Botanical Books.

               Leather books bound in Eco - Print leather 

      using natural vegetation to produce one off pieces of art.

ECO-PRINT LEATHER COVERING A JOURNAL
with protective slipcase

 

I have been spending time looking into eco-printing and have discovered that it is possible to produce beautiful botanical pieces of art on leather.

Each piece is a one-off artwork and I have sourced some gorgeous pieces that I can use to cover books with.  I am working with a small company in Indonesia who produce these prints on cloth and leather. 

They also give courses and Sidik from ARAE has been very helpful and keen to collaborate.

Below are a few examples of journals bound using this leather. It is tough and hard to work with. Hours of paring before I am able to use it but well worth the tired hands I feel.

I am hoping to be able to support this small business by producing bespoke bindings using this leather so all commissions are very welcome, be it a journal for a gift, a family photo album, a visitors book or a gardeners note book. I will be ordering some other colours so keep an eye out for some gorgeous books on my social media pages.

Eco-print leather covered journal

Eco-print leather covered journal

Eco-print leather covered journal

Detail of red leather end bands 

Video below showing some of the processes involved in the production of leather dying/ printing.

 Marbling Leather

Over the past few years I have been developing the technique of marbling leather using pigments floated on  Carrageenan Moss. I have found that a natural veg tanned hide split to 1mm takes the pigments very well. No need to pre load the leather with an alum unlike paper.

Picture showing colours floated on Carrageenan moss before the leather is placed on the surface.

Kate Brett from Payhembury Marbling has written a easy to follow book on marbling paper. See link below.

https://www.payhembury.com/Payhembury_Marbled_Papers/Marbling_Book.html

Its been fun to take these techniques and apply them to leather creating some interesting designs.

Once the marbled leather is dry it can be prepared as usual by edge paring ready to cover some books.

I have used the leather on many books from photograph albums to 1st Editions. The marble can be both striking and subtle. Below are some examples. 

Other fun uses for marbled leather I have been playing with is to make belts. Perfect festival gear. 

I have also been asked to apply paper thin marbled leather onlays to archival paper to be screen printed over the top by an artist.

I stock marbled leather journals in the website shop and undertake commissioned bindings. Please get in touch if you have a fun project you would like to discuss. www.blackcatbindery.com

Bookbinding video showing the sewing of an antiquarian book by hand

This video shows how a traditional book is sewn on tapes on a frame. Each section is sewn through the middle and attached to the next at the kettle stick, each end of the gatherings.

This is a time consuming process so the video has been speeded up in places.