Coptic Endbands

I gathered with my students in Wishi Washi Studio this past Friday to put Coptic Endbands on their Coptic Bound books.

Coptic Endbands are a little tricky to learn, and to teach, but once you get the hang of them it is a very satisfying process with gorgeous results!

Coptic Endbands in progress

The endbands add what I call "strength and controlled flexibility" to a Coptic Bound book. Coptic bindings are known for their ability to lay flat but the binding can often be a bit floppy - especially if the first and last page are not glued down. The endbands can help strengthen the binding while still allowing the book to behave in a beautifully flexible way.

Next up in Wishi Washi Studio are workshops taught by Guest Instructors Jennie Hinchliff (Three Sketchbooks in Six Hours on April 25th) and Rhiannon Alpers (Drum Leaf Binding on May 9th). There are limited spaces available in those two classes - more information and sign up information here. What a great Happy Spring gift to yourself to come to Wishi Washi Studio and learn with these amazing teachers - join us!

Between now and then I will be going to Japan! More on that soon...

Catching up! Codex, Tackets and Coptic

I have fallen behind on reporting on happenings in and around Wishi Washi Studio! So, here is a three in one post.

I participated in the Codex Book Fair & Symposium in February.

The Fair took place at the Craneway Pavilion in Point Richmond, California, in this stunning building

the exhibitor hall with windows everywhere

the Craneway Pavilion went on forever

with these stunning views

 

our view: stormy day with San Francisco in the distance

small, medium and large boats passing at all times

There were approximately 200 exhibitors from all around the world. The event took place over a span of four days and it was absolutely overwhelming! I saw friends, colleagues, and students from far and near and met many, many amazing people. My biggest complaint was that I wasn't able to meet and visit with each and everyone of my co-exhibitors.

A couple of weekends later I was back teaching in Wishi Washi Studio. Tacketted Binding is the first binding that I ever taught way back in the 1990's at Paper Source in Cambridge, Massachussets, what seems like a few lifetimes ago. 

Tackets on one of my artists' books: Worse Than Nothing

I had never taught Tacketted Binding in Wishi Washi Studio but I had a student request it and I'm glad she did - the class filled lickety-split and I ended up adding a second class that also filled. I was quite pleased to learn that there was so much interest in this binding.

 

 

class samples: Tacketted Binding

This is a historically based binding for which I have altered the materials to modernize it a bit. It is a great structure for artistic applications.

class samples: Coptic Binding

Last weekend I taught the tried and true Coptic Binding. Always a favorite as it is a beautiful and functional binding that allows the pages to lay flat. Journal keepers and sketchbook makers love it for that reason. I also teach this class online at Creativebug so you can take it anywhere in the world that you are!

Greek Coptic Binding with Coptic Endbands

This coming Friday I will be teaching students to add Coptic Endbands to their Coptic bound books. There is still space in that class so check it out here and join us if you can.

a teaching road trip

I hit the road this last weekend and headed to Sonoma County to teach a book arts group there.

I have become quite spoiled teaching out of my own studio this past year and a half but did pretty well in packing up, including a traveling book press station: heavy books and old irons.

Northern California is made up of zillions of micro-climates.  This is me driving north:

 

The next morning I took a walk before teaching and the wild turkeys kept me company on the road.

 wild turkeys of Sepastopol

Once again, I taught the ever-popular Ethiopian Coptic Bookbinding. My students did a great job and completed some gorgeous books.

 

One experienced student even attempted, and succeeded, at the four-needle Coptic (two pieces of thread, a needle on each end of the threads).

 

On the way home I stopped at Fort Mason in San Francisco and visited the Renegade Craft Fair. Played with my camera and took panoramic photos (that's Alcatraz out there in the water):

and a bench.

And, again with the micro-climates on the way home. Quite the contrast.

 

Fun little adventure and am now looking forward to disappearing into my studio for a month ...