In the Studio

Suminagashi Marbled Handmade Journal

Suminagashi black and whtie Journal handmade by Ruth Bleakley

Suminagashi is a gorgeous type of paper marbling invented in Japan over 1,000 years ago. I wrote a post a while ago when I taught a suminagashi marbling class at Clark University and you can see every step of the process. Basically you float rings of black sumi ink (I really like using this Yasutomo brand sumi ink)on water with calligraphy brushes (these inexpensive calligraphy brushes from yasutomo work well), alternating with “white” rings of water mixed with dispersant – the “white” is actually just the color of the paper underneath. The woodgrain effect comes from the rings pushing closer and closer together and thinning out. Then you lay a piece of paper on top and pull the print! Each session of suminagashi yields just one print, so they’re all one of a kind.

I sewed this journal with a type of binding called chain stitch or coptic stitch. I’ve been doing this type of binding the most because I like that you can make the covers completely separately from the inner pages and just hold on them until you’re ready to sew them onto the filler pages with waxed linen thread.

Suminagashi marbling on yuzen by Ruth Bleakley marbled black and white book handmade by Ruth Bleakley Closeup of stitching on suminagashi journal handmade by Ruth Bleakley

Bookbinding Tutorial Secret Belgian Binding

It’s tutorial Tuesday! I am sharing great bookbinding tutorials I’ve found around the web on Tuesdays – today’s tutorial is about a mysterious sounding bookbinding style called “Secret Belgian Binding” – This binding was invented in the mid 1980s by Anne Goy, a Belgian bookbinder. She was looking for a Western version of the traditional Japanese stab binding techniques. She wanted a book that would open flat but with the appearance of the stab sewing. Anne Goy calls this binding the “criss cross binding”. I can’t find the author of this great tutorial, so if anyone knows, leave a comment! click on the link or any of the photos to see the full directions: The Secret Belgian Binding

Secret Belgian Binding Sewing Instructions

Chevron Washi Tape Chain Stitch Journal

Chevron Washi Tape journal handmade by Ruth Bleakley

I love Washi Tape! A friend from Japan sent me a huge care package of washi tape, a thin Japanese masking tape with designs printed on it ( you can even get washi tape on Amazon)- I used the tape to create this pretty striped pattern on raw book board, and then sealed the whole thing with a thin varnish so the tape won’t peel up. The stitching pattern is new too, a variation on coptic stitch (no idea if it has a name, I kind of made it up) that I sewed with waxed linen thread. That white circle is my embossing seal but you can’t quite make it out in the photo.

You can see more photos of this book on my Red Striped Washi Tape Journal photo set on Flickr.

Endpages on washi tape journal handmade by Ruth Bleakley red and purple washi tape book handmade by Ruth Bleakley

Bookbinding Tutorial Accordion Book Photo Album

Accordion Book Photo Album - Mother's Day Gift Idea

It’s tutorial Tuesday! I am sharing great bookbinding tutorials I’ve found around the web on Tuesdays – today’s tutorial is about making an accordion book photo album – a lovely gift to give to friends or relatives. This lovely tutorial was made by Carrie who writes at Making Lemonade: freshly squeezed ideas for home and family click [...]

Blue Bathymetric Handmade Journal

Coptic stitch books ready to be sewn by Ruth Bleakley

These blue chart journals are always a huge hit at craft shows – before my Christmas fairs this year I made at least 10 and they all sold out! The bathemetry charts I used are underwater topography maps and show the elevation of the sea floor – the local NOAA office was going to recycle them [...]

Bookbinding Tutorial Single Curved Needle Chain Stitch Binding

It’s tutorial Tuesday! I am sharing great bookbinding tutorials I’ve found around the web on Tuesdays – today’s tutorial is about a very popular but tricky style called chain stitch (also known as coptic stitch). This step by step tutorial by Shelly at Cat-Sidh has tons of photos and detailed directions though - click on the link [...]

Rocky Mountain Travel Journal

National parks animals themed travel journal by Ruth Bleakley

I made this book specially for a friend who went traveling around the national parks out in the West and wanted to document her trip. I wanted a woodsy feel so I went with raw book board – I also did a little hand-drawn woodgrain pattern on the inside with black and gold pen.

The animals are [...]

Bookbinding Tutorial Long-stitch Binding

Make your own leather longstitch journal tutorial

It’s tutorial Tuesday! I am sharing great bookbinding tutorials I’ve found around the web on Tuesdays – today’s tutorial is about long stitch binding and was created by Sarah at the blog Are you Flowin’ - it shows you how you can use all different types of paper that you have been hoarding to make a pretty [...]

Bathymetric Chart Coptic Stitch Journal – Rough Draft Chart

Coptic Stitch Journal Up Close - Ruth Bleakley

I live in a tiny town next to the ocean on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and one of the perks of living here is that I know plenty of people who use nautical charts day to day and so I have lots of fun creating things out of charts donated my way.
This is a very special [...]