Book Binding and WOYWW

I have long had a love affair with the art of book binding and over the years I've once or twice dabbled with very simple book binding techniques.  Recently I decided I needed a little sketch book for one of my projects so I decided to make my own.

This is a folded paper technique called Blizzard Binding and although fairly simple it's important to be very accurate with the folding - not so easy with big clumpy hands like mine, but I eventually ended up with a little book I was pleased with!

I decorated the front with pieces of hand-made silk paper, pressed Ginkgo leaves and copper foil.

As you can see below each page spread is one sheet of A6 Khadi paper folded in half and held in place at either end by the little folded triangles that flip open and closed - this means you can remove pages to work on, change pages around or replace them as required.

I am linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week, and I am also linking up with the Mini Album Makers Challenge.

 Update: I'm so pleased to have been chosen as one of the Top 5 in this month's Mini Album Makers Challenge. 

  

Silk Paper and Sketchbook Work

On my desk this week are a couple of sketchbook pages I've done using some of the silk paper I made recently - you can see it here.  The ideas are about boundaries and garden history - the background paper is old pianola music - I found several rolls of it in a flea market quite a while ago and have been keen to use it for a project.  The cocoon with the eyelets in it is now squashed since having to shut the sketchbook - should have thought that one through! 

I'm linking up to WOYWW - if you want to see what's on other people's desks this week why not pop over and have a peek!

Teabag Art, Silk Paper and Beyond the Enclosure Project

It's time for WOYWW again and this week I have been using some of the silk paper I made last week, and continuing with an old theme I often come back to about garden history - there are links back to some older work here and here for any one interested.  I have also had a yearning to play about with teabags for quite a while, since seeing a whole table of them drying and waiting to be used over at Shoshi's blog!  

Silk Paper Making

In amongst the chaos of decorating this week I have managed to create some silk paper - I love making it and I'm thinking of using it in the work I'm doing on gardens.  Although there are two different ways to make it, the simplest and cleanest way is to use coccoon strippings (silk that hasn't had the gum removed).  This is laid out thinly, sprayed with water and ironed.   There are good instructions for both types of silk paper making here for anyone interested.

  
In the samples below I've ironed crochet edgings onto the silk to create the embossed effect, added silk yarns and used silk rods to get different effects. 

  

I am linking up with What's on Your Work Desk Wednesday - why not pop over and see what's on other people's desks this week. 

Summer of Colour Week 5 and WOYWW #124

On my work desk this week I have a selection of silk paper I've been making, and a small card I made for the Summer of Colour challenge - the colours this week being candy apple red and yellow.  I'm afraid my offering this week is very meagre - too much time spent in the garden in this glorious weather!

To see what's on other people's desks why not pop over to Julia at WOYWW.