Happy New Year!

Last month I finished a custom wedding guest book for a couple who tied the knot yesterday, on News Year's Day. What a way to start off a new year! Congratulations to Caroline and Greg.

Their wedding guest book features plenty of shimmering gold details set off against soft cream pages and thread -- perfectly delicate and celebratory for a winter wedding. The paper used for the cover was handmade in Nepal and is printed with a contemporary chrysanthemum pattern.

I'm also pleased with how these photos came out, so I've included a few more than usual. Enjoy!

A head start

Just before the new year, on a lengthy car ride, my husband and I had the chance to talk about goals for the upcoming year for linenlaid&felt. I was so encouraged that I got a head start on one of them.

The goal was to complete at least 20 books per month to keep my Etsy shop stocked with new items while still being able to supply the local shops that sell my work. Before the ball even dropped on New Year's Eve, I had pages for 25 books awaiting covers and binding. And I feel great about it.

Moving forward

In addition to making lots more books, I'll be teaching a beginning bookbinding class at a local art center near the end of the month, and displaying my work and information about the bookmaking process at a library nearby.

In the studio, I'm working on more books with printed pages, including lined journals, baby books, and garden journals. Thanks to a Christmas gift from my husband and my grandparents, I'm the proud owner of four volumes of Keith Smith's comprehensive binding instruction books. So I expect to be experimenting with new binding styles and sculptural structures.