bookmaking.

August 21, 2012

bookmaking class

on sunday night, i was invited to take a bookmaking class by coursehorse, a website devoted to helping eager-minded folks in new york city find classes. at a moment in this city when the quest for self-improvement and skill-building can be stymied not by a dearth of classes but a near over-abundance, coursehorse is doing a pretty awesome job at helping folks to sort through the noise and find classes they most want to take.

bookmaking class

i, for one, knew i wanted to take an art class and was able to sort by borough, date, and subject matter to find a class that worked for me. i was delighted to find one called the hand-made book: an introduction. the class was held at brooklyn central and visual artist and bookbinder, caitlin wheeler, taught a tableful of us three different styles of binding. we each walked away with a little bundle of newly bound books.

bookmaking class

i’m excited about using my new binding skills to make little paper pressies for friends, and if i’m feeling especially ambitious, i might even endeavor to bind a wedding album. caitlin was an excellent teacher: organized, cheerful, and kind, not to mention super talented. she brought some of her work along for inspiration, and wowza.

bookmaking class

i was so glad for the opportunity to meet a few new friends, use my hands, and perhaps most importantly, spend a few hours doing something new.  it’s nice to stretch the old mind, you know? if you’re in the area and seeking similar creative inspiration, i recommend using coursehorse to help you in your search. many thanks to them for the opportunity.

bookmaking class and now, please admire my handiwork. not bad for an amateur, eh?

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20 Comments

  • Reply fortheloveofbookshops August 21, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    How lovely. Bookbinding seems like it would be very therapeutic. I wanted to take a letterpress class after seeing this video: http://vimeo.com/22639018 by Naomie Ross.

    I wonder if Atlanta has a coursehorse equivalent.

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  • Reply Alexa August 21, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    thank you so much for sharing! i was just talking to my dad over the weekend about my desire to expand my hobby horizon, so this recommendation is incredibly helpful.

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  • Reply Kayla Poole August 21, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    I love it! Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a few hours. And speaking of wedding photos, when are we all going to be granted a peek? šŸ™‚

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  • Reply The GUILTY HYENA August 21, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    looks like a heap of fun! nifty skills.

    ā–²ā–² HYENA

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  • Reply Milynn {Love + Whimsy} August 21, 2012 at 3:02 pm

    That sounds like a handy dandy tool for finding new things to do and to explore new skills! I've always wanted to try bookbinding, along with print-screening and soap making.

    I think you did an awesome job with that notebook!

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  • Reply stephanie August 21, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    That is so great! I need to find out if there is something like Coursehorse in Portland. Such a great idea.

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  • Reply Thirsty World Designs August 21, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    I love book making! I took a whole class on it in college! You would never believe how many ways there are to make a book! I always felt so accomplished making books that I could actually use!

    Happy Tuesday! šŸ˜€
    p.s. I adore your blog!

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  • Reply sweet harvest moon August 21, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Looks great!

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  • Reply Rebecca D. Martin August 21, 2012 at 5:04 pm

    Oh, I love handmade books, just love them! Great images.

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  • Reply Rachel August 21, 2012 at 5:47 pm

    They look great!

    D took an entire semester of bookbinding in college, and I don't think there's any way I can catch up, so I just delegate.

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  • Reply she. August 21, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    bookmaking is something that holds a real interest to me, I would diffidently try if I had on a course near me.

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  • Reply Sarah Noel August 21, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    This is sooo rad. I've always wanted to learn how to do it!

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  • Reply Jay August 21, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    Oh I love this! I did one book making class quite awhile ago and would love to learn more techniques. I used it in my classroom for the students to make journals – so much more fun writing info in those than standard notebooks!

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  • Reply Kristina @ Sarcire August 21, 2012 at 8:49 pm

    How cool and inspiring! This makes me want to find a similar event in my area. These make for such great DIY presents for family and friends. šŸ™‚

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  • Reply Shoko August 21, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    Yay! This is awesome. I love making books and would love to do it more often!

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  • Reply Elise Martinez August 21, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    This is definitely something I want to try in the future. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  • Reply BerryMorins Bits & Tips August 22, 2012 at 2:20 am

    Looks like lots of fun.

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  • Reply Haley August 22, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Weird collision of worlds. I was reading about Tara and Percy over on design sponge I clicked on a comment that you left since I was also intrigued about that little tea towel holder. Then I found your lovely blog and saw Caitlin who I went to college with.

    I love when things like this happen.

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  • Reply saradowle August 22, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    I did some bookbinding earlier this summer, it was so much more simple than I had expected! I hope to make books for my final year work this coming year!
    Yours looks fab!

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  • Reply Christine Brennan August 22, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    beautiful books.

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