East Nashville bookbinding workshop supports Thistle Farms, a local non-profit

Binding books and sipping wine, all while supporting a great cause? Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday evening to me! 

I will be teaching a bookbinding workshop tomorrow evening at the newly opened and beautifully renovated Dandelion Salon in East Nashville. And you're in luck! There are still two tickets available, and you can register now through The Skillery. 

This will be the first monthly art event that will be hosted at Dandelion Salon. You really have to see this place to believe it. (Here's a sneak peek!) It might seem an unlikely place for such an event, but the building is huge and everything in the space is moveable which will allow for the easy transformation from hair salon to art venue and neighborhood hangout. (Plus the owner, Christie, is amazing and I highly recommend making an appointment with her for your next haircut!)

The papers we'll be using to make our hardcover pocket-sized journals were purchased from a Nashville non-profit, Thistle Farms, in which women who have survived lives of prostitution and addiction support themselves by creating natural body care products and handmade papers. (I'm a little obsessed with their Citrus Vanilla hand lotion...)

This class is part of the four-day Creativity Moves event, which brings together Nashville's creative and non-profit communities to inspire giving back through creativity. Following the "one-for-one" model, your participation in this workshop allows me to teach a second free bookbinding class for the women of Thistle Farms. I'll volunteer my time to teach the skills necessary to add new handbound books to their paper product line, and part of the fee you've paid helps fund the supplies used in the class.

I hope you'll join us tomorrow night for a fun and creative evening!

Learn Bookbinding Using Local Thistle Farms Paper

Learn to make a handbound book from a professional bookbinder — and help foster creativity in Nashville. In this class, you'll create a travel-sized, hardcover journal with locally made paper. This class will introduce you to the world of book arts, and you'll leave with your own handbound journal and the skills to make more books in the future.

The materials used in this class were purchased from a Nashville non-profit, Thistle Farms, in which women who have survived lives of prostitution and addiction support themselves by creating natural body care products and papers. These interesting papers are made with recycled materials and thistles, giving your journal the type of character and quality that sets handmade books apart.

This class in East Nashville is one of many workshops happening around the city during the four-day Creativity Moves Nashville event May 24-27. Creativity Moves Nashville brings together Nashville's creative and non-profit communities to inspire giving back through creativity. Your participation in this workshop allows me to teach a second free class for a community group in need, following the "one-for-one" model. I'll volunteer my time, and part of the fee you've paid helps fund the supplies.

When: Saturday, May 26; 5 – 7 p.m.

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

Cost: $32 (includes $12 materials fee)

Register: http://theskillery.com/classes/learn-bookbinding-using-local-thistle-farms-paper

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Summer book arts workshops in Nashville

I've often found that people who like book arts fall into one of two groups. They either like functional books, perhaps to be used as travel journals or sketchbooks. Or they like sculptural forms made from clever found objects, and interesting book-like structures created as artistic displays. This summer, I'll teach workshops for both. 

Through Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, I'll be teaching a two-day workshop where we'll make a large hardcover journal with the Coptic binding, as well as a several smaller functional books with a variety of binding styles.  And I'll also be teaching a one-day workshop on flag books made with a interesting materials like maps, postage stamps, vintage photographs, and game boards.  

If you're interested in learning to make books but don't know which type you'd enjoy the most, these two workshops would be a perfect introduction to the world of book arts.  Since the workshops are just one or two days long, you'll be able try something new without committing to an in-depth, multi-week course.  

These classes are open to anyone in the Nashville community, and to register just call the college's community education office at 615-277-7455.  Be sure to sign up at least two weeks in advance.  To see the other creative classes available, check out the Watkins summer course catalog. 

Bind your own handmade journal

When: Saturday, July 14; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

and Sunday, July 15; 1 – 4 p.m.

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

Cost: $65, plus $20 materials fee

Description: Learn to bind your own unique and functional book, perfect for journaling or sketching. This two-day workshop will teach the Coptic binding style, which features hard covers, exposed stitching on the spine and pages that lay completely fl at when open. The Coptic stitch, developed by early Christians in Egypt, remains one of the most popular bookbinding styles. All materials and tools will be provided.

Sculptural bookbinding

When: Saturday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Watkins College, 2298 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville
Cost: $50, plus $15 materials fee

Description: Maps, postcards, ticket stubs, letters and vintage photographs become works of art in this sculptural bookmaking class. We’ll make hardcover flag books, which look simple when closed, but open to reveal surprising interlocking folds and pages. Bring your own paper keepsakes to feature inside. All other materials and tools will be provided.

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A coral, orange, and gold wedding guest book

I finished making this wedding guest book yesterday for some friends of mine in Nashville who are tying the knot next month.  To personalize their book, I included a portion of Anna and Troy's lovely wedding invitations in an embossed cutout in the front cover.  

Their wedding colors are a vibrant mix of warm tones, so the bride-to-be selected a coral handmade lokta paper for the covers of the book and an orange lokta paper with shimmering gold brushstrokes for the guards, which are seen along the spine of the book.  And for a playful surprise when you open the book, the endsheets are made from a paper with a bold orange and magenta flower print.  

Anna is an artist with exceptional taste, and it was fun working together to create this book.  While she was visiting my studio, I pulled out all of my decorative paper options that matched her color scheme and she immediately gravitated toward that papers shown here.  I love the way this book turned out, and I can't wait to see how all of the other details for her wedding come together.  

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A custom, classic black-and-white wedding book

This wedding book won't let guests off the hook with merely a simple signature. Dreamed up by a friend of the bride, the book's pages ask for self-portrait doodles by guests and predictions for what the couple will be doing in 50 years.  Each guest gets an entire page to fill with their memories, advice, and well-wishes for the couple. 

The end result was a book that's both fun and classy.  And I can only imagine how entertaining it was for the Maryjane and Barry to flip through the book after their wedding and see all of the drawings and messages that guests left for them. 

In keeping with the couple's black-and-white wedding theme, I used a handmade paper printed with a black chrysanthemum pattern for the covers of the book. The pages were printed in black and shades of gray, and the design features an Art Deco-inspired typeface.  Throughout the book, there are a few pages with my coordinating handmade photo corners where Maryjane and Barry could add wedding pictures to complete the book. 

For couples that prefer something other than blank or lined pages for their wedding guest book, I can design and print custom pages to further personalize their keepsake.  I can include the lyrics to your favorite song along the bottoms of the pages, sprinkle quotes about love alongside floral illustrations, pose questions for your guests to answer, or anything else you can dream up.  You can view my portfolio of wedding books with printed pages to see examples and get ideas for your own book. 

So you might be wondering what types of questions to ask your guests. Here are a few examples from books that I've designed:

What is the key to a happy marriage?

Where will Maryjane and Barry be in 50 years?

What has been your favorite part of the wedding so far?

What is your favorite memory of Maryjane and Barry?

What is your advice for Maryjane and Barry?

What will Maryjane and Barry have first: a new pet, their own home, or a baby boy or girl?

When did you first know that Maryjane and Barry were in love?

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Learn to make a handbound wedding guest book

I'll be teaching a new class next month for creative brides (and grooms!) in Nashville.  In the three-day class, I'll show students how to make their own personalized, one-of-a-kind wedding guest book for their big day.  

I'm always dedicated to making unique books for my customers, but I'm especially excited about this class because I think a book made by the bride and groom themselves could result in something even more special.  

More details about the class are available below, and if you're ready to sign up visit The Skillery website. And if you're not getting married, it's not a problem. You’re still welcome to enroll to make a wedding book for a friend or a journal for yourself.  

Make Your Own Wedding Guest Book

If the details matter in your wedding, don’t forget the guest book. You’ll work with a professional bookbinder to create a meaningful and long-lasting keepsake to hold messages written by friends and family on your special day. 

You’ll use high-quality materials (all provided) while working over three days to go from concept to completion — with numerous opportunities to include your personal touch and wedding colors. Your invitations, engagement photos, and other mementos could even be bound right into the book. 

The class begins with a brainstorming session to introduce the world of handmade books. We’ll talk about the possibilities for your guest book while handling a collection of professionally made examples so that students can choose between two traditional binding techniques. Everyone will have about a week to gather or buy special materials (if desired) before completing the bindings in the final two classes. 

You’ll leave this class with a completed and customized book, as well as the techniques to make handcrafted books in the future — journals, sketchbooks, photo albums, or even another wedding guest book for a friend. 

Dates: 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 7 - 9 p.m.

Saturday, May 19, 2012, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Sunday, May 20, 2012, 1 - 4 p.m.

Cost:

$160 (includes $20 materials fee)

If you'd like to bring your spouse-to-be to the workshop so you can make your wedding guest book together, they can attend the workshop for a discounted ticket price when you purchase your ticket here. Spouse-to-be tickets are $40, and can be purchased at the door.

Location:

Brick Factory Nashville

Cummins Station, 209 10th Ave South, Suite 126

Nashville, TN 37203

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A colorful bouquet of birthday books

I recently received an interesting request from a customer that resulted in a trip to Franklin, TN with a collection of colorful books.  The customer from Georgia came across my website while searching for bookbinders in the Nashville area.  Her dear friend's birthday was approaching and she wanted to surprise her with a special delivery of little handmade books.  

We selected a cheerful assortment of little books that I bundled together with a bright orange bow and placed in a gift bag with a sweet handwritten note. Then I set off for historic downtown Franklin (just south of Nashville and home to lots of famous musicians and celebrities). The birthday girl was thrilled with her surprise delivery of miniature books, and she invited me into her beautiful home so I could tell her all about the different handmade creations. 

The birthday "bouquet" of books included four single-signature pamphlet books, one double-signature pamphlet, one softcover book sewn with the Japanese stab binding, an Italian longstitch journal with a red suede cover, a grey-and-orange hot air balloon book sewn onto cords, and a hardcover Coptic book with a Japanese waves paper used for the covers. I had such fun putting together this set of books, and it was a great excuse to make a trip to Franklin too. What a clever idea for a birthday gift!

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Sharing bookbinding photos on Instagram

For the past few months, I've been using Instagram to capture sneak peeks into my studio, custom handmade books, sites around Nashville and beyond, and a few pictures of my bullmastiff and her infamous tongue.  I've included a few of my favorite photos in this post, as well as a slideshow where you can see some of my most recent pictures.

I've also been using Instagram to connect with other bookbinders and artists, and searching for inspiring photos by using some book-related tags: #bookarts #bookbinding #bookbinder #handmadebook.  

Here are a few bookbinders and paper artists I follow on Instagram that are worth checking out:

boundbyhand, press_and_bind, jazziees, leilalk, hss_pdx, jackelina00, aduhlene.  Oh, and be sure to check out this Instagram photo of a handbound book filled with Instagram photos.

If you're on Instagram too, please feel free to follow me.  My username is linenlaidfelt.  And please comment on this post to let me know what your usernames are, or if you have any suggestions for any artists, bookbinders, Etsy sellers, or other creative folks I should be following. 

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Little books that fit in an envelope

As I was preparing for the current Bookbinding Etsy Street Team book swap, I realized that I never shared photos from the last swap, probably because it occurred just as I was getting ready to move to Nashville. Despite the delay, the book I received from Laura of PrariePeasent is just too beautiful not to share. 

The pages of this lotus fold book were made from an old illustrated children's book about a clever mother bird protecting her children. Laura used her own handmade paper, which includes little bits of daffodil petals, for the covers. I love the sweet illustrations of the little birds, and how the ribbon that wraps around the book is reminiscent of a bird's nest. 

Interestingly enough, the book that I sent off for the swap to Katie, a bookbinder and graphic designer from Indianapolis, was made using the same origami-like construction as the book I received from Laura. The theme for this swap was to send something that "fits in an envelope,"so perhaps we both thought that these little folded books would be a good option.

The little book I made for the swap was part of a series of books made from vintage maps.  About a year ago my husband picked up a 1966 Britannica Wold Atlas for free on a trip to Baltimore. There's a place called Book Thing of Baltimore that gives away used books. But there's one catch: you can only take 150,000 free books per day, per person.

The atlas was packed with outdated, quirky data colorfully displayed on dozens of political and topographical maps from around the world. I decided to repurpose the pages of the atlas into a series of sculptural books featuring the vibrant map imagery (find them in my shop here). The books unfold in a malleable array of pages to reveal a random assortment of maps and graphics. When closed, the folds return to an orderly stack. 

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A photo book for a world-traveling photojournalist

When a book leaves my studio and is shipped to its new owner, I like to think that the book's journey has only just begun.  The pages are folded, the covers are glued and pressed, and the binding is stitched neatly into place, but the book is not yet complete.  Most of the books I make are meant to be filled.  Perhaps with congratulatory notes from wedding guests, or records of a baby's first steps and words, or photos of travels far and wide.  Once a book is filled, it takes on new meaning and importance, and it is transformed into something even more special than when it left my studio.

I wish I could check in with all of my handbound books months or even years later to see how they've come to life in their new homes, but I don't always get the chance to see my books when they've been put to use.  On the occasions that I do, however, it's always thrilling to me. 

This particular book was commissioned by Lianne Milton, a San Francisco-based photojournalist, to hold a special collection of her photographs. She requested a simple design for the book.  The pages were made from thick, textured watercolor paper.  For the covers, I made my own bookcloth using a soft grey linen fabric.  And I bound the book with the Coptic binding using navy waxed linen thread.

When the book left my studio, the pages were blank and I was curious to see how they would be filled.  Lianne was kind enough to photograph her book for me once she had added photos to the pages, and I'm excited to share her images of the book here.  

I highly recommend that you take some time to look through Lianne's online portfolio of her photographs.  She is a world-traveling photographer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and many other publications.  Her work mainly focuses on the effects of politics on people and their environments, and she travels around the globe to capture her stunning images. She also photographs a limited number of weddings each year, in a similar documentary style to her editorial work.  You can view her wedding portfolio here.  

The craftsmanship of the blank book is very important to me and I enjoy the detailed process of creating a handbound book completely from scratch.  But a book like this clearly takes on more meaning once it has completed its journey.

Photos courtesy of Lianne Milton.  

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An elegant wedding book bound for Norway

I created this customized wedding guest book over the summer for a couple in Norway.  The bride, Nora, selected a teal paper with a tiny gold dot pattern for the covers of this book.  I had just one sheet of this beautiful chiyogami paper from Japan in my stash, and I'd been waiting for the perfect project to use it.  

I was excited with Nora picked this paper for her wedding book, and I loved the way this book turned out.  I paired the teal paper with a gold coated lokta paper for the endsheets (the paper on the inside of the covers) and the guards (which gives the spine of the book a shimmery touch of elegance). The book was sewn with white linen thread using the Coptic binding technique. 

Soon after making this book when I wanted to order more of this particular teal paper, I was disappointed to learn that it was no longer available.  I only had a partial sheet left, just enough to make one (or maybe two) more books.  But thankfully my luck changed a few months later.  In late December when I placed a large paper order from my favorite paper supplier, I was thrilled to discover that it was back in stock. I ordered several sheets of this design in teal, pink, and orange — all of which are now part of my 2012 paper collection for custom wedding books or baby books. 

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