bookbinding - Black Cat Bindery

2012-01-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Portfolio style wedding albums

We are always being asked to develop an album that can hold a bespoke number of pages so we have come up with our portfolio / pillar binding album.
The pages are made up of individual card sheets with cloth joints so that they are able to flex and bend to help with the opening of the albums. It also means that we are able to build each album with different amounts of pages as require.

As we make to order the albums can be covered in a variety of different finishes. The pictures below are of a Damson Tsarina crush silk album with 20 black pages.
We are also able to emboss names, dates and company logos in gold, silver or blind embossed.

The pages and albums are held together with brass pillar screws which allow you to take pages out or swap them around once the album has been made.

The page size of the above album is 280mm height x 275mm width but other sizes are available.
We recommend using photo mounts http://www.blackcatbindery.com/photoalbummounts.htm
Double sided archival tape or photo spray to attach your photos.

We are also able to make matching storage boxes / drop back boxes for your albums.

If you need any more information contact us on info@blackcatbindery.com

www.blackcatbindery.com

Ivory Tsarina crush silk and Midnight blue Tsarina crush silk portfolios both with 10 cream leaves

Ivory silk portfolio album open

We are also able to get photo frame mounts to fit over the photos.

midnight blue with blue grey ribbon

Ivory silk with ivory ribbon

Box making

2011-11-19T04:13:00.001-08:00

Box making in photos

we always start from the inside and work our way out so the first thing we do is the measure the book, or in this case, large mounted photographs that we are making it for.

The trays {walls of the box} are made from 3mm interlocking greyboard

They are then covered in cloth or marbled paper

The rounded spine is made up from millboard and then rounded using a spokeshave

The rounded spine is then covered with paper and the leather false raised bands are then added

The leather is then cut to size and pared thin

The spine is then covered with leather and the boards are covered with cloth

The trays are the attached to the case and then we can do the gold lettering and tooling

This box is lined in ivory moire silk

chiyogami decorative paper

2011-11-14T09:19:00.001-08:00

O G A M I

C H I Y O G A M I

Decorative Japanese papers

Japan has a long history of producing richly patterneddecorative papers. Chiyogami papers are the best known decorative papers andhave their origins far back in Japanese history and culture.

Originally printed from woodblocks, Chiyogami papers historyis rooted in the old printing and book illustrations of the Edo period. Thepatterns are closely linked to textile designs found on silk kimonos.

Nowadaysthe designs are screen printed by hand, using pigment based inks and a separate screen for each colour.The design is built up with each colour laid down individually.

The most common uses for these papers are bookbinding, origami, box making, collage and card making, covering furniture and even walls.

We have chosen two designs to start with and we hope to add to them soon.

Japanese Chiyogami decorative paper

We are making up some photograph albums and drop back boxes /

memory boxes using these chiyogami papers and we hope to be adding

them to our website soon.

If you have any questions please get in touch at info@blackcatbindery.com

12" x 12" photo album with chiyogami paper sides

12" x 12" photo album

www.blackcatbindery.com

Limited Edition of FEET OF CLAY by Paul Muldoon.

2011-08-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

Limited Edition of FEET OF CLAY by Paul Muldoon
Designed and Printed by John Grice at Evergreen Press in 16pt Lutetia on Magnani paper.

Limited to 112 copies signed by author, 100 copies bound in wrappers and 12 copies bound in quarter Morocco. Bound by BL:ACK CAT BINDERY, Somerset
First published by Four Candles Press Oxford
Engraving by NEIL BOUSFIELD

Bound by Black Cat Bindery, Somerset in yellow ochre Morocco goatskin spine with black sides. Black leather label cut at an angle and gold title running down the spine. The leather spine has also been cut at an angle to echo Neil Boulsfields engraving.

Just adding a couple more photos of the finished edition of FEET OF CLAY

We decided to move the gold lettering as the spine is very slim.

If any one wants any more information or is interested in purchasing a copy please get in touch with

Joe McCann

Four Candles Press

76 Oliver Road

Oxford

OX4 2JJ

Tel: (07971) 040507

email: joe@maggs.com

Black Cat Bindery Albums

2011-08-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Silk wedding album with matching box

2011-07-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

Video of a silk wedding album with matching box

photo album and drop back box video - Black Cat Bindery

2011-07-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

A first attempt at a video. Thought it would be good to show some of the photo albums and boxes this way.

Wedding albums and boxes bound in Tsarina Crush silk cloth

2011-06-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

This is our new range of wedding albums and boxes.
I have been looking for a silk like material for ages and eventually found this beautiful crushed, two tone silk.
We just have the two colours at the moment but I am sure we will be adding more.
Ivory Tsarina crush and damson Tsarina crush both dyed with two colours to achieve a two tone effect. { more prominent with the damson which has an underlying blue tone}.

Decorative presentation box -

2011-05-26T08:43:00.001-07:00

Making of a drop back box

Box making step 4

2011-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

After the case has been made the gold and blind decoration and lettering was put on before attaching the case to the trays.
The box was then lined in a tan suedel.

box making step 3

2011-05-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Once the trays and spine piece have been made the leather is then cut to shape and dyed to the required colour before the case is made.
The leather is shaped around the spine and raised bands before being turned in around the case

Box making - next step

2011-05-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

The next stage is the make a spine piece for the case.
As this box is going to have a rounded spine we need to make up a spine strip with mill board and then shape it using a spoke shave and sandpaper.
After we have achieved the required shape we then covered the spine in handmade paper and then put strips of leather on top to create the raised bands

Making a leather storage box

2011-05-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

A customer had asked me to keep a photo diary of the making of his presentation box so I thought I would put it up on our blog for all to see.

We always start with the inside measurements. ie the dimensions of the object or objects that are to be stored. In this case they were a series of mounted photographs.

Then the inside tray is constructed using double thickness grey board { 6mm thick} and staggered joints in the corners for extra strenght. The outer tray is then made to fit the inner and then they are both covered in cloth or paper.
In this instance we have used a handmade marbled paper.

May 2011 Wedding album season

2011-05-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

May has arrived and this year we have been really busy producing wedding albums and matching boxes.
I have just had a small heart made up by our block makers so we will soon be able to offer a gold or silver embossed heart on the front covers as well as the personalisation of names.
We have also recently been asked to make up a wedding album with a sunken panel on the front to hold a beautiful cross stitch design of the wedding couple.{ pictured above} We are always keen to try and bring customers ideas and designs to life making their books and albums truly bespoke.

Leather Journals

2011-03-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

Samuel Peyp's was a master of journal writing...... A 17th Centuary Gentleman that helped us understand more about the 1600's just because he kept a diary.

I am wondering how many people keep diaries these days. I had one when I was in my teens and wish I had continued sometimes..... maybe everyone is blogging instead.
Not quite so personal as sneeking up to your room or going for a long walk and finding a quite spot to sit, think and write.

So we decided to make some up and see if people would be interested.

Bound in the finest waxed hide leather and handmade in Somerset, our flap and tie journals have a simple but traditional look.
Black Cat Bindery offer these journals in 2 different sizes 295mm x 210mm { A4} and the 210mm x 150mm { A5} and they are available in 4 different colours.
Rich dark red, black, chocolate brown and tan.
Each journal has 144 pages { 288 sides} of quality off white 150gsm writing / drawing paper and is bound in quality waxed hide leather. The word Journal has been blind embossed in a script font on the right hand bottom corner
Your journal can also be individually personalised with initials or name in gold, silver or blind embossed and comes in a presentation gift box. If you have any specific embossing needs or changes please email us to discuss.

Keep sake Boxes / Drop back Boxes / memory boxes

2011-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

We make lots of drop back boxes. Useful for so many different things including storing antiquarian books and photographic prints, as well as hiding paperwork or your kindle.

I love boxes..... I can spy them a mile off. I am drawn to ones covered in unusual papers. They can be beautiful objects as well as useful.

All our boxes are made to order. The fit is very important. An antiquarian book must not be able to rattle around in its box or be so sqaushed that its boards bow and headcaps are damaged.

Some boxes need to be of archival quality using acid neutral paper as lining. Others can be more flamboyant. I love it when you open up a drop back box to be hit by a vibrant moire silk or marbled paper. --- A secret revealed ---

I'll post a few pictures of different boxes up to show you just some of the different styles

Wedding Albums

2011-02-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Black Cat Bindery
Traditional Craft Bookbinders

Wedding Albums at http://www.blackcatbindery.com/

Classic leather and linen wedding albums

Our collection of classic leather wedding albums are handmade, in our workshop, from beautiful quality leathers, chosen for its elegance and durability. These wedding albums can hold a range of different sized photographs and each of the high quality ivory pages are interleaved with acid free parchment paper to give your images extra protection. The perfect home for your most treasured memories from one of life’s biggest days. All our leather photo albums can be individually personalized with gold or silver lettering. We can also make bespoke matching which can be used either to store your album or on their own as keepsake boxes.

The album pages are of archival quality and we use a variety of luxury leathers and materials to produce a lasting, quality product to display your photos. Our photograph albums come in four sizes with either cream or black pages, interleaved with white tissue dividers to help protect your photographs. Our main sizes are:9" x 9" with 40 pages {80 sides}9" x 12" portrait with 30 pages {60 sides}12" x 12" with 40 pages {80 sides}14" x 14" with 50 pages {100 sides}Photos can be mounted on both sides or just on the right hand side. We recommend that you use photo mounts to attach your photos. Once made our albums are tissue wrapped and come in a stylish gift box with a printed Black Cat logo. If you have any questions or require more information about our albums or products please don't hesitate to contact us by email at info@blackcatbindery.com