Gifts for Father’s Day

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:50:28 +0100

Most countries celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June, which falls on the 17th this year.

Here are a few books you might like to give your Dad this year to say: “Hey, thanks for being you”.

Image above: Simple miniature journals
Miniature leather journal: putty & yellow
Earthy leather sketchbook: hold-in-your-hand size
Little Black Book: leather sketchbook with raw edge
Recycled leather notebook: button and braid
Rustic leather sketchbook: multicoloured
‘warm’ speciality paper for pastels/charcoal
Bright blue goatskin journal: longstitch with pen holder
Large special sketchbook: multicoloured ‘cool’
speciality papers for pastel/charcoal

I can deliver your gift straight to your Dad, just let me know his name and address when you order.

You can order direct from me or shop online at Etsy or Folksy where you can see full details for each book, including more pictures, dimensions and prices, and lots more books, besides.

Please order by noon on these dates:

USA, Canada, Europe, etc: Friday 1st
UK First Class: Thursday 14th
UK Special Delivery (at extra cost): Friday 15th

These dates are a guide, not a guarantee (unless you use Special Delivery).

As for my Dad? Well, that would be telling! Only I’m pleased to say that one of my hardback journals went round Europe on the back of a motorbike. Yep, that’s my Dad.

Thread colours

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:40:56 +0100

When you commission a Longstitch with Linkstitch book in any of 26 leather colours from the Harmatan Fine range of Goatskin, you have 19 linen thread colours to choose from the Crawford range.

These are:

Top row, left to right:
Black, Dark Grey, Light Grey, White, Natural

2nd row, left to right:
Brown, Rust, Orange, Yellow, Tan

3rd row, left to right:
Red, Purple, Lavender, Pink

Bottom row, left to right:
Royal Blue, Teal, Turquoise, Sage Green, Dark Green

Some suggested combinations of leather and thread are:

- Blue 13 & Yellow see example
- Blue 14 & Tan see example
- Green 17 & Yellow see example
- Beige 18 & White, Natural, Brown
- Scarlet 20 & Black see example, & Dark Grey, & Light Grey, & White, & Natural & Yellow, & Tan see example & Purple, & Royal Blue.
- Terracotta 22 & Natural, & Yellow see example, & Tan see example (top book)
- Brown 24 & Natural, Tan, Yellow or Orange
- Black 28 & Yellow see example Tan, Red, Pink, Orange
- Purple 29 & Light Grey, White, Natural, Pink
- Grey 31 & White, Teal, Turquoise
- Yellow 35 & Black see example, & Dark Grey, & Light Grey, & White Brown, & Purple, & Turquoise
- Brown 36 & Natural, Orange see example, Yellow see example, & Natural & Tan

But of course you’re not limited to these, let your imagination run wild and be guided by your corporate colours, your home decor scheme, your old school colours or by nature.

Please email me to discuss your requirements as a number of different size, format and paper options are available.

Also please bear in mind that colours vary from monitor to monitor.

Leather colours

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:36:33 +0100

When you commission a Longstitch with Linkstitch book you can choose any one of 26 colours from the Harmatan Fine range of Nigerian Goatskin.

These are:

Top row, left to right:
- Blue 11, Blue 12, Blue 13, Blue 14, Green 15, Green 16, Green 17, Beige 18

2nd row, left to right:
- Orange 19, Scarlet 20, Crimson 21, Terracotta 22, Brown 23, Brown 24, Maroon 25

3rd row, left to right:
- Tan 26, Green 27, Black 28, Purple 29, Yellow 30, Grey 31

Bottom row, left to right:
- Chocolate 32, Biscuit 33, Pink 34, Yellow 35, Brown 36

Then you can choose any of 19 linen thread colours from the Crawford range.

Some suggested combinations of leather and thread are:

- Blue 13 & Yellow see example
- Blue 14 & Tan see example
- Green 17 & Yellow see example
- Beige 18 & White, Natural, Brown
- Scarlet 20 & Black see example, & Dark Grey, & Light Grey, & White, & Natural & Yellow, & Tan see example & Purple, & Royal Blue.
- Terracotta 22 & Natural, & Yellow see example, & Tan see example (top book)
- Brown 24 & Natural, Tan, Yellow or Orange
- Black 28 & Yellow see example Tan, Red, Pink, Orange
- Purple 29 & Light Grey, White, Natural, Pink
- Grey 31 & White, Teal, Turquoise
- Yellow 35 & Black see example, & Dark Grey, & Light Grey, & White Brown, & Purple, & Turquoise
- Brown 36 & Natural, & Orange see example, Yellow see example, & Natural & Tan

But of course you’re not limited to these, let your imagination run wild and be guided by your corporate colours, your home decor scheme, your old school colours or by nature.

Please email me to discuss your requirements as a number of different size, format and paper options are available.

Also please bear in mind that colours vary from monitor to monitor and from skin to skin.

Thank You, Twitter

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:46:13 +0100

When I reach 2,000 Twitter followers I will be giving away a Miniature Journal or Pocket Sketchbook to one of my followers, to say thank you.

So spread the word, it might be you!

The making of a Longstitch journal

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:33:51 +0100

This is a Longstitch with Linkstitch binding, often used for account ledgers and council documents in 15th century Germany.

It’s an ideal binding for a sketchbook, journal or scrapbook as it’s flexible, secure, refillable and can take inclusions.

First, I cut the leather from the whole skin:

At this stage, I brush any loose material left over from the tanning process from the inner side of the skin, and spray it with artist’s fixative, to prevent further shedding.

Once I have torn and folded the pages into signatures, I lace them onto the leather, one by one:

In total there are 8, and this forms the decorative - and functional - pattern on the spine.

Nearly done, just the leather thong to add, now:

And here it is:

The raw edge makes me think of flickering dragon fire!

You can order this style of book in any of 26 colours from the Harmatan Fine range of Nigerian Goatskin, in a variety of sizes and orientations and with pretty much any kind of paper, or combinations of paper, you’d like.

Please email me using the button below if you’d like to discuss your options.