Bookbinding

A book made with thick cherry wood covers (Creative Imaginations) and Japanese stab binding technique.

Today I had the good fortune to take a workshop from Angela Finet at Prairie Art Stamps in Springfield, IL. All I can say is Angela teaches a stress-free, laid back workshop.  No rushing.  Excellent instructions.  Perfect results!  

Since I'm showing the cover first, I'm using Angela's instruction sheet to list what she provided for our use (this really was the last step):  Memory Box Flower Bundle stamp, Tea Leaves Versamagic Ink, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. 

We folded twelve 8-1/4" x 6" sheets of text weight paper in half with a bone folder, stacked, and punched them.  We put the folded side of the paper out as a finished edge.  I tried both the Japanese screw punch and the awl and hammer to learn the difference between the two for punching holes. We cut out a small piece of the cover to create a gap so that the journal would open more easily. We used the left over strip as decorative trim on the front.  One of the women ran her cover through the Cuttlebug, using the Bird Call embossing folder and then distressing with ink. This cherry wood is amazing--you can cut it, punch it, emboss it, without it ever cracking or splintering.  We learned the stab binding technique, leaving about eight inches of waxed linen thread at the top to bead and use as a book mark. Here's a side view of the binding.

This is the write-up from the Prairie Art Stamps on-line newsletter:  Angela is the owner of Angela's Happy Stamper, a paper crafting store in suburban Washington D.C. She received training at the American Academy of Bookbinding in Telluride, Colorado and has been teaching bookbinding and rubber stamping across the country for the past ten years. She has also trained extensively under Michael Jacobs, an incredible book artist. Recently, Angela was selected to the Memory Box Design Team and enjoys incorporating their stamp images and papers into her workshops.

There was much discussion in class about wanting Angela to return this summer to teach another binding technique.