Nuts and Bolts – the repair of a precious wartime album.

This repair is to a personal WW2 photo album. PST (sticky tape) of all varieties and ages, original endpapers glued over with multiple envelopes (using an old mystery glue combo), disintegrating cloth hinge patch, separating boards, collapsed spine, stains, old glassine (affectionately known in the bindery as 'yellowing, moist, acidic, transparent sheets of doom'), and …

Repairs, repairs, repairs and more repairs

No, I haven't dropped off the planet, or started a cult - just crazy-hectic here with repair work that frankly should have been finished by the end of June!   Most of my work this last few months have been from private collections that aren't for sharing, so sorry to those folks who are starving …

MARBLING CLASS IN GORDON, VICTORIA.

LIKE THE IDEA OF PAPER MARBLING but don't have the space, the skills or the stuff? Here is a great workshop with a bonza bloke who knows all about it and can lead you through a day of marbling like a ninja.Paper, Ink and laughs, in Gordon, Victoria.Get in quick. Places fill mighty fast.  

Book of soles – my lesson in provenance

This is extraordinary - you must check it out. Click on the picture and go to the article written for the Book and Paper Gathering.I first saw a picture of this book when Dominic Riley came to Australia and showed us a slideshow on his laptop of books that have influenced his journey in bookbinding …

Voice FM visits the Sago bindery

Sue Peacock from Voice FM came to visit the bindery and chat.  She's a bonza lass with a keen interest in rare trades. It was a pleasure to have her company.  Sue is keen to talk with other tradies too, so watch out for more of her work.  ..click on the microphone to go the Voice …

Baby Steps: Preservation archiving – Clean, Colsolidate and Box

There are some books for which the 'full monty' of repair is either not required, not recommended, or not affordable.  The Preservation archiving process 'CCB' (my bindery shorthand) option is very useful in these situations. For example, this book is made of precarious materials. For this book, the more you touch it, even to repair, …

The music lives on – a stub binding structure

These pages of sheet music are important. They span a lifetime of playing and singing with others. Through the styles, trends and tastes of each era of life. Gathering memories and sampling them with every replay. A jutebox of musical memories. Irreplaceable. Unfortunately, someone in the past has attempted to bind them together slap-dash style; …

Once Upon a Shire – building a book for a community – Part 1.

In November 2014, when a group of ink and paper artists got together to plan a comprehensive community project about the Golden Plains Shire, there were unexpected and delightful results.  The ideas flowed, as we considered how the diversity of the shires history would be reflected in our work.  Everyone agreed that writing and drawing …

Looking back – A day with ABC radio

Some folks this month have asked about the interview I did with ABC quite some time ago. It seems that it still pops up from time to time on Melbourne radio, and has piqued some interest - who knew.  It was such a fun day - Margie was supposed to come and do a quick …

Once Upon a Shire – an invitation

Once Upon a Shire,there were six artists and a bookbinder, whose work was inspired by time they spent with the Golden Plains community. Their musings and impressions were laid carefully and deliberately like stones in a dry wall across the hillside - tactile, honest, lasting. The work was bound, so that the wall we built can …