NEW BOOK ON THE BLOCK

Next to be bound is BEYOND GIVING poems, by Robert Graves.

The text block is in good condition but being only a few sections I have decided to make it an Ultra Flat Back Binding. The text block is sewn on a link stitch with secondary sewing to Fray Not. End papers are hooked on and sewn. The spine is left flat with shaped boards taking up the swell. All of this will be explained a bit later when I get my act together.

Both Finished

Kyffin number 1



A full calf binding with multiple leather inlays. The calf has been hand dyed with lines cut out and filled in with hundreds of small pieces of leather. The shapes echo the forms that Kyffin used in his work,the leather inlays represent the paint, thick and full of texture (impasto) landscapes, sleeping forms etc can be found in the binding.



Front leather jointed end paper and doubler. Hand printed using an soft plate off-set technique.



A rather sad view of Kyffin number one in its box.

Kyffin number 2



Full leather and vellum double hollow binding. All the leather has been hand dyed and the vellum printed with the soft plate off-set technique.



Detail of the gold tooling (real gold leaf) and the soft plate off-set printing.



Detail of the leather jointed end paper and doublure.
The end papers are hand printed, soft plate off-set again. The doublure has been worked to show the working structure of the binding, the gold tooling has been carried over from the outside of the binding to the inside.



part of kyffin number 2 and the box.




Finally both finished bindings....

Kfffin up date.

Both the bindings for the Kyffin project are finished. Boxes made, gold tooling done, things checked over. I hope to be able to take some images of the finished works.

The next projects on the bench are an artists book and a binding for 'Beyond Giving' Poems by Robert Graves. Privately printed in 1969 at The Stellar Press, Hatfield by Bill Hummerstone. The edition was limited to 536 copies of which 500 were signed and numbered by the author. My copy is signed but not numbered. A clean copy, un-cut.

The design is to be graphic with an extended board structure and I hope some moving bits.

Not only but also. THE PURPLE POPE BOOK OF ICONS.

So, I have a friend who is a thesp (actor) and I am led to believe good. Anyway, for the next production she is going to be a Pope who gives birth..... some of the characters in the production are based on what are believed to have been real people, including a pope who may have been a woman, may have been of African origin and gave birth, there I have said it again.
The ironic point is that she is Catholic, black and a mum. I love her. The posters are up in our very straight laced town, stating that there are scenes, language and images that may offend, this is one production I may see.

My small part in all of this is to make a Pope style book.
All chintz, bells, campness and whistles.

It gives me great pleasure is presenting the PURPLE POPE BOOK OF ICONS.






Non of this would have been possible without the support of others and I would like to thank Bill Dallas of Ratchfords who supplied the board and the purple crushed velvet bookcloth, it did come in useful. Sewing thread and adhesives by J. Hewitt and Son. Paper supplied by John Purcell Paper and the Studio 5 members for turning a blind eye.

News flash the up-date

Towards the end of 2007 I made application to become a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen. It is with pleasure that I am able to say that my application was successful and have been granted full membership. I am happy.

NEWS FLASH

I am going to open a bottle of cheap wine, let it breath for about....well for as short a time as possible, pour a glass, put my feet up, take a sip of the said wine and smile. I have news, not big news but news all the same. It will have to wait till the morning for me to tell you.





Okay, perhaps a little more than a sip..........



......and perhaps more than one glass.

Kyffin is covered

I am amazed at how quickly this 2nd Kyffin is coming on.



The colours work, the composition is NOT traditional and why should it be ?. Though graphic, the colours are subtle and will reflect the end papers.



Detail of the double hollow at work.

Kyffin moves on.

The 2nd Kyffin is to be a double hollow binding. The vellum has dried out, the leather pared and dyed.



The vellum is semi transparent and I hope that the colours on the leather will add depth to the finished work.

kyffin on Vellum

Kyffin number two, soft plate off-set on Vellum.

KYFFIN WILLIAMS tooling finished.

I am getting old, there was a time when I could work through the night. Oh well.
Any way, the design has realised now it is just in-filling,leather joints, doublures and a box.....

Kyffin, work in progress.

Blind tooling to the front cover. Just one of the techniques used on this particular binding. As the binding nears completion so does the pressure as I remember that I will have another Kyffin binding to finish. Both will be auctioned (more details later) both must be photograph ready for the 24th of this month (Feb)

Still someway to go but i feel the end is in site. A full Calf (hand dyed) binding with multiple inlays. Perhaps it is difficult to see in this image but there are sleeping dragons, landscapes, artists pallet and much more hidden within the decorative areas. Fun so far.

However, the studio still functions with the day to day.

Trap Door Tapes. A method of board attachment using tapes that are hidden within the board, creating a smooth surface on the inside of the board ...........

........and on the outside.