Handmade Book of the week Nov 22 - 28, 2008

Draw on!
In honor of my drawing frenzy this month (that looks like it's going to stretch into next month too) I hereby make my pencil journal this week's book of the week.

No kidding, I had planned on making this book my book of the week this week because of the drawing frenzy. But I sold it a few days ago to one of my most favorite repeat customers. I've made her a couple of custom books -- a hamburger book and a hippo book, both for very specific and very cool purposes. I hope I get to see them filled someday. I'm super excited that this book is going to the woman that it is going to. Yay!

I decided to post it even though it's already sold. It's a cool book and it fits with my mood. But sorry folks if you want a pencil journal yourself, you'll have to order one special or check out the scissors and pencil journal I have in stock.

P.S. Isn't this shape of journal fun?

Handmade Book of the week Nov 15 - 21, 2008

Be Bold!
I've had this book in my Etsy shop for awhile. But I'm posting it for this week's book of the week because I love it. For some reason I haven't sold this type of book via my website much, even though they are hugely popular at craft shows. I think it's the kind of book that's best held and looked through if you want to appreciate it's value.

Anyway, I make this my book of the week because I'm thinking of keeping it. If no one buys in in the next few weeks, it'll be mine. It's a book I made for writers, it has a writer theme. I love the way "Bold" refers to both a kind of being and a kind of typeface. I love all the goofy little writing references inside. So, I'm making it as my book of the week to give people one last chance. This book is going to be mine if it doesn't sell soon.

Anyway, all that aside this is an upcycled/reclaimed book. I've torn out the pages on a very-out-of-date freebie book that I took from the free shelf at the library and now have given a new life. There's fun colorful pages inside, interesting visual surprises throughout and It's a darn cool journal.

To see more photos or to buy the book (which would be okay too -- it is still for sale and it makes me happy to sell my favorite books because then I can make more that are similar), click here.


Handmade Book of the week Nov 8 - 14, 2008

Cheers!
This week's handmade book of the week is a dos-a-dos wine journal, meaning it’s two books in one. A dos-a-dos book includes two books that both share the same back cover – so they are sewn together into one. One side for red wine notes, one side for white wine notes. This is the perfect journal for a wine lover or someone who loves to go wine tasting.

Click here to see more photos or to buy the book.

Handmade Books of the week Oct 10 - 17, 2008

Yay! I'm reinstating my Handmade Book of The Week segment on my blog. I'll at least keep it going from now until Christmas.
This week I'm featuring 15 ticket stub journals, pictured above. I thought since I've taken a few months off from this segment, I'd highlight enough books to make up for lost time.
A ticket stub journal is a small book, slightly larger than your average ticket stub, with empty pages meant to be filled with -- you guessed it -- stubs. In it you can store ticket stubs from sporting events, movies, fairs, plays, museums, concerts, tours or whatever else you can think of.
The ticket stub journal pictured here is an example journal that I've filled so you can see how the ticket stubs look inside my ticket stub journals. The ones I sell are, of course, blank inside.

I suggest mounting tickets by using a glue stick, double stick tape or photo mounting squares (found at craft stores). It's also a good idea to make a note on the page about who went with you to whatever you went to -- It will make your journal even more special.
I'll be putting up at least one of these books every week in my etsy shop from now through Christmas (along with up-coming books of the week). To buy a ticket stub journal or for more photos check out my etsy shop.

New Journals Preview

I've finally got a big stack of journals and photo albums ready for the holiday season. Here's some preview pictures (taken with my VERY messy studio floor in the background).
I'll be re-starting my journal of the week feature here by the end of next week and continuing at least through Christmas.
I 'm especially excited about my new scissors design and the wine journals.

I rarely have sales of any kind but I've also decided to clean out my old inventory and sell stuff off so look out for some great deals on my Etsy site in the next few months.

Papermaking

The main ingredient in all of my paper art: my own handmade paper.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister happened to be visiting when I made a fresh batch of paper. So I conned her into taking some fresh pictures of me making my fresh paper. I'd already made the pulp when she arrived:

I have an

abbreviated run-through on how I make my paper over at my normal website

(including the pulp-making process).

But I'm pretty psyched to share my new photos so why not go through the sheet forming process right here, right now. Here's how I do it:

I pour my pulp into a floating, framed screen (also called a "mold and deckle").

I agitate the fibers and spread them around inside the frame:

Then I pull the screen out of the water and let the water drain through the fibers back into the tub.

I carefully remove the frame from the screen (or the deckle from the mold).

I press a drying felt (also called a couch sheet -- pronounced "cooch sheet") into the wet paper.

I flip the screen-paper-felt stack onto a pile of other newly made sheets of paper (this stack is often called a "post" of paper)

I sponge out as much water as I can through the screen before...

I pull back the loose screen to see my new paper!

The new paper is attached to the drying felt. After pressing the entire stack of new sheets between boards with a clamp and letting any excess water drain for a while, I hang the new sheets to dry outside on my special drying porch (still attached to their drying felts). When they are dry I peal the new sheets off their felts and voila! New paper is made.

New Blog!


Welcome to my new blog!

I'm hoping to post news, updates and little snippets of my work now and then.

Mostly I'll just post what I've been working on.

This week:
I sent out a few orders including the custom order photo album pictured here!

Mostly I've been working on some new sample illustrations based on a story I've written. Hopefully I'll have photos to post before too long.