Handbound Portfolio Case with Handmade Linen Rag Paper
The handbound portfolio – containing 8 sheets of handmade paper – is by Juju Books, a bookbinding studio based in Glasgow run by prize-winning bookbinder and QEST Craft Scholar Gillian Stewart.
The first paper was made in China from plant fibres, but by the 1700s, cotton, linen rags, old rope and canvas were being used as raw materials, which were then beaten to a pulp for paper. After the introduction of paper machines in the early 19th century, hand papermaking became a rare craft, and it has only been kept alive by passionate enthusiasts such as Alison Newman of the Glasgow-based hand papermaking studio Pulp.
Alison has made this richly textured rag paper by hand using clean linens from The Fife Arms hotel, taking textiles that might otherwise have been destined for landfill and creating something beautiful from them – an inspiring example of the circular economy in action. The paper comes in generous sheets – 41 x 51cm, which is a traditional dimension a little smaller than standard A2 size – and is particularly lovely for use with charcoals and pastel pencils. It is deckle edged – a clean but soft edge that is much more in keeping with the qualities of the paper than a sharply cut edge. Being handmade, each piece of paper is unique – with its own intriguing patterns and texture.
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Items are shipped directly from:
The Fife Arms, Mar Rd, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5YN, Scotland.
The information contained in this Shipping and Returns Policy is subject to our Online Shop Terms and should be read in conjunction with them.
Shipping
We aim to dispatch all orders within 5 working days.
Please note that we do not deliver to all destinations from all of our shipping locations, and we are unable to deliver items to the following destinations from any of our shipping locations: Aaland Islands, Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Georgia, Gibraltar, Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.
Returns & Exchanges
Important information
If on receipt of your product you are uncertain about your purchase, please keep your product in the original packaging until you have decided whether or not you wish to keep it.
If you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason, you can return it to us no later than 28 days from the date you receive it and provided the item is in saleable condition, we will refund or exchange the item(s), excluding any delivery charges.
Returns are only accepted online for products purchased directly from our online shop and shall be made in accordance with our Online Shop Terms of Use.
Return shipping will be charged at standard shipping rates based on your shipping location.
Making a return
To arrange a return or exchange, please contact customer services using the above below or by email at onlineshop@thefifearms.com
On receipt of your returns request, we will email you a returns label to attach to the packaged item(s).If you would like to arrange a return via home collection or a collection point drop off, please inform us when you submit your returns request and we can help organise this with you.
When returning items to The Fife Arms, please ensure that they are well packaged and protected from damage in transit, within the original packaging.
You are responsible for each item until we receive it.
All items will be inspected upon return.
Once we have received your returned item(s), we will arrange a refund, excluding any shipping costs, which will be paid in accordance with our Online Shop Terms.
MORE ABOUT
Alison Newman of Pulp Studio
Alison Newman studied Fine Art Print Making at Glasgow School of Art and this is where her interest in paper began, under the tutelage of paper artist Jacki Parry. She set up Pulp – her paper-making studio – in 2005 where she makes her own paper, teaches paper making, runs workshops and courses, works on commissions (such as with The Fife Arms) and also makes her own small etchings inspired by the fibres and forms she finds in the paper she makes.
To make the paper, she first cuts the fabric into small pieces – approx. 1 square inch – which are then added to the Hollander Beater (a machine first developed by the Dutch in 1680) where they are beaten to a pulp over 3-4 closely monitored hours. The paper is then formed on moulds and deckles where the water drains off. Lastly, a hydraulic press squeezes out the last of the liquid. The finished paper is stacked into drying racks.
The whole process is very involved – Alison describes it as a meditative practice, carried out to the particular sounds of the workshop, from the beating of the pulp to the dripping of the water coming off the deckle. It balances experimentation and playfulness with technical expertise.
Juju Books
Juju Books was founded in Glasgow in 2017 by bookbinder and illustrator Gillian Stewart. After gaining a Design Degree from Glasgow School of Art and working in a small commercial bindery, Stewart went on to become a prize-winning QEST Craft Scholar, studying with Master bookbinders across Europe.
Her studio specialises in making bespoke books by hand, using a combination of traditional and innovative techniques and with a variety of materials and processes, depending on the commission.
