…with my new toy and the printed chipboard. these are so fun to make! hoping to get a bunch into the shop next week.

happy weekend!

i’ve wanted a wire-o binding tool for a long time, but they can be expensive! we had one at my first job, and we’d use it to create gorgeous annual reports and proposals… and occasionally i’d make a journal or two for personal use. over the years i kept telling myself that one day, i will spend $300-$400 and get my own binding machine — in fact, last year i cut down a ton of scrap paper specifically for wire bound journals. but i just couldn’t make the investment.

a few weeks ago patricia of a little hut wrote about the cinch binding tool. how did i not know about this little machine?! it’s perfect for what i want to make, and at around $100, it’s much more affordable. mine arrived this week, and i’ll be playing with it over the next few days.

happy weekend!

august… summer’s last chance to really show you what its got… can it get hotter? i really don’t want to know. i always think of august as the hottest month, so i think mentally i am prepared for more (i watched running the saharah over the weekend, hoping it’d help me learn how to run in the heat but it mostly made me tired and thirsty)… august is also the month that you should never open your mouth while riding your bike in the evening, unless you enjoy a mouthful of bugs… ooooo, and it’s state fair month! i’d better keep up the running to make up for the cheese curds to be consumed… i digress… hello, august!

i’ve put a few new photo albums in the shop. they’re a little bigger than my usual size, with a workable page size of 7 x 8-1/2 inches. they’re available in kiwi and sky blue: happy colors! happy monday!

i’ve been very productive in the last week, which has been a change of pace here at the studio. i’ve been eagerly anticipating the end of the day so i can sit down and resume making.

why am i back in production mode? what took me so long to get back into it? the answer hit me yesterday:

tv.

dang. (sigh)

i occasionally watch tv shows online. and i watch a few movies each month via netflix. but i decided to switch things up, and last week my first disk of the series true blood arrived. and i cannot sit and do nothing while watching tv. if i’m going to watch 1-3 episodes in a row, i want to be productive during that time. now i’m zipping through my to-do pile, and adding to my inventory while i watch. last summer, it was buffy the vampire slayer. dexter has gotten me through many, many nights of cutting/gluing/sewing. sometimes i re-watch battlestar galactica or firefly. the wire is next.

i really wish it wasn’t tv that gets me moving. i wish it was something more intellectual, something cerebral… nope… watching consecutive episodes on the boob tube is what gets me antsy to sit down and make. apparently if i get hooked on a series, i’m more productive.

at least i’m watching quality shows, right?!

at the end of april i learned a new binding technique at minnesota center for book arts: secret belgian binding. it took me a few tries to get a comfortable tension and understand the sewing order, but once you get going it goes pretty quickly. i’ve got plans for more, and they’re on the list…

(sorry to put styx in your head. i’m still trying to get it out of mine.)

the only time i write in a journal is when i travel. it’s my way of remembering what i did each day… otherwise it can become a blur.

i’ve been creating this journal for my travels ever since the amazing allison of igloo press taught jenn and i how to make them many, many years ago (2002?) at minnesota center for book arts.

they’re easy to make, and perfect for travel: open up the accordion on one side, and you’ve got 4 pockets for ephemera. open on the other side, and there’s the journal. i use an extra large hair band to keep it closed.

my newest journal is for my sorta-annual birthday trip to europe. i’ll be heading back to amsterdam for the first time in 2 birthdays this friday night. my journal is ready.

(in reading my old journals, a common — and surprising — theme emerges: i usually really want to be home after 5 days. i tend to forget that part once i’m home because i immediately want to go back…)

i’ve restocked green mini accordion fold albums in my shop.

happy st. patrick’s day!

i just finished a custom photo album for spanish photographer paula g. furió. she asked that i punch “¡di patata!” on the front cover. translation: say cheese!

i’m heading back to manhattan and long island in december, and i’ll be teaching 2 bookbinding workshops at red bow studio on saturday, december 11. if you’re in the area, join us!

workshop 1 : accordion fold photo albums create 2 photo albums! in this workshop, you learn how to cover bookboards with book cloth, and how ribbon placement can change the page count and binding of an accordion fold album. you will have a variety of bookcloth colors and and ribbons to chose from. we’ll make a large photo album that can hold 8 4×6 photos (black paper used within), and a mini photo album that can hold 8 photo-booth sized photos. cost: $40 per person, time: 2 hours (10am-noon)

workshop 2 : stab-bound journals we’re going to create an over-size journal (9-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches) that can be used as a sketch book, and we’ll also make a smaller journal (6 x 4 inches). we’ll be binding both books using the centuries-old japanese stab binding technique (it’s not as violent as it sounds!). multiple punching guides and thread will be provided for both journals, allowing you to create books that are completely you. the over-size journal covers will be cardstock, which will be available in a variety of colors, and the interior pages will be white (30 pages total). the smaller journal covers will be made with handmade paper, made in minnesota by cave paper, and the interior pages are off-white (25 pages). additional journal kits will be available for purchase after the workshop. cost: $40 per person, time: 3 hours (2-5pm)

space is limited to 10 participants per workshop. to register, contact patricia at red bow studio: call (516) 676-4324 or email theredbowstudio at gmail dot com.

ps. taking the long island railroad from manhattan to sea cliff is super-easy! take the lirr from 34th & penn via the oyster bay line. i did it myself in october and i was in sea cliff within 40 minutes.

i now have pink and blue hello journals in the shop.

i didn’t plan on making them.

last weekend i was playing with the idea of a brighter color palette and i covered some boards with a rich, blue bookcloth. 24 hours later, as i looked at the covered boards, i decided that the blue just wasn’t right for the original idea. and then, hello! i decided to do some punching. and then i remembered i had a sheet of pink bookcloth in my stash, which would contrast beautifully with orange thread… so there you go. it just sorta happened.

i’m really excited to announce that i’ll be teaching 2 bookbinding workshops at red bow studio on saturday, october 2! red bow studio is the studio of artist and friend, patricia kaegi weiss, and is located 25 miles east of manhattan in the lovely long island town of sea cliff.  if you’re in the area, come! i’ll be teaching 2 workshops in a relaxed and friendly environment, and i’ll teach you everything you need to know to make more on your own!

the first workshop of the day: stab-binding. we’re going to re-use paper to create a journal and a photo album! we’ll be binding both books using the centuries-old japanese stab binding technique (it is not as violent as it sounds!). you will learn how to cover book boards, in addition to learning this easy, yet elegant binding technique. 10am-12pm, $25 per person + $5 materials fee

in the second workshop, i’ll be teach you how to make a hard-bound journal. you’ll create an over-size book by hand, perfect for writing or visual journaling! you’ll learn how to construct the book block, how to apply paper and book cloth to the cover boards, and how to fit it all together. you will have a variety of bookcloth colors and cover papers to chose from. 2-5pm, $25 per person + $10 materials fee

to enroll, please call (516) 676-4324 or email theredbowstudio at gmail dot com and you will receive you more information about the workshops. each workshop is limited to 10 participants. if you have any questions, leave me a comment. i’d love to see you there!

bonus: patricia interviewed me earlier this week, and if you’re dying to know more about moi, she’s posted the interview here on her blog.

happy weekend!

the fish journals are done, and i’ve put a couple in my etsy shop! i was a little worried they wouldn’t get done this weekend… i was only able to get one bound friday, and it seemed to take forever. but saturday i tried a different set of needles and was able to bind one in 14 minutes flat. and before i knew it, i had sewed all 9. maybe it was the sushi i had for dinner that gave me that extra speed…

i got a lot of other stuff done, too, and i’ll show you throughout the next few weeks… stay tuned!

these little fish journals await my attention…

first, i’m off to the day job for a few hours but i hope to make my escape shortly after lunch to attend to more important things… like sewing journals!

happy weekend!

custom requests from my etsy shop stress me out, yet i still can’t say no… and this job is one reason why i say yes:

i was contacted last week to create a wedding book for a couple getting married in brooklyn botanic garden next weekend. i struggled a bit at first, but once the bride-to-be sent me a copy of her wedding invitation, i had the direction i needed. the invite had bits of gold, and was a simple yet modern design, so i knew the book could be less traditional. after searching a few stores and online to find the cover paper, i started to panic a bit, but a quick trip to mcba’s gift shop saturday morning yielded the perfect paper to match the gold bookcloth i had already had on hand.

i still worry about tiny little imperfections, but i think this will be a good addition to the bride and groom’s big day. i’m so honored to be a part of it.

happy weekend!

this is the state of my dining room table.

2 weeks ago i got a spring bug to produce and produce and stock up my etsy shop inventory. i’ve been finding it hard to sit down during the week and getting a chunk done here and there, so i really look forward to at least one weekend evening where i can drink wine, pop in a movie, and cut-fold-paste. yup, it’s a non-stop party here!

locals: st. paul art crawl starts tonight…

happy weekend!

a little valentine for my etsy shop: the xoxo album. i normally don’t do holiday-specific goods, but when placing an order for to restock some of my most-used bookcloth, i could not resist the bright red…

i recently stumbled upon a box of books that i made a long time ago. the albums above were one of the first “lines” i produced, well before etsy was around. i remember making them — it was summer, and i had no idea where i would sell them, but that didn’t stop me from making a gazillion. they’re a tiny bit banged up, so i’ve put them in the shop for $4 a piece.

these were made a year or two after the albums. they’re hardbound journals, and completely handmade! but they need a better home than a box in my closet. so they’re on sale, super-cheap, in my etsy shop!

happy weekend!

over the holiday break i stumbled upon patterned file folders at target. i couldn’t resist and i picked up 2 packs: each with 3 different colors/patterns. i decided to make simple pamphlet stitch books to send to friends as thank yous for the wonderful things they gave/made me for christmas. the fold was already there, so i cut one of each color/pattern to create a 3×4 inch cover, then cut some office paper to size, and stitched. and i still have lots of fun folders left over… maybe i should bring them to work to give all that work-stuff-documentation some life…

happy weekend!

i finally finished these bigger burst scrapbooks/albums last weekend… just in time to miss all of the holiday internet shoppers. but it still feels good to cross that item off my list, even though it took me 3 weeks longer than i had hoped it would.

bigger burst albums are available in my etsy shop!

hello! i hope you had a good weekend. the remodel project is done and i was finally able to work in my dining room again. i moved all of my supplies in and had piles of paper and projects scattered everywhere — it looked like a tornado hit for a few days. i didn’t get everything done that i had hoped to get to, but it was still nice to have some creative time.

one of my projects: a batch of little books, made with office paper. they’re pamphlet-stitched, and each has 10 pages using the same paper as the front circle. they were fun to make, and they’ll be fun to give away. since it’s cyber monday, i’ll include one in each order placed in my etsy shop. it’s not much of an incentive, but free is free!