Handmade Book Workshop

I taught a 2-day Handmade Accordion Book Workshop at my studio last week. I asked students to choose a theme before the workshop and have some reference photos or ideas to put on each page. We decided on a 5x5" size and to design six pages. I let them choose the color and type of paper for the accordion format. This student chose Light Blue Canson Mi-Teintes  as her surface. Her theme is birds and she drew the birds on white paper with colored pencils. She wanted to tie the birds and the pages together by sitting the birds on a continuing branch beginning at one end and ending at the other end of the accordion book. She cut out the birds and glued them onto the Canson Mi-Teintes surface.

Using book binders board and colorful Asian decorative paper I helped her to put the covers together to complete her book.

This student created two books using some of her previous prints of colored leaves and small pieces of handmade and decorative papers. She chose white paper for her accordion book background and collaged elements onto the pages. We used Jade glue mixed with methyl cellulose (helps when repositioning pieces) for thicker pieces and the cover and Uhu glue stick for lighter papers. Both types of glue are archival and permanent. All of the papers and boards we used are also archival so they will last and remain their true colors as time passes.

I really enjoyed teaching and assisting my students to put their creative ideas into handmade books!