Perhaps you saw them in the Green Upgrader Handmade Gift Guide written by the lovely Becky of Glue and Glitter , or maybe you caught them on Nerd Approved. Either way, there’s no denying- beer box books are the must have journal for eco-conscious beer aficionados with a writing habit. The demand caught me by surprise and the initial batch of books sold fast, but rest assured I’m working as fast as my fingers will go to whip up and new round for you all.

So what do you do if you’ve just got to have a beer box book? There are a few options. If you want a book and are not too picky about the box used for the cover drop me a message either using the contact me link to the left or the contact RePaper link on my Etsy site and I’ll send you a note when the new set of books has been listed in my Etsy store. If you have a request for a specific brand, drop me a line at either contact and let me know what you’re in the market for- I’ll keep any eye out when I hit the neighborhood bars (or rather, their recycle bins), but I may not be able to fill every request. If you have a must-have brand that I cannot find locally you can send me a box (contact me for shipping instructions) and I’ll create a custom listing for you in my store when it’s ready.

Please keep in mind that Christmas will very soon be upon us, I’ll do my best to fill orders by then but if you can wait until after the holidays let me know, you will win my eternal gratitude and save a little bit of cash. All must have by Christmas special orders carry a rush charge and will cost $12, special orders that can wait until after Christmas delivery are still only $8. And, if you can catch them, the ready made books I’ll be listing in the shop will also sell for $8 and will make it to you by Christmas if purchased by December 20^th (US delivery only, sorry). How do you know when there are more books ready in the shop? Keep an eye or the Etsy widget to the right there for images, or contact me to be sent an update.

Happy Holidays, and remember- once you do have a beer book in hand, write responsibly.

Buy Handmade, Uncategorized, custom order, etsy, festivals, hackbooking, methods and materials, odds and ends, press | No Comments »

That’s right, it’s almost time for ICE!  Be sure to stop by booth #21 to see me (that’ll off the right hand aisle by the kitchen, near the yummy goodies from Just Add Honey and Dulce Vegan Bakery).  I’ll have plenty of 2010 day planners, photo albums, address books, blank books, diaries, travel journals and other goodies to fill every stocking on your list!  I’ll also be taking custom orders at the show if you’re looking to create the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for the holidays.  So be sure to join me and over 100 other super talented artists for the best holiday market in Atlanta!

Buy Handmade, appearances, custom order, festivals, hackbooking, methods and materials, odds and ends | No Comments »

Mother’s day is Sunday and you need something special to show Mom how much you love her. How you appreciate her years of love and hard work, instilling you with values and ideals while wisely stepping back far enough to let you become your own unique person. If only there were a shop filled with local, handmade, thoughtful and lovely gifts worthy of your Ma. Well, you’re in luck! Come on out this Thursday night to Kraftwork, the best monthly indie craft market in Atlanta, held at the Young Blood Gallery in Midtown. Entry for shoppers is free, and in addition to the lovely wares of your local captains of crafty industry and industrious crafters there is often food and drink to be had for a mere “donation.” It’s like every art opening you sneaked into in college for cheap wine, only now you’ll both like and be able to afford the art! There’s some serious talent lined up for this week, just check out the roster- a veritable who’s who of local indie crafters. So come on out and pick out special for your Mom, you know she’s worth it and so much more.

Buy Handmade, Uncategorized, appearances, odds and ends | No Comments »

Oh happy day! I’m now within 10 sales of reaching the 100th sale in my Etsy shop! As a special thank you to the buyer of my 100th item I’m offering 20% off any listed book or 10% off a custom order on the 100th sale. AND every sale between now and the 100th will receive a small fun gift for playing along. SO! Pop on over to Re:Paper and have a look at what’s for sale- and don’t forget Mother’s Day is just around the corner. I have lots of lovely address books, blank books (make great journals), photo albums, travel journals and more on offer. And don’t forget the custom option, I can make a guest book, blank book, address book and more all to your specifications! Good Luck!

Buy Handmade, Uncategorized, etsy, odds and ends, sale | No Comments »

Happy 2009! 2008 was a year of highs and lows for me personally: I got to take trips to France and Italy for work, but I also lost my best friend and my grandfather to cancer. 2008 was a fantastic year all around for me as Re:Paper, I sold 40 books on Etsy and at least as many more in a couple of fantastic local shows. I taught a class at APS, bound books for a show by an amazing Atlanta artist and contributed to an upcoming book on Green Bookmaking! I made some resolutions for Re:Paper this time last year, let’s see how I did. . .

1. Learn and master at least 2 new bindings
I have my sites set on mastering the secret Belgian binding, brought to my attention by a lovely book made by Rhonda of MyHandboundBooks . I found a tutorial online that I’m hoping to try this week!
How’d I do:
I got the secret Belgian down pretty well, I also picked up the 4-needle Coptic (I had learned before, but it’s been years since I did it). I do wish I’d worked on a few others, I’ll renew this resolution for 2009!

2. Take better pictures for the Etsy page (and in general)
This means another fun project, constructing a light tent.
How’d I do: Got better at the Etsy pictures by constructing a system (rather than a light tent) of using our large east facing window and some props. I still want to make that light tent though.

3. Incorporate my photography into my books
I have tons of photos that I’ve taken that I love and have been waiting for the right project to use. Exactly how I’ll be using them in my books leads me to resolution #4. . .
How’d I do: I’ve taken tons of photos of my books, but not so much used photography in my books- I call a do over on this one.

4. Experiment more with alternative process photography
I’m back using my Holga thanks in part to some new toys that I got as Christmas presents from the in-laws: a set of color filters and a 35mm adapter kit. I’d also like to finally play with gum bichromate processing, especially the tri-color process - which would mean I’d need to start making negatives off of the computer, which leads me to #5. . .
How’d I do: Gah, this one’s a total fail. I played with the Holga a lot, but still have to scan in the negatives to see if I got anything good. Gum Bichromate is still a goal for me, another do-over.

5. Learn to use Photoshop more effectively
The boy tells me all the time how Photoshop could both make the work I do easier AND open up new possibilities. I’ve been slow to learn, but I’m vowing to try in 2008.
How’d I do: I’m getting better, in part because I’ve been using Photoshop more at work this year. I also took the plunge and learned some basics on InDesign for laying out a couple of books.

And what are my goals for 2009? They break down into two main categories- play more and promote more. For playing more, I want to learn to use the Gocco my Mom sent me and incorporate the prints into my books. I’d also like to work harder on resolution #4 above. From promotion, I need to start using my Flickr, Facebook and Tumblr pages more effectively (as well as bringing more content to this blog and contribute more to the Etsy Bookbinding Team). I also want to start on Twitter- hopefully these tools will help me to promote my work as well as network and just keep in better touch with friends across the country. I’d also like to reach out to some more local arts center and see if I can do some more teaching, maybe doing a weekend long intensive class or even a bookbinding class for kids!

And since they’re not adding any extra days onto 2009 (sorry, I tried- they said they just couldn’t do it) I need to get into gear now (or I’ll never get this all done). A sneak peak ahead: I’m already part way in to teaching another class at APS, I’m mentoring a fantastic artist, and I’ve sold 10 books on Etsy already! And we’re just getting started, so wish me luck, and have a fantastic 2009!

etsy, odds and ends | No Comments »

Looking for a bit of artistic inspiration for the new year? Why not look back to the past? The Morgan Library and Museum has a fantastic exhibition up through March, “Protecting the Word: Bookbindings of the Morgan.” And if you’re like me and not likely to make it to New York by spring don’t fret, the Museum has put 9 beautiful books up online for you to browse. There’s even a really nice zoom feature to get closer to the books than I suspect you’d be able to get even if you did visit. My only gripe is that the online version of the exhibition focuses far more on cover design/ construction than actual sewn binding construction (oh, if only they’d included a spine view of the 7th-8th century Coptic cover of the Gospels!). But overall it is well worth a visit for a bit of old inspiration for the new year. Enjoy!

art, odds and ends | No Comments »

April 22nd is Earth Day!  Part of Re:Paper’s mission is reuse and redirect paper that would otherwise be junked, and turn it into beautiful works of art.  All of my books feature at least recycled text papers (acid free, post consumer waste), any may feature recycled paper covers from old games, calendars, maps and other sources.  Here are some quick tips from my studio to help you conserve paper every day of the year…

•  Buy an accordion file and save beautiful bits of paper that you come across (from magazines, calendars, wrapping papers, even your crafting scraps).  Use these treasures to make collages, cards or other crafty projects to gift or keep.
• Like the idea of keeping scraps but think you’ll never get around to using them?  Save them up and gift them to kid you know (along with some glue, glitter, pens and other “crafty” necessities) as an art kit.
•  Save one sided sheets of paper bound for the recycling bin.  At the end of the week, cut them in half and “bind” with a binder clip to make a handy scrap pad (and remember to recycle those scraps!)
• If you have recycling at work but just hate to get up constantly to place every little scrap in the bin, try placing a little “recycle bin” at your desk (I use and empty file box top).  Toss used paper in as you go, empty into the big recycle bin at the end of the week.
• Visit Catalog Choice to opt out of catalogues still showing up for old roommates, boyfriends and other previous inhabitants.  The service is free!

hackbooking, methods and materials, odds and ends, resouces | No Comments »

I’m playing with a new app, a tumblr page. Right now my attempts to customize the pages is crashing Safari, so it’s pretty basic- but keep your eyes pointed here for pictures, thoughts and other random bits of Sara.

odds and ends | No Comments »

Edible books: wonderful or just plain weird?  You decide.  Wordsmith Books in Decatur is hosting the 5th Annual Edible Book Festival next weekend, Saturday March 29^th.  The Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta and the Southeast Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers invites you to “unleash your imagination as you cook up a culinary creation with literary inspiration.”  Participants are asked to make edible art that has something to do with books, shapes or content.  Entries will be exhibited to the public at Wordsmith Books and judged base on relevance and creativity.  Prizes will be awarded to winners and (best of all?) after judging all “suitable entries” will be eaten.  Entry fees are $5 for amateurs and $25 for professionals (what qualifies as a professional edible bookmaker I leave you to ponder), and all proceeds benefit Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta in its effort to increase adult literacy.  I’m cooking up an entry (pardon the pun) and am looking forward to deciding where the event falls on the wonderful/ weird divide in person.  To find out more or to register check out the Wordsmith Books website.  And if you’re not in the Atlanta area do yourself a favor and Google “Edible Book;” you may be surprised how many festivals of this bent (Edible Book Festivals, Edible Book Teas, etc.) pop up around the country every Spring!

festivals, hackbooking, odds and ends | No Comments »

1. Learn and master at least 2 new bindings
I have my sites set on mastering the secret Belgian binding, brought to my attention by a lovely book made by Rhonda of MyHandboundBooks . I found a tutorial online that I’m hoping to try this week!

2. Take better pictures for the Etsy page (and in general)
This means another fun project, constructing a light tent.

3. Incorporate my photography into my books
I have tons of photos that I’ve taken that I love and have been waiting for the right project to use. Exactly how I’ll be using them in my books leads me to resolution #4. . .

4. Experiment more with alternative process photography
I’m back using my Holga thanks in part to some new toys that I got as Christmas presents from the in-laws: a set of color filters and a 35mm adapter kit. I’d also like to finally play withgum bichromate processing, especially the tri-color process - which would mean I’d need to start making negatives off of the computer, which leads me to #5. . .

5. Learn to use Photoshop more effectively
The boy tells me all the time how Photoshop could both make the work I do easier AND open up new possibilities. I’ve been slow to learn, but I’m vowing to try in 2008.

odds and ends, photography | 1 Comment »