Book Swap 2023 - Stephanie Morley

This handbound book, festooned with flowers, was created by Stephanie Morley for the NSBAG book swap. The structure is a hardcover buttonhole binding in full cloth. Stephanie backed two different pieces of fabric for this book: one print for the outside and a different print for the inside. The first page includes an apt quotation by Laura Ingalls Wilder, "The store was full of things to look at. All along one side of it were shelves full of coloured prints and calicos. There were beautiful pinks and blues and reds and browns and pruples." You can find Stephanie on Instagram: @morleyambiguous

This is the seventeenth and final book to be featured from our recent book swap. Thanks to everyone who participated and making our first swap a great success. See the full list of participants here.

Book Swap 2023 - Rhonda Miller

Rhonda Miller made this half leather binding for the NSBAG book swap. The structure is a split-board library binding and the cover features some of Rhonda's original marbled paper paired with dark green goatskin leather. There are silk hand-sewn headbands and Bugra endpapers. Rhonda can be found online via her website and on Instagram: @myhandboundbooks.

Book Swap 2023 - Taryn Neufeld

Taryn Neufeld made this distinctive blank journal for the NSBAG book swap. This is a hardcover case binding with a textblock made of Academia paper. There is book cloth on the spine, endbands, and a nature-theme printed paper on the covers. You can find Taryn on Instagram: @tear.neuf

Book Swap 2023 - Andrew Fraser

Andrew Fraser created this handbound book for the NSBAG book swap. The structure is a flat-back case binding. The cover features Andrew's original paste paper with book cloth spine and corners.

Book Swap 2023 - Jeffrey Cowling

Jeffrey Cowling created this robust tome for the NSBAG book swap. This book is full bound in Italian simulated leather. The textblock is made with classic laid paper and the front cover features a blind embossed crest. You can find Jeffery online via his website.

Book Swap 2023 - Ariel Bissett

This colourful book was made by Ariel Bissett for the NSBAG book swap. The binding is a Coptic-style chain stitch sewing. The cover features some of Ariel's original marbled paper which is a multi-coloured waved nonpareil pattern. You can find Ariel on Instagram: @arielbissett

Book Swap 2023 - Emily Brown

Emily Brown created this lucky blank book for the NSBAG book swap. The front cover is dark green book cloth with a layered, oval inset featuring a pressed four-leaf clover. The binding is a criss cross binding (also known as the secret Belgian binding) and the first page is printed with Emily's hand-carved lino stamp.

Book Swap 2023 - Larry Cowell

This ribbon-bound photo album was handmade by Larry Cowell for the NSBAG book swap. The album includes heavy pages suitable for mounting photos, with separators between each page to allow for swell. The covers are made with marbled paper paired with navy book cloth for the hinged cover.

Book Swap 2023 - Rhynn Winstead

Rhynn Winstead created this colourful book for the NSBAG book swap. The structure is a slim case binding in full cloth of natural Cialinen. The textblock is made with a series of painted watercolour papers featuring a variety of patterns and interesting folds. Rhynn was also the lucky winner of our door prize (which was a book about bookbinding) at our last meeting!

Book Swap 2023 - Joe Landry

Joe Landry's three-piece contribution to the NSBAG book swap consists of two miniature books and a custom box. The books are both half leather bindings with raised bands and gold tooling on the spine. They also have sewn headbands and they both feature fine-combed marbled paper. The handmade box also features marbled paper, paired with a beige book cloth.

Book Swap 2023 - Tabatha Cass

This vibrant handbound book was made by Tabatha Cass for the NSBAG book swap. The binding is a chain stitch Coptic-style binding, sewn with yellow linen thread using a double-wrapped board attachment. The cover paper is a hand-printed, handmade paper. There are Fabriano paste-downs and recycled paper for the textblock. You can find Tabatha on Instagram: @tabycatkid.

Book Swap 2023 - Heather Loney

Heather Loney's handbound swap book features a series of her intricate paper cuts within the textblock. The paper cuts each represent a different local landmark and there is one paper cut per signature. The book is handbound using a repeating x pattern sewn through the spine of the case. The cover features a printed handmade paper and a book cloth spine. You can find Heather on Instagram: @hkeloney

Book Swap 2023 - Em Doucette

Bringing new life to an old book found at a thrift store, Em Doucette created this one-of-a-kind sketchbook for the NSBAG book swap. The original book, United States Stamp Catalogue 1938, has been recased with a new textblock of drawing paper that has a selection of the original pages mixed in. There is a new bookcloth spine, a matching ribbon bookmark, and an attached ribbon closure. Em can be found on Instagram: @awltomorrowsbindings.

Book Swap 2023 - Ron Fritz

Ron Fritz, also known as Peregrino Press, used the Japanese retchōsō binding to make this book for the NSBAG book swap. The book features his own paste paper for the cover and the textblock is made with lined paper. In addition to this completed book, Ron also included a kit for the recipient to make another book using the retchōsō binding.

Book Swap 2023 - Sally Crawford

Sally Crawford created this unique notebook for the NSBAG book swap. Sally's book is made from her own eco printed papers which have random botanical shapes and textures on each page. The papers are folded into this interesting wing book structure with an attached ribbon closure. You can find Sally on Facebook at SallyCrawford.Art.

Book Swap 2023 - Jamie Pratt

Jamie Pratt used a wide range of Japanese papers to create this lovely book for the NSBAG book swap. The cover is book board covered with Chiri Kyoseishi Blue paper with an inset of a blank kozo business card. The text pages are Tomoe River (heavy cream) with a variety of other Japanese papers throughout, including some Chiyogami and a number of Kingin tissues in various colours. The binding is a chain stitch Coptic-style binding, sewn with linen thread.

Book Swap 2023 - Marilynn Rudi

Marilynn Rudi created this colourful handbound book for the NSBAG book swap, featuring her own original marbling on the covers. The binding is an accordion spine with pamphlet stitched sections. The spine reinforcement is made from Kraftex and the pages are 80lb drawing paper.

NSBAG Book Swap 2023

On November 29th at the Halifax public library, the book arts group held a book swap! Bookbinders ranged from master bookbinders, and workshop aficionados, to book newbies. We had 16 people present for the swap, with a total of 17 books (with one absent member who contributed a book). This was probably the most well-attended book group meeting of the last couple months, which is encouraging to note that everyone loves making a book for someone else!

All books were wrapped and numbered then everyone drew a number
to determine which book they would receive.
We got to see many examples of hand marbled paper from Rhonda's marbling workshop, all of beautiful colours and designs. Other books included some repurposed covers from thrift store finds, a folded book made of handmade paper, a book box with tiny ornaments, case binds, Coptic binds, Japanese binds, and an entire book filled with sheets of coloured watercolour paper.

All of the books, revealed!
Even given a number of restraints, the books turned out all different and beautiful, showing people's progression in binding, but also an array of interests and styles within the field. It was an opportunity to see different bound styles, and I personally am excited to try a repurposed binding, or having a pressed flower on a cover.
Thank you to all who participated and hopefully we will plan another swap soon! Happy binding.

Here you can find all the books featured individually:

- Marilynn Rudi
- Jamie Pratt
- Sally Crawford
- Ron Fritz
- Em Doucette
- Heather Loney
- Tabatha Cass
- Joe Landry
- Rhynn Winstead
- Larry Cowell
- Emily Brown
- Ariel Bissett
- Jeffrey Cowling
- Andrew Fraser
- Taryn Neufeld
- Rhonda Miller
- Stephanie Morley

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Submitted by Taryn Neufeld