Paper Marbling and Bookbinding

Combine these two exquisite heritage crafts with a contemporary slant to create beautifully bound books using your own hand marbled papers.

On day one Shona will give us an introduction to the mediative art of marbling and teach you how to create a stunning and unique collection of papers that will become your book! We’ll start with thinner papers as we learn and learn and experiment with pattern and colour.  Shona will demonstrate various techniques and talk you through the process of mixing paints and combining colours to achieve your desired results. As the day goes on your confidence and technique will improve, and we’ll use what you’ve learned to create heavier weight papers that you will incorporate into your books. We’ll set aside your kaleidoscopic collections of paper to dry overnight, ready pressed as needed to be used to construct your books.

On day two Cass will show you how to create a satisfying book structure with a folded accordion spine and stitched signatures, incorporating your marbled papers into the covers and inside pages. She’ll also demonstrate how to weave pockets, tabs and textured pages into your book, with plenty of ideas on how you can continue adding to it after the workshop, or make the same style of book in different shapes and sizes. This is a really lovely book full of texture and movement – a great way to bring together different papers and print experiments. Cass will provide all materials but if you have any papers of your own that you would like to include alongside your marbling, please do bring along.

By the end of the workshop, you will have gained a solid understanding of two valuable heritage crafts, and will have produced your own collection of marbled papers and a stunning hand-bound book. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist looking to expand your skills, this workshop offers a playful and immersive exploration into the worlds of paper marbling and bookbinding.