| Title | Information |
| Instructor | Rhiannon Alpers |
| Skill Level | All Levels |
| Length of Workshop | 1 day |
| Date(s) | Friday, June 26, 2026 |
| Cost | $175 per day x 1 day + $19 material fee |
| Total Price of Workshop | $194 |
Workshop Description
In this one-day beginner’s workshop, students will create a miniature hardcover book (3″ x 4½″ x ½″) designed to house a personal assemblage of natural curiosities. Using found objects, historic illustrations, altered book parts, and natural artifacts, participants will build a narrative through collage and layered materials.
We will cover basic bookbinding skills, collage techniques, and creative ways to incorporate text and collection cards. We will explore how this structure can be adapted to different scales and incorporate a wide range of found or handmade materials.
Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Students
- Cutting mat (12″ x 18″ or larger)
- Apron and washcloth for cleaning hands
- Ruler 6″ or longer
- X-Acto, snap blade, or scalpel knife
- Extra blades
- Bone or teflon folder
- Awl
- Dividers (please inquire directly if you do not have a pair already)
- Small and regular-sized scissors
- Microspatula
- Mechanical pencil
- Tweezers with a point
- Optional: small pieces of bookcloth and decorative paper 6″ x 6″, collage materials
- Optional specimens: small objects, plants, and ephemera less than ½″ depth and 2½″ height or which can be altered (each student will receive a detailed list of plants)
See Materials Glossary for definitions and images
Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Instructor
- Book board (pre-cut and extra)
- Bookcloth
- Specimen frame components
- Decorative paper
- Specimen cards
- Templates for envelopes
- Copyright-free imagery for collage
- Collage papers and materials
- Natural specimens
- Miniature glass bottles in 3 shapes
- Small brush
- Wax and other adhesives
- Waste paper for gluing
- Glue pots for each person
- Small weights for pressing Handouts with Process / Binding / Vocabulary
Instructor Biography
Rhiannon Alpers is a papermaker, letterpress printer, and book artist based in Portland, Oregon. She holds both a BA and an MFA in Book and Paper Arts. She has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work is held in the collections of the Library of Congress, the University of Denver, Yale University, Stanford University, and others. Her limited-edition and one-of-a-kind artist books are published under the Gazelle and Goat Press imprint. More information about her work is available at rhiannonalpers.com.
Instagram: @gazelle_n_goat
