Handmade Hardcover w/ Closure
Yesterday I finished the book i started the day before and I really love it. I’ve been wanting to make a book with a closure for a while now. I’ve had tons of ideas and have plenty of materials to play with. But I have to confront a lot of nerves when I’m trying something new and I dont want to ruin all my beautiful progress. Bookbinding has a lot of little steps and decisions to consider and I know I’ll be pissed if i screw it all up at the finishing touches. Plus you cant do all your ideas in one book. Now that I’ve practiced some basics with relative comfort, I’m excited to add more razzle dazzle.
It’s agony. It’s a gamble. It’s a challenge.
I love the thrill….!
But there’s no way to know what’s right or wrong till you try and improvement only comes by doing. So I take a deep breath, gather my curlies, be brave, and just do it. The real reward is in going for it no matter what.
I found a button that belonged to grandma. It’s pretty and probably one of the extra buttons that came with a blazer or blouse she had. I saw it laying flipped up side down and fell in love with the underside. The texture of the black thread going around it is dimensional but subtle with just enough gold showing thru.
I think the gold matches the ink perfectly…a slight patina but still bright. The embossing that is exposed from the front design looks interesting to me too. The button introduces the circle theme that continues inside the cover. I really love when the book resembles a door and the button has a knobby vibe for sure.
I used black and gold waxed thread for the cord. The bead I added was e of many mixed media goodies gifted from an art buddy (thanks Sophia 🖤). It added a little weight so the cord would dangle a bit without stressing the cover. I liked the shape of it…like a wobbly cube. Nice visual interest that’s in step with the balance of organic and symmetrical…representational and abstract….present and subtle…
Love this book….
