quite as perfect as the one you do as a practice run?!!  Anyway, this print was made with a long piece of lino which had broken egg shells glued to it.  I know, who would have thought?  Then I double stamped it - green and dark brown - and got that not quite lined up effect which I rather liked!

When I brought my book home I decided to use it for inspirational thoughts about travel.  "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" by Lao Tzu and "Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Nice thoughts.

Perfectly good fun.  And a book at the end of it all.  I realise I haven't even shown you the binding which is called Coptic Binding, 'nother day.

Do you like making books?  Do you have a favourite paper to use, or a favourite stamp?

Wishing you a Happy Day!
Trudy