Ready to get started!

Well, I've ordered the final components for my grimoire, and I'm ready to get started! I've got book board, leather, endpapers, screw posts, glue and ribbon! I'll probbly need to wait until things slow down a little bit, but I look forward to it! I've also got my lectern on the way, (see below) so before long I'll have a total setup! Hopefully my next post will be showing off my completed book!
Until then!

My finished lectern!

I'm so excited! My lectern (courtesy of New Renaissance Woodcraft) is finally done! It is made of purple heartwood (yes, it is naturally that color, and it gets darker over time!) with black leather panels. It also features a built-in compartment to store (and lock away) my grimoire when it's not in use! The lectern was roughly $300. If you'd like a lectern, I highly recommend New Renaissance Woodcraft. They will make your lectern completely customized to your needs. Just ask! I originally wanted to make the lectern out of ebony, but the price would have been over $1000 dollars for such a rare wood. But I am more than happy with the purple heartwood. When I receive it, and when I get settled in (after moving), I'll be sure to post pictures of the lectern in its resting place!

Sacred Mists Grimoires

Sacred Mists is a wonderful store with a huge selection of products. One of their highlights is the Create-A-Grimoire system, designed to make grimoire crafting easy and fun! Their binders are scrapbook-style and post bound, and come in a wide variety of materials from leather to silk. They also have a huge selection of parchment and paper to choose from, as well as scrap booking embellishments to add some sparkle and fun to your pages! These ready to make grimoires are perfect for someone with a whimsical taste. To check them out, go here!

Florentine Papers

Florentine papers are by far my favorite - for bookbinding and everything else! When I'm done with my grimoire, I'm going to pick another Florentine paper for whatever my next project may be. These papers are so beautiful! They are inspired by traditional Italian patterns from the Renaissance and are now made by Rossi Cartotecnica in Florence, Italy, just like they were centuries ago. I have samples of some of these patterns, and I can tell you that the pictures do not do them justice. The pigments are so vibrant, with gold accents that are harder to see in the picture. Even so, you should really click on the picture to see the full size image. If you're interested in these papers, the best selection I have found is at Paper Mojo on this page.

More Inspiration!

These beautiful books are crafted by Myceliae. I was impressed with her unique style, and she inspired me to get some work done!
She hand makes these books from beginning to end. She dyes the leather, binds the pages and even gilds the edges! As you can gather from her gallery on DeviantArt, she also has an interest in mushrooms and mycology. (Me too!)
These books are a wonderful example of craftsmanship that is hard to find in our modern world of machines and cheap manufacturing. Her profile is well worth checking out! Y0u can see all her books as well as her pictures and paintings!

Inspiration for your grimoire

I was browsing around on DeviantArt this evening looking for something interesting to post about. Well, I found something!
Here are a few pages hand painted by Tigressong in her hand bound grimoire that she made herself. (She made the paper too!) Her artwork is very unique, in sort of a collage style. If you want to know more about her inspiration, go to her gallery and read about her and her art. Then have a look at all of her artwork and start mulling around ideas of your own!
I'm intending to find more grimoire content/art/information to give you inspiration! There is so much out there . . . You know, (detour!) I remember when I first read about grimoires or books of shadows. It was in some Wicca book, and it was described pretty much as "a hand written copy of the coven's rituals and rules, sometimes written in code."
How boring. Make it a work of art! An extension of yourself!
The grimoire is your most important tool. Make it reflect your personality.