During this one day class you will learn to  make two decorative chain stitched  books, one with a hardbound cover and  the second will be bound in either leather  or 'washable paper'.

 This is a lovely and very practical binding,  it has an intricately stitched spine and  lays flat when in use making it a very  practical book. These would make ideal  notebooks, journals or sketchbooks.  There will be a range of decorative cover  papers and coloured threads to choose from.

This course is suitable for beginners and all materials and equipment are provided.

Stapleford Granary had easy car parking and is also close to Shelford Railway station.

Learn how to make the Elbum, designed by Ben Elbel,  a fun and clever album structure which holds its pages by gripping them into a series of articulated  narrow pockets. This is a  treasure of paper engineering, this project is also a great introduction to concertina folding by hand as it requires precision folding. There will be an opportunity to practice with making a prototype before moving onto your finished Elbum. This is ideal if you are looking for a books structure that will hold individual pages.

During this one-day class you will learn a 'speedy' leather or vegetarian ‘washable paper’ binding and then construct your own refillable journal with a mixture of papers, envelopes and pockets to suit you,  finished off  with a matching integral pencil and elastic closure. 

This structure is ideal as a Travel Journal or Gardening Journal and would also make a fabulous Cookery Journal with places to pop all those quickly-jotted recipes from friends or the treasured notes from family. The choice will be yours on the day.

Lots of appropriate cover papers will be available but if you have a special one in mind, please bring it along.

This new 5 week course will enable you  to make a very versatile collection of  books that are designed to show their  decorative stitching as well as being very  functional. They all lay flat when opened  and in use, making them ideal as artist's  books for sketching, painting or  journalling. The collection, all filled with  watercolour paper,  consists of two  hardbound Long Stitched bindings, a  Crossed  Structure binding, made with  either a  leather or washable paper cover  and a  two sectioned Origata  binding. These bindings are all  chosen to  compliment each other and  when  completed they will be housed in a  matching slipcase in order to display their  decorative spines.

This course is suitable for beginners, or if you have already completed the Beginning Bookbinding 5 week course will enable you to build on your skills, and provide you with a wonderful set of decorative, contemporary books .

All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice. 

Learn how to make the Elbum, designed by Ben Elbel,  a fun and clever album structure which holds its pages by gripping them into a series of articulated  narrow pockets. This is a  treasure of paper engineering, this project is also a great introduction to concertina folding by hand as it requires precision folding. There will be an opportunity to practice with making a prototype before moving onto your finished Elbum. This is ideal if you are looking for a books structure that will hold individual pages.

 Learn how to make your own journal with  a decoratively stitched leather or  ‘washable paper’ spine, which includes  space for an integral pencil or pen. This is  a beautiful, interesting and versatile book  structure that opens flat when in use.  There will be a variety of coloured  threads and a range of cover papers available to choose from including some locally made hand marbled paper.

Cambridge Art Makers studio is up one flight of stairs, if you need any further information please email me or Cambridge Art Makers.

The Sewn Boards Binding, brought to prominence by American binder Gary Frost,  is the subject of many conversations and variations and with good reason. As well as being an adaptation of ancient Ethiopian binding techniques it also looks 'bang up-to-date' with its crisp edges and streamlined opening ability. It is a great extension to existing binding skills and is also a very helpful starting point for new binders as it does not require the traditional casing-in process! As with other classes, this workshop is taught so that you can repeat at home.

All equipment and materials required will be provided along with step by step demonstration and practice.

Stapleford Granary has easy car parking.

 During this one day class you will learn to  make two decorative chain stitched  books, one with a hardbound cover and  the second will be bound in either leather  or 'washable paper'.

 This is a lovely and very practical binding,  it has an intricately stitched spine and  lays flat when in use making it a very  practical book. These would make ideal  notebooks, journals or sketchbooks.  There will be a range of decorative cover  papers and coloured threads to choose from.

This course is suitable for beginners and all materials and equipment are provided.

Stapleford Granary had easy car parking and is also close to Shelford Railway station.

We will use the beautiful orchard surrounding Stapleford Granary for some of our source materials, and spend the morning creating our cyanotypes. Cyanotypes are negative prints of an object, in this instance flowers/plants, in the recognisable ‘blueprint’ colour. Cyanotypes are produced from a camera-less photographic printing process developed in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, St. John’s College/Cambridge graduate.

Your favourite cyanotype from the morning will then be used as the covering material for your hardbound book made after lunch. This is a wonderful opportunity to create a unique one-off personal design for your book/s.

All materials are provided and you will leave with the skills to continue practicing your own cyanotype photography and to reproduce the style of book again at home.  Stapleford Granary has easy car parking.

 During this  class you  will  learn to make a box with  a  stitched lid, following a  traditional Japanese Stab  bound pattern.  You will  have the opportunity to  learn how to have a  magnetic  fastening for your  box too.

 The inside of your box will  be covered with beautiful  Japanese paper and the  outside in a co-ordinating  buckram, which is a sturdy  book and box covering  material, of your choice.  You may decide to have the  lid and plinth in one colour  and the sides in another.

You will  learn (through demonstration and practice) the all-important skills of cutting and covering. Although we will work to the same template there will be the opportunity to personalise your box with the covering and lining materials and your choice of thread. 

Participants will leave with one completed box along with instructions and skills to reproduce another at home.

Cambridge Art Markers is up one flight of stairs, if you need any further information please don't hesitate to email me or Cambridge Art Makers.

During this one-day class you will learn a 'speedy' leather or vegetarian ‘washable paper’ binding and then construct your own refillable journal with a mixture of papers, envelopes and pockets to suit you,  finished off  with a matching integral pencil and elastic closure. 

This structure is ideal as a Travel Journal or Gardening Journal and would also make a fabulous Cookery Journal with places to pop all those quickly-jotted recipes from friends or the treasured notes from family. The choice will be yours on the day.

Lots of appropriate cover papers will be available but if you have a special one in mind, please bring it along.

Over this full  weekend of bookbinding you will learn the  techniques to complete four beautiful book structures along with a lined slipcase to hold your treasured prototype collection. All of the skills you will learn can be 'mixed and matched' so that you have a myriad of design possibilities after the course. You will make a Quarter Bound Single Section, a Hard Bound Journal, along with a Japanese Stab stitch book and a Concertina binding, finishing the weekend with a lined slipcase. 

All materials and equipment are included in the fee and you will also be provided with most of the the materials to reproduce these books at home.

Stapleford Granary has easy Car Parking .

 During this  class you  will  learn to make a box with  a  stitched lid, following a  traditional Japanese Stab  bound pattern.  You will  have the opportunity to  learn how to have a  magnetic  fastening for your  box too.

 The inside of your box will  be covered with beautiful  Japanese paper and the  outside in a co-ordinating  buckram, which is a sturdy  book and box covering  material, of your choice.  You may decide to have the  lid and plinth in one colour  and the sides in another.

You will  learn (through demonstration and practice) the all-important skills of cutting and covering. Although we will work to the same template there will be the opportunity to personalise your box with the covering and lining materials and your choice of thread. 

Participants will leave with one completed box along with instructions and skills to reproduce another at home.

Stapleford Granary has easy car parking and is close to Shelford railway station.

Slight controversy over the title of this binding as the inventor (Anne Goy) wishes it to be known as CrissCross Binding but let's not split hairs or threads. This one is a beauty combining the best of western and Japanese bindings resulting in a closed but exposed spine which lies flat when open; a very versatile book that can be used as a journal, sketchbook or even photograph album. 

This workshop is suitable for everyone whether you are a beginner or are looking to learn a new technique. All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice.  

The Curwen Art Centre  has easy car parking.

Slight controversy over the title of this binding as the inventor (Anne Goy) wishes it to be known as CrissCross Binding but let's not split hairs or threads. This one is a beauty combining the best of western and Japanese bindings resulting in a closed but exposed spine which lies flat when open; a very versatile book that can be used as a journal, sketchbook or even photograph album. 

This workshop is suitable for everyone whether you are a beginner or are looking to learn a new technique. All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice.  

Stoneman Press is Sue Jones'  wonderful art studio  it has easy parking,  but it is up one flight of stairs. Please do contact me if you need further information about accessibility.