New bookbinding classes in Nashville, Tennessee

It's that time of year again — time to go back to school. But even if your school days are behind you, that doesn't mean you can't learn something new this fall.

I will be teaching two bookbinding classes, a bookbinding workshop, and a graphic design class at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film this fall. Online registration is now open, so it's the perfect time to browse the catalog and pick out a course that catches your interest. All of these classes are offered through the community education department at the college, so anyone can sign up.

You can find all of the details about my book arts offerings below, and please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions. Hope to see you in class this fall!

Introduction to Book Arts

When: Mondays, Sept. 15 – Nov. 10; 6 – 9 p.m.

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Cost: $210, plus $40 materials fee

To Register: Sign up online or call 615.383.4848

Learn how to make more than a dozen types of books in this introductory class. Students will become familiar with the materials, tools, techniques, and vocabulary of handmade books. Students will create their own books each week, starting with simple folded structures and building toward intricate books that can be used as journals, sketchbooks, photo albums, and sculptural displays. Students will explore the essentials of paper grain, folded signatures, hardcover and softcover books, and binding by hand. All tools and supplies included in the materials fee.

Intermediate Book Arts: 

Exposed Spine Bindings 

When: Wednesdays, Sept. 17 – Nov. 12; 6 – 9 p.m.

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Cost: $210, plus $40 materials fee

To Register: Sign up online or call 615.383.4848

Build your bookbinding skills in this class focusing on a handful of ambitious bindings with exposed stitching along the book spines. Students will go in-depth with a series of binding lessons — learning new techniques and styles while having substantial time to personalize each project. We will explore long stitch and link stitch variations, exposed tape binding, and the icicle binding, among other styles. These bindings will allow students to create journals, sketchbooks, and photo albums. You’ll leave this class with handbound books and the skills to continue binding at home. Prerequisite: completion of Introduction to Book Arts, one of my bookbinding workshops, or comparable experience. Tools and supplies included in materials fee.

Handmade Miniature Book 

Holiday Ornaments 

When: Saturday, November 15; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Cost: $80, plus $20 materials fee

To Register: Sign up online or call 615.383.4848

Create eye-catching ornaments perfect for the holidays! Students will complete three types of miniature books while learning basic bookbinding techniques. One ornament will be a hardcover book with blank pages, ideal for collecting holiday memories to reflect on each year. The second book will be bound in a lotus style that can hang on your tree in two different shapes: either opened into a three-dimensional star, or folded closed into a neat diamond. The third ornament will be folded and stitched together to create an accordion book resembling a festive star or snowflake. No bookbinding experience required. All tools and materials provided.

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Make your own leather journal this Saturday

This Saturday I'll be teaching one of my most popular bookbinding classes at The Skillery. You'll learn how to bind your own large large leather journal from start to finish. And if that wasn't reason enough to get excited, this will be the first class I'll teach in The Skillery's brand new (and super awesome) space in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville. 

There are still a few spots left in the class, so register now to reserve your space. This is not a class you'll want to miss! See below for the details.

Create a handbound leather journal or sketchbook

Date: Saturday, August 16, 2014

Time: 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Where: The Skillery, 1323 Sixth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208

Cost: $115 (or $105 for Skillery members)

To Register: www.theskillery.com/classes/create-a-handbound-leather-journal-or-sketchbook

Learn to bind your own unique and functional book from a professional bookbinder. 

In this workshop, you'll learn to make a soft-cover leather book that can be used as a journal, a sketchbook, or a photo album. Using the Italian Longstitch style, a historical binding that dates to 14th Century Europe, each student will create a book with a leather cover that features exposed, decorative stitching on its spine and pages that lay completely flat when open. Students will use leather for the book cover and have the option to include interesting contemporary papers inside. The book will feature a wrap-around leather strap to keep the book closed. 

The class will also include an introduction to the world of handmade books. You'll learn the fundamentals of bookbinding, including proper techniques for folding, tearing, cutting, and stitching using traditional binding tools. And students will have the opportunity to view and handle a collection of professionally-made examples. 

All students will leave this class with a completed leather book, and the skills and resources to continue binding at home. No previous bookbinding experience is required. All tools and supplies will be provided.

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Porter Flea summer market 2014 – a huge success

Porter Flea just keeps on getting bigger and better. The summer market included the art show's best ever Friday night preview market, with great art, music, and beer. Saturday began with a delightful breakfast for all the artists. And the big, blowout show on Saturday brought so many friendly shoppers and close friends.

Here are a few of my favorite photos, pulled from Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #pfsummer. I recommend you click to see them fullscreen!

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TODAY: Shop for mom, and support a great cause

I'll be selling my handmade books today at the Thistle Stop Marketplace in Nashville. This handmade marketplace will be a fundraiser for Thistle Farms, a social enterprise that is run by women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, or addiction. 

There will be about 20 other crafty vendors there (all of whom are either Thistle Farms volunteers or employees) selling their creations, and 50% of all sales will go towards supporting their papermaking, bookbinding, and sewing studios.

This will be a great place to do some Mother's Day shopping, grab a tasty treat in the Thistle Stop Cafe, and support a wonderful organization all at the same time. Get a sneak peek at some of the handmade goods you'll find at the event here, and then come to Thistle Farms today between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

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Adventures in homeownership and a sneak peek into my new bookbinding studio

A few months ago my husband and I purchased our first home, a cozy little bungalow built in 1935. Since moving in, we've been happily spending our days getting settled and enjoying our new surroundings. 

The picture above was taken just after we finished signing all the paperwork and were handed the keys to our new abode. As soon as the house was officially ours, we picked up our dog, Riviera, and brought her over to explore her new yard and house for the first time. I think she was just as happy about the new house as we were.

Although I haven't been blogging much lately, I've still been keeping busy.  Most of the rooms in the house are unpacked, organized, and decorated, and now that the weather is warming up we've been starting to do some gardening in our new yard.

I've also been getting settled into my new studio space. My studio is located in a downstairs bedroom in the house with a big window overlooking a flower bed with peonies and lilies. 

While getting my studio set up is still a work in progress, I'm pleased with how it's all coming together so far. I've hung up my collection of art show posters from Porter Flea and Handmade & Bound above my worktable, along with a few other posters by local printmakers. 

I also invested in a some new shelving to get things organized in my studio. All of my inventory now gets safely stashed inside the glass cabinets, and the open shelves display some of the first books I ever made while studying in Italy, prototypes of new styles of books I'm working on, and other lovely little books that I've collected from other book artists. 

My studio is also full of plenty of books in progress. I've been creating new styles of journals and photo albums in preparation for the upcoming marketplace at Thistle Farms next weekend and the next Porter Flea on June 7. I'll be posting more updates here in the coming weeks, but in the meantime be sure to check out my Instagram photos for more images of the new house, our garden, and of course, beautiful handbound books!

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Learn to bind a book during Maker's Month

The Skillery is planning to kick off the new year with a full schedule of creative classes. As part of their mission to shine a spotlight on Nashville’s creative entrepreneurs and the brands they’re building, The Skillery is designating January as Makers' Month. 

You can take a look at the class offerings here, and you'll be sure to spot some gems. Teaching artist extraordinaire Allison Jarrett of Precious America will be teaching an Intro to Hand Embroidery class. Chris Cheney and Nieves Uhl of Sawtooth Printhouse will be teaching a Letterpress Poster class.  I took a screenprinting class taught by Chris earlier this year and had a blast, so I'm sure the letterpress class is a can't-miss experience.  I will be leading a bookbinding workshop as part of Makers' Month, I'm thrilled to be teaching alongside such a talented bunch of Nashville creatives. 

Learn to create a handbound journal

When: Saturday January 25, 2014; 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Dandelion Salon, 1117 Porter Road, Nashville, TN 37206

Cost: $38 (or $30 for Skillery members)

Description: Start your new year with a creative project: learn the basics of bookbinding while creating a one-of-a-kind handbound blank book. Then use your book this year as a practical day planner to get organized, or as a sketchbook to stoke your creativity. We'll be making a book bound with the French link stitch. The stitching will be exposed on the spine of the book, allowing you to see and show off your handiwork. This class is appropriate for all skill levels, including beginners. Katie Gonzalez, a professional book artist who has taught bookbinding to more than 200 students, will guide you through the process in this one-night workshop. You will leave the class with one completed journal, and the skills to create more books in the future. The class will also include an introduction to the world of handmade books, and the opportunity to handle a collection of professionally made examples.

To register: theskillery.com/classes/learn-to-create-a-handbound-journal

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Spring book arts and graphic design classes

Registration opened today for spring community education classes at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film. I will be teaching two nine-week courses (one will be an introduction to book arts, and the other is an introduction to graphic design), and I will also be teaching a one-day leather bookbinding workshop.

In addition to the classes I'm teaching, Watkins Community Education has a full schedule of courses on everything from sewing to welding. View the entire course catalog here, and if you'd like to sign up for a class you can register online or call 615-383-4848.

Introduction to Book Arts

When: Tuesdays, February 4 – April 1; 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville
Cost: $210, plus $40 materials fee

Learn the basics of bookmaking, and more than a dozen binding styles, in this 9-week introductory class. Students will become familiar with the materials, tools, techniques, and vocabulary of handmade books. Students will create their own books each week, starting with simple folded structures and building toward intricate and exciting books that can be used as journals, sketchbooks, photo albums, and sculptural displays. Students will explore the essentials of paper grain, folded signatures, hardcover and softcover books, and binding by hand. You’ll leave this class with an assortment of your own handbound books, and the skills and resources to continue binding at home. All tools and supplies included in the materials fee.

Traditional Leather Bookbinding with a Contemporary Twist

When: Saturday, March 8; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville
Cost: $80, plus $25 materials fee

Learn to bind a soft-cover leather book that can be used as a journal, a sketchbook, or a photo album. Using the Italian Longstitch style, a historical binding that dates to 14th Century Europe, each student will create a book with a leather cover that features exposed, decorative stitching on its spine and pages that lay completely flat when open. Students will use leather for the book cover and have the option to include interesting contemporary papers inside. You’ll leave this class with a completed handmade book, and the skills and resources to continue binding at home. No previous bookbinding experience is required. All tools and supplies included in the materials fee.

Introduction to Graphic Design and Typography

When: Thursdays, February 6 – April 10 (no class Feb. 13); 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville
Cost: $210, plus $20 lab fee

Learn the fundamentals of graphic design including composition, the grid system and color theory. In particular, the course will cover the expressive and conceptual use of type in design. You’ll become familiar with Adobe InDesign, an essential program for designers, while working on projects such as calendars, posters and business cards. Through projects, hands-on use of the software program and critiques, participants will leave with a thorough understanding of design and how they can incorporate it into their own lives. Basic experience using Mac computers is required, and students should bring their own external storage device.

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PULP paper goods shop opens in East Nashville

When your awesome new store brings out all your friends and a bunch of local book artists and printmakers for an opening night party — and your store is 200 square feet — it makes for a shoulder-to-shoulder party where almost everyone knows everybody's name.

That's how Jessica Maloan opened PULP on Friday, the first paper goods, prints, cards, and handmade books shop in East Nashville. Jessica, who prints as Pine Street Makery and helps organize Porter Flea shows, has become a close friend. Her knew store, about a mile from my home, shows her eclectic tastes and curator's eye. The opening is the latest good news for the neighborhood, and a nice complement to other new openings nearby, like Hey Rooster General Store.

Leading up to the opening, my own excitement grew as I shuttled some of my books, prints, and paper scrap packs to Jessica during the week. I got to see the final touches come together. Bright paint on the wall, followed by prints hung with care. There's great work here by Little Things Studio (recent transplant to Nashville), Camp Nevernice, and Sawtooth Printhouse.

For PULP updates, visit the shop on Facebook and then stop by at 729 Porter Road.

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The Sketchbook Collective at Watkins College

Nashville's one and only festival for the book arts keeps on evolving. In its third year, I was proud to participate in the Handmade & Bound artists' market, and to take part in a bigger way in its annual gallery show.

The gallery show went in a fresh direction this year, showcasing the sketchbooks of local artists, architects, fashion designers, puppeteers, and children. I was also among local book artists who created interactive sketchbooks that attendees responded to, filling in with writings and drawings. Here's a look at some of the dozens of sketchbooks in the show, and you can see another 200 photos in an event photo album here.

The show, The Sketchbook Collective, actually got underway a few months in advance of its opening, with a series of art workshops all across Nashville.

With a mission of bringing art to underserved communities, myself and other book artists led classes teaching simple book structures and encouraging participants to fill them as sketchbooks and memory books. We taught children, senior citizens, and recent immigrants to Nashville. Our goal was to bring art to those who don't have access to art materials or the chance to explore the arts in their daily lives.

I taught several classes, including for children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and at the Looby Center in North Nashville.

In another class, at Casa Azafran, we got to know a few mostly Spanish-speaking families from the center's parenting and English classes. (My husband got to test out his Spanish, including creating a cheat sheet of bookbinding terms.) Together, we bound simple, two-signature pamphlet stitch books. The covers of the books were made with watercolor paper, and students got to personalize their books, inside and out. The families took them home to fill them with personal stories, photographs, and other clippings that I think really helped them to stand out in the gallery.

On the night of the opening, I loved the chance to see workshop participants standing proudly near their books. One senior citizen set up shop in a chair near hers and spoke with most every passer-by.

Hundreds came through the gallery during the weekend, including quite a few who invested real time and effort into the interactive sketchbooks that called for their participation. Those four books, arranged on pedestals, called for all sorts of expressions.

In my book, "A Collection of Lines," I encouraged people to experiment with line drawings and patterns, as well as trying blind contour drawings of their friends. Another book asked them to share childhood memories, another invited collage work with provided magazine and newspaper clippings. I noticed one couple dedicate more than 20 minutes to doodling in the book I had bound!

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I'm in! Artclectic 2013 art show at University School of Nashville, Oct. 24-27

Good news! I've recently learned that I've been accepted into the Artclectic art show, Oct. 24 - 27, at the University School of Nashville. This unique four-day show begins with preview parties the first two nights, and then general admission showings over a weekend.

I participated last year for the first time, and I found every aspect of the experience rewarding. Because the show is hosted at a K-12 school, organizers emphasize art education. Last fall, I taught a bookbinding workshop to a class. And then I answered many questions from inquisitive students when they got their advanced showing of the entire show.

As you can see below, the show has an interesting look and feel. Every artist gets assistance from carpenters to build hanging displays. I'd never shown my work in quite this way.

I'll share more information about Artclectic as the show approaches. In the meantime, you can learn about the show at these two sites: on the web and on Facebook.

And I want to share photos from last fall. I was just too busy to get them posted at the time, but three favorites follow below, and you can find dozens more at this Facebook album: Artclectic 2012 Photos

Genie Maples | website

Melodie Grace | website

Lesley Patterson-Marx | website

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A video glimpse of my latest books

Vimeo video: linenlaid&felt at Porter Flea AirCraft in Nashville

One of the best parts of attending art shows is having a reason to reflect on all the work that goes into each one, and to get to see all of my newest books in one place. Inevitably, I stay busy in the weeks before a show, and the recent Porter Flea was no different.

What was unique, as captured in the brief behind-the-scenes video above, was how many completely new styles of books I got to debut at the show. I'll be sharing more about those in the coming days here on the blog, as well as posting more books in my Etsy shop.

Until then, please let me know, in the comments, what you think about this video. It's a little different for the blog, I know, but my husband and I couldn't resist capturing some images at the show!

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Porter Flea AirCraft in review

I have always loved the Porter Flea show in Nashville, even before I took part. In fact, the first ever Porter Flea took place on the first weekend we moved to the city. Since I have been participating, the show has gotten bigger and better, and this time around I was especially excited to debut a lot of fresh work. Most of what I showed was new, and after a very busy week, I got to display everything in a completely new booth setup, with new signage, shelving and tablecloths.

 

In my latest work, I've been incorporating screenprinting, including for my "Up, Up, and Away" line of travel journals. The idea for these little journals was jumpstarted by the show's organizers, who asked that each returning artist create an "exclusive" product for the show. A few of us chose aviation themes because the event was hosted in our neighborhood's former airport. My travel journals (above) were screenprinted with an original illustration of a Beechcraft airplane.

I also finished a few Coptic bound books with screenprinted covers. For these (see the magenta patterned book below), I began with sketches from a trip to the Frist Center, which inspired the repeating patterns that I screenprinted onto a variety of handmade lokta papers, and used to wrap the book covers. I'll share more about this process soon.

And I can't forget to mention my new Instagram photo albums. These square format leather books are perfect for Instagram and Polaroid prints. I've bound one for my husband's photos and one for mine, and I proudly displayed those as examples, garnering many excited responses. I was also happy to meet show-goers who also believe in printing out their digital photos, which really does make the images more special.

I've mentioned that the show took place at Cornelia Fort Airpark, a place with a very interesting history. I think the venue worked really well. Lots of space, wide aisles, and a playful setup allowed people to enjoy the art and have a chance to visit one of the most unusual, little-known places in the neighborhood. 

We did get some rain — two short downpours and a third lengthy one — but the hangars held up well, and people were able to flock indoors with plenty of space.

I enjoyed seeing some of my Porter Flea friends, including Simon & Ruby, 400 Moons, and Monday Mint, as well as a new art show friend, Allison, of Shutters and Shuttles, with whom I've been recently collaborating.

It was also great to see Dolan Geiman at the Flea for the first time. Lucky for us, we were positioned within sight of his work, including some of his latest monumental collages.

 

Finally, as always, there are tons of other great photos from the event. I've shared only a few of my own here, but you can see more at these links:

:: Facebook photo album
:: Porter Flea photo album
:: Photo booth video by Claudia Kay

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Porter Flea AirCraft launches in East Nashville

Porter Flea AirCraft 2013, featuring 80 artists, began with a Friday night preview party, yielding tons of amazing photos. I'll post more about the show soon — I've still got the main show on Saturday to come — but for now, I've pulled together my favorite images by crowdsourcing from Instagram and Twitter in this Storify gallery. Enjoy!

Update: Saturday was a big success, with thousands of festival-goers descending on East Nashville for the market. I've enjoyed looking through the two most-used hashtags, #aircraft2013 and #porterflea, and have pulled together my absolute favorite photos from Instagram. Click through the slideshow below to see the best of the best from AirCraft 2013.

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How to print Instagrams to display in a photo album

I'll be debuting leather Instagram photo albums this weekend at Porter Flea AirCraft here in Nashville, and I want to share with you my guide on how to print Instagrams — everyone's favorite square format photos.

The first Instagram album that I made was an anniversary gift for my husband, who uses Instagram often while reporting for the newspaper and to capture odd things around Nashville. Once the book was finished, it was exciting to see the images printed out and so much larger than we typically see them on an iPhone screen. The book that I handbound for him worked out so well that I decided to make more. Each of my albums has leather covers and 48 pages, made of thick watercolor paper. I have since been making two sizes, each designed to hold the most common square-format photo sizes available.

My large books are 7 x 7, which holds square images as large as 6 x 6, and standard 4 x 6 photos. The smaller books are 4 x 4 and hold 2.5 x 2.5 square photos.

There are many printing options out there, so I think it will help for me to share what I've learned about Instagram printing. Some services are user-friendly and simple, while others may require you to do more of the work in exchange for saving some money on each print.

Read along for my guide to printing Instagrams.

Printstagram — Easy to use, web-based

Sizes: 4 x 4 (perfect for large album) and 2.5 x 2.5 (fits small album)

Cost: $12 for 24 large images or 48 small

PostalPix — Order prints directly from iPhone

Sizes: 5 x 5, 4 x 4, 2 x 2

Cost: 29 cents to 89 cents per print (details)

RitzPix — Many options, prompt delivery

Sizes: 6 x 6, 5 x 5, 2.5 x 2.5

Cost: 49 cents per print

Note: For 2.5 x 2.5 images, you'll need to use photo editing software to set up a 5 x 5 document with 4 photos in a grid. Once printed, you'll need to trim them.

I've found other options as well, but these seem to be the easiest to use and most affordable. Another option would be placing your square images on 4 x 6 prints and then trimming them. For more information, check out this tutorial. If you go this route, you could print one 4 x 4 or six 2 x 2 images per 4 x 6 print, but you'll need photo editing software to set up the files.

I know that my husband and I have found it extremely satisfying to finally print our photos — somewhat of a lost art, these days. And I hope my new square-format leather photo albums can be another encouragement that will save more photos from collecting digital dust.

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Summer classes on sketchbooks, indie sewing, design, and typography

This summer, I'll finally get to teach a class I've long been considering: Binding sketchbooks and finding creative ways to fill them.

A lot of my people look at my books and worry that they're two pristine to write in, but in this class I'll show how I use my sketchbooks and urge my students to put theirs into action. It'll be a great way to teach bookbinding while jumpstarting creativity at the same time. I get to teach the class twice, first with teens and then with adults, and I'll be curious as to how each group gets engaged.

The class is one of many I'll be teaching through the Watkins College Community Education department. I'm also branching out beyond bookbinding to teach an indie sewing class for kids as well as my ever-popular graphic design class for adults.

To register, please call the Watkins Community Education office at (615) 383-4848 or register online. And to view the complete summer course catalog — for classes like paper marbling, screen printing, and creative writing — click here.

And don't forget that I'm also teaching the graphic design classes for the Pre-College Program for high school juniors and seniors. Watkins College is still accepting applications on a rolling basis for this exciting art experience, and I encourage all creative teens to apply.

— CLASSES FOR ADULTS —

Sketchbooking: Bind and Fill 

When: Mondays, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.; July 8 - 29 (4 weeks)

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Cost: $100, plus $30 materials fee

Description: Learn to bind your own sketchbook, and then discover creative ways to fill it both inside and out. The class will begin with an introduction to the world of handmade books as each student creates his or her own sketchbook. Through a series of prompts and activities, students will transform their blank books into a work of art using pencil, ink, paint, found objects and collage. Students will leave the class with a handbound sketchbook filled with their own drawings and observations, and the inspiration to continue exploring and documenting the world. No previous bookbinding or drawing experience is required. 

Introduction to Graphic Design and Typography

When: Tuesdays, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.; June 4 – July 30 (9 weeks)

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Cost: $205, plus $20 lab fee

Description: Learn the fundamentals of graphic design including composition, the grid system and color theory. In particular, the course will cover the expressive and conceptual use of type in design. You’ll become familiar with Adobe InDesign, an essential program for designers, while working on projects such as calendars, posters and business cards. Through projects, hands-on use of the software program and critiques, participants will leave with a thorough understanding of design and how they can incorporate it into their own lives. Basic experience using Mac computers is required, and students should bring their own external storage device.

— CLASSES FOR KIDS & TEENS —

DIY Sketchbooks

When: June 19 and 20; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Ages: 14 years old and up

Cost: $150

Description: The sketchbook is an important part of the creative process for an artist. Work with a professional bookbinder to create your own and learn ways to put it to use in everyday life with drawings, text, photographs, collages, and more. You’ll leave with a durable, functional, portable sketchbook and inspiration for ways to fill it.

Indie Sewing: Plush Creatures and More

When: June 24 – 28; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville

Ages: 11 years old and up

Cost: $325

Description: Girls and boys alike will have a blast creating stuffed animals, monsters, robots, and other imaginative creatures in this indie-sewing camp. From plush toys to functional bags, campers will learn the process of hand-sewing through sketching ideas, then making a pattern, choosing colors and fabrics, stitching, and embellishing.

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Book arts class for repurposing vintage book covers

This bookmaking class was a long time coming.

For years now, my husband and I have been collecting quirky vintage books, both to display in our home and with the inkling that they would spur creative repurposing in my bookbinding. But for the most part, I was doing more collecting than repurposing, whether it was radio operator manuals, Gregg shorthand books, 95 Russian Authors, or A Treasury of Cat Stories, to name a few.

In February, I found out I wasn't alone in my affinity for old books when I hosted a sold out class through The Skillery to teach the Coptic binding, using salvaged books to serve as the front and back covers.

I brought a couple dozen books from my own collection, which has grown slowly, usually just one book at a time, by shopping at antique stores and estate sales, and at one of my favorite stores ever: Book Thing of Baltimore, where all of the books are free! Really, they are. But there is a rule at Book Thing: each visitor is only allowed to take out 150,000 books per day. If you still don't believe that they're free, you're not alone: the Book Thing FAQ suggets many are skeptical.

I also encouraged my students to bring their own books. Many did. Among my favorites were a variety of colorfully illustrated children's stories and a little book about the Tennessee Capitol building.

We met at Dandelion Salon, where I have hosted classes before. I taught the students how to carefully remove pages and spines and then walked them through a complete Coptic binding lesson. The journals we created have new blank pages on the inside, between two vintage covers.

While we stayed busy, local photographer Kate Cauthen also stopped by to capture the class in action to bring attention to The Skillery, which I've written about often. The Skillery helps coordinate classes throughout Nashville. Kate was kind enough to share her photos.

Leading up to the class, and since then, I've continued to work with my vintage book collection, completing a few projects that will soon be shown at the Porter Flea art show.

I think we're still taking on more books than I'm upcycling into new blank journals. But having a few more books around has never seemed like much of a problem to me.

Photos by Kate Cauthen.

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