Book Arts Masterclass

Calico & Mixed Media Bookmaking — Working in Series

A 6-Session Live Online Studio Experience with Liz Constable

What if you could step inside a professional book artist’s studio…
and watch an entire body of work come to life?

Not a polished highlight reel.
Not a rigid, pre-planned formula.

But the real thing.

In this immersive six-session live series, Liz Constable invites you behind the scenes of her studio practice as she develops a collection of soft-covered, mixed media books from start to finish — working on several at once, making creative decisions in real time, and sharing openly about her thinking along the way.

This is about process.
About rhythm.
About learning how an experienced maker builds a cohesive body of work.

And you’re invited to work right alongside her.

Paint With Me!

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL*

ONE-TIME PAYMENT ($297 USD + tax)

*Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular Price of the course is $347 USD + tax.

EARLY BIRD PAYMENT PLAN**

3 PAYMENTS OF $105 USD + tax)

**Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular payment plan price is 3 x $121 USD + tax

This Is Not a Step-By-Step Class.

This is a studio experience.

Over three months, you’ll watch Liz:

  • Develop multiple handmade books simultaneously

  • Experiment with materials and surface treatments

  • Problem-solve construction challenges as they arise

  • Refine ideas across a series

  • Make intuitive creative decisions — and explain why

You’ll see the nuance that doesn’t show up in polished tutorials.

You’re welcome to follow along exactly as she does — or adapt everything to your own materials, aesthetic, and pace.

What We’re Creating

Throughout the series, we’ll focus on:

  • Soft-covered handmade books

  • Calico (muslin) over soft card covers

  • Mixed media surface design

  • Decorative paper techniques

  • Accessible and beautiful binding structures

By the end, you won’t just have one finished book.

You’ll have explored how to create a collection — pieces that speak to one another, share a visual language, and grow from the same creative roots.

What We’ll Explore Together

  • Session 1 — Foundations & Thinking in Series

    We begin with materials and mindset.

    - Introduction to calico, soft card, papers, tools, and adhesives

    - What it truly means to work “in series”

    - How multiple pieces relate and respond to one another

    - Preparing covers across different book formats

    You’ll begin building the foundation for several books at once.

  • Session 2 — Preparing & Decorating the Calico

    Covers come to life.

    - Stiffening, priming, and preparing calico

    - Base treatments for strength and flexibility

    - Surface decoration through paint, stitch, stamping, collage, resist techniques

    - Watching how small decisions evolve across a group of books

    This is where personality starts to emerge.

  • Session 3 — Constructing the Soft Covers

    Structure meets creativity.

    - Attaching calico to soft card

    - Creating flexible but durable covers

    - Designing unique edges

    - Troubleshooting common construction challenges

    Your books begin to take shape.

  • Session 4 — Creating Interior Papers

    The inside matters just as much as the outside.

    - Painting and printing papers

    - Folding and layering techniques

    - Combining decorative methods

    - Designing interiors that complement your covers

    We’ll explore how interior pages enhance the story your covers begin.

  • Session 5 — Binding the Books

    Everything comes together.

    - Simple pamphlet stitches

    - Slightly more advanced but accessible binding structures

    - Adapting one structure across multiple books

    - Understanding how structure influences feel and function

    You’ll see how consistency can coexist with variation.

  • Session 6 — Finishing & Moving Forward

    Refinement and reflection.

    - Adding final details

    - Strengthening edges and finishing touches

    - Photographing and presenting handmade books

    - Reflecting on what working in series unlocks creatively

    - Open Q&A to close

    You’ll leave with clarity — not just about what you made, but how you made it.

When will we be meeting on Zoom?

Click here to figure out when these session meetings are in your time zone

  1. Sunday April 19, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

  2. Sunday April 26, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

  3. Sunday May 3, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

  4. Sunday May 10, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

  5. Sunday May 17, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

  6. Sunday Mar 24, 2026 at 3 pm EDT

No worries if you cannot make it live!

A recording of each session will be available within 24 hours in our Book Arts Masterclass classroom within Willa Workshops on Teachable. You get lifetime access to these recordings.

You can log into all of your Willa Workshops classes at willawanders.com.

Why “Masterclass”?

Because you’re learning by watching a master at work.

Not in a lofty, intimidating way — but in a real, practical studio way.

You’ll see:

  • The adjustments

  • The pivots

  • The small decisions

  • The honest moments of experimentation

You’ll understand not just how to make a book — but how to think like a book artist.

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The Format

  • Six live online sessions

  • One session every two weeks (approximately three months total)

  • Each session approximately 2 hours

  • Time for questions and discussion

  • Materials list provided in advance

  • Recordings available for replay

The spacing between sessions gives you time to experiment, reflect, gather materials, and let ideas settle before the next creative step.

This isn’t rushed.

It’s paced like a real studio practice.

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Who This Is For

This series is for:

  • Curious makers who want to deepen their understanding of handmade books

  • Artists who want insight into creative workflow

  • Mixed media creators looking to expand into book arts

  • Beginners who want strong foundations

  • Experienced makers who crave a new way of thinking

No prior bookbinding experience is required.

If you’re comfortable with basic craft materials and open to exploration, you’ll be right at home.

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Imagine This

A table scattered with treated papers.
Soft calico drying from yesterday’s experiment.
Several covers in progress, each slightly different — yet clearly related.

Instead of wondering “What should I make?”
You begin asking, “How does this piece speak to the others?”

That shift — from single project to cohesive series — changes everything.

It builds confidence.
It deepens creative voice.
It creates momentum.

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Join Us Inside the Studio

If you’ve ever wanted to understand how a professional book artist develops a body of work…
If you’ve ever felt curious about working in series…
If you’re ready to move beyond isolated projects into intentional collections…

This is your invitation.

Book Arts Masterclass: Calico & Mixed Media Bookmaking — Working in Series

Six live sessions. Three months. A deeper way of making.

Come work alongside Liz.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL*

ONE-TIME PAYMENT ($297 USD + tax)

*Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular Price of the course is $347 USD + tax.

EARLY BIRD PAYMENT PLAN**

3 PAYMENTS OF $105 USD + tax)

**Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular payment plan price is 3 x $121 USD + tax

Willa Workshops General FAQs

  • There are no refunds on online courses

  • You will have “Lifetime” Access to all classes unless otherwise mentioned—"Lifetime" is relevant to the lifespan of the Willa Workshops business (I don't plan on leaving anytime soon!) or the longevity of the technology.

  • This class includes captions in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Hindi, and Hebrew

  • All Willa Workshops lesson content is prerecorded video. Once your purchase is complete, you will have instant access to the classroom, and are free to work through the content at your own pace

    You can access Teachable and watch the lessons in your browser (PC, Mac, Android) or the Teachable app for iOS (recommended for iPhone and iPad)

  • No, at least not available as local downloads to your device. The Teachable app for iOS may allow you to download lessons for offline playback.

  • No. One student per registration. This is an honor system that if violated will result in your removal from the course with no refund.

  • Please do! Always tag @willa.wanders and mention the course in your post description

  • Yes! Please keep them for yourself, give them as a gift, or sell them. 

  • That's a hard no.

    There's an endless amount of incredible art tutorial content in every Willa Workshops course. For some creatives, it's tempting to want to use these videos as a well of inspiration for their own creative enterprise, YouTube channel, brand, etc.

    Willa Workshops Courses are not sold with permission for anyone to use it in this way--specifically, as a source of inspiration for any one's free how-to social media tutorial content, whether that be on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or any other social media platform.

    If you are a creative who loves to share your work with the world, that's wonderful! I love it when participants share their finished projects in photos and videos on social media. Please tag me @willa.wanders, I'd love to support you!

    But making how-to videos of yourself while creating from the lesson content or obviously inspired and derivative of Willa Workshops course content, and then posting those tutorials on any free social media platform, will get you banned from Willa Workshops with no refund issued.
    ‍‍

I Want to Paint Florals!

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL*

ONE-TIME PAYMENT ($297 USD + tax)

*Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular Price of the course is $347 USD + tax.

EARLY BIRD PAYMENT PLAN**

3 PAYMENTS OF $105 USD + tax)

**Early Bird Pricing is available until 04/24/2026 @ 11:59 pm EDT. Regular payment plan price is 3 x $121 USD + tax