Custom Order

So, I just spent the better part of my week working on my first custom scrapbook album. A customer contacted me via my Etsy shop about making her an album that was much larger than those I typically make. Normally, I make albums with 20 pages and they measure around 8X10in. This request was for an album with 50 pages that measured 12X12in. I'd never made anything that big before but I didn't see why I wouldn't be able to do it, so I got to work.

I have to say the experience was both challenging and totally rewarding. The construction of the pages and cover were pretty routine and the process wasn't much different than making the covers and text blocks on the smaller scrapbook albums, except, of course, it was far more time consuming due to the size of the book and the quantity of pages desired. The real work came with drilling out the holes for binding and doing the actual sewing itself.

Since I'm so used to making books of a certain size, I never thought much about the tools I use. They always work for the projects I do and so I guess I take them for granted. But in sizing up my project, I quickly found that some of my tools weren't up to the jumbo-sized task. For instance, I usually use large binder clips to hold my covers and text block together while I drill and bind the book. In this case, the text block was almost three times as thick as what it normally is and the binder clips weren't large enough to keep the whole thing together. I ended up using my wooden book press to clamp the whole thing together. It worked well, I must say, but I'll admit it was a little awkward when it came to the sewing. I essentially had to hold the whole thing in my lap, (book, press, and all) as I did the sewing.

Another thing I hadn't considered was the size of my drill bit. It's not a very long bit and I now know that I can't make this type of book with any more than 50 pages without investing in longer drill bits. 50 pages is the very limit of what my drill can handle and I couldn't be more relieved that it did what I needed it to do. Even more of a relief was the fact that I drilled all five holes without messing anything up. This part of the bookmaking process is probably the most nerve wracking in that if you mess it up, there's no fixing the mistake. A hole is a hole and wherever it gets drilled in the spine is where it stays. If this step doesn't go well, you basically have to start the whole thing over again. My hands were literally shaking as I finished drilling the holes and, luckily, they all came out perfectly. (Although, I like to think it had more to do with my finely honed skills rather than sheer luck).

The final challenge came with the actual sewing. I normally do a three-hole Japanese stab-stitch technique but I knew that wouldn't be stable enough for a book of this size. I decided to go with a five-hole stitch instead. The sewing pattern is exactly the same so there was no problem there, but I hadn't considered the thickness of the book in relation to the length of my sewing needle. My needle barely pokes out the other side when I'm making the 20 page albums. On the 50 page book it only made it about halfway through the hole. Ever the innovator, I tried using various tools around my studio to coax the needle clear through to the other side before settling on the modest, yet useful plastic pen cap. It may not be fancy but it was just the right size and length to push the needle and ribbon through to the other side. An entire spool of lovely, golden ribbon later, the binding was finished.

I'm so happy with the way the book came out that I'm almost sad to send it off to its new owner. The beautiful cover design, the brilliant green end sheets, the sparkly gold bow...what's not to like about it? But I know that this book will hold many photographs and cherished memories for my customer and knowing that something I lovingly made with my own two hands will make someone else happy is the best feeling and it's the main reason I make these books.

See for yourself how it turned out!

I'm always up for doing more custom orders so feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. 

The Whole Package

Please do not interpret my silence here as laziness or assume that I'm being inattentive! On the contrary, if I've been neglecting to blog, it's only because I've been busy making so many books. My friend, Erika, recently passed along my contact information to a friend of hers who happens to be opening a boutique here in Lakewood that specializes in selling locally handmade arts and crafts. They were interested in having my handmade books for sale in the shop and so, naturally, I have spent the better part of the past couple of weeks making books specifically for that.

The place is called Crafty Goodness and they're located at 15621 Madison Avenue. As I mentioned before, they'll be selling handmade goods by local artists and they'll also be offering affordable classes and workshops on different crafts and art forms. Their doors open for business on Saturday, March 5th. If you live in the area, please stop by and support this amazing local business!

I'm really excited about having the opportunity to sell my books at Crafty Goodness. Other than my Etsy site, I've never sold my items at any shows or boutiques before. I had to drop my items off this morning and so I spent a good chunk of time last night working on my packaging, which is something I've never had to consider in the past. I purchased some cellophane bags and used some ribbon and business cards to create professional-looking and inexpensive packaging. I think it turned out really nicely, but you can judge for yourself:

There's more to see at Crafty Goodness, along with tons of other great items from some very talented artists and craftspeople. Go check it out!

Productivity

Productivity is an issue for me. Even doing something I enjoy, like bookbinding for instance, takes motivation that I sometimes lack. While I don't have any great tips to combat procrastination or remedy a lack of motivation, I will say that guilt can be a powerful incentive. Sometimes the only reason I get to working on a project is because I know I'll hate myself later for not working on it. Luckily, I've been pretty focused for the last week or so. I made a handful of new books for my Etsy shop, including some accordion fold books, mini notebooks, and a Coptic bound sketch journal.

The most difficult to make out of these items is the Coptic bound sketch journal. The Coptic stitch is good for a variety of reasons; it's visually pleasing on an exposed spine and it allows the book to lie completely flat when opened, making it ideal for constructing sketch books. I learned how to do this stitch this past summer while I was living in Washington, DC. The Utrecht art supply store there had a ridiculously inexpensive ($5) workshop one afternoon and I attended. It wasn't hard to learn but it is hard to master and it takes a great deal of patience, which is something else I often fall short on. However, based on the way the journal (pictured above) came out, I'd say I'm getting it. You can expect to see many more sketch journals soon in my shop. If you like what you see, please don't hesitate to contact me about custom orders.

In other news, one of my products was included in another Etsy treasury, this one featuring items in primary colors. Having my work recognized is a good reward for getting so much done lately. I guess I'd better keep it coming.

Etsy Treasury

I woke up this morning to find that one of my handmade scrapbooks (pictured below) was featured in an Etsy treasury of undiscovered shops. I feel honored and excited to be included in the treasury. I've been renewing items frequently and posting often so it's nice to get some exposure. What a great way to start off my Saturday morning!

Shameless Self-Promotion

Although I started selling handmade books in my Etsy shop back in November, I didn't get around to making business cards until a week or so ago (I'm a world-class procrastinator). I designed the cards myself using Photoshop and then uploaded my file online for printing. They arrived in the mail just a few days ago and I couldn't be more thrilled with the result.

I've been handing them out like mad, thus beginning my endless campaign of shameless self promotion...

Opportunity in Disguise

For many years now, every time I felt overwhelmed, bored, or frustrated with work, I'd wish that I could just make a living from my various artistic talents. I'd moan about how unfair it was that someone with so many creative talents should be forced to have a "real job" and relegate those talents to the level of a mere hobby, only making time to work on art projects after working 40+ hours a week. Usually, that meant not working on them at all.

I decided at some point that if I was going to have to work for a living (and let's face it, who doesn't) that I needed to choose a real career. My fine arts degree wasn't getting me far and I realized I would have to go back to school. I settled on becoming a librarian, something which I seemed well-suited for, and spent two years earning my Master's Degree in Library Science (and racked up an obscene amount of student loan debt to boot). The debt would not have been a big deal if I had found a job as planned but, as you may know, libraries are not exactly thriving in this economic climate, what with the massive budget cuts and hiring freezes nationwide. I graduated this past Spring and have been unable to secure a full-time job. I worked part-time at a local public library all through grad school and that's where I remain, working a scarce fifteen hours per week. Of course, this felt wholly demoralizing at first. There I was, recently graduated, holding that advanced degree in my hot little hand, my head and heart full of hopes. A couple of months of job searching quickly deflated my hopes and I was angry at having spent so much money and time on a seemingly worthless education. I felt like a failure.

But I came around. Eventually my thinking shifted. Sure, I may not command a huge salary or hold some esteemed position. Let's be honest...I don't even have any real job prospects at the moment. But I don't care anymore. I do enjoy my part-time job at the public library. I like working with people (something it took me years to realize and admit to) and I absolutely love the people I work with. And while I was initially bitter about not getting any more hours there, I now realize I have exactly the thing I was wishing for all along...time to work on my art and my writing. I see this as an opportunity to do what it is that I said I always wanted to do-make a living off of my creative endeavors, and I feel lucky for being given this opportunity. I may be a starving artist now but this is my chance to change that. It's going to be a challenge, yes, but one thing you should know about me is that once I put my mind to something, I never give up.

This blog will chronicle the pursuit of my creativity and will document my progress as a fledgling entrepreneur.