Instagram Bookbinding Challenge: February / Peace

I've been participating in an online bookbinding community challenge, where each month bookmakers from around the world challenge themselves to create a book on a chosen theme for the month. The theme for February was Peace. If you are on Instagram, search the hashtag #areyoubookenough to find all the amazing creations of participating artists. Prepare yourself to be inspired!

When the theme was announced, the words of the hymn "When Peace Like a River" kept going through my head, so I just went with it! I wanted to make a Star Book with the words cut out on the pages. I used a star book kit from Quietfire Design, that I was gifted many years ago. Using the kit helped me focus on the paper cutting and not worry about the construction details. The picture above shows everything that was included in the kit.

I started by counting the letters and dividing it by the number of pages, so I'd know how many words/letters to fit on each page. They flow from one word to the next without spaces. After drawing them out on graph paper, I transferred the design on each dark (navy) page to the back of  each page with white pencil crayon, and then cut out the negative space around the letters.

While the pencil marks were on the wrong side, I wanted to erase as much as possible for a cleaner finish. I tried all of these tools: tape, kneaded eraser, white vinyl eraser, and black vinyl eraser. Guess which worked the best? The black vinyl eraser!

I love how the light plays with the letters on each individual page! I've filed this idea away for future book ideas...

Assembling the book was relatively easy with the clear instructions provided in the kit. First, gluing the covers.

Sewing the structural pages together with a link stitch.

Adding the rest of the layers of pages...

Putting the finished book...

...in my very expensive high tech book press.

And then it's done!

Don't forget to check out the hashtag #areyoubookenough on Instagram to see all the amazing books made on the same thing by bookbinders around the world!