Welcome to Grants Books, where a gallery features many of my unique handmade books, and the opportunity to purchase my books is available above, through a link to my Folksy shop.
My Books are Unique
My approach is to mostly make books which are unique. Each book is made as a one-off in terms of the cover, threads, and signature inserts.
In many cases, I use extracts from my own artwork to make the covers which adds to the unique quality of each individual book.
My Books are Handmade
I make all my books myself, which can take some time for larger books. Good planning is often required, plus patience in the actual process of making. A mistake near the end can be very frustrating.
My Books use Upcycled Resources
Wherever possible, I like to use upcycled resources when making my books.
Remnant leather is probably my favourite resource to find and re-use. Old books, magazines and linen are also re-used.
My Inspiration
My interest in making books was sparked in early 2020, and grew throughout the various lockdown periods we all endured. I enjoyed many types of art and was at a point where i was trying to focus my energies on a “more reduced palette”. Bookbinding, i discovered, is an art form which can be easily carried on in the home sat at the dining table - perfect for lockdown!
I also must give my thanks to Cass Barron from Edinburgh (www.bookbindingwithcass.com). Cass developed her online zoom workshops on bookbinding through lockdown. Her teaching skills are fantastic, and she has unleashed the bookbinder within me, for sure.