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Beginners' Bookbinding - online
April 5th & 19th and May 3rd.
For beginners and those practising skills.
A lively mix of fortnightly online classes interspersed with recorded videos of further structures to download and work on in your own time. We'll start at the very beginning (...you'll know why!) and work through a range of pieces to provide a sound understanding of starting structures, techniques, tools and materials to set you off with confidence for further bookbinding. Seven sessions and six videos.
Further details from nesta@leafwork.co.uk or you are welcome to give me a call on 07984 001830.
Bespoke tuition and City & Guilds also available.
We are delighted to announce the 2023-24 season of DB & SoB Joint Workshops.
This year, as usual, the workshops offer a range of topics suitable for different levels of experience and interest and take place over a weekend in venues around the country. Many are in the tutor's own studio and all tutors are established, experienced teachers.
We have managed to keep the fees for this year's programme at the same level as last year; £185 for members of either Society and £205 for non-members and hope you agree they represent excellent value. * Full Details are on both Societies' web sites, but for a quick taste of what's on offer take a look at our listing below.
*Bursary help may be available;
DB members please contact secretary@designerbookbinders.org.uk
SoB members please contact vicechair@societyofbookbinders.com
If you belong to both societies you should apply to only one of them for a bursary.
13th-14th April 2024
Sharpen up! Peter Jones
Kelsall Community Centre, CW6 0SB
For some, sharpening tools can seem daunting; this short course aims to give you a little theory, some guidelines and advice on getting tools sharp initially, keeping them sharp, and some confidence.
18th-19th May
Over the Edge and Across the Boards, Kate Holland
Corsely, Wiltshire BA12 7PA
There are thirteen different planes on a book where you can express your creativity, and edges and leather comprise over half of them.
8th-9th June 2024
Endpapers for Fine Bindings Kathy Abbott
Barony Centre, West Kilbride, KA23 9AR
A workshop aimed at intermediate and advanced learners, designed to develop your skills, accuracy and cleanliness when making endpapers for fine bindings.
Places are limited and bookings are taken via the DB web site. https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/education/designer-bookbinders-society-of-bookbinders-joint-workshops/
If you are unable to book online, or for any queries, please contact nesta.jointworkshops@gmail.com 07984 001830.
These workshops offer structured, intensive learning in a friendly and supportive environment and we really hope you find something of interest here to tempt you!
Nesta Davies (nesta.jointworkshops@gmail.com) (DB)
Joshua James (joshua.jointworkshops@gmail.com) (SoB)
Get started making books- Online course
Dates: Online/Anytime
Price: £47
Level: Beginners
Description: Learn how to make your own books at home using the elegantly simple pamphlet bookbinding technique. Explore paper types, how to adapt your book cover, how to add a pocket page and include various page sizes to make a unique pamphlet book, ideal for use as a notebook or artist's book.
Link: https://bit.ly/48DcKDn
Book making - simple and creative structures
Dates: 21st - 24th March 2024
Price: £455
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: Enjoy exploring ways of creating a unique book. It is ideal if you have lots of imagery on paper, for example your own drawings, writing, prints, patterns and photographs, and wish to now transform this material into book form. You will explore a range of simple book formats. The tutor will demonstrate a range of different book structures and hand binding techniques, including a pamphlet book, a concertina book and Japanese styles. General studio bindery practice is also discussed. In the introductory session, there will be a handling session of the tutor's collection of artists' books, pamphlets, sketchbooks and blank book forms, and an introduction to making, covering grain direction and making origami books.
By the end of the course, you should have produced samples of different, simple book forms, as well as completed a more considered individual book. You will also gain an awareness of some contemporary artists' books.
Link: https://bit.ly/47jkKbQ
Hand-bound albums and scrap books
Dates: 25th-27th March 2024
Price: &p310
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: During the course you will learn how to:
- fold paper ready for sewing into pages and pockets
- select and prepare covering materials
- use a variety of sewing and binding techniques
Each process will be demonstrated to the group. Afterwards you will be able to work on your own bindings with individual help from the tutor to produce several books.
Link: https://bit.ly/41Gzq3u
Make a leather journal
Dates: 11th April 2024
Price: £168
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: During the day, you will learn how to:
- Fold paper into sections, ready for sewing
- Select and prepare leather for the binding
- Use basic long stitch sewing techniques
Each process will be demonstrated to the group. Afterwards, you will be able to work on your own binding, with individual help from the tutor, and you will produce at least one finished book, with the opportunity to experiment with other materials if time allows.
Link: https://bit.ly/47g7XXnM
Book art - vanishing fore-edge painting
Dates: 29th June 2024
Price: £193
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: Gain a basic technique introduction to the traditional, British form of book decoration known as vanishing fore-edge painting. You will be shown the techniques of this very special book art and can expect to take away your very own example at the end of the one-day course. This intriguing, discreet and hidden form of magic book decoration has a 350 year old history in Britain, but the secret is available now in this workshop, offered by Martin, who has produced 3500 paintings over the last 45 years. Traditionally, the subject of fore-edge paintings has been landscapes. However, Martin can show how any image you choose can be used, so long as you are adept at working small, with watercolour brushes. It is not necessary to be a skilled artist to attend the course.
Link: https://bit.ly/3RAXKz6
Bookbinding - decorative stitched journal
Dates: 1st July 2024
Price: £168
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: On this one-day workshop, you will be introduced to some techniques of creating one-of-a-kind books. You will make a tactile multi-section binding. This idiosyncratic book can contain different coloured paper covers, enhanced with a decorative buttonhole stitch on the spine to assemble the sections. You will take home a unique handmade book, which can be used as a resonant starting point for your own visual journal.
Link: https://bit.ly/3NMLF91
Bookbinding - a set of notebooks
Dates: 20th-21st July 2024
Price: £310
Location: West Dean
Level: Suitable for all
Description: During the course, you will learn how to:
- Fold paper into sections ready for sewing
- Select and prepare covering materials
- Use a variety of sewing and binding techniques
- Make a simple bespoke slipcase to house your bindings
Each process will be demonstrated to the group. Afterwards, you will be able to work on your own bindings with individual help from the tutor to produce several bindings and a slipcase.
Link: https://bit.ly/48Cyyz7
Workshops take place at arts centres and book festivals in Devon and Somerset. Perfect for artists, writers, teachers and anyone interested in making books. You will learn traditional bookbinding techniques using specialist tools and materials, with lots of expert tips shared along the way, and take home your own handmade books along with a set of workshop notes. All the equipment and materials are provided. Visit celandinebooks.co.uk for full information and to subscribe to the newsletter.
Buttonhole Binding and the Pocket-fold Accordion Book
Friday 15th March 2024
10.30 - 16.00
Taunton Library
£60
Secret Belgian Binding and a Concertina Book
Tuesday 16th April 2024
10.00 - 15.30
East Quay, Watchet
£60
Link Stitched Books and Quirky Accordions
Saturday 27 April 2024
10.30 - 15.30
The Burton Art Gallery, Bideford
£60
Bookings can be made with Megan through their website at www.celandinebooks.co.uk
Bookbinding
Bookbinding: 10 projects for beginners
Course Dates: Thursday 25th April - 27th June 2024
18:00-21:00
Tutor: Kate Rochester
An exciting range of graded projects to introduce you to bookbinding. Come armed with enthusiasm and walk away with a stack of small books and a heap of information on materials, tools and techniques.
Full fee 389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00
Bookbinding: simple leather binding
Course Dates: Thursday 25th April - 16th May 2024
10:30 - 16:30
Tutor: Ina Baumeister
Discover how leather, combined with simple sewing and cutting techniques can create a wonderfully flexible and stylish bindings. Create books with folded and crossed structure covers and include some decorative elements to personalise your work.
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
Techniques and skills
Bookbinding: gold tooling on paper
Course Dates: 16th-19th April 2024
10:30-16:30
Tutor: Tracey Rowledge
Learn how to develop a language with gold tooling on paper using hand finishing tools, BS Glaire and loose gold leaf. For all levels, from beginners to those with experience in gold tooling using hand finishing tools and gold leaf.
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
Fine binding masterclass II: rough edge gilding
Course Dates: 16th-17th March 2024
10:30-16:30
Tutor: Kathy Abbott
A weekend masterclass to learn the ancient art of rough edge gilding. Gilding not only adds a luxurious sparkle to the edges of your pages but also protects the edge from dust. Rough edge gilding is not rough at all, it just retains the look of individual pages, not a solid block. Limited class size due to the content of the course.
Suitable for those with bookbinding experience.
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £299.00
Enquiries: visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
Enrolments Phone line: 020 7831 7831 Monday-Friday 10:00-18:00 (last calls taken at 17:45)
Further information please visit otterbookbinding.com
There are available a variety of 1 to 1 courses, which run from April to September, offering the opportunity to learn in an idyllic location and relaxed atmosphere. All necessary materials required for each course are included in the course fee. Course dates are by mutual agreement.
Over the period of each course you will be guided through all the aspects of bookbinding, relevant to each course. There are at present four courses available:
5 Day Courses. Each course runs from Monday Friday (09.00-17.00).
Basic Course This course has been designed for the beginner and covers all the basics of binding a book.
Refresher/Repair Course This course is designed for the student who:
Has completed the Basic Course but would like to spend more time developing their basic skills before moving on to finer things.
Has had some experience in the past of binding a case bound, round and backed book but would like to refresh their skills.
Would like to develop their skills in repairing old cloth cased books.
Full Leather Course This course is for the person who wants to develop their bookbinding skills and progress to binding in leather. (To attend this course it is important that you have attend the Basic Course or something similar.)
2 Day Course
Bookmaking Course This course has been designed to allow you to spend two days making a variety of types and styles of book, which require very little specialist equipment or tools.
Accommodation is available
For further detail please telephone +44 (0)1953 718348,
or view the web site at www.abinderofbooks.co.uk
Southern Bookcrafts Club is unique in operating a fully equipped bindery in central Winchester for amateur bookbinders.
The club was founded more than 30 years ago and our purpose remains the same to provide our members with extensive working space, comprehensive equipment, material, facilities and training to develop their bookcraft skills. Club membership is available to all and enables members access to the bindery at any time except when training is being undertaken. For bookbinders wishing to start or develop their business, club membership provides a low risk, low cost facility that avoids the need for heavy investment or substantial overheads.
Our other primary purpose is to keep the craft of bookbinding alive by introducing it to as many people as we can in an affordable and accessible way. So, for nonmembers we also offer a range of highly regarded introductory courses including taster sessions, beginner and intermediate training courses.
Club days on Tuesday and Friday mornings provide a great opportunity for members to share their knowledge and ideas with some enjoyable and good humoured conversation!
Further information is available at www.southernbookcrafts.org or via training@southernbookcrafts.org
One of the reasons why I fell in love with the craft of bookbinding is because you never stop learning. From Book & Paper Conservation to Book Arts is a huge arc under which lies a multitude of subjects, techniques and skills. Black Fox Bindery offers a variety of teaching resources from taster courses to intensive, from one day to long term.
The bindery is fully equipped with presses, hot foil blocking machines, paring machines, tools and materials. There is enough space to accommodate 5 students comfortably at any one time and is fully insured.
Workshops and Courses
Over the previous years Black Fox has hosted a selection of successful workshops, covering a variety of subjects and techniques. Although these haven't followed an annual schedule I am more than happy to organise different courses throughout the year when time allows and I am very happy to take requests.
Black Fox Bindery also plays host to guest binders or makers who may not have space of their own to teach. This is a great opportunity for all involved; I get to see a new teaching approach, my students have access to different techniques and the guest gets paid to pass on their skills.
One to One Tuition
One to one tuition has been invaluable to my personal progress in bookbinding and I emphasis the importance of it for focused skill and technique development. You may have a certain amount of bookbinding experience but may feel that there is room for improvement or you could be a total beginner wishing for concentrated time within a bindery. I can offer one to one tuition tailored to your needs.
I can provide tuition on a daily basis or as part of a structured longer term course. Costs are £150 a day, with working hours usually from 10am to 5pm with an hour for lunch. For further information regarding one to one tuition please contact me (Nicky Oliver) at: nicky@blackfoxbindery.com
Bench Rental
The Black Fox Bench Rental service is provided for those who are fed up of practising bookbinding on their kitchen worktops and lacking the equipment that they need. It is an opportunity to come into a fully equipped bindery to work on personal projects whether it be a job, competition piece or a gift for example. The cost of this service is £55 a day which includes access to the equipment, presses, tools and a little guidance from me if needed.
Further information and booking is available from
www.blackfoxbindery.com/workshops
One-to-one or two-to-one tuition in a private studio located in a beautiful rural setting in the Scottish Borders: close to Berwick on Tweed with easy access by road or rail.
Personal tuition from an award winning craftsman! All tuition tailored to suit the skills level of the individual student. If there is a particular technique or a skill you are looking to develop or improve, or if you are a complete beginner taking your first steps into the art & craft of this ancient discipline, contact Mark Ramsden via bookmanconservation.co.uk, or call 01361 882028 or email me bookman@btinternet.com.
Come and teach at the LCBA! The centre is looking to add more workshops to their schedule. If you have an idea for a workshop to teach at the Centre, please let them know by filling in the form on their web site.
You can see examples of their current workshops at londonbookarts.eventbrite.co.uk
The Norie Trust is a small charitable trust based in the South West of England. The Trust funds various projects, many of which are associated with literature and the arts. The Trust also assists community based projects which aim to improve the quality of people's lives.
The Trust has generously offered the Society funds of £2,000 a year for the next 5 years to fund an educational award to assist professionals in the book field. The Trust wishes to recognise Maureen Duke's inspirational teaching and dedication to education and the award will therefore be known as The Maureen Duke Educational Award.
The recipient of the award each year should be a bookbinder, book conservator, book restorer or book artist who has worked professionally in the U.K. for the last two years prior to the award. They should be intending to continue to work professionally, preferably in the UK.
SoB's Education & Training Task Force has been asked by the Trust to administer
the award and after discussion it has been agreed that the award panel will consist
of the Chair of the Society and the Chair of E&T.
The applicant will be required to submit the following:
Hand written letter of application
CV
A brief outline of the nature of study wishing to be undertaken,
indicating how this will enhance their work, and their plans for the
future
Full Breakdown of costs fees, travel and subsistence
Images of work completed in the 2 years prior to application
Two references
The recipient will be required to write a report of their study and experience gained for others in the field.
Applications should be sent to: Claire Redfern, 21 Moat Way, Goring by Sea, West Sussex, BN12 4DR.
Case Binding
Rationale This module develops the students' ability to use basic materials such as cloth and a number of machine made papers. It will allow students the opportunity to explore differing adhesives and covering techniques in the production of case bindings.
Aims
to develop hand skills related to paper and cloth work and hand foil work
to enhance professional skills, awareness and responsibility
to stimulate creativity in design
to develop awareness of choice of suitable styles
Learning Outcome On completion the student will be able to:
select suitable styles of case binding
fold sections
be familiar with various sewing techniques
forward the book to the required standard
make a case binding including the use of modern design techniques
Assessment Strategy Assessment will be in line with the STUDIO 5 criteria and will be evident through examination and discussion of 5 finished items of work. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply the techniques to a good standard and understand the reasons for their use. The Module is delivered over 6 days with all materials included. Fee £700
Bradel Binding
Rationale This module develops an awareness of strength and structure specific to this type of binding. It will give students the opportunity to work with leather and apply the relevant techniques involved in the production of the disappearing spine Bradel binding.
Aims
to introduce the student to leather binding and manipulation
to identify the correct materials specific to the binding style
to understand the need for and limitations of the binding style
to apply the relevant techniques
to assess the suitability of the binding style
Learning Outcome On completion the student will be able to:
select suitable text blocks in need of this structure
forward the book to the required standard
make a Bradel binding including the use of modern design techniques
Assessment Strategy Assessment will be in line with the STUDIO 5 criteria and will be evident through examination and discussion of 1 finished item of work. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply the techniques to a good standard and understand the reasons for their use. The Module is delivered over 6 days with all materials included. Fee £700
Box and Enclosure Making
Rationale This module is intended to develop the students ability in making 3 styles of boxes for the books made during the 2 previous modules. The student will be able to select and use suitable materials and incorporate style and design ideas.
Aims
to identify the correct materials specific to the box style and use
to explore design and material manipulation
to apply the relevant techniques
to understand internal measuring
Learning Outcome On completion the student will be able to:
select suitable box styles and construction methods
apply the techniques for making boxes including a two tray drop back box
apply techniques suitable for various uses
Assessment Strategy Assessment will be in line with the STUDIO 5 criteria and will be evident through examination and discussion of 3 finished items of work. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply the techniques to a high standard and understand the reasons for their use. The student will be expected to be able to demonstrate and rationalise design, process and protection. The Module is delivered over 6 days with all materials included.
Fee £700
Artist's Book or Complete Book (Option A)
Rationale This module is intended to develop the students' ability to explore print, book manipulation and creative journeys with the book.
Aims
to identify differing print techniques
to explore the book as a means of artistic and social expression
to apply the relevant techniques, working practices and mediums
Learning Outcome On completion the student will be able to:
select suitable print techniques and mixed media
forward the book to the required standard and manipulate as required
to understand the relationship of the artist and the book
Assessment Strategy Assessment will be in line with the STUDIO 5 criteria and will be evident through examination and discussion of 2 finished items of work. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply the techniques to a high standard and understand the reasons for their use. The student will be expected to be able to demonstrate and rationalise working processes. The Module is delivered over 6 days with some materials included. Fee £700
Introduction to Contemporary Bradel Design Binding (Option B)
Rationale The Introduction to Contemporary Bradel Design Binding gives students the opportunity to make a Design Binding using contemporary and traditional techniques and materials.
Aims
to expand existing skills and techniques whilst learning relevant traditional skills
to explore Design Binding with contemporary arts practices
to apply the relevant techniques, working practices and mediums
Learning Outcome On completion the student will be able to:
select suitable construction methods
forward the book to the required standard and manipulate as required
to boldly go where no one has been before
Assessment Strategy Assessment will be in line with the STUDIO 5 criteria and will be evident through examination and discussion of 2 finished items of work. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply the techniques to a high standard and understand the reasons for their use. The student will be expected to be able to demonstrate and rationalise working processes. The Module is delivered over 14 days with basic materials included. Fee £1,400
The STUDIO 5 BEGINNERS COURSE is delivered in 3 modules of six days each. Upon successful completion the student will be issued with a Studio 5 Certificate. The fee is £2,100.00 per person. The fee covers all tuition, hand tool use, workshop equipment as required and materials as outlined in the module information. A 50% non returnable deposit is required to confirm booking, full payment being made no less than 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the course. The modules can be delivered in a block or days to suit the individual student. Two further modules, options A and B are individually priced.
To book a place or for more information please contact us at:
Mark Cockram
Studio Five
First Floor The Mews
4652 Church Road
Barnes, London, SW13 0DQ
Tel: 0208 563 2158 https://studio5bookbindingandarts.blogspot.com/
New to our range this month.
6 gorgeous new designsntemporary.
The passing of a Bookbinding Icon.
We close for the holiday on ....
Announcing the winner of the Hewit prize.