Unexpectedly good week!

At least in the Etsy world. I sold three journals, three of my very favorites, too. Although it's nice to sell them (very nice - cause I'm broke and am running out of paper!) it is always sad to see them depart for their new homes. I wrap them up very nicely in their best outfits, with tissue paper and ribbon and lovely tags, but I still feel a bit like a mother sending her babies out into the world. I do hope their new owner loves them as much as I do. I'm sure she will. 

Awhile back I made this little journal, my very first try at coptic headbands. 

You will notice, if you are self-taught like me, that there is not one tutorial on coptic headbands anywhere on the web. Not even in google book search! So I had to teach myself, and I am rather proud of the result. 

However, one of the ends got pulled too tight, so there's a bit out of place, and somehow the journal picked up a few dark stains on one cover, so it's a just-for-me journal. But I love the color scheme and the cool wrinkly wave-paper so much that I'm sure I'll be doing another for the Etsy shop. 

Anyway, for you budding book-binders, here's what helped me learn. 

These are a couple of great close-up photos of the headbands, where you can sort of make out what the process might be like. 

http://flickr.com/photos/92439741@N00/2124721790
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lilihall/Bookbinding/photo#5097308935991039186

But this photo was absolutely instrumental. This was the key for me, to figuring out how the stitch is worked.
http://flickr.com/photos/zoopress_studio/2530492929/in/set-72157603237252656/

So have a look at these, and in a day or two I'll be doing another of these and I'll do a step-by-step on how it's done. Or at least, how I do it. Best of luck to you. :)