Handmade Journals with Handmade Paper Covers

Hand bound Coptic sewn journal with sturdy Davey boards covered with my handmade papers.

Finally found some time to bind some books. This book is sewn with a Coptic binding that features braided stitching along the spine side of the book. I used some of handmade papers to cover the archival Davey boards. The golden paper is made of Japanese Gampi that was cooked for about 3 hours and then beaten into fine fibers in my Hollander. Then I dyed the gampi fibers in a dye from Lotus leaves. The other paper is made from beaten hemp and then layered with some bamboo fibers.

I love to use these books for travel journals, sketches and musings. The sections of the book has stubs that allow me to add bits of ephemera or memorabilia.