FOBA 2026 - Rhiannon Alpers - Miniature Specimen Enclosure

Focus on Book Arts 2026

Rhiannon Alpers 
Miniature Specimen Enclosure - Friday, June 26, 2026

Read more about FOBA 2026 on their website!
https://focusonbookarts.org/2026-foba-conference/

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 book cloth and decorative paper 6” x 6”, collage materials
• 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).