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Herald Sun Magazine
p 24, November, 2004
Cover story: dear diary goes upmarket with handbound journals
When choosing a journal, you can always go to the nearest newsagent
and buy an exercise book for a few dollars, Then again, you could easily
splash out and buy something really quite exquisite, a book that's handbound
with delicate square knots and covered in beautiful fabric.
The journals, in three sizes, by Melbourne artists Louise Jennison and
Gracia Haby, are a work of art. For the journal covers, Louise and Gracia
use a range of materials, many with a hint of retro. Among them are
the vintage fabrics and pre-loved clothing, with a delightful range
of prints and patterns, from spots to stripes to florals. Each journal
is a one-off and features a different fabric on the front and back,
along with different end papers, which creates a delicate mixed-up effect.
The journals have been such a hit, they're sold in a dozen stores across
Australia, as well as in the UK. They will soon be sold in New Zealand.
When they're not creating journals, Louise and Gracia are busy producing
artworks — including prints, drawings, watercolour paintings
and sculptural paper pieces. Their collaborative projects push their
creative boundaries. "It brings out the best of what we both do
and it makes something completely different to what we'd do on our own,"
Louise says.
Louise and Gracia met in the late 1990s while studying fine art, majoring
in painting, at RMIT. In 1999, they collaborated on artworks for the
first time, making what they call "artists' books" —
small books of their paintings and drawings. "They're like limited-edition
prints, but in book form," Louise says.
They were out-sourcing the binding of their artists' books until, in
2002, they received a scholarship to attend a two-week course at a bookbinding
school in Switzerland. There they learnt techniques, including how to
make a book with an exposed spine and with square knots holding them
together.
Back in Australia, newfound skills in tow, they began binding their
own books. Eventually, they found it a natural extension to make journals,
which they sell under the evocative business name of hammer & daisy.
The name dates back to the brief time the two thought they'd make some
extra cash by starting a gardening business. It lasted only a few weeks
— but the name remained.
hammer & daisy journals are sold at a range of stores, including
Wilkins and
Kent, Fitzroy, and Craft
Victoria, city.
Joanne Trzcinski
