Handmade books with character.
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Bookbinding Fair in Köln, Germany
Sunday 24 October, from 11.00 to 17.00 . Werkstatt Palette, Lüderichstraße 8, 51105 Köln. More information here.
Bookbinding Fair in Leiden, the Netherlands
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November. Saturday 10.00-17.00, Sunday 11.00-17.00. St.Pieterskerk, Leiden. For more information, see here or mail here.
One-to-one consultancy sessions have proven to be an efficient way to reach a specific goal, that you, the client has set for yourself.
From technical issues to putting together a whole manuscript book. Because – half of the satisfaction is that you made it. The other half is that you will soon be able to hold your brainchild in your arms.
For one person at a time. On appointment. Hourly rate (minimum 30 min. , maximum 1,5 hrs) , including prepared tuition and handouts, excluding materials.
NEW! For our faraway friends: One to one e-consulting! Mail me for further directions, with the title “e-consulting”.
authentic Tibetan manuscript
A new workshop series is starting late October 2010, with the theme “Artist’s books with book structures from different cultures and times”.
The workshops will be given in the weekends. You can pick out one or more workshops from the series, or follow the full course with a discount. Further information will follow.
Een nieuwe serie van workshops gaat van start v.a. eind oktober 2010. De thema is “Artist’s books – boeken als kunst, met boekband structuren van verschillende culturen en tijden” .
De workshops worden gegeven in de weekeinden. Men kan een of meer workshops apart volgen, of , met korting, de gehele cursus voltooien. Meer informatie volgt.
The title of this post, and the long, inspiring quote below belong to Denis Brown, the sharpest calligrapher I know. He has smartly put into words the importance of practice, time and passion – in his case in calligraphy, but it can be applied to any practice. Enjoy, and after reading , do visit his site!
“Challenge yourself every day to achieve what you could not do yesterday. This takes commitment & time. Avoid complacency!
Only then might you understand. I have greatest respect for the maturity and life experience of my students, who are still generally older than me and have raised families etc. Their experience gives them enviable wisdom, although it also seems to deny most of the raw passion to take calligraphy farther. Hence complacency in the field, given the sad fact almost no younger people with more energy and more commitment (even if less wisdom) are coming in to complement and challenge the wisdom of mature practitioners. So, I challenge you- all of you- to find a way to communicate your passion to a teenager strongly and effectively enough for them to catch the bug… and carry a torch to change the world of calligraphy just as the world is always changing. This would seem to me a more worthwhile pursuit than t aspire to make a perfect “o”…. Take on that challenge … and give it tine- it may make all the difference…”
On the jewelry-creating side of life, the
children’s necklaces for this summer are now in my Wishscroll shop
Dear friends,
A quick note for all of you who are making things and selling their creations. This winter/spring I’ve found two blogs that are just too good to keep to myself:
Crafting an MBA: business thinking for designers & makers
and
Tara Gentile: write well, create often
Enjoy!
PS. New links via Facebook!
and
Get Clients Marketing en Aquisitie tips (in Dutch)
Every now and then I get a (polite) email asking if I’d know book arts related places to see in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.
Also, when I moved here myself I got faced with the problem of finding the suppliers for my bookbinding materials.
Well, my virtual friend, here’s a little list to get you started. If you have additions to make, please let me know!
list of suppliers
Nina Judin May 2010
paper and artist’s materials
van Beek Art Supplies
Stadhouderskade 63-65
1072 AD Amsterdam
020-6621 670
www.vanbeekonline.com
sales@vanbeekart.com
van Beek Design & DTP Supplies
Weteringschans 201-205
1017 XG Amsterdam
020-623 9647
Cortina Papier
Reestraat 22
1016 DN Amsterdam
020- 6236676
Damen “Papier Royaal”
Noordeinde 186
2514 GR Den Haag
070-360 0166
Peter van Ginkel
Bilderdijkstraat 99
1053 KM Amsterdam
020-618 9827
Hoopman
Marnixstr.47
1015 VA Amsterdam
020-624 6045
Levant
Levantkade 85
1019 MJ Amsterdam
020-419 9618
Paper mill De Middelste Molen
Kanaal Zuid 499
7371 GL Loenen op de Veluwe
055-505 2911
van der linde
Rozengracht 36-38
1016 NC Amsterdam
020-624 2791
Vlieger
Amstel 34
1017 AB Amsterdam
020-623 5834
parchment and leather
Z.H. de Groot (perkament)
Heemraadssingel 255a
3023 CE Rotterdam
010-4253924
more
Boekie Woekie , artist’s books
Berenstraat 16
1016 GH Amsterdam
020-6390507
Minotaurus Bookshop
St. Antoniesbreestraat 3d
postbus 16477
1001 RN Amsterdam
tel. +31(0)20 6227748
www.minotaurusboekwinkel.nl
Museum Meermanno
Prinsessegracht 30
2514 AP Den Haag
070- 3462700
www.meermanno.nl
Royal Library
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5
2595 BE Den Haag
www.kb.nl
and – you can of course buy some hand tools and bookbinding materials at our atelier!
A circle closes
For the current exhibition in Putten (NL) I was looking more closely at my artist’s books. As it is an retrospective exhibition, the manuscript books I made during my BA study in London, also came out of their protective boxes and wraps. And along came the memories.
In the time of making these books I was overwhelmed with inspiration, and so enthusiastic I couldn’t sleep. There was something so incredibly joyous in the intuitive recognition of making them, however long it took to get the materials, writing and the illustrations “right”, complimenting eachother. And then, the pleasure of binding a book and making a box for the whole creation. With the first book I ran out of time, and its simplistic binding and protective enveloppe had to do the job. With the second manuscript also the finishing touches were in balance with the overall feel of the book.
In the past years I have made more manuscript books, which you can see in the exhibition, and some of them also on my website. And more will come.
The title of my post refers to re-connecting with the strong rush of creative inspiration, and also to that specific time. “A circle closes” because on an evening I found a speech on the internet (read it here) by Ewan Clayton, who taught us calligraphy at Roehampton.
He taught us the importance of cohesion. The importance of being connected with our past and future at the same time. And that the cultural, but also the environmental (as in climate, landscape, infrastructure) surroundings you currently find yourself in, influence your work. And perhaps the most essential part: he pointed out the importance of being connected with yourself, being aware of your state of mind, when working.
I was so happy, reading the speech. He , together with my bookbinding teacher Jen Lindsay, marked the beginning of this circle that now touches its beginpoint – the rush of creative enthousiasm and inspired recognition – and moves upwards in a spiral.
For more internet inspiration on the subject “tradition meets contemporary”, check out these links: http://www.design.nl/item/post_fossil_back_to_the_future
http://inhabitat.com/2010/04/14/water-resistant-furniture-made-from-paper-pulp/
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Exhibition
The exhibition at the Kunstkelder in Putten, Netherlands opened on 23rd of April and will go on until 22 May. The two co-exhibitors are Riet Harmse (textile panels) and Stieni Foppen (paintings). On show is a retrospect of my work, with the titel “Eventually everything becomes a book” . For more information (in Dutch), follow this link.
Adventure and fairytales
Adventure and fairytales – this is the realm that gives my work its soul. I see my books as vessels to pour stories into.
The journals are for the future owner to use and make their own. As a working journal, notebook, travel journal… The books will only get more character when handled. Carry them with you. Use them. Leather gets patina and glow when used. Read more about the journals here.
The artist’s books, as mentioned above, are inner landscapes of my own. But there is more! Read here about commissioning an artist’s book.
Teaching
One-to-one consultancy sessions have proven to be a very efficient way to reach a specific goal, from technical issues to putting together a whole manuscript book. Because – half of the satisfaction is that you made it, right?
A workshop on palm leaf bindings (background and creative approach) is taking place in the weekend of 12 and 13 of June. Read more about it here.
Enjoy!
Nina
PS. Do you have friends who might like to read this Newsletter? Do mail it forward!
Surf Bunny (what a great name!) was so kind to send me an email with the link to this Flickr photo stream page, with illustrated accordion books from different artists. Just finished watching the slide show – all fueled up to get creative. Thanks!
This lengthy title sums up the useful contents of this blogpost… Check it out!
Have you ever sought for inspiration? Well, this blog post by Zsazsazsu, and the responses to it, should cure any visual creator’s block – well worth a visit!
This is the title of the blogpost by Donna Watson, an artist whom I’d describe as talentfull and with a trained eye, wise in the ways of nature, and an inspiration… Just visit her blog, and her website – you’ll see what I mean.
PS. She was so kind to include my work in her blog. In doing so, she first contacted me via email to ask for my permission to publish a photo of my work. After seeing her blog I was more than happy to give the permission. Now this is the way I like it, being polite and thoughtful, also in the wild wild west, no, I mean the world wide web.
Impressions of work in the making. These are the altered elements ( primed, dyed, illustrated…) for new artists books, that will accompany a selection of previous work at the Kunstkelder, Putten, Netherlands, 23 April – 22 May.
Let’s keep it short&to the point shall we:
The 14th edition of the Bookbinding Fair in Sint Niklaas, Belgium, will be held on Sunday 25th of April 2010, from 11.00 to 17.00.
The location is the Stadszalen, Leopold II-laan 67, 9100 Sint Niklaas, Belgium.
For tools and materials, workshops, demonstrations and meeting your bookbinding, bookrestorating colleagues.
2,50 euro per person, children until 12 years old 1,-
For more information check out their website here.
Ever wondered how to bind a book with single sheets? Or how to make a surprisebox? Well, wonder no more but head to the book arts blog of Paula Beardell Krieg, with the most useful tutorials! Happy hunting!
Combing through emails and such after a wonderful afternoon of constructive playtime.
Today I attended a workshop by Eva Organiseert. I usually am on the giving side of workshops, so this one was a treat and exception. I could relax, let go and dive into the flow of Eva’s creative guidance. The theme of the workshop was “what to keep and what to let go 2009/2010″, with visualisation, Q&A and collage. I went there with a slightly nervous feeling, and came home with a huge collage and deeply rooted peace. It was really, truly GOOD.
So what does the title of my post refer to?? To Karuski’s blog game – make a weekend wishlist and blog about it. It has been a playful day so far, why not close the day with a game too? : ) Here goes:
- beautify our home some more
- forward my entry book for Scripta Manent exhibition
- take a hot, long bath
- enjoy a dinner with friends tomorrow (we have a date)
- go to the cinema Sunday (yes, a date too!)
I found this and thought I’d share it with you. Craft Hope for Haiti has an Etsy shop, where you can either 1) donate something you’ve made, or 2) buy something you wanted anyway. In either way, all the funds go to Doctors Without Borders, who in their turn help the people in Haiti.
Act NOW. Go to their site and/or shop and do the right thing : )
Here’s my donation, the Tan and black leather wishscroll ($ 77,-). For more wishscrolls see my Wishscroll shop.
I received this link today (from the BookArts-List), showing how to pare leather with a paring knife. While the video is very informative in its “how to”, let me add some “why”s to it.
1. Your paring knife should be as sharp as you can get it (or take it to a knife shop to be sharpened) – only then you can achieve the smooth paring shown in this video. If you’re sweating/ cursing/ crying over your leather while its stretching instead of being pared, your knife is dull.
2. Begin paring at an 45 degrees angle along the very edge of the leather, move gradually into the leather, just as the video shows. Why? You’re clearing space so that your parings can “go somewhere” as you’re working. Should you start paring without clearing out the edge first, you’d be cutting into, and through the leather.
3. Use a flat, hard surface to pare on. A slab of stone, or glass, would be ideal. The traditional paring stone is a litho stone – smooth. The smoother the surface, the smoother the paring (make sure leather shavings don’t get under the leather you’re paring, or else your pared edge will be full of “holes”), and your knife will stay sharper too, should it hit the stone.
I notice I’m getting carried away here now and will stop myself before I get into the zen of breathing, balancing your body and keeping your knife sharp while paring. Hoping this was of any help!
A fun film to see the various stages of making a limited edition, private press book. For those of you looking for a Coptic binding tutorial, pay attention at 2minutes 20seconds to see the Coptic linkstitch in action!!!
When I and my brother were little, our father would tell us stories about Heikki Taneli, the Elk. Now, that we both have children of our own, the young grandpa has put his stories onto paper.
It took me ridiculously long to get the manuscript typed out, illustrated, printed and bound. But, at last it is ready – and in time for Christmas!
I received this in the mail from the Book-Arts List, and thought I’d share it with you – enjoy!
An amazing film by Martin Andersen about a book by Maurice Gee. Promotion film for the New Zealand Book Council,”Going West.”
After a tiring – what am I saying? – overwhelming day I was totally thrilled with this article, where Umberto Eco explains the virtue(s) of making lists.
My personal list of the moment (a family member passed away recently) would contain the following elements: Love, respect, gratitude, reflection, compassion, relief, happiness, togetherness, support, sharing.
My personal business list of the moment would contain: Love, happiness, ambition, creativity, flow, skill, curiosity, good vibes, music.
I’m also curious to read about your lists…Share them if you like, I’ll post ‘em right here!
Playing with cardstock at the atelier. I needed a business card organizer for myself, and made one extra for …you, perhaps? Made of recycled card stock, with paths of paint for the graphic effect.
Size in inches 9 1/8 in height, 13 in width
and in centimeters 23,5 in height, 33 in width
This book is for sale. € 19,75
And these notebooks with hand dyed covers are quite interesting…
Notebook height: 15.5 cm or 6 1/8 inches, width: 11.5 cm or 4 1/2 inches. Several patterns, colourschemes in “mainly red”, “mostly brown” and “I’d say blue”.
€ 19
Paypal accepted. Email with your address for total price including shipping.
This is the new mantra, showing up on my monitor again and again. I feel drawn to eco-friedly, high quality handmade, sustainable design products, websites and blogs, and have come to believe that many of us have made a huge step towards a greener lifestyle already. An example – take a look at this piece of Living Jewelry!
At the atelier/studio recycling seems to be the keyword too. New books from repurposed materials are emerging slowly but surely, alongside with paintings, papergoods and house jewelry. Hopefully I can publish the good news of having them ready&available for you soon!
Back to business after a ridiculously long, fantastically fun summer holiday.
Honing those workshop plans…a sneak preview:
a new course:The meditation book
workshops paperdecoration+personal journal: paperback de luxe and
leather decoration+personal journal:coptic binding chic…
…To be published soon.
And making new art work+books for my Etsy shop.
Slowly does it. Stay tuned, create when you can, enjoy all.
PS. Helen and Hilke have contributed to these workshops and they respectively win a 25% and 100% discount!
Hilke attended the workshop Coptic binding and got curious: could one also make Coptic endbands in more colours than just one? She investigated the technique and concluded YES, it is possible. Click on the photo for an enlarged version.
I really REALLY enjoy it when people get inspired to go on and experiment on their own. A big thumbs up and a cheer to Hilke for taking the ancient Coptic binding a step further again – some 1600 years after it’s invention.
Photo(s) are a courtesy of Hilke aka Buechertiger – also check out her blog.
(Unfortunately it appears I can only upload this 1 photo at the moment. Will try to add some more later)
Finally finally I did it. Took action to make those summer necklaces for children I’ve so long been thinking of. In my Treasure Map Scrap Book is a tiny picture of three kids with only knickers and necklaces on, arms on eachothers shoulders they quite relaxedly look into the camera. For me ultimate summer bliss is nakedness: when it’s so hot you don’t NEED clothes.
At it, I plunged into the next ambition: using a model for my pictures. Since it was in the morning and there were only two of us in the kitchen, one used the camera and the other was modelling/clowning around. And don’t you worry, my son got his payment too: bubblegum.
As a reply to my bibliography post, I got a lovely email from Juliayn Coleman. She reminded me of the books of Bernard Middleton, Marianne Tidcombe and Miriam Foot, the two first are added to the bibliography. New names for me: Sven Dahl and Edith Diehl, their books are also in the list now. She also recommended the website of the Newberry Library for further reading. To view her site, Book Island, look here.
Here’s a bibliography of bookbinding books. It is based on the bibliography we got for our BA study for bookbinding at Roehampton Institute (now University of Surrey) back in the good old days when the program was still on. I’ve made some additions to it afterwards.
If you know of a good bookbinding-related book that doesn’t appear on this list, please let me know!
My personal favourites are marked with *
BIBLIOGRAPHY : BOOKBINDING AND BOOKARTS
history of bookbindings and their decoration, culture of handbound books
Art Noveau and Art Deco book bindings: The French Masterpieces 1880 – 1940
As-Vijvers, Anne Margreet W.(1999): Miniaturen en Monnikenwerk, Scryption, Tilburg: Drukkerij Groels
Bearman, F. (1998): The Origins and Significance of Two Late Medieval Textile Chemise Bindings in the Walters Art Gallery, The New Bookbinder 18, 27-51
Bosch, G. Carswell, J. and Petherbridge, G. (1981) : Islamic Bindings and Bookmaking, Chicago, University of Chicago
Brown, M.P. (1991): Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts, London: The British Library Board
Brown, M.P. (1990): A Guide to Western Historical Scripts from Antiquity to 1600, London, The British Library
Brownrigg, L.L. ed. (1990): Medieval Book Production: Assessing the Evidence, Los Altos and London: Anderson-Lovelace and The Red Gull Press
Burford, A. (1972): Craftsmen in Greek and Roman Society, London: Thames and Hudson
Castleman, R. (1994): A Century of Artist’s Books, New York, Museum of Modern Art
Compton, S. (1993): Russian Avant Garde Books, London, The British Library
Dahl, S. The History of the Book
De Hamel, C. (1993): Scribes and Illuminators, London , The British Museum Press
Diehl, E. : Bookbinding: Its History and Technique
Diringer, D. (1982): The Book Before Printing, New York, Dover Publications
Gentenaar,P. (ed.) (2004): Geest van Papier / Spirit of Paper, Compres BV,Leiden/Stichting Papiermanifestatie ‘94, Rijswijk
Gumbert, J.P. (1990): The Dutch and their Books in the Manuscript (?) Age, London, British Library
Haldane, D. (1983): Islamic Bookbindings, London, Scorpion
Harthan, J.P. (1981): The History of the Illustrated Book: The Western Tradition, London: Thames and Hudson
Harthan, J.P. (1985): Bookbindings, London, HMSO
Lindsay, J. (1988): The Development of the Codex in the Western World, in The New Bookbinder 8, 9-18
Meehan,B.(1994): The Book of Kells, Thames&Hudson, London
Middleton, B.: Recollections: A Life in Bookbinding
Needham, P. (1979): Twelve Centuries of Bookbinding : 400 – 1600, New York and London: Pierpont Morgan Library and Oxford University Press
Pedersen, J. (1984) : The Arabic Book, Princeton, Princeton University Press
The New Bookbinder (journal of Designer Bookbinders) 1981- and continuing
Tidcombe, M. : Women bookbinders
design
Hochuli, J. and Kinross, R.(1996): Designing Books: Practice and Theory, London, Hyphen Press
Levy, D. (1994): Documents, Computers and the Craft of Calligraphy, The Scribe, no.61, Summer 1994
Mansfield, E. (1966): Modern Design in Bookbinding, London: Peter Owen
Tschichold, J. (1991): The Form of the Book, London: Lund Humphries
Tschichold, J. (1995): The New Typography , Berkeley and Los Angeles: California University Press
philosophy of craft
*Dormer, P. (1994): The Art of the Maker: Skill and its Meaning in Art, Craft and Design, London, Thames and Hudson
*Needleman,C. (1993):The Work of Craft, Kodansha America Inc., New York
*Pye,D. (1979): The Art and Nature of Workmanship, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Smith, P. (1974): New Directions in Bookbinding, London: Studio Vista
The New Bookbinder 1981- and continuing
*Yanagi,S. (1982): The Unknown Craftsman, Tokyo and New York: Kodansha International
structure and materials
Brownrigg, L.L. ed. (1995): Making the Medieval Book: Techniques of Production, Los Altos and London: Anderson-Lovelace and The Red Gull Press
Cockerell, D.(1991): Bookbinding and the Care of Books, London: Lyons and Burford
Gaur, A. (1979): Writing Materials of the East, London: The British Library
Greenfield, J. , Hille, J. (1990), Headbands – How to work them: Oak Knoll Books, Newcastle, Delaware
Gnirrep,W.K. , Gumbert,J.P., Szirmai,J.A. (1992): Kneep en Binding, Den Haag: Koninklijke Bibliotheek
Ikegami,K. , Stephan, B.B. (1986): Japanese Bookbinding – Instructions from a Master Craftsman, Shambhala Publications Inc.
James,A. (2000): The Handmade Book, New Holland Publishers, London
LaPlantz,S. : Cover to Cover, Lark Books (ISBN 0-937274-81-x)
Middleton, B.: The Restoration of Leather Bindings
Middleton, B.: A History of English Craft Bookbinding Technique
Smith, K.A. (1991): Vol.1 Non-Adhesive Binding, Keith Smith Books, Rochester, NY
Smith, K.A. (1984): Structure of the Visual Book, Keith Smith Books, Rochester, NY
*Szirmai, J.A. (1999/2000): The Archeology of the Medieaval Book, Aldershot: Scolar Press
The New Bookbinder 1981- and continuing
Van Regemorter, Berthe (1993): Binding Structures in the Middle Ages – A Selection of Studies. Brussels & London, Bibliotheca Wittockiana and Maggs Bros
A little trailer to change the way we think… check it out&tune in : )
Scripta Manent is a beautiful exhibition organized by the Estonian Association of Designer Bookbinders every five years. In fact, it was this exhibition, all the way back in 1995 that opened my eyes to bookbinding as an art form. In 2010 it will be organized for the fourth time. If you are a creative bookbinder or a calligrapher, take a look at the Scripta manent site. For more information you can contact the chairperson of the Estonian Association of Designer Bookbinders, Sirje Kriisa.
Wishing you a lot of inspiration – and good luck!
Here are some photo impressions of last Saturday. Thank you Minca for borrowing your camera, and thank you all for a fun day…and for being such stars cleaning up the atelier at the end of the day!
I’m putting together a brand new workshops agenda. Your input is very welcome! I’ll read all suggestions carefully, in some cases I will fuse ideas…and come up with new courses to tickle your inspiration and creativity. To get an idea of workshops until now, check out the Workshops section here.
Here’s the deal: if your idea leads to a workshop as it is=100% along your idea lines, you’ll get 100% reduction on the fee=a free workshop attendance! If two ideas get fused to a workshop, both originators get a 50% reduction.
You have a great idea but cannot attend? Mail your idea anyway, and be sure to include any online adresses you might have plus a post address. You’ll get kudos for your idea online, and if your brainchild materialises into a workshop, a materialized Thank You will come your way in the post.
Please send your ideas by June 29th 2009.
The new workshops will start in September 2009.
PS. The workshop Coptic binding, described in the previous blog post, was great fun. Both Dymphie and Hilke blogged about it afterwards, you can read their posts here (Dymphie) and here (Hilke aka Buechetiger).
A content “hello” from a (mothers) day end. From a week’s end. From closing-an-episode end.
At the moment…
…the Coptic binding workshop has been sweet and fun. Check out the active bloggers, participating the workshop, Dymphie and Hilke a.k.a Büchertiger. The second half of the workshop will probably result in some photos too.
…the first of three bindings for an artist is ready. Very happy with the result.
…preparing for the lecture on book repair this coming Thursday.
…mentally reserving Friday for repairing a Chinese scroll, that has patiently been waiting in the atelier for its share of tender, loving care.
…and thankfully blessing all that has been, openheartedly welcoming all that will come. Content, here&now.
This red wish scroll comes on an organza ribbon.
This leather wish scroll is about 27mm (just over 1 inch) long (from lid to end of scroll, without the loop). It comes on an organza ribbon with ring locks.
When you open the lid, you will discover a tiny paper scroll. Take it out, write your wish on it, and put it back. Ready to work!
€ 95,- . Mail with your address for the total cost including shipping.
I love making these posters… And the cultural meetings! Thank you all who participated, for another successful Open Day!
The symposium was great fun – meeting old and new colleagues, exchanging business cards and views, enjoying food for the body (lunch was great!) AND food for thought, refreshing professional input all day long.
After chewing on the issues (and my notes about them) three things, of personal value, are emerging:
1. The discussion about labeling makers as designers OR crafters OR artists is still very much alive and kicking and it irritates me beyond commentary.
2. The notion of having to de-learn in order to innovate is something I wholeheartedly agree on. In my opinion in order to create truly fresh things one has to be a novice or a master.
3. Trends picked up: cross-feeding between crafts and industry, new technologies and materials available, DIY/crafts is “hot” in USA thus it will become “hot” here too…
Crafted, a symposium examining contemporary developments in conceptual crafts and the future of crafts in terms of innovation, luxury, sustainability and craftsmanship. Sounds good to me! Let’s go. This coming Sunday (April 19th) in Amsterdam, from 11.00-18.30 at Pakhuis De Zwijger.
(this photo is taken by my son, and will be featured in my artist’s book)
Astrid from Tulibri was so kind to react on my previous blog, and sent the links to three interesting makers of decorated papers in Germany. Here they are:
Gisela Reschke
Susanne Krause
http://www.hamburgerbuntpapier.de/
Ilona Hesse-Ruckriegel
http://www.hesse-buntpapier.de/
And from Peter aka Vuscor from Köln, I received the following link to Buntpapier by Tanja Karipidis.
Thank you!
Should you have some more suggestions, please mail me and I’ll post them here. Thanks for reading!
I’m looking for makers of high quality decorated papers. Are you one of them? Do you know anyone who fits this category? Please get in touch.
Approaching is the International Edible Books Festival, celebrated annually on 1st April. This is my contribution to the gastronomical bibliophile feast, entirely made of edible, (mostly) sweet stuff.
The “Sweet sampler” is a sample book of potato stamp patterns.
The book structure is a free variation on a palm leaf binding…
The pages are made of sugar paper.
The red “ink” is beet root juice, the brown “ink” soya sauce.
As glue, to attach the layers of sugar paper to each other, I used honey, which I now regret since it is so painfully visible on the non-stamped covers…
As binding string I used candy “shoelace” in strawberry flavor, and licorice disks for “stopper beads” at the end of those strings.
This week the newest issue of Bound and Lettered landed in the atelier. I’m so happy, proud and honoured for having gallery-pages of my work in it! The other contributers are Pat Gill, Paula Beardell Krieg, W.J. Waddington, Inge Bruggeman and Heather Watkins, David Drum, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord, Monica Leaning, Jerry Tresser and Suhas Tavkar.
For more information about the Bound&Lettered magazine, look here.
Fresh impressions is a letter press exhibition in Oregon. With plenty of “vitamine i”=inspiration, it’s a recommended browse. Look here .
The invitation for the Open Atelier day 27th February 2009
This wish scroll is made of brown leather. Scroll holder, lid and brim of lid all brown, but different leathers. It’s subtly embellished with two brass beads, one on the top of the lid, the other on the bottom of the scroll.It comes on a brown cord. When you open the lid, you will discover a tiny paper scroll. Take it out, write your wish on it, and put it back. Ready to work!
length of scroll: 2,5cm / 1 inch
length of necklace: 72cm / 28 inches
€ 95,-
Well, there we were. All dressed up and ready to party, the atelier shining in its new glory, our work exhibited for everyone to see and all kinds of goodies to enjoy on the White Table.
Would they come?
It was a rainy, gray day. We waited. Had some tea.
The first visitors trickled in. Some more came. And more. And MORE.
I’m happy, Christel is happy = success. Thank you everyone for coming, and hopefully we’ll see you soon again! More information on opening times etc. here.
Christel on the left
An email with a link, and now I sit listening to her songs the whole evening. I wouldn’t share it with you if it wasn’t worth listening to – lovely. Personal favorite? “My old man”. By Signe Tollefsen. Love it.
Now it is scientifically proved. Keeping a diary is good for you. Jotting down thoughts and emotions, happenings of the day or song lyrics, by hand, relieves stress. Check out this article, and get a (hand bound) journal, quick!
PS. A lot of people I know are afraid their partner/roommate/someone else might read their journal. Here are a couple of successful tips:
1. Write in a language that Other Person doesn’t know.
2. Write in mirror writing. It’ll take a while for that Other Person to figure out how to read it.
3. Hide your journal really, really well. That is not so difficult, if that Other Person doesn’t even know to look for your journal.
4. If the Other Person is your partner, you should be able to just AGREE not to read eachothers’ journals. I mean, a little bit of privacy is not asking too much, is it?
On 26th April the traditional bookbinding fair will again take place in Sint Niklaas, Belgium.
For more information follow this link!
A step at a time. After painting and putting up shelves and show cases it was time to figure out how the board cutter and working tables should stand.
While I was on a minivacation in Finland, Christel seriously rolled her sleeves up and made “a few changes”. The space feels really good now! A couple of more working days, and “Phase 2″ should be ready.
Phase 3 will follow some time later this year. I’m itching to get onto books again!
Slowly but surely dreams and ideas are taking shape. We now have painted the atelier floor, the walls, all the woodwork and got (read: bought and assembled) some shelves and vitrines. There’s still quite some shifting around to do after bringing together two ateliers’ worth of stuff under one roof, but we’ll get there.
When all is ready you could expect to see a neat working space + a little shop/gallery with handmade books from various crafters, and tools and materials to buy.
But one little step and then another… You will come to see us at the Open Atelier Day, February 27th, won’t you?
On the Swedish bookbinding site Bokbindarkompetens you can find a video tutorial to the japanese folding technique which produces a perfect concertina. Click here to go there : )
Happy folding!
Check out this hilarious book – there is sound too so be sure to have your speakers on. Enjoy!
Yesterday evening we were watching the news, and something electrifying came along: the (felt) artist Claudy Jongstra has won the Prins Bernhard Culture Prize, a very important prize here in the Netherlands. I had first read of her after being totally transfixed by this photo, and then read the article. She had done the capes for Star Wars, which I found a very cool thing, but later I came to realize she has done so much more. You can read all about her activities on her site, just follow that photo link and surf on. She’s very inspiring!
The reason for me to get so excited about her winning the prize lies in a “problem” I have been having – you could also call it a challenge. Craft gets very little attention, at least here at the moment. Whilst, in order to do it well, you need to be creative, technically talented and at least a little bit ambitious.
More on this will follow, but for now, cheers to Claudy Jongstra!
At the moment the world is still. Snow fell this weekend and I’m just back from walking the dog in the glowing darkness. The snow reflects the light, I was drawing hearts here and there in the snow, just because I could.
Tonight I’m reflecting on distance in time and place, and on dreams. Snow reminds me of Finland, and quickly I rewind 10 years backwards and find myself in my first year of Roehampton, my bookbinding studies. Two major wishes had come true: adventuring outside of Finland, and getting into that BA-degree program. I found the first half year exhausting, because of the language. It was a totally different ball game to learn English at school and to use it in everyday life and in an academic study.
Fast forward 10 years to now. I have learned one more language, Dutch. I have moved house and atelier more often than I care to count. I’ve found really dear friends. But the greatest changes are: I became a mother. I have found my partner. We now have a home together. (and let’s not forget Luca, the dog!).
…and I still have dreams – or ambitions I should say. It is easy to get frustrated when one is tired. But taking a step back ALWAYS reminds me: it is all about letting go. About love, and grace. Wonders happen when you least expect them. And life always, always happens at the right time.
Autumn
It was a race against time.
What started as a cautious expedition into unknown land of creativity, ended as a manic marathon on the gigantic waves of inspiration. You wouldn’t say that, looking at the resulting work in the exhibition: silent books, meditative.
Hopefully you can also see the giggles and fun I had making them. More on the latest books will follow, be patient.
This is the email version of the exhibition invitation – please excuse me if you get it for the second time.
Bookbinding Fair in Leiden
The annual Bookbinding Fair in St.Pieterskerk in Leiden is on again this weekend. More information (in Dutch) is available here.
Enjoy!
I have had fun with photoshop lately! Creating images out of my head and into a book, they now are where they belong: inside the book “Dreams are the first art”.
Summer
As I write this a storm wind is bending the plants outside. Spring was early, but so is autumn, it seems like. Just back from a long, adventure-filled vacation, I feel as if time is biting my heels. Looking back into my photos I see a summer filled with sunshine, happy togetherness, and lots of time outdoors. And I feel the excitement of living with the seasons. It is nearly harvest time, in the garden, and in the atelier. I am working towards an exhibition that will open in November. New things are in the making, in the form of harvesting life lived until now. It is very exciting to work with precious ideas, to see them turn into matter under my hands. I hope you can come and see the “fruit” when the exhibition is up. Until then, let me invite you to take a look at my new website!
There you can also see the details about the exhibition “Seasons” .
Wish scrolls
The scrolls are in the making again, but they seem to find their new homes as soon as they are finished! This means I only have a few in stock, but am happy to make one on order for you. Prices start at € 47,50. For more information, see the Wish scrolls page .
Recommended read
A beautiful book to read, in Dutch, is “Het geluk wandelt mee op de Via de la Plata” by Sanne Vos. She made her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and shared her diary, first through emails to friends, then through this book. It is a very truthful, open, questioning and illustrating book (in words) about what the author experienced during her pilgrimage alone. Recommended to anyone who feels drawn to make a pilgrimage, either to Santiago de Compostela or just in their selves. You can take a look – and order – here.
Enjoy!
Nina
This is a fun project to do when you’re on vacation and getting bored of just lying around. All you need is postcards, tape, a pen (for writing!) and scissors. Even with just two postcards you’ve already got a beginning for the holiday journal!
This image is of an opening in the book. With every postcard you create an illustration, the back side of the next card is your empty page to write on. Have fun!
Here some cards are already attached to each other. The idea is simple: cut little pieces of tape, adhere one half of a length under the previous card , the other half under the next card. That makes the first opening, or two-page spread of your book. With the third card you do exactly the same (one half of the length of the tape under card nr.2, the other half under card nr.3), but at a slightly other position. See the four rows of tape at the spine of my pile of cards? That are the two different tape positions, the outer two (closest to head and tail of the book), and the inner two (next to the first ones).
It’s dead easy. Try it! I find it easiest to work with the “spine” of the book towards me, sliding the piece of tape under the card, positioning the next card on top and folding the tape over the topmost card. Here are some more images to illustrate it:
Wearable magic! Write your wish on a piece of paper, put it in the scroll and wear until your wish comes true.
The scrolls are made of leather, and often they are finished with (silver) beads. Each wish scroll comes on an adjustable cord, so you can determine yourself how high or low you wear it. It will become darker and shiny from the oils of your skin.
Every wish scroll is handmade and truly unique. The design is 100% mine. I got inspired by the description of “Ethiopian wish scrolls” some 8-10 years ago when studying for my BA bookbinding degree. Five years ago I made the first scroll (see below), as I imagined it should look like. Since then there have come many more, in different shapes and colours, and the new owners give happy reports of wishes coming true. Here at home we also have two content wish scroll wearers, yours truly and her partner.
The wish scrolls are available at the shop Esclarmonde in Amstelveen, Netherlands, and at my online shop. Choose carefully, no two are the same!
Write a wishlist, put a date on it. Keep it safe. Check it regularly. See? They DO care.
- NJ09
“De kracht van aandacht – schilderen als weg naar bewustwording” is an enlightening read, with images of paintings by YvonneMaya Bakker (the author) as illustration. The creative and the meditative are so entwined, that I couldn’t choose which category this book belongs to more.
I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who can read Dutch and has a creative occupation. We are granted the access to YvonneMaya’s insight, which she has reached through years of practicing her occupation, painting, AND deeply thinking over the essence of her work, creativity. The book is a gentle guide, navigating the reader (beginner or professional, doesn’t matter) around the dangerous stumbling blocks of the professional artist.
For me the book offered a diagnose and the medicine on just one page. For other readers it might open other doors. Do buy it. The ISBN is 978-90-70655-64-8. More about the author, and how to obtain the book on her website.
Creativity is splashing everywhere. I’m delighted to find the same concentrated vibe in the kitchen as in the bindery.
- NJ09
End of the year
Time again for candlelit evenings and warm, cosy atmosphere. What a year it has been (already! we still have 1 month to go…). Little Toon Ilo has kept me busy, and what a pride and joy he is to us, I tell you! That a little person can develop from newborn to a standing, own personality within a year is amazing. Not to speak of the sheer miracle of how we all became to be… Out of love and a sparkle of energy grows this fully developed body, which then becomes stronger and learns all kind of. Lets remember how we all started, and realise that we still continue to develop.
Back to business
Slowly but surely things are starting to happen on the business side of life again.
To start with, let me announce that the atelier finally has a permanent address:
Dusartstraat 12 sous
1072HR Amsterdam
Netherlands
Christel Harms kindly shares her atelier with me. Check out her beautiful work at www.christelharms.nl
And now that there is a place, there is a “stage” for things. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to…
Commissioning a binding
Special books for special people. Nina Judin creates new books as well as re-binds your special book. Do you have a book, text, letters, drawings or photos you would like to have bound into a special book? Do you need a blank book for a specific purpose? You can order a binding to meet your specific taste and requirements. Please do keep in mind that finishing the design and making the book take time. If you have a set date to your book project, please contact me early!
Bookbinding class
From January 2008 onward, every fourth Saturday of the month, bookbinding class for maximum six participants. We start with one warm-up project together. After that you are welcome to come and work on your own projects, with the equipment of the atelier and the know-how backup from Nina. Not to forget the fun and inspiration you get from working together ! Mail me for further information.
Bookbinding workshops
For those of you who want precise and intensive bookbinding knowledge downloaded into your system just within one weekend, there are the workshops. These one or two day intensive learning sessions are based on a bookbinding structure and/or technique that allows you to make a fully finished product. Again, please send an email for further information.
Exhibition
“Jonge Helden in de band” is an exhibition of design bindings made for the book “Jonge Helden!”, written by André Nuyens to celebrate the 650 years of history of the town Hoorn. The exciting stories all have children or youth as heroes, vividly describing life from different historical moments in Hoorn.
26 bookbinders expressed their view on the book through their design bindings. The books are exhibited from 4th December to 25th January 2008 at the Westfries Archives in Hoorn.
Enjoy!
Nina
Every year I gave my pocket diary a self-made cover. This year, instead of stripping the text block of its original cover, I just made it a new jacket. Here it is, front, and back, and in details.
Why limit yourself when there’s so much to enjoy?
-NJ09
An abundant autumn to you all,
I hope you enjoyed the long, warm summer and are still carrying the warmth within you. It is time for indoors again… Grab a pen and paper NOW and write down 3 things you would like to make. See if you can use half an hour every evening forwarding these three projects. Instead of turning on the TV or the computer, give your hands, heart and soul some playtime. And for you who need deadlines here is one: you have got time until Christmas. For you who enjoy getting feedback, send me pictures of finished work with a description, and I will get back to you! And here is what I have been up to…
SWEET AND SOFT BABYBOOKS
…Actually they are notebooks for a mother (to be) – Memory Pocket Books for all the Mamas to write down their memoirs of the special time of pregnancy, birth and the first year of the baby. Papas are allowed to write in it too.
I first made one (see the original on my website in Portfolio > The Latest Work!) and it was so much fun I just kept at making more. You can see them in more detail at www.NinaJudinBooks.etsy.com
ONLINE SHOP
Yes, take a look at www.NinaJudinBooks.etsy.com! More bookish things will be added regularly so take a look, say, weekly
INSPIRATION
New things are mostly sparked off by some kind of inspiration. How about these:
- I visited another world, just around the corner from where I live. Shirdak is a lovely shop selling everything you can imagine made from felt, and more. They have exhibitions of guest artists/craftspeople and are very friendly and informative – if you never had a reason to come to Amsterdam, now you do! See their website at www.shirdak.nl
- If I had not met Katrina, I would probably not have my online shop now. She makes wonderful bags in Scandinavian vintage fabrics – so hip in their retro prints! Take a look at www.katrinakaye.etsy.com
EXHIBITIONS
Miniature Designer Bookbindings from the collection of Neale M. Albert are exhibited on September 14 – November 4, 2006 at The Grolier Club (Second floor gallery), 47 East 60th Street, New York. For more information see www.grolierclub.org
AND
The international bookbinding exhibition Double Bush Binding, organised by Bookbinding Exhibitions Australia, is coming to Europe! Note down the following dates and place
France: Bibliotheque Carnegie. Reims. 16 Jan-15 March 2007
For more information about the organizers, the book and the exhibition see www.imazine.com.au/bea/index.htm
Enjoy!
Nina
New adress
The atelier has moved – the new adress for all correspondence and atelier classes is
…
Due to not being connected to the internet for a while, I haven’t been able to update my website for some time, but bear with me, good things will come…
Greetings,
I hope to find you all well and inspired. Three intensive months have passed, but the atelier is working again. At the moment I’m busy with new work for coming exhibitions, and – right under the everyday surface – with the philosophy of the maker and other soul-searching matters. There is also time again for fine bindings and other commission work, so NOW would be a very good time to contact me on that area.
I thought that this issue would not contain any ‘philosophical stuff’, but the following is so strongly the credo of this moment in my life, so here it comes (again?): It doesn’t matter how much money you are making, how big your house is, how many cars, friends or holidays you have. How you live your life is the only thing that matters. What you make of what you have in your life at this moment, is the importatant issue. Live like a butterfly – lightly, bringing beauty and fruitfulness with every movement you make.
This year begins with exhibitions – the first flowers are blooming again after a tough winter…
Double Bush Binding – exhibition Australia/France
The attatched photo is of my latest binding, a bilingual edition of two short stories by Paul Wenz, for the international bookbinding exhibition in Sydney 3 to 25 March. The exhibition will then tour in Australia and in France. For more information about the exhibition please contact the Bookbinding Exhibitions Australia: beainc@yahoo.com.au .
Exhibition at Galerie Le Pignon, Grootschermer
I am pleased to be participating the Spring exhibition at Gallerie Le Pignon on 31 March – 9 April. Book objects will be on show, come and see them! The gallery is open every day of that week from 11.00 – 17.00. The adres is Noordeinde 32, Grootschermer.
Exhibition at Kruithuis, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Bigunnan – the beginning, the Source – is the theme of this group exhibition initiated by colleague artist Rietje de Bijl . 10 artists are participating this inspiring exhibition with our visions on the theme, individually and together. Here you will see my new work! The exhibition is open 23th April – 20th May, 12.00 – 17.00 daily, on Thursdays until 21.00. Het Kruithuis is on Citadellaan 7 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Books at Fates, Leiden
My blanco books – journals, diaries and notebooks – are now in the treasurechest-like shop, Fates, in Leiden. You can visit them at Lange Brug 89 , Leiden, or take a look online: www.fates.nl.
Workshops, courses and lectures
Please mail me for the full descriptions and NEW! schedule at books@ninajudin.nl.
expect the unexpected
Nina
