Thursday, November 16, 2017

The Art of Origami in a Handmade Book

This is my latest handmade creation in the wonderful world of handmade books I make as an extension of my art of calligraphy. After all, the writing was always put in handmade books back in the very early days.
Known as the  Bookboard  style, with a slip knot binding, there are  12 pages, made out of a sturdy cardboard.
Since each side is covered with a decorative page, there are really are 24 images to view. Finding all the decorative paper was a challenge. I ended up buying a notebook of these designs, which I decided to mix and match, using  with a crystal  theme. Purples, and greens and pinks! The edges are sprayed with a gold paint, and the binding a consecutive slip knot  made from green embroidery thread. 
 What makes this one so intriguing, is that the inside is filled with origami foldouts on many of the pages. While this appears facile, making the exact folds is really tricky. I  used the thin, shiny origami paper, which takes the folds so well. The instructor has a notebook full of these patterns she shared with us.
This is a new learning process for me , and will take some practice. I did manage to  put  different designs throughout the pages. Not quite complete, I am still thinking of what  surprises to add for the finishing touches.