A tale of two Colombian hunters

Another coptic binding added to my collection of miniature books.

This one has a story and some illustrations. I used eraser stamps with alchemy designs and small pieces of decorated paste paper painted with pastel chalks.

The story is a tale I've always heard from my mother in Colombia.

"Two hunters were competing and trying to outsmart each other. One challenged the other to retell the best hunting episode. The other hunter agreed and said: 'I once went hunting and did not find any jaguars in the forest; so, I came across a waterfall and with my knife I slashed the waterfall in half.'
'That is nothing' said the first hunter. 'I was hunting in the same forest, and I saw a jaguar. When I got in front of it, he opened his jaws, and when he was about to eat me, I reached into the jaguar's mouth, grabbed his tail, and pulled him inside out."

Green Book 2: French link and kettle stitch on leather

Trying to get my creative juices going. It's winter and all I think of is green and primavera.

A "paper-clip" alphabet

I decided to write an entry about calligraphy, another important element in bookmaking . As an aficionado I wanted to share the inspirations that I get from following my fellow blogger Jean Wilson and her "pushing the envelopes" blog.



This alphabet came after the paleographic work I did on some 12th to 14th century Spanish diplomatic handwriting. I think those old courtly alphabets look like made out of wire; hence, the inspiration for my "paper-clip" alphabet.

It looks better when it is written with a maker rather than a pen.