Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hand-bound Recycled Mini-Coaster Books

Last year I took a wonderful book binding class at the International Printing  Museum in Torrance. It was taught by Book Artist Lucia Frias Villarreal . She has a Masters degree in bookmaking, so I feel I learned from the best! She taught us Coptic binding which was developed in Egypt as early as the second century AD. Essentially it is a stitching method where you attach your pages "signatures" to your covers.  I have collected several drink coasters from Chili's and thought they would make some great starter covers for my mini books. I had all of these wonderful Vintage images I collected to use for my Summer inspired projects, but didn't end up using all of them. So I printed out my favorites and started stitching away. Traditionally you would use a special waxed string. I ended up using bakers twine which I waxed myself using a tea light! I really loved how they came out. I used some vintage book pages from damaged books for my signatures.
{coptic edges}
{i love this vintage Barbie image}
{inside the signatures you can see the bakers twine}
{the pages are from old books, a toy collectors catalog and a family satire from the 70's}

I am thinkin of offering this for a class at the Vintage. They are so fun to make, and a bit challenging!
-Denise

9 comments:

  1. These are so cute! What a great idea!!

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  2. These are wonderful Denise. This is one of my favorite book bindings to do. Carol Wingert taught me. Loved the Barbie mini
    See you in July!!!!!

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  3. these are great - i'd take the class - i have wanted to learn to do it for so long....
    perpetual craft student - that's me!!!
    :)
    i picked up a package of coasters at the thrift store, too, so i come semi-prepared!!
    :)

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  4. LOve these! Especially love the Barbie cover! You are ultra-creative!!!

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  5. Denise, these are adorable, and would definitely make a terrific class.
    whimsicals

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  6. Just ahhhhh-dorable!! Clever YOU once again!!
    Hugs,
    Holly

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  7. i'm ready for a class, too, denise! i have some books about doing coptic binding--but it would be more fun to learn from you! ( maybe not fun, for you, though! ;>) )

    marilyn g

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  8. I love the look of coptic binding and your little books are fabulous! I tried to learn how to do coptic binding on my own and it didn't work out for me. A class would be much better.

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