Aw heck.

Darn my Artistic genes.

Getting the fidgets again, despite having three projects on the go. Probably means, after a lengthy break I'll probably find an excuse to do some complex bookbinding again.

Binding a book is usually straightforward, as is rebinding a book. Anyone can do it - you can find basic guides on the internet, for instance, have a look on Pintrest here  or search Youtube.

I'm not a big fan of rebinding old books, though I've done it. If you have a very, very old book then pay the price and approach a National Trust restorer who will not only advise you on the cost, for a fee, explain preservation, archiving and storage, for a fee, and in exceptional circumstances restore it. For a fee. They may even register it and the advice followed so they can keep track of it.

Don't assume if you do, the book is valuable. Value is subjective. It may be commercially worthless, but if it's worth it to you to pay the hundreds of pounds for a family treasure to be maintained optimally, it's worth a fortune to you, and it's worth doing it properly.

Me? I've been presented with three hundred year old beautifully annotated  family bibles and journals, a wealth of history in need of tender loving care. I've placed them carefully in a large folder bound with twine, asked the owner to pay for a safe deposit box, keep a handwritten journal, on proper embossed paper, and every six months I'll that bind it for them. Then they can store that along with book.

It may be broke, but don't fix it. For younger books, say, a treasured 1970's Enid Blyton covered in crayon - wrap it neatly in four layers of brown paper, pop a loose elastic band around it, put it back on the shelf. Every few months unwrap it and read with affection. The smell alone will take you back. Oh, and watch those elastic bands. They can perish....

Complex bookbinding is an entirely different matter. It's the creation of a work of art irrespective of the contents usually - hey, I'm no reviewer. But if I can do the obvious and create art that reflects the contents, excellent.

Complexes is that I do purely for the love of it. It's a long, and if I was to charge, expensive and arduous  process. The length of time it takes is, well, as long as it takes, and that can take weeks if not months. I don't have photos of my work here, for privacy reasons that would take too long to explain, but if you look at the Pintrest page above, you'll see a Dragonfly cover which I admire. Copyright the artist.

Going to have to change that profile pic. I'm a bit slimmer and have a goatee nowadays.


Dray x