Category Archives: Bookbinding

Simple Purse Book with Handles

Posted on July 22, 2015 by

I posted a picture of two books with handles my daughters made out of grocery bags on Instagram a couple weeks ago and got a request for a tutorial, so here it is!  My eight-year-old has made more books than … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Bookbinding, Paper Arts, Scrapbooking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Don’t be Afraid to Suck

Posted on February 11, 2015 by

Because sucking at something is the first step towards being kind of good at it. I became interested in hand lettering around the time I quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom. I was terrible at it. And I … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Bookbinding, Lettering, Paper Arts, Paper Cuts, Scrapbooking, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Grain Matters

Posted on November 7, 2014 by

I just bought this book for my girls from the school book fair.  Darling story, but the quality of the binding is really annoying me.  It is obvious that the Chinese “bindery” from whence it came was too stingy to … Continue reading →

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The Hows and Whys of Bookbinding with a Sewing Frame

Posted on October 5, 2014 by

When I first learned bookbinding, we did not use sewing frames.  It wasn’t until I started learning more advanced techniques that I first used a sewing frame.  At the time, it seemed unnecessary and a bit of a nuisance.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookbinding | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Pricing Your Handbound Books

Posted on September 28, 2014 by

Or any handmade item for that matter. Time and again, I’ve gotten on Etsy and seen people selling handbound books for what seems to me to be barely more than their materials cost. STOP IT! PAY YOURSELF A DECENT WAGE! … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Bookbinding, Boxmaking, Paper Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Crochet Kraft Paper Bag Basket

Posted on September 17, 2014 by

I have a lot of shipping materials floating around my house because I do a lot of shipping, and I try to reuse whatever I can, whenever I can.  As a bookbinder, I’m very conscious of my carbon footprint–I use linen, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Bookbinding, Crochet, Fiber Arts, Paper Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Plaid Shirt Pocket Notebooks

Posted on September 1, 2014 by

I first started stealing plaid shirts from my father way back in the 90’s. You remember when girls wore high-waisted Levis and oversized plaid shirts tied in a knot at their waists? Yeah, I rocked that. I didn’t so much … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookbinding, Paper Arts, Printmaking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pencil Notepad Tutorial

Posted on September 4, 2013 by

I was trawling through Pinterest, as one does, and found this darling stationery by Alma of Nicole’s Classes, and was inspired to make a teacher gift with it for back-to-school.  A while back I made my daughter a pencil pouch, … Continue reading →

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The House that Book Built

Posted on August 15, 2013 by

Seeing as I am currently press-less (both the printing and binding kinds), and have no board shear, yet having an endless stream of ideas, I had to do something.  I’ve been thinking about houses and the narratives they are of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookbinding, Paper Arts, Photography, Watercolor | 2 Comments

A Boxmaking Jig or Stealing Toys from Children

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

I’ve been searching for the perfect tool to assist me in constructing book boxes. I have very specific criteria: it must be about 3 inches high, with 3″ legs, perfectly flush, plumb, 90 degrees. It needs to be smooth and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookbinding, Boxmaking, Paper Arts | 17 Comments