June 11, 2013 by Erin Fletcher
During a recent workshop, I revisited the Gary Frost sewn-board binding structure. Remembering how much I enjoy that structure I decided to bind a few for my Etsy shop using the same series of paste papers as the previous collection of books. Each sewn-board journal is filled with 48 blank Mohawk pages and accented with book cloth on the spine and board edges near the spine.
Check out Herringbone Bindery at Etsy.
Hand Bound Sewn-board Blank Notebook // Grey Cheetah – $25.00
March 18, 2013 by Erin Fletcher
I’m so proud and excited to announce the opening of my shop on Etsy! In my practice I get to work on a lot of interesting projects under the guide of my clients. The items on Etsy sprang into life during the brief moments of freedom between client work, giving way to personal, limitless flashes of expression. I began with a collection of Lokta papers in a broad range of colors, which inspired the hand-dyed thread on the Coptics and paste papers used for the flatback journals and jotters.
Check out my previous post on paste papers. My most favorite pattern is the plum scallops over mint!
I’m also a fan of the linear Coptic journals (available in earth tones and blue tones). Inspiration for this design came during my first year at North Bennet Street School from a poster that was hung in front of my bench. The minimalistic design is fresh and enhanced by the soft, muted tones of the Hahnemuhle Ingres.
Check out the Herringbone Bindery shop and leave a comment about your favorite product. Thanks in advance!!
November 5, 2012 by Erin Fletcher
Five weeks remain for my exhibition on Buy Some Damn Art. There’s still time to add to your library!
Initially for this binding of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach I had intended on covering it in a peachy-colored pig suede to represent the Giant Peach itself. However, dressing the book up like a peach felt too dry, too safe. The story of James and the Giant Peach is loaded with magic from the overgrown peach to the singing insects, which only became possible through the power of those little, luminescent crocodile tongues. Using smoke Hahnemuhle Ingres, I created a simple paste paper representing the little green things, scattering them about randomly. The acrylic paint was mixed with wheat starch paste and watered down significantly, this allowed for the graduation of intensity with each corkscrew shape.
I choose to execute this design as a Rubow Millimeter binding. This is one of my favorite structures to work with, mainly because the covering material (most commonly paste paper) can lay across the entire book uninterrupted. The head and tail edge of the boards are lined with buffalo skin in Anis (chartreuse green), which matched perfectly to the green tone on the paste paper.
The edges of the book were painted with an fluid acrylic/paste mixture to match the red walnut Cave Paper endpapers. After application and once the pigment was dry, I used sandpaper to scuff up the edges a bit giving it a distressed look. The headbands are hand sewn around a single core (bead on foredge) in alternating dark brown and reddish brown. The title was hand stamped through brown foil. The book is housed in a clamshell box. The trays are covered in smoke Hahnemuhle Ingres and lined with lime Moriki; the case is covered in a brown Canapetta bookcloth.
James and the Giant Peach is for sale at the price of $400.
August 5, 2012 by Erin Fletcher
The millimeter binding (specifically Rubow) is my most favorite structure due to its simple elegance and traditional use of handmade paste paper. ‘Talking to Myself’ was bound with blank pages to be used as a journal. On this binding the head edge and tail edge are lined with maroon goatskin with leather wrapped headbands in the same leather. This paste paper was especially fun to design. By taking inspiration from Sarah Creighton, I aimed to create an alien landscape with rich oranges and browns.
The initial peachy layer of acrylic paint mixed with wheat starch paste and water was applied to the Hahnemuhle Ingres paper with a sponge brush. Once that dried completely the three other colors (of the same mixture) were applied separately with a piece of binder’s board in order to create the peaks and icicle-like forms. The title was smoke-tooled with handle letters. Smoke-tooling is a technique were the face of the tool is greased up with petroleum jelly and then stuck in a flame to collect carbon; the tool is then pressed into the cover leaving a trace of carbon behind. This give a rich, deep black impression of the tool.
July 23, 2012 by Erin Fletcher
Fantasy & Nonsense is a compilation of poems from 19th century American poet James Whitcomb Riley elegantly letterpress printed on handmade paper with wood engravings by Robert Buchert. Riley was known for writing about rural Midwestern life to an audience of young readers. However, this unique collection portrays a devilishly playful side of Riley’s poetry through whimsical tales of things both eerie and peculiar. Buchert’s illustrations harmonize beautifully to the mischievous tune of Riley’s words.
This binding was completed for an exhibition put on by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. Each submission will be judged for its level of craft and creativity. Results are still pending.
My inspiration for this binding came from two lines in the first poem “A Nonsense Rhyme” (sea of pale pink lemonade and cringing grass). The style of binding is referred to as Millimeter (specifically Rubow) where a millimeter of leather is exposed on the head and tail edge of the book. I wanted to keep true to the whimsical feel of the poetry, so I used two separate leather colors, blue-gray for the head and mauve for the tail.
The paste paper cover was created with a mixture of acrylic paint, distilled vinegar and sugar with accents of cucumber paper from Hiromi.
Check out more photos after the jump.
