Now Selling to USA

With the journals now having been on sale for over 2 months, I decided it was time to widen the market. So as from today the journals can now be purchased in the USA.
The feedback has been favourable so far, so here's hoping.
I would be happy to hear your comments and if you having suggestions regarding pricing/shipping/payment/the shop or indeed anything else I will gladly take them on board.

Limited Edition - Square Journal - Update

This limited edtion of 10 journals is now available to buy on line at www.carronvalebindery.co.uk.

Book Style Journals & Limited Edition

With our online shop now up and running for over 2 months I have been playing around with several new ideas for cover styles and design. Too much time on my hands I hear you say. If only that were true. Needs to get out more then I hear you cry. Well that's as maybe but you have to think about something to while away the time whilst driving to and from London.
Anyway the result of this brain rummaging has been the development of our new range of "book style" covers for the journals.
For these we have temporarily done away with our wrap around style and designed the covers with a soft flexible binding of leather and weaving a "belt" of leather through the cover to form the tie and to compliment the over all design.
We have used either goatskin or calf for the covers and the belts.
These are currently available in both A7 and A6 sizes, with our usual 120gsm high quality writing paper.

NEW LIMITED EDITION SIZE

We have also produced a limited edition, currently 10 only, in a larger square size (15 x 15cm). These have a good solid feel and would be ideal for sketching. The leaves are made fom a heavier 135gsm, slightly textured off-white paper.

Depending on the popularity of this size we may expand the range to include this as standard. So if you have any thoughts please let me know.

I am in the process of uploading them to the online shop (carronvalebindery.co.uk) but they are already available at our shop in Larbert.

Let's see what the next long drive to London can produce.

Presentation of Leather Journal to HRH The Princess Royal

On the 13th October 2009, HRH The Princess Royal was invited to formally open the new headquarters of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society at Lord John Murray's House in Perth.
To help commemorate this event and to formally record HRH The Princess Royal as the first visitor to the new headquarters we were commissioned to provide a new visitors book for the society. In addition we were delighted to be asked to supply a journal which was to be presented to Her Royal Highness as a token of the society's gratitude for her carrying out the opening ceremony.

After discussion it was decided that the journal should take the same form in colour and design as the visitors book that had already been bound. A trip to J.Hewit & Sons in Edinburgh, provided us with a beautiful skin of dark blue goatskin that would be perfect for the cover.
The paper for the text block was chosen from our range of good quality handmade paper. Folded into A4 sections and sewn on linen tapes the text block was then glued up and lined with linen to add strength.

With only a few days till the presentation date, and working under a very tight deadline, the text block was handed over to Mr Jim Sloss, calligrapher, for the title page to be handwritten. Jim has worked on many projects in the past and we were confident that what he would produce would be perfect for the occasion.

Sure enough, only 3 days later the text block was back and with a title page that was a thing of beauty.

The cover was then marked up for blocking in silver with both the Society's logo and mission statement. A delicate process at the best of times, but with only a couple of days to go, there was no room for error and with no desire to return to the leather supplier for another expensive skin of leather, the cover was then blocked. With John's usual skill I needn't have worried and the cover was then ready for completion.

A matching tie was then cut in goatskin and woven through the cover. The prepared text block was then pasted into the leather cover.
Job done! We were very pleased with the results and hoped it would be received as well by both customer and the distinguished guest.

On the evening of 13th October 2009, the journal was then presented to HRH The Princess Royal at the official opening of the new headquarters of the Society and it would seem from the reaction that our efforts were well received.

OPEN DAY and BOOK SALE

We have decided to have an open day on Saturday 31st October to launch the new line of leather journals. With a discount of 20% on all journal purchase on the day and the chance to have your journal personalised for free.
All journals that are available on line will be available for purchase as well as a large selection that are yet to be published. In addition there will be the chance to purchase journals from our discontinued lines at a discounted price.

We will also be holding a secondhand book sale with al proceeds of this going to charity.

So why not pop along and get the chance to grab a bargain and see round the bindery at the same time. We will be open from 9.00am till 12.30pm.

New Online Shop

Well its taken a while getting there but the new shop is finally uploaded.
Valentine's at Carronvale Bindery produces unique handmade leather journals using the finest materials. A wide range of colours and materials have been used to produce a collection that has something to suit everyone's taste.
Please have a browse and let me know what you think.

New Online Shop

I was just thinking that it looks like from my blog that I've been twiddling my thumbs over the past month. This could not be further from the truth. We have been busy working on setting up our new online shop to sell our new line of handmade leather journals.
Over 75 journals have now been made and are currently being uploaded onto the new site for launch very shortly.
The journals will come in three standard sizes.

1. A6 (using handmade paper)
2. A6 (using conqueror paper)
3. A7 (using conqueror paper)

If you want a journal of another size, then contact us and we will be more than happy to make one to your own specifications.
All the journals are handmade from beginning to end: from the folding of the paper, through the sewing of the sections, to the cutting and gluing of the leather covers.
Each journal is designed to be unique and are made from only the finest leathers and materials.
The journals are supplied wrapped in coloured tissue, in their own handmade gift box.

As an additional service we can also personalise the journals with your own name or initials.

If you can't see what your looking for in our current stock, then why not contact us and let us know what colours/design you are looking for and we can make a journal especially for you.

Well must get back to the shop and get it up and running.

Visit http://www.carronvalebindery.co.uk over the next week or so and let me know what you think.

Leather Journals

Been working recently on developing our range of custom made leather journals.
After much mulling over have now decided that these are going to be available in 3 standard different page sizes (unless of course someone requests otherwise). Sizes will be A4, A6 and A7.
Each cover will be unique and can be customized by the customer.
Completed journal to be supplied in handmade box lined with tissue.

Latest journal being picked up by customer later this week is shown below.

It is A4 in size with handmade paper leaves. Covered in tie dyed goatskin with leather tie and wooden toggle.
Hope they like it.

Ten Steps to Drop Back Box Construction

Step 1: Marking out the boards

Mark out base board around book, using gauges to allow for the thickness of the sides of the box. One of the gauges should allow for 2 boards the other just one board thickness. Always allow some extra thickness for the cloth covering.



Step 2: Depth measurement

Mark out the depth of the sides of the base of the box using the book as a template.






Step 3: Base construction

Cut out sides and base board as marked. Glue and build. Allow to dry.





Step 4: Lid and spine construction

Repeat steps 1-3 to build the lid, using the base as a template. Remember to cut spine piece. Spine piece should be wider than the lid sides by just less than 1 board thickness.




Step 5: Gluing out the cloth

Stick all 3 pieces to cloth. Allow sufficient cloth all round base and lid for turn ins. Gap between spine piece and both base and lid should be approximately 1.5 board thicknessses. This gap will vary depending on the thickness of the covering material. If the gap is too tight the box will not close, too wide and it will be too loose.



Step 6: Trimming out the cloth

A methodical approach is best to ensure the wrong corners are not cut off. (Believe me, even after making 1,000's of boxes, this is still possible)

a) Trim out the 4 corners, making 4 corner tabs for turning in.

b) Trim out the spine tab turn in. Cut should be slightly nearer the spine piece than the base and lid. This should allow for sufficient cloth to turn into the lid and base.





c) Trim out the sides. This is easiest done with the box on its edge.







d) Trim out both ends. Taking a slight trim of the width to all for the cloth to turn in easily on the inside of the lid and base.







e) Complete the trimming out by creasing and folding the sides to mark where cloth will be trimmed off for length.






Step 7: Gluing up and Turning In

Start by gluing up the long edges first i.e those with the tabs. Force the cloth into the edges with your folder.
Tips: Only use sufficient glue. Too much glue will give you lumps and bumps. Only glue that area of cloth you can work with quickly. Its amazing how quickly it dries or how many times the phone rings half way through.









Step 8: Spine cloth piece

Cut a piece of cloth sufficiently wide to cover the spine and allow for attachment to both lid and base once creased into the joints. The cloth needs to be creased and trimmed around both the lid and base ends.



Step 9: Lining

Choose your lining material and cut 2 pieces to fit neatly into both base and lid.
Tip - Again remember not too much glue and work quickly, as a paper lining will tend to curl once wet.



Step 10: Finishing


Choose your style and letter appropriately. Lettering can be done earlier in the process if required. You can block the cloth prior to mounting the box components but this requires careful marking out prior to both lettering and mounting.

Ok, how about a brief history in time about the bindery and its buildings. The buildings were built around the beginning of the 20th century and were originally constructed as farm buildings, comprising a farm cottage and barn/cow shed.
Over time the barn has been converted over to many uses and has in the past been home to businesses making amongst other things rocking horses and pottery.
The bindery took over the buildings in 1987 and the main building has since been extended to accommodate the growing need for space.
The office and display areas make use of the old farm cottage.
When first built, the farm buildings were surrounded by open fields but over time they have been enclosed by the rest of the village.

Day 1

We are often described as a hidden treasure in the centre of Scotland. A hive of activity that not even most of the local residents know exist.
We have been busily working away in the our bindery for nearly 30 years producing a wide variety of bookbinding services to customers across the world. From that unique personal object to the repair of a whole library collection our services are open to all to use.
Through this blog we hope to highlight our activities and shed some light on some of the more unusual projects that we are asked to carry out.