Bookbinding Bonanza

It's always a good thing to freshen your creative juices.  Today was that type of day for me.  I took a bookbinding class in Philadelphia at the Bella Forte Studio.  Since I love to make fabric books, I thought that I could learn something new and apply it to what I do.
 Bridget Morris is a wonderful and generous teacher and a gifted bookmaker.  She opened her studio, taught us how to make 2 different types of books and shared her supplies and equipment.  Her studio is located in an old building that has been retrofitted as artists' studios.  There are about 12 other artists in the building.  The owners live on the top floor. 

Bridget's studio was full of lots of interesting stuff.  This cabinet with all those drawers was our first peak into the materials we should be using.

 

 With drawers labeled with these words, one could only imagine.  I was filled with anticipation.

But when we opened the drawers, OMG!! Talk about eye candy.  We were told to pick paper for 2 books.  It was sooooo hard to choose just 2.

But I finally did.  (I restrained myself from changing my mind several times. ) This was for my Japanese bound book.  It is gold silk screened on a vegetable paper.

This is the other one.   I chose it for the accordion book.

 These were the bin of ribbons to choose from.

First we made an adorable accordion book:

 Next was the Japanese bound book.  I couldn't wait to use that metallic copper scroll paper. And I chose a contrasting fabric for the binding.

Letter type for embossing our intitals on the Japanese bound book.

Bridget operating the foil initial embosser.

My book  cover with my initials in copper foil.  (Can you hear me squealing like a 5 year old?)

After folding the paper for the inside of the book, off to the drill press.

Here are everyone's books:

 

And here are mine