Ins & Outs
I'm firm believer in using all one's senses. After you've stopped to take in the dazzling array of cover options, admired the elaborate hand-stitching on the spine, I want my books to feel good in your hands. I want you to want to use them. I want you to delight in the secret pleasure that only a book can bring--I want it to be your friend. Moreover, I want to feel good about having you use them. To that end, I choose my materials for durability as well as aesthetics. Form, function, and fabulousness!
Outside Looking In
One cover choice is not enough to offer, when the uses for my books have been so varied and filled with possibility; so, I use as many paper styles to appeal to your many tastes and needs.
My favourites include
Chiyogami: These hand silk-screened papers from Japan are jewels. Careful alignment, or registration, of layers of colours create vibrant and timeless masterpieces.
Lokta: Handmade in the mountain regions of Nepal, Lokta paper is created from the inner bark of the Lokta bush. Its long fibres give this paper its strength. I love how rustic and warm it feels, both to the eye and to the touch.
Florentine: The attention to detail put into these machine-printed papers reflects the fine craftsmanship that Italian artisans are known for. Such timeless beauties.
Indian: This recycled cotton paper from India is rustic in its touch but dazzling to behold. Delightful details such as golden inks and silver glitter help make them "pop."
Found and Bound: Old maps, sheet music, post cards, and illustrations are some of the treasures I've uncovered as I've scoured antique shops, auctions, and yard sales. I love using these lost bits back to life in a new form.
Text Paper
All text paper is 70lb and acid free. Its smooth formation makes it ideal for writing or sketching with pen or pencil. It's even dense enough to stand up to fountain pens and India ink. Whether its cream or white, my text paper is eco-friendly* and made in North America. Did I mention that I hand-rip every page, giving each one a luxurious deckle edge?
Coptic Binding
Outside Looking In
My favourites include
Chiyogami: These hand silk-screened papers from Japan are jewels. Careful alignment, or registration, of layers of colours create vibrant and timeless masterpieces.
Lokta: Handmade in the mountain regions of Nepal, Lokta paper is created from the inner bark of the Lokta bush. Its long fibres give this paper its strength. I love how rustic and warm it feels, both to the eye and to the touch.
Florentine: The attention to detail put into these machine-printed papers reflects the fine craftsmanship that Italian artisans are known for. Such timeless beauties.
Indian: This recycled cotton paper from India is rustic in its touch but dazzling to behold. Delightful details such as golden inks and silver glitter help make them "pop."
Found and Bound: Old maps, sheet music, post cards, and illustrations are some of the treasures I've uncovered as I've scoured antique shops, auctions, and yard sales. I love using these lost bits back to life in a new form.
Text Paper
All text paper is 70lb and acid free. Its smooth formation makes it ideal for writing or sketching with pen or pencil. It's even dense enough to stand up to fountain pens and India ink. Whether its cream or white, my text paper is eco-friendly* and made in North America. Did I mention that I hand-rip every page, giving each one a luxurious deckle edge?
*The cream text paper bears the Ecologo and Forest Stewardship Council certifications and is made with 30% post-consumer fibres. White text paper carries the Rainforest Alliance, Forest Stewardship Council, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative certifications.
Coptic Binding
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| (photo courtesy of The Handmade Market) |
Part of the allure of my books comes from the binding technique I employ. Coptic binding is a centuries-old technique that binds the covers and the page sections, or signatures, together with intricate hand-stitching Perhaps the loveliest part of this elegant binding is that it allows the books to lie flat when open. Because I stitch through every sheet of paper with a waxed linen thread from Ireland, rather than glue them, the pages are not likely to fall out unless they are forcibly ripped from the spine.
