Search results for ""paperblanks""

Our Paperblanks Flexis Aurelia soft cover notebook design is fit for a king. Its inspiration dates back to Paris in the mid-18th century and the original binding housed copies of King Louis XV’s procedures for Holy Week. This book design is a marvellous riot of gold-tooled rococo elements, featuring birds, flowers and leaves.

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If you are celestially minded, this brilliant Paperblanks journal is sure to enchant and delight. With its central star shape, Solis exerts an emotional pull akin to a warm, glowing sunrise after a long winter’s sleep. For those inclined to contemplate the cosmos, look no further than the books in our Nova Stella series.

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Paperblanks Safavid journal portrays a leather filigree pattern incorporating handtooled motifs, retaining the elegance and style of the Islamic Golden Age even in our modern context. Symmetry is the hallmark of this binding, which features medallions, a pentagonal envelope flap closure and elaborately decorated “doublures” (interior covers), exquisite creations in cut-out leather and gilding.

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Our Kikka soft cover notebook reproduces Michiko Kamee’s “full of chrysanthemum” design originally hand-painted with gold overglaze and colour on china by employing Kyo-Satsuma. In this Paperblanks Flexi cover design the viewer can see hints of the kaleidoscope of flowers in bloom, as well as fine boned artistry in every brush stroke and hue.

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Our Kikka soft cover notebook reproduces Michiko Kamee’s “full of chrysanthemum” design originally hand-painted with gold overglaze and colour on china by employing Kyo-Satsuma. In this Paperblanks Flexi cover design the viewer can see hints of the kaleidoscope of flowers in bloom, as well as fine boned artistry in every brush stroke and hue.

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This red and gold Paperblanks Equinoxe Carmine journal reproduces a 1688 binding protecting L’office de la Semaine Sainte. The original binding was adorned “à la fanfare,” a handtooled pattern edged in gilt. “Fanfare,” which was a style popular in the seventeenth century, required tremendous skill on the part of the bookbinder and was reserved for books of great importance.

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Our Kikka soft cover notebook reproduces Michiko Kamee’s “full of chrysanthemum” design originally hand-painted with gold overglaze and colour on china by employing Kyo-Satsuma. In this Paperblanks Flexi cover design the viewer can see hints of the kaleidoscope of flowers in bloom, as well as fine boned artistry in every brush stroke and hue.

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In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust’s seven-volume masterpiece, is an examination of French society that almost completely lacks any sense of plot. Needless to say, it caused a sensation when the first volume was published in 1913. This Paperblanks journal cover shows a page from his lined notebook with his copious notes in the margins.

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This blue and gold Paperblanks Equinoxe Azure journal reproduces a 1688 binding protecting L’office de la Semaine Sainte. The original binding was adorned “à la fanfare,” a handtooled pattern edged in gilt. “Fanfare,” which was a style popular in the seventeenth century, required tremendous skill on the part of the bookbinder and was reserved for books of great importance.

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Bukhara, one of Uzbekistan’s largest cities, was the birthplace of this dazzling eighteenth-century Islamic binding. The city’s rich intellectual and cultural lifestyle was shaped by Indo-Persian influences, particularly the golden age of the Samanids. Paperblanks Bukhara Adina journal features heart-shaped leaves, a centre rosette and intricate corner pieces, all executed with skill and artistry.

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This red and gold Paperblanks Equinoxe Carmine journal reproduces a 1688 binding protecting L’office de la Semaine Sainte. The original binding was adorned “à la fanfare,” a handtooled pattern edged in gilt. “Fanfare,” which was a style popular in the seventeenth century, required tremendous skill on the part of the bookbinder and was reserved for books of great importance.

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Paperblanks Gold Inlay journal cover reproduces a “Stil der Neorenaissance” (neo-Renaissance style) design popular in 19th-century Germany. The original binding, composed of solid metal, was covered in a fine layer of gold which was then meticulously engraved by skilled craftsmen. Bindings like this were highly valued and were frequently adorned with silk, cloisonné enamels or precious stones.

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Combining the Latin words “filum” (thread) and “granum” (seed), silver “filigree” describes an art form that is achieved by first die cutting a base layer of silver sheets and then meticulously etching elaborate grooves into its surface. The polished binding seen on Paperblanks Silver Filigree Maya Blue journal is inspired by a 1697 French binding of Johann Arndt’s Paradiesgärtlein.

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The captivating image on the cover of this Paperblanks journal comes from the first edition of Scottish poet and anthropologist Andrew Lang’s The Violet Fairy Book. Compiled in 1901 by Lang and illustrated by Henry Justice Ford, the book was one in a 12-part series known as Lang’s Fairy Books, with each book named for the colour of its fairy.

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Laurel Burch was a self-taught artist and “flower child” whose work spoke from her heart with an unmistakable style that was the manifestation of her love of life and strong imaginative nature. Paperblanks Soul & Tears journal is based on one of Burch’s famous images, inspired by the verse, “The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.”

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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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The image on the cover of Paperblanks Cabaret Cabaret journal was created in the 1930s by French illustrator and painter Gaston Girbal (1888–1978), best known for the posters he designed for Le Casino de Paris. While many of the costume and set designers who captured the look and feel of the Art Deco era remain unheralded, it is a testament to Girbal’s influence that his name is remembered.

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Connect with the ornate Dutch world of yesteryear with this stately gold on black geometric design.Reproducing an expensive goatskin leather book binding crafted in Amsterdam in 1835 by Friedrich W.J.C. Kolb, our Onyx journal celebrates the harmony between art and science. The binding was originally designed to contain a Latin oration on the physiology of plants by the renowned Dutch botanist Willem Hendrik de Vriese (1806–1862). De Vriese was a member of the Royal Dutch Institute of Sciences, Literature and Fine Arts and, in his studies, named many species of plants in the Asterales order (Asterids).Science and art have long found a common ground in Dutch history, with artists from the Netherlands pioneering the form of still life, so there is little wonder why this significant binding can be found in the KB, National Library of the Netherlands. Founded in 1798, the library holds the intention to celebrate the written word and share Dutch creativity and innovation with the world. We are honoured to partner with the KB, National Library to bring this beautiful binding to the Paperblanks collection.

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For over a century, the Cockerell family name represented the highest quality bookmaking. Though no longer in business, the Cockerell and Son Bindery remains celebrated for their unique style of paper marbling, developed by the late Sydney (Sandy) M. Cockerell.Described as a “latter-day Leonardo,” Sandy Cockerell possessed not only an artist’s talents, but a scientist’s mind and engineer’s skill as well. He took the painstaking tradition of handmade marbled papers and found a way to produce the strikingly complex designs at high speeds and volumes. By improving existing equipment and creating his own gadgets and tools when that which he needed did not already exist, Cockerell embraced new mass production techniques.For his contributions to the paper arts, Sandy Cockerell was awarded an OBE and an honourary doctorate from Cambridge. When we launched Paperblanks journals in the early 1990s, a selection of his designs graced some of our first covers. We are honoured to return these iconic marbled papers to our collection with this black, white and red Rubedo design.

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Harmonious flowers, balanced colours and highly precise details create the eye-catching, high-impact effect of this Japanese kimono design.Originally designed as a costume for the theatrical style known as Noh, our Kara-ori pattern leaves little doubt why Noh is derived from the words for “skill” and “talent.” With silk and gold lacquered stripes, this is one of the best examples of Japanese textile design we have found. It comes from the Edo period (1615–1868) when Noh theatre, known for the sumptuousness of its costumes, was at its height.Noh theatre is one of the world’s oldest performing arts and has been handed down through generations of Japanese composers and performers. The plots draw from legend, history and contemporary events and are structured around song and dance. Though the thematic tone is often poetic yet monotonous, the costumes are anything but. In fact, Noh is often referred to as “mask drama” due to the importance placed on masks and costumes within the form.The term karaori, for which this design is named, refers specifically to the exquisitely embroidered traditional woman’s kimono like the one reproduced here. Karaori are regarded as some of the most beautiful theatrical costumes in the world, thanks in part to the Japanese aristocracy’s embrace of the theatre style – as both viewers and performers.Though Noh is a Japanese art, karaori means “Chinese weave,” as the fabric has its roots in China. And like the costume reproduced in our Peking Opera Embroidery series, this too would have been crafted for a male performer playing a female role. Both the material itself and the pattern shown would have helped tell the story of the character. In this case, the stiff brocade technique created a thick, glossed fabric that would not drape easily – this was used to create an angular effect evoking the spirit of a noblewoman. The flowering grasses depicted served to emphasize the woman’s femininity.By the Meiji period (1868–1912) Noh had reached such heights that it was introduced overseas, influencing artists far and wide. William Butler Yeats, for example, wrote an essay on Noh in 1916 that he titled “Certain Noble Plays of Japan.” And even more contemporarily, David Byrne of the Talking Heads discovered Noh while touring Japan and, according to American music critic Josh Kun, was inspired by the highly stylized, stiff costumes to “design the oversize business suit that became a visual staple of Talking Heads live shows.”Today there are more than 70 Noh theatres throughout Japan and it has been deigned an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This beautiful example of karaori costuming can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the Otto C. Deering gift. It is our great pleasure to work with such a gorgeous and culturally important piece of history to craft this Paperblanks design.

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A friendly whale and fish receive vivid homage on this Paperblanks journal cover in an image rendered in audacious and appealing colours. Featuring the work of Canadian illustrator Tracy Walker, this Whale and Friend book cover shows just how profound charm can be.

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The Gutenberg Bible is one of the earliest mass-produced books in human history. Our Paperblanks Genesis journal reproduces an illuminated page created by German artist Gisela Maschmann, who has modelled her miniature painting on a volume of Gutenberg’s ecclesiastic masterwork housed in the Berlin State Library.

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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 Brazilian Orchid journal features an image originally published in Sir Joseph Paxton’s famed botanical collection, Magazine of Botany and Register of Flowering Plants. Paxton was a celebrated horticulturalist, and his periodical was greatly prized for its handpainted images, including the one reproduced on this Paperblanks book cover.

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This Inkblot 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 journal will inspire you to harness the organizational power of bullet journalling.

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This Floralia 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 journal will inspire you to harness the organizational power of bullet journalling.

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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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Paperblanks Nocturnelle journal, 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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Jean Grolier (1479–1565) was among history’s most discerning collectors of beautiful books. This Paperblanks Grolier journal is inspired by one of his last great commissions, a gold-tooled marbled brown leather binding with an interlaced curving design of single-line fillets and floral tools filling out the six-pointed star.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style bound books, our Paperblanks Old Leather Flint softcover notebook pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling. For this Flexi 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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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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A mother robin and her child receive vivid homage on this Paperblanks journal cover in an image by Canadian artist Tracy Walker. Her work combines a folk-art naiveté with a timeless mid-century feel, as well as wondrous detail that is sure to elicit smiles upon closer inspection of this book design.

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Jules Verne (1828–1905) is the author of some of the world’s most famous books. This Paperblanks Embellished Manuscripts cover in oceanic blue features a page from Verne’s handwritten draft of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The back cover of the journal shows an engraving depicting Captain Nemo observing “a squid of colossal dimensions.”

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Paperblanks Safavid journal portrays a leather filigree pattern incorporating handtooled motifs, retaining the elegance and style of the Islamic Golden Age even in our modern context. Symmetry is the hallmark of this binding, which features medallions, a pentagonal envelope flap closure and elaborately decorated “doublures” (interior covers), exquisite creations in cut-out leather and gilding.

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Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language. His best-known novel, Don Quixote, is a classic of Western literature. We are honoured to be able to share this handwritten letter he wrote the king requesting permission to publish his great work on this Paperblanks pencil case.

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This blue and gold Paperblanks Equinoxe Azure journal reproduces a 1688 binding protecting L’office de la Semaine Sainte. The original binding was adorned “à la fanfare,” a handtooled pattern edged in gilt. “Fanfare,” which was a style popular in the seventeenth century, required tremendous skill on the part of the bookbinder and was reserved for books of great importance.

Read more less

Laurel Burch was a self-taught artist with an unmistakable style that was the manifestation of her love of life. From her fertile imagination, she created brilliantly coloured, vibrant and moving themes with paint and paper. Her original image seen on Paperblanks Ocean Song journal contained a piece of poetry, which is revealed when the notebook’s cover flap is opened.

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A key member of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet (1840–1926) painted more than 250 canvases inspired by the play of light and colour upon the lily pond at his Giverny home. This Paperblanks Embellished Manuscript journal sets an 1888 letter written by Monet to Berthe Morisot, a fellow Impressionist, against a backdrop of one of these famous oil paintings.

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A key member of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet (1840–1926) painted more than 250 canvases inspired by the play of light and colour upon the lily pond at his Giverny home. This Paperblanks Embellished Manuscript journal sets an 1888 letter written by Monet to Berthe Morisot, a fellow Impressionist, against a backdrop of one of these famous oil paintings.

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What can we say about women’s shoes that hasn’t been said so eloquently elsewhere? Nothing really, which is why we’re content to let the journal cover tell the story this time around. Paperblanks Fabulous Footwear Sorceress notebook, featuring a boot designed by José Ferragamo García, is a perfectly purse-sized book that not only delights, but is a workhorse in the journalling department.

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As the top-selling British artist of the 21st century, Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) revitalized soul music with her brassy, sweet-and-sour voice and her timeless sensibility. This Paperblanks journal cover depicts a self-portrait and lyrics from Winehouse’s song “Tears Dry On Their Own,” which she originally wrote in a Paperblanks notebook.

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This glorious design comes from Sangorski & Sutcliffe, a world-renowned British bindery best known for their bejewelled cover of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat. Established in London in 1901, Sangorski & Sutcliffe quickly rose to become one of the 20th century's most important bookbinders. They were celebrated for their jewelled bindings, like the one reproduced here. Crafted in 1922 to house Rudyard Kipling's 1897 Recessional poem, written for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the original binding incorporated real turquoise, aquamarine and ruby gemstones, alongside medieval-style illumination by Alberto Sangorski and gold tooling by George Sutcliffe. In the late 1980s, Sangorski & Sutcliffe was acquired by Asprey, joining forces with Zaehnsdorf under the SSZ umbrella. But the family name was restored in 1998 when Shepherds Bookbinders bought the company.

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French artist Claude Monet (1840–1926) was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement. Monet was particularly fascinated with portraying the beauty of nature as the light, shadows and colours changed with each passing moment, day or season. The 1897 painting reproduced on our cover portrays a vibrant bed of colourful chrysanthemums captured in Monet’s distinctive heavy brushstrokes, which beautifully highlight the magnificence of nature.

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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 pencil case, his evocations of the natural world have become design classics.

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For the celestially minded and lovers of dark light, we present Nova Stella. This book cover, with its central star shape, exerts an emotional pull like the North Star for nighttime wayfarers. Our Nova Stella cover comes from the 1789 binding of Missale Sacri Ordinis Praedicatorum, printed during the Settecento period by Octavio Puccinelli publishers. During this time bookbinding became at once simpler and yet more complex. The sewing was done on recessed cords to give the spines a smooth appearance and so, while the structure of books was uncomplicated, decoration became increasingly elaborate.

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This Baroque-inspired cover comes from a 1725 binding of The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio, a masterpiece of Italian literature. Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375) was an Italian writer and poet who helped lay the foundations of Renaissance humanism. With its scope from humour to tragedy and its vivid narrative structure, The Decameron – his defining work – remains an affirmation of humanity and moral values even when read today.

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