Caring for your Books - sharing Barefoot Bindery top tips, plus news on Spring into Summer events and exhibitions.

Welcome to May's newsletter from Barefoot Bindery!

Thanks for signing up to my mailing list, I have lots to share with you this month.

First of all, take a look a that lovely Book Brush in the picture there... beautiful isn't it?! I have been searching for a special brush to dust my home library with for ages. I found this one in Shaftesbury in a wonderful shop called Coconut & Cotton Finally finding this brush inspired me to compile a list of top tips for caring for your books. So many of the issues suffered by the poorly books that  come into Barefoot Bindery for TLC could be prevented; just like the fabulous book in the picture below. This dictionary is treasured by its owner as a tangible connection to her Father who received it as a Sunday School prize. When she brought it to me to look at it was in a tattered state with the spine falling off and badly worn book-cloth and cover boards at its tail. I was able to help with a new spine cover and strengthening treatment for the cover boards, finished with patching with repair tissue stained to match the original cover. I'm so happy that I was able to help this book. I hope the following advice means that your books won't end up in need help!

Barefoot Bindery Top Book Care Tips

1. Store your books upright on strong shelves that do not sag and between books of a similar height or use bookends to support them. Try to avoid wedging too many books too tightly together. 

2. Handle with care; that means having clean hands first. When taking a book from the shelf, NEVER pull it from the top of the spine. This weakens the book eventually leading to the spine covering cracking and tearing away. Grip the book at the middle and squeeze it gently to lift it from the shelf. Always LIFT! Many of the books I am asked to repair have damage to their tails caused by the friction from sliding on and off the shelf. 

3. No eating or drinking please! I know we all love to curl up with a gripping read with tea and biscuits, and I hold up my hand to being guilty of propping a novel up while eating my dinner, but keeping food and drink away from your books avoids leaving stains, Stains that attract book munching pests! 

4. Tickle your books with a duster from time to time. They will thank you! Keeping your books clean includes regular dusting. Use a fluffy duster or a small brush attachment on you vacuum. If you are a book nerd like me you might want to invest in a dedicated Book Brush. A gentle wipe with a soft, clean cloth over the cover also helps.  

5. Let’s talk about Dog ears. NEVER bend over the corners of the page to mark your place. Just don’t! Other don’ts for keeping your place include sticky notes (leave a residue of adhesive), organic matter (animal and plant material will rot and stain the pages not to mention attract those paper munching pests I mentioned before), rubber bands (might tear the pages and will stick as they also rot), paperclips (rust). I might tell you about the random things I have found being used as bookmarks one day! However, the best thing to use as a bookmark is a paper bookmark, ideally a slip of acid free paper. 

6. And lastly, please do not try to repair damaged covers or torn pages using sticky tape. This often causes more harm than good and sometimes serious damage over time. (The tape will leave a sticky residue, stain the pages and pull print and paper away when removed).  

Scrolling

As well as binding beautiful sketchbooks and journals and making book repairs, I make Artist's Books and Book Art. This creative practice uses the book object as the form or media for expression. Here is a comprehensive description for Artist's Books from Wikipedia.

Recently I have become interested in the scroll as a form for Artist's Books and have made 2 quite big ones for 2 different exhibitions. In the picture above is "Fragments in the Flow" - a snippet scroll book object exploring the stream of consciousness experience of journalling for wellbeing. I am especially pleased to be sharing it this week, Mental Health Awareness Week 2022,  because journalling, both writing and artful is supportive to my own wellbeing. "Fragments in the Flow" is showing at the Library in Salisbury Wiltshire within the "Spring into Summer" with Plain Arts Salisbury from Saturday 14th May. Next month I am showing a different scroll made using wood from an Ash Tree as part of the "One Ash Tree" project with Andover Trees United. This is a great project involving a collection of Artists and Crafts People and Primary Schools in Andover working with sections of a single tree. The exhibition will be at Chapel Arts Studio from 25th June.

If you'd like to learn how to make your own Scroll, please take a look at the Drisftwood Story Scroll workshops I am offering in August, details below. 

Creative Workshops coming up!

I am passionate about the wellbeing benefits of creativity and am committed to offering creative workshop experiences for everyone interested in having fun with Paper, Print and Book Arts. Save the dates for these events coming up next in my rich program of offerings ...

Saturday 14th May Six Sewn Bindings - introducing key bookbinding skills while making a sweet suite of six mini notebooks 3 last minute spaces available, click here to book!

Sunday 19th June Summer Solstice Cyanotype and Bookbinding Workshop - combining the early photographic technique of sun prints with a neat meditation journal bookbinding project to bring some creative magic to your summer. Snap up  your place here!

Saturday 16th July Single Needle Coptic Stitch Upcycled Bookbinding Workshop - in this project we will upcycle attractive cover boards from rescued books to make quirky notebooks. Read more about it and book here!

Saturday 13th August Driftwood Story Scroll Workshop - create your own snippet scroll, a perfect holiday souvenir or gift. As this date is in the Summer School Holidays I am delighted to be offering a family friendly workshop in the morning with a combined adult with child ticket and additional child tickets available. There is space for 3 adults and 6 children in total. For this session please book here! 

In the afternoon it will be and adults only oasis, so if this is your idea of creative time out for yourself, and maybe a friend, scroll up here to enroll!

What a creative Summer it is going to be! I am excited to welcome you and help you get your Arting on!

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read.

Groucho Marx