Zealous Zinnias Pocket Ecoprinted Journal or Sketchbook
The covers and end pages of this book are made from watercolour paper I printed with flowers and leaves grown at Maple Ridge Farm in Sydenham, Ontario.
Making books is a labor of love and involves many steps. First, I create one-of-a-kind ecoprints by hand picking and artfully arranging locally grown flowers, leaves, seeds and roots on watercolour paper, which I press and steam -- a process called ecoprinting. The colorful patterns on my book covers and end pages are created by the unique combination of natural dyes and pigments released by the petals and foliage.
I choose the very best ecoprints for the covers and end pages of my books. I treat the cover prints with a special Japanese starch to make them more durable and also give them a pleasing leather-like feel. Then I carefully fold and glue the covers of my hardcover journals using high quality acid-free book board. I bind each journal by hand using waxed linen thread.The Coptic stitch binding I use creates beautiful exposed braids on the spine and allows the pages to lie flat when the book is open.
I hope someone will enjoy using this book as much as I enjoyed making it.