Search results for ""author paperblanks""

Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became a leading abolitionist and social reformer. When too ill to continue his speaking engagements, he wrote letters of support for the anti-lynching activist and investigative journalist Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) to take his place. With the letter reproduced here, we celebrate the legacies of Douglass and Wells – two of the most revered leaders in African American history.

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William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the most celebrated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century. In creating woven and printed textile designs Morris worked with the ancient technique of hand woodblock printing, finding inspiration in the natural world around him. His evocations of antique florals and plants have become classics in the world of decorative arts.

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Associated with the Islamic Golden Age, Persian Safavid-style designs represented a high point in the art of the book. Symmetry is the hallmark of these bindings which feature medallions, a pentagonal envelope flap closure and elaborately decorated doublures (interior covers), exquisite creations in cut-out leather and gilding. Our cover portrays a remarkable leather filigree pattern incorporating handtooled motifs that retain an elegance and style even in our modern context.

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Olena Skytsiuk is one of the foremost practitioners of Petrykivka painting, in which brushes crafted from cat hairs are used to create an effect unlike any other. In each design, small strokes combine to create landscapes and floral scenes.

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Capturing the flavour of finely wrought Renaissance-style leather bindings, Paperblanks Old Leather Black Moroccan journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling, originally brought to Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the East. The timeless beauty of an antique leather book is brought into the present on the cover of this intricately embellished, rich brown notebook.

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These intricate details of spring and summer flowers are from an 18th-century Japanese paper screen by artist Watanabe Shiko (1683–1755), who painted in the Rinpa style (and was reputedly a ronin!). Rinpa is a leading historical school of Japanese painting, established in 17th-century Kyoto, whose artists were known for working in a range of formats, notably screens, fans, hanging scrolls and kimono textiles.The design on our cover shows a section of a screen with various types of blooms often believed to follow the ancient Japanese language of flowers, called Hanakotoba. We are honoured to have the use of this original work from the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford.

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Azulejos (meaning “small polished stone”) are painted, glazed ceramic tiles that date back to 13th-century Portugal where they were used inside buildings during the Gothic period. Today, we see these decorative tiles across a wide range of buildings, from monasteries, palaces and restaurants to bars, railway stations and family homes. The design on the tiles commonly related to the building’s unique history, and the individual pieces often end up forming an elaborate mosaic.The design seen here is pulled from the traditional tiles gracing the façades of a variety of old houses in Porto, Portugal. Ornate in detail, these tiles do not just serve as decoration but represent an important part of Portuguese culture and tradition.

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Luxuriate in the brass and regal blue tones of this Blue Luxe cover design. The original book, crafted in the heart of Amsterdam in 1715, was bound in goatskin with elaborate gold tooling. Contained inside the volume was the Oratio Dominica (Lord’s Prayer) in almost 150 languages and dialects, compiled by English courtier John Chamberlayne, creating a document of global appeal.The intricate details of this design reflect the tapestry of cultures in its original pages. The translations spanned from Europe and Asia to Arabia, Persia, Syria and Turkey. Chamberlayne, who was a writer and translator, spoke 16 languages himself.Let the many cultures that once lived within this 18th-century binding inspire you against Blue Luxe’s opulent backdrop.

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Displaying astounding plays of naturalistic illusionism, the luxurious book known as the Spinola Hours is one of the most visually sophisticated 16th-century Flemish manuscripts.A book of hours contains a calendar of Church holidays, the Hours of the Virgin, the Office for the Dead, and other prayers, hymns and readings. The Spinola Hours also includes weekday offices and masses, providing even more possibilities for rich illuminations. The book was commissioned for a wealthy patron, perhaps Margaret of Austria, and in the 1700s it belonged to the Spinola family, for whom it is now named.We are honoured to reproduce this unparalleled example of illumination from the J. Paul Getty Museum.

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With pages displaying astounding plays of naturalistic illusionism, the luxurious personal prayer book known as the Spinola Hours is one of the most visually sophisticated Flemish manuscripts of the 16th century.A book of hours contains texts including a calendar of Church holidays, the Hours of the Virgin (a cycle of prayer services devoted to the Virgin Mary), the Office for the Dead, and other prayers, hymns and readings. This particular example augments these contents with a special series of weekday offices and masses, providing even more possibilities for rich illuminations. The book was undoubtedly commissioned for a wealthy patron, perhaps Margaret of Austria, for whom the Master of James IV of Scotland, a famed manuscript illuminator and painter, produced other works. In the 1700s it belonged to the Spinola family in Genoa, from whom it takes its modern name.We are honoured to feature this unparalleled example of illumination from the J. Paul Getty Museum as part of our collaborative collection.

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Delicate repetition and astonishing detail help to create this silvered meditation on the nature of beauty. The word “filigree” derives from the Latin words filum (thread) and granum (seed). The filigree bindings are enhanced with foliage-ornaments and clasps.This Silver Filigree cover was originally designed in Germany in the early 1800s. To achieve the gilded and polished motif, a base layer of silver sheets was first die cut, and elaborate grooves were then meticulously etched into its surface.The art of filigree is a moving testament to the human drive to ornament in order to delight the eye and focus the spirit and attention. One can imagine this book holding ancient matters of great importance as easily as one can see it placed with pride on a well-appointed contemporary desk.

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William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the most celebrated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts movement. He embraced the ideal of craftspeople taking pride in their personal handiwork, as opposed to the dehumanizing onslaught of the Industrial Revolution’s mass production techniques. He famously said that any decoration is futile when it does not remind you of something beyond itself.Morris specialized in the ancient technique of hand woodblock printing to create his textile patterns and sought inspiration for his famous repeating patterns from the natural world and the decorative artists before him. The influence of “millefleurs” tapestries, early prints of herbs and the abundance of exquisite detail in medieval art can be appreciated in his works. His evocations of antique florals and plants have become classics of the decorative arts and were an early inspiration for our journal designs, gracing our covers from the very beginning.

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This striking Art Deco design comes from the celebrated British bookbinder Sybil Pye (1879–1959). It was crafted to hold a collection of William Wordsworth’s poems illustrated by Pye’s lifelong friend Thomas Sturge Moore.Self-taught, Pye began producing her first works in the early 1900s using naturally coloured leather, before graduating to multi-coloured panels. By 1934 she was creating complex covers of up to six different inlays, and her work was regularly exhibited around the world. One of the youngest pre–First World War women binders, Pye was the only binder in England who specialized in inlaid leather bindings. With this series, we pay tribute to a pioneering woman in the art of book design.

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The art of still life painting is a celebrated part of Dutch culture, but this time-honoured artistic style didn’t develop from thin air. Before still life emerged, there were illustrators who delicately illuminated handwritten manuscripts with images of flora and fauna to add emotional power to a written work.One of the most celebrated practitioners of this style was Joris Hoefnagel (1542–1601). Hoefnagel, a pivotal artistic figure from the Netherlands, is remembered as being the last important Flemish manuscript illuminator and one of the first artists to work on the new genre of still life. In the 1590s the Emperor Rudolf II commissioned Hoefnagel to add his illuminations to the Mira calligraphiae monumenta, a mid-16th-century manuscript on the art of calligraphy by Georg Bocskay. The page reproduced here is known as Martagon Lily and Tomato. Today, the book can be found in the Getty Museum.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style binding at its zenith, this darkly toned book cover is unique, tactile and so very pleasing to the eye. During this remarkable period in history, manuscripts were renowned for their exquisitely crafted covers made of fine morocco leather. Our cover carefully reproduces delicate stamping patterns on an intensely rich background that showcases the markings and unique character of aged leather bindings.The timeless beauty of these antique books is brought into the present with our finely wrought binding reproductions complemented by a memento pouch for storing the treasures of a life well lived.

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A brilliant 16th-century Cairo workshop is responsible for this journal cover design. Though the name of that atelier has been lost to history, the detailed pattern and fine materials used show why books from the workshop were so highly prized. Today the original binding can be found in the collection of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany.

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A brilliant 16th-century Cairo workshop is responsible for this journal cover design. Though the name of that atelier has been lost to history, the detailed pattern and fine materials used show why books from the workshop were so highly prized. Today the original binding can be found in the collection of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany.

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Reproducing an original work by Pierre Legrain, this design brings a sense of movement to the heavy geometric elements of its Art Deco influence. Legrain was a key figure in early 20th-century French bookbinding and was commissioned by Jacques Doucet to create unique bindings for Doucet’s impressive library.

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Photographer Gérard Degeorge has travelled the world, capturing grand pieces of architectural design through the scope of his lens. This cover design comes from his vast collection of photography and is reminiscent of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Alhambra is adorned in tile mosaics set around a theme of “paradise on earth.”Through the centuries, Islamic artists have led the way in inlay artistry, creating intricate and memorable pieces like the one reproduced here. The geometric pattern, floral design and arabesque setting are all suggestive of the art and architecture styles found in the western Islamic world.

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Ancient spiritual practices meet modern digital art in the work of Android Jones. His art asks the viewer to focus on the potential for awakening, the power of the third eye and the early reverberations of the time that lies before us. With colours both psychedelic and hyper-modern, and imagery combining Eastern iconography with a science fiction aesthetic, Jones is an artist who draws on old traditions and those yet to be born.

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Ancient spiritual practices meet modern digital art in the work of Android Jones. His art asks the viewer to focus on the potential for awakening, the power of the third eye and the early reverberations of the time that lies before us. With colours both psychedelic and hyper-modern, and imagery combining Eastern iconography with a science fiction aesthetic, Jones is an artist who draws on old traditions and those yet to be born.

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Ancient spiritual practices meet modern digital art in the work of Android Jones. His art asks the viewer to focus on the potential for awakening, the power of the third eye and the early reverberations of the time that lies before us. With colours both psychedelic and hyper-modern, and imagery combining Eastern iconography with a science fiction aesthetic, Jones is an artist who draws on old traditions and those yet to be born.

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Ancient spiritual practices meet modern digital art in this kaleidoscopic journal cover featuring the work of Android Jones. His art asks the viewer to focus on the potential for awakening, the power of the ancient third eye and the early reverberations of the time that lies before us.With colours at once psychedelic and hyper-modern, and imagery that combines Eastern iconography and a cutting-edge science fiction aesthetic, Jones is an artist who draws on old traditions and those yet to be born. Jones calls himself a digital painter and is renowned for his multidimensional, spiritually driven art and performances and the expanded states of consciousness they evoke. Whether one fancies him a shaman of pop art or a practitioner of electro-mineralism, at the centre of his art is a sense of untapped potential and limitless imagination.With this journal, we invite to you to push the boundaries of perception and awaken to the possibilities of your own third eye.

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Paperblanks Nocturnelle Flexi softcover notebook, a reproduction of an antique French binding, is based on a cover designed in 1829 by publishers A. & W. Galignani for The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore. This notebook cover suggests the fine Moroccan leather, structural sturdiness, careful finishing and ridged spine preferred for bindings of that era.

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This Hishi Dot-Grid Planner will help you achieve your goals and develop your creative ideas in style. Featuring a customizable index, page numbers, three ribbon markers, design stencil and, of course, a dot-grid interior, this Paperblanks Flexis softcover journal will inspire you to harness the organizational power of bullet journalling.

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During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644–1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced for this colourful hardcover journal is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.

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During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644–1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced for this colourful hardcover journal is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.

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New York City’s Chanin Building was built by Irwin S. Chanin in the late 1920s. Representing some of the finest Art Deco in the city, the lobby was styled around a “City of Opportunity” concept. With a geometric design symbolizing human thought and emotion, a bronze ventilator grille from the building is reproduced for this black and gold journal cover.

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Before Dutch still life painting developed, artists illuminated handwritten manuscripts to add emotional power to a written work. A celebrated practitioner of this style was Joris Hoefnagel. Reproduced for our Flemish Rose journal cover is a page he illuminated for the Mira calligraphiae monumenta, a mid-16th-century manuscript by Georg Bocskay.

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Inspired by a 17th-century Italian book binding, our Viola journal showcases a floral pattern and rosette motif. Book bindings from this period are characterized by the ornamental richness of the cover’s central area. Featuring sweeping tendrils in a centralized diamond shape, this cover is a classic example of the era’s bookbinding style.

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Frederick Douglass was a former slave who became a leading abolitionist and social reformer. When too ill to continue his speaking engagements, he wrote letters of support for the anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells to take his place. With this journal cover, we celebrate the legacies of two of the most revered leaders in African American history.

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William Morris (1834–1896), one of the most celebrated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts movement, created woven and printed textile designs using the ancient technique of hand woodblock printing. As seen on this Paperblanks Morris Windrush softcover Flexi notebook, his evocations of the natural world, with their depth of tone and magical gradation of tints, have become design classics.

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Paperblanks Nocturnelle Flexi softcover notebook, a reproduction of an antique French binding, is based on a cover designed in 1829 by publishers A. & W. Galignani for The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore. This notebook cover suggests the fine Moroccan leather, structural sturdiness, careful finishing and ridged spine preferred for bindings of that era.

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Our Agra journal cover is named for Agra, India, where the Taj Mahal is located. It reproduces a photograph by Gérard Degeorge of one of the Taj Mahal’s iconic marble flowers. To carve into marble is to commit to perfection. Any mistake meant the whole slab had to be discarded. Each of these marbled flowers is its own masterwork.

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Our Blue Velvet journal design is inspired by a piece of a 15th-century velvet dalmatic. It is decorated in brocaded gilt metal thread with a seven-lobed shield, an artichoke-like botanical shape and tiny floral patterns. Creating a velvet design such as this would have been a painstaking procedure, making this a luxury fabric during the Renaissance.

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Our Golden Trefoil design is inspired by a 16th-century French binding that originally housed a printing of the Opera Omnia of Giovanni Pontano (1426–1503). The design, thought to be created by Claude de Picques, features a classic trefoil (clover) motif, popularly found in some of the world’s most iconic logos, crests, insignias and flags.

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Atop the lionfish rides the regal queen of the sea in this artwork by artist James C. Christensen (1942–2017). Our Sea Fantasies journal shows why Christensen’s art, inspired by myth, legend and fantasy, so dazzled his legions of fans. He was renowned not just for his pure imagination, but also for his embrace of curiosity and bravery.

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Olena Skytsiuk is one of the foremost practitioners of Ukrainian Petrykivka painting, a technique in which brushes crafted from cat hairs are used to create a visual effect unlike any other. In each design, like that reproduced on this Moonlight softcover Flexi notebook, thousands of small brush strokes combine to create miniature landscapes and floral scenes.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style bound books, Paperblanks Old Leather Flint journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling. For this cover design, we have incorporated a textured white design reminiscent of chalk, flint or limestone, adding an edginess to the look of finely wrought leather.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style bound books, Paperblanks Old Leather Flint journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling. For this cover design, we have incorporated a textured white design reminiscent of chalk, flint or limestone, adding an edginess to the look of finely wrought leather.

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Brilliant fireworks are conjured up by this magnificent journal cover which reproduces the binding La Déclamation Théâtrale (1766), a didactic poem by Claude J. Dorat. Scorned by critics, Dorat persisted in writing an explosion of works. Though his legacy is not that of a major master, one cannot help but admire his incandescent desire to create.

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Our Kuro journal cover showcases a reproduction of an original piece of katagami art. It reproduces a stencil crafted from mulberry bark and persimmon juice. Such stencils are found throughout Japanese culture. The word Kuro means “dark” or “black” in Japanese and it’s the perfect title for this hauntingly shadowed design.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style bound books, Paperblanks Old Leather Flint journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling. For this cover design, we have incorporated a textured white design reminiscent of chalk, flint or limestone, adding an edginess to the look of finely wrought leather.

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Our Paperblanks Mystique soft cover notebook is inspired by a cover said to have been designed by Le Gascon, a legendary but little-known 17th-century bookbinder. The original cover that inspired this Flexi journal was made of red Moroccan leather embossed and gilded with rosettes, spirals and dotted lines.

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The design reproduced on this Paperblanks Flexis Poetry in Bloom soft cover notebook, originally crafted by Riviere and Son, centres around a sensitive plant surrounded by other richly hued flowers, foliage and butterflies. The binding was used for The Sensitive Plant and Early Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley and is a celebration of the creative spirit.

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Paperblanks Black Moroccan Bold soft cover notebook captures the flavour of finely wrought Renaissance-style leather bindings. The timeless beauty of an antique leather book is brought into the present on the cover of this intricately embellished, rich brown Flexi journal.

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Artistic, religious and cultural traditions unite in this design. The handwoven fabric reproduced on this journal is an authentic expression of the weaver’s cultural heritage. In Buddhist tradition, the term “mandala” refers to a spiritual symbol representing the universe, specifically when in a geometric pattern as seen here.

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The design reproduced on this journal cover, originally crafted by Riviere and Son, centres around a sensitive plant surrounded by other richly hued flowers, foliage and butterflies. The binding was used for The Sensitive Plant and Early Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley and is a celebration of the creative spirit.

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