An ancient form reimagined. Each concertina book celebrates time-honoured craft, light and the beauty of nature. Every book is made completely by hand, making each piece a small testament to patience and artistry.
Price: $40
Materials cost: $10
Donation to charity: $30
Time to create: 3 hours
Materials & method
• Inspired by one of the earliest book forms from the Eastern bookbinding tradition, dating back to the 9th century BCE.
• Each book measures 150 x 100 mm (height x width) and features an eight-page text block made from European 250 gsm cotton rag paper, machine made, yet full of the tactile warmth and texture of handmade paper.
• The lignin-free paper resists yellowing with age and provides a beautifully rough surface suited to watercolour, pencil and ink.
• Adhesive is made from scratch using wheat starch, cooked and prepared by hand following traditional Japanese methods.
• The concertina design makes this piece ideal as a “keep forever” card, where multiple people can write or draw their messages or alternatively as an artist’s book where compositions flow from one page to the next.
• Covers are made using cyanotype, a photographic technique invented in 1841 that harnesses the power of the sun. Each image is created by hand-coating paper with a light-sensitive solution, arranging foraged foliage from the garden at Thrums, and exposing it to sunlight to reveal the rich blue impression.
• While cyanotypes are light-sensitive, their colour can be refreshed simply by resting them in a dark place for a time. Much like me on some days!
• Every concertina book is unique, a quiet meeting of craft, chemistry, and natural form.
An ancient form reimagined. Each concertina book celebrates time-honoured craft, light and the beauty of nature. Every book is made completely by hand, making each piece a small testament to patience and artistry.
Price: $40
Materials cost: $10
Donation to charity: $30
Time to create: 3 hours
Materials & method
• Inspired by one of the earliest book forms from the Eastern bookbinding tradition, dating back to the 9th century BCE.
• Each book measures 150 x 100 mm (height x width) and features an eight-page text block made from European 250 gsm cotton rag paper, machine made, yet full of the tactile warmth and texture of handmade paper.
• The lignin-free paper resists yellowing with age and provides a beautifully rough surface suited to watercolour, pencil and ink.
• Adhesive is made from scratch using wheat starch, cooked and prepared by hand following traditional Japanese methods.
• The concertina design makes this piece ideal as a “keep forever” card, where multiple people can write or draw their messages or alternatively as an artist’s book where compositions flow from one page to the next.
• Covers are made using cyanotype, a photographic technique invented in 1841 that harnesses the power of the sun. Each image is created by hand-coating paper with a light-sensitive solution, arranging foraged foliage from the garden at Thrums, and exposing it to sunlight to reveal the rich blue impression.
• While cyanotypes are light-sensitive, their colour can be refreshed simply by resting them in a dark place for a time. Much like me on some days!
• Every concertina book is unique, a quiet meeting of craft, chemistry, and natural form.
Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5