Who would have thought that the task of illustrating a gardening journal cover would lead me to learning - and loving - making my own coptic bound books!  

Coptic binding makes the most wonderful lay-flat books and I love the exposed spine with the woven linen thread feature.

Now I know you can make these books without going near fabric but I am me and I am a lover of fabric so each of the books I have made is covered with cotton fabric. Alas the pages of a book are usually made from paper and so I have used plain white papers inside the books for you to put in all your own ideas.

All that playing with paper got me to thinking about all the pictures and mark-making papers we have piled up from the Creative Directors adventures in creativity. I diligently photograph every masterpiece she creates but they are still too precious to throw away...but perhaps not too precious to tear up to make into book signatures (technical book term I had to learn for the little sections of paper that are piled together to form a book)?

It took some negotiating but I was given permission to use some of the piles of art to make into a book for Ari to keep as a diary/sketchbook. 

she even uses it!

So if you have the need to re-purpose some paper in your life why not give bookmaking a go or you can commission me to do the hard work for you, that is  if you prefer to stay away from sharp objects, glue and hours of repetitive folding, tearing, sewing and cutting.

I also have a selection of my handmade coptic books available for the paper lover in your life.