Laser-engraved Hand-painted Coptic-bound Book

"If you hide your weirdness, how will your weirdo kindred be able to recognize you?

Be your strange, imperfect self. That's your gift to the world.
Always let your true colors show - Always let your true colors show." 

— Sweatpantsandcoffee.com

    

INSPIRATION

A few years ago I was in a meeting of local entrepreneurs and we were going around the table briefly telling what we do.  My ears pricked up when a person named Tiffany said, "I make... Curious Goods."  When I went to her website, it included items like, "Hogwarts Invitation Letters, Mad-eye Moody Pocket Watches, Narnia Maps, Pokeweed Ink, Wand Boxes, Alethiometers, and Polyjuice Potion, just to name a few items. "Who is this person?" I thought, "I am going to like her."  And sure enough we became friends. 

Tiffany is who I think of when I hear the word "maker."  She is truly one of the most clever, intelligent, creative people I know and she can make just about anything she wants.  Here are some of the places where you can see her creations:

Instagram: @curiousgood and @wunderkammer

Movie Props: https://wunder-kammer.com/

Curious Quail: https://www.etsy.com/shop/curiousquails

Curious Goods: https://www.etsy.com/shop/curiousgood

Curious Beans: https://www.curiousbeans.coffee/

Examples of Tiffany's laser-engraved coptic-bound books available at CuriousQuails on Etsy

Tiffany recently taught a course on making coptic-bound books that had custom laser-engraved covers (above).  I loved the books that she made and thought maybe I could make one for my brother-in-law Jim.  He recently started a new native plant business, ButterflyEffectPlants.com and I designed the logo and website.  So I sent the logo files off to Tiffany and she sent me the laser-etched covers with Jim's logo on it.  

PAINT COVERS

After I received the covers I thought I would stain or paint the engraved boards to match the colors of Jim's logo.  I ended up thinning acrylic paint down with water and it worked perfectly.  I liked that you could still see the grain through the paint.

“Because she was looking down and focusing her attention so precisely, Alice lost track of time and of herself. She wouldn't be able to put it into words, except to say she felt removed from the world. Or just at its edge. At the edge of the wild and beautiful world. She felt small, too. But part of something large. She was happy.”

― Kevin Henkes, Junoniaz

MAKE BOOK SIGNATURES

I decided to use nice, thick Stonehenge paper for the interior of the book.  I have quite a bit leftover from printmaking and it is a great paper because it can take watercolors.  In bookmaking, a signature is a group of sheets folded in half and sewn into the binding as a unit.  Because the paper was so thick my signatures only had 3-4 flat sheets (before folding).   I ripped the paper down to size so that it was an 1/8 inch less than the boards on the top, bottom and right.  The left side snugs up tight once sewn so you don't have to leaved space on that side.

MAKE SIGNATURE HOLES

The next step was to poke holes in the signatures.  I used the holes Tiffany drilled in the boards and made the signature holes the same distance from the edge. I used an awl to poke through the paper, but you could also use a needle. 

SEW COPTIC BINDING

There are several different ways to sew the binding and many different YouTube videos. Tiffany sent me this video to follow, but I struggled a bit and ended up going rogue.  It might be best to take Tiffany's class and to have proper instruction.  But I made do, and it turned out OK.

"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something." 

— Sandra Day O'Connor

VIDEO

I made the following video that shows the process from start to finish.  I took photos as I painted each butterfly and it is so fun to see them popping up and to watch as the cover turns green with plants.  Turn on your volume!

FINAL BOOK

Below you can see the final book.  I sent it off to Jim, and the package circled Pennsylvania for 18 days!  I was so relieved when he finally got it.

I am a bit of a control freak and don't often collaborate on projects.  But this was a great experience and it was so fun to work with Tiffany to make the book.  Thank you Tiffany!!!

I also want to give a shout out to Jim and his amazing endeavor.  If you live near the Finger Lakes please spread the word about Jim's new native plant nursery, ButterflyEffectPlants.com.  Their goal is to to populate local landscapes with native plants to create pathways for pollinators and local wildlife.  If we all planted native plants in our yards, can you imagine the positive impact we could have on our environment? 

“We are all connected to everyone and everything in the universe.
Therefore, everything one does as an individual affects the whole.
All thoughts, words, images, prayers, blessings, and deeds are listened to by all that is.”

— Serge King

If there is one thing I learned this year, it is that we are all connected.  I have a habit of working in my own little bubble and rarely coming up for air to see what is happening around me.  Being a part of a creative group of people has shown me the importance of supporting each other and that magic can happen when we come together. 

As 2020 comes to a close I want to wish everyone a safe, connected, and happy new year.  Good health and joy to all of you in 2021! 

“And now we welcome the new year.
Full of things that have never been.” 

—Rainer Maria Rilke