Sparkly Rock Bindery

About My Books

My passion is making beautiful, handbound traditional books with the highest degree of craftsmanship. Your custom, handbound Book of Shadows or grimoire will become a heirloom to be treasured by future generations.

The materials I use are the finest available and fully archival. The binder's board is acid- and lignin-free. The leather is Nigerian goat, re-tanned and dyed in England and also archival. Even the wheat starch paste is buffered to a neutral pH.

The papers I use are machine made with a smooth matte finish, acid- and lignin-free. I've tested them with a variety of pens and inks and there is little chance of bleed-through. The paper is well suited for gel, roller and ball point, graphite and colored pencil and dip pen inks. The only ink which bleeds through is from permanent markers (Sharpies).

The majority of the custom books I bind are the ‘hollow back with raised bands’ style which likely originated in France around 1770 and is still in use today. It is an extremely strong binding. This book is sewn on linen tapes which are then laced into the covers. The spine bands are strips of leather applied over the hollow spine, giving the book a traditional appearance. The books typically contain 440 blank pages - more or less if desired.

My Training

I learned bookbinding and finishing from the Canadian Bookbinding and Book Artist's Guild as well as from local teachers and crafts people. I continue to learn by attending an annual two week working sabbatical hosted by the University of Alabama's book arts program.

I'm an active member of the Canadian Bookbinding and Book Artist's Guild, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Book Worker's Guild as well as the Book Arts League in Colorado.

I am skilled in many historic binding styles, including case binding, rounded back and Bradel binding, binding on raised supports with tight backs, binding hollow backs with false raised bands, Byzantine, Coptic, late Ethiopian and many others.

I continue to refine my techniques attending local and national workshops and conferences.

I wish you as much enjoyment writing in your book as I had in binding it.

Testimonials

"I can't say enough wonderful things about my experience creating my individualized Book of Shadows! Cameron listened to what I wanted and located excellent leather and paper to compliment the fabric I provided. His bookbinding expertise helped create a wonderful volume that is truly personal and customized for me. The book was fairly priced (a bargain considering the hours he put into it!) and exactly what I wanted. Thanks so much, Cameron!"

I ordered a book from Cameron and had an absolutely marvelous experience. He was extremely professional, provided me with great suggestions, options, advice and answered all my questions, no matter the time with patience and humor. I even got emails showing the book in progress. That was soooo neat. I was absolutely speechless and breathless at the finished product. If you want a personal book, made to your unique specifications, Cameron is the place to go. Price was very fair within my knowledge and definitely fair in relation to the finished product.

I am thrilled with my Sparkly Rock Bindery custom blank journal book. Cameron allowed me to select cover paper, and specify details about the construction of my book, which really was important to me. The book is made with the finest materials, lays flat when I open it, and is exceptionally made. Everything about the finished product exceeded my expectations. It was so beautiful, in fact, that I was intimidated to begin writing in it.

The box is stunning. I don't even know where to begin. Cameron can make a custom box to fit just about anything. My experience creating my box included a personalized meeting to measure everything, select fabrics, lining papers, and even closing fasteners. I get many comments on my beautiful custom box and I consider it one of my finest treasures.

I highly recommend Sparkly Rock Bindery for books and boxes. Nothing compares to having something handmade and personalized. Whether it be a splurge for yourself, or a precious gift for someone else, there is no way you'll be disappointed in your creation.