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Bookbinding, Journal Making & Junk Journalling Workshop at Centre E - hosted by the Ely Arts Festival - June 2026

  • Writer: siloutaggart
    siloutaggart
  • 1 day ago
  • 3 min read

We were asked by the Ely Arts Festival team to hold some workshops as part of their wonderful Ely Arts Festival which runs from 13 - 27 June.

So we invited Zakiya, our fabulous guest tutor bookbinder & junk journal artist, to teach a full-day BOOKBINDING, JOURNAL MAKING & JUNK JOURNALLING experience followed by an evening of MOMIGAMI & JOURNAL DECORATING.

The two workshops were a great success and we received so many lovely, positive comments.


Our daytime workshop - Bookbinding, Journal Making & Junk Journalling - was attended by a lovely creative group of students who each made their own unique journals with fabric spines and stitched in "signatures" from scratch.

The morning started with everyone selecting lots of different lovely papers for the internal pages of their journals. These were then separated into signatures (smaller batches of papers). Zakiya then taught everyone how to stitch them together using a simple binding stitch. As the spines are covered in fabric, this stitching doesn't have to be so neat!


The group then set about gluing their signatures together, ensuring they had everything the right way up.

Having chosen the fabric for their spines, Zakiya explained how to cut it and stick it to the bundles of signatures with enough slack for the pages to turn and using the correct adhesive.

The journals were then placed in presses so they could be squished flat during lunch.


After lunch, everyone enjoyed designing the covers of their journals using various papers, fabrics & ephemera. Some had definite themes, others more varied, but all them beautiful! A number of students brought in their own fabrics and junk journal elements, while others chose their decorations from the plethora of fabrics, papers, ephemera, stickers and stamps provided by Zakiya.

The covers were carefully stuck to the fronts and backs of the journals which were then put back in the presses while everyone carried on choosing some interesting ephemera and inserts for the inside pages.


Zakiya gave everyone a demonstration on how to heat emboss, using an embossing gun and powders. It's like magic! The powders turn beautifully shiny and metallic-looking, providing a lovely flourish.


The wonderful thing about these journal-making experiences is that you can continue to fill your journal at home over the next months - or even years. Your journal could be themed or simply a collection of pretty inserts, envelopes, thoughts, poetry ... you can stitch in it, glue in it, rip bits up, paint in it, add stickers or memorabilia, photos, drawings ...


Such a Creative & Relaxing Experience!




This was a lovely, relaxing day, and we're so pleased to have been invited to hold the workshop by the Ely Arts Festival! Check out their website to see what other workshops & events are taking place during the Ely Arts Festival - https://www.elyartsfestival.org/


Zakiya is joining us to teach a number of papercraft and bookbinding experiences this year. Check out the details below: PAPER MAKING - Full Day Including Lunch - Blended Monkey Studios

- Sunday 12 July - £95.00


BOOKBINDING & JOURNAL MAKING - Full Day Including Lunch - Blended Monkey Studios

- Saturday 26 September - £80.00


JOURNAL MAKING & JUNK JOURNALLING - Full Day Including Lunch - Blended Monkey Studios - Sunday 31 October - £75.00


COPTIC BOOKBINDING & BOOK MAKING - Full Day Including Lunch - Blended Monkey Studios

- Sunday 27 February - £110


All our experiences make lovely crafty GIFTS & you can also purchase open certificates so the lucky recipient can choose their own experience.

Here's the link for our gift certificates:

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We can also provide private journal making experiences for parties or friend groups. We can come to you, host in the Blended Monkey studios, or at a venue of your choice!

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