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This cowhide notebook was a custom order for a client down in the United States. He came to my table at the Harrison Artisan Market and was taken with the real fur notebook I had on my table, but wanted the dotted interior. We had a brief back and forth over email to get the details just right, and then work began.

After printing the pages and preparing them for stitching, I set to work on the cover. I have two types of real fur/cowhide, and this client went with the slightly sturdier, more orange-brown hide. I measured out a strip of the hide, marked the hole for the spine, and began stitching.

The final flourish I added was to cut the front flap in a wavy pattern for a more natural look, then I set it in the book press to flatten out. Such a delightful project!

Note: I understand that some people take offence to using animal products like real leather and real fur. I agree to an extent. Hunting animals specifically for these materials is wrong, but all the materials I use are leftover scraps with would’ve ended up in a landfill to deteriorate instead. I am proud to give them a second life as something to be cherished. I also prefer to use these materials over using artificial materials like plastic.