It’s been a long few months, but here at last I’m happy to announce the opening of Re:Paper Studios North!  That’s right, I’ve arrived in Chicago safe and sound, with dog and husband in tow.  What’s more I’ve finally unpacked enough of my studio to get some work done, so send those custom order requests my way- whether you’re looking for a new journal, wedding album, photo album, address book or any other kind of custom-bound custom-made book, I can help!  More news to come as I continue to settle in.  Welcome to the new studio!

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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.

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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!

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Thanks everyone who voted in the BEST Zombie Award over at the BEST blog- it was a tough fight with so many awesome entries, but I managed to retain my title!  Check out the BEST Blog here for a wonderful write-up on my Vampire Diary.  Best of all, I get to share the “horrors” (ahem, pardon the pun) or rather honors this year with Rhonda on MyHandBoundBooks and her super cool (and super creepy) “Trapped Inside a Haunted House” tunnel book!

You may well ask, Sara Hindmarch, you just won the BEST Zombie Award two years running- what are you going to do next?  Well, here’s a hint.  And here’s another one!  Keep your eyes here for more info soon!

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Dear me, can it be that time already?  2010 is swiftly upon us, and if you’re like me you already have some dates to put into the calendar!  So while I’m reticent to start talking about the new year until I can comfortably wear a scarf and boots outdoors, I suppose it is after all time to start talking about 2010 planners.  I’ll be making up a few to put in the Etsy shop in this weekend, so keep your eyes pealed for a ready-made planner to snag.  Or, to really start the new year in style, why not commission your very own custom planner for 2010?  Tell me the paper/ colors/ theme you want for the cover, the binding style (coptic or secret Belgian), even the specific holidays you want noted!  There’s a listing for both a standard custom planner and a custom cover Scrabble planner up in my store right now with all of the details.  Or, drop me a line here to discuss possibilities.  Happy New Year!

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Hands down, my favorite thing about being in the “craft scene” is getting to meet and talk shop with other creative folks; even when a show is slow there’s always something to learn by talking to the talented folks all around you.  That’s why I was thrilled back in May to spend some time chatting with Jacquelyn of 3pieceonline at the VaHi Mommy and Me event.  Jacquelyn had a wealth of great tips on marketing your craft business that I’ve (still) been to lazy to try out, including the importance of regular blogging, and photographing (or even filming) yourself and your booth at each show you do.  But I do have an excuse- beyond her super smart advice there was something distracting me, pulling my attention. . . something heavenly and delicious smelling, impossible to ignore. . . her fantastic candles!  I was so excited to hear from Jacquelyn the other day with a special order request for a basketball journal for her son, Boy Wonder.  I was even more excited that I’d be able to enact what is perhaps my second favorite thing about being a crafter, invoking the “swap” of creative goods!  It was a ton of fun making the custom basketball journal, I even found some fantastic basketball textured paper for the endpapers.  And it was a difficult decision to figure out which of the wonderful scents offered by Jacquelyn I wanted to get in exchange, but somehow I did it (and was surprised with an extra candle when swap time came!).  Of course while I came to the swap merely with the book to trade off Jacquelyn came prepared with a camera, check out her coverage of the swap on her fun (and consistantly updated) blog.  And remember to keep up with Jacquelyn via her blog as the holiday season nears to see where she and her fantastic candles can be found- I know I will!

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Ah.  Seems I have been very negligent whereas this blog is concerned.  I’m sorry blog.  But you see, I’ve been wrapped up in wedded bliss.  Sure, the boy and I are doing just great, but I mean the wedded bliss of others: a veritable blizzard of custom wedding book orders!  Each of these lovely books could get their own full blog post- and some indeed shall.  But to tide you over until then I’ll give you a few little peeks into the studio!  First up is this lovely clover sunprint book for JulieBelle.  I adore the fresh, modern natural vibe of her chosen colors, and the play of the clover paper cut over the white.  A classic book for a lovely summer wedding!  Next up, my first ever large format Scrabble guest book.  Always when making Scrabble books I feel like I’m fighting against the fold in the board, making books shorter and longer than I’d like just to compensate.  But when this order came in the bride was game to try something different, and work the board fold into the cover.  The result: a neat double hinged cover that I’ll be sure to try again!  Last but certainly not least, a trio of eco-friendly albums that you’re sure to hear about more here later.  With covers made from sustainable tree-free Lokta fiber paper and 100% recycled/ acid-free interior pages these books are a beautiful blend of eco-friendly and archival.  Good for the future, no matter how you choose to look at it!  I’ve a few more books to finish up, and I’ll talk more here about them soon (promise!).  In the meantime if you’re headed towards wedded bliss and want your very own custom book within which to capture the day drop me a line and together we’ll get started on your perfect book!

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Well, the book is done and already in the hands of its happy owner- but I still owe you the rest of the story of the creation- so here goes!  While the covers stayed in the press (a bit extra long since the humidity has hit its stride here in Atlanta and I don’t want the boards warping) I started working on designing and printing the text block.  Since this is a side bound book I want to make sure the pages turn smoothly and lie flat for wedding guests to sign, so I scored each page with my trusty English bone folder, once along the spine edge and again along the hinge.  With the pages scored it was time to get the covers out of the press and ready for binding using another favorite tool of mine, the crop-a-dile.  The Crop-a-dile has replaced my (also beloved) Japanese screw punch for most heavy hole punching, as it easily punches thru boards (even double thick!) and full text blocks.  It also looks like some serious equipment and sounds like a gun going off- it makes me feel like a bit of a bad-ass when I use it : ).  With holes punched in covers and text block, it’s time for the final step- binding!  I had a lot of fun (and challenges) binding this particular book.  I knew the customer wanted the brown as an accent color, but didn’t want it to overwhelm the soft pink cover.  I bound and rebound this book a few time using different patterns until I found one that I thought complemented the structure best- a light corset bind with a minimum of sewing lines (to keep the spine from being too dark and busy).  And voila!  The final book as seen here was ready to ship and start its new life as a wedding book and treassured keepsake for many, many years to come!

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The covers are done and in the press for my 100th Etsy book sale, and while they dry I thought you might want a peek at the process!  Step one is often the most fun- shopping!  Supplies for this book came from a variety of sources, including lovely soft pink book cloth from Paper Studio and the adorable eyelet paper and coordinating brown ribbon from Paper Source.  Next comes the skill part, getting those covers built!  Step one with this look is to cover the acid free davey boards in the book cloth, making sure to run the grain of the book cloth in the right direction for a smoothly folding spine hinge.  Mitred corners also give a clean finish to the book, removing excess material bulk from the corners for a good, clean look.  Next up, placing the eyelet paper over the book cloth on the front cover for a sweet peek-a-boo effect.  This is the most challenging step of this book for me as glue tends to want to seep up through the eyelet holes and get on to the cover.  BUT with my trusty bone folder and a damp rag at hand it’s easy enough to keep the glue where it belongs!  Next, a bit of a color accent as the brown ribbon is placed between the end of the eyelet paper and the pink spine on the cover, secured inside with some acid free artist tape.  Over that goes the endpapers and then into the press to dry!  I’m working on the page layout now, stay tuned for some pictures of the binding process and the final book!

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Congratulations to Susan2243, winner of my Etsy 100th sale promotion!  Susan has commissioned a custom wedding guest book, and as the 100th sale in my Etsy shop she’s getting her book at 10% off!  Keep your eyes here for some behind the scenes looks at the building of this book (and bookbinding in general) in the coming weeks.  And don’t forget, if you’re in the market for a custom book you can drop me a line here or on Etsy- I’d love to collaborate with you to create the perfect book!

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