* The Free Shipping sale runs from July 5th - July 16th.

* Free shipping applies to U.S. addresses only, but I will discount International orders- just send me a message and I’ll get you a quote.

* When the Free Shipping sale ends I’ll be putting the shop “On Vacation” for a few weeks- so now’s the time to get shopping!

Also, it is worth noting- I have a number of vintage goodies in my shop at the moment.  Free shipping applies to those as well!  So get shopping and I’ll get packing.  And I’ll check in again with you all when I’m in Chicago!

In a perfect word, but also a more boring world. In truth most of us are making books for a little bit of income, and a lot of creative release. And even if it is your full time gig, saving a few bucks or finding inspiration from outside the norm is always a good thing. When making books my credo is- I may not have a lot of money to spare, but I can still have a lot of fun. That’s what I want to talk about on my new Wednesday blogging stint here- what I call budget bookginding, or hackbooking. “Hacking” tools & supplies from other aisles of the craft store, or things already around the house, or even things saved from the trash to create new and interesting structures and save a buck.

So let’s get started! There are a lot of beautiful tools out there, but sometimes you have to make do with what you’ve got on hand. Below are some of my favorite easy substitutions- bookbinding “tools” you probably already have laying around the house.

Glue papers: Free newspapers, catalogs and magazines. Every Thursday our local free paper comes out, so every Wednesday night I take a few left from the stack outside my office and use them to protect my table from glue when working on my covers. Just open the paper to the front page and start gluing, and when the page is all gluey turn the page for a fresh surface. Do be careful when using lightweight or light colored paper as the ink from the pages can transfer with the glue- in those cases it’s best to use the blank backside of a printed page from your recycle bin or a spare scrap of wax paper as your glue paper.

Cutting/ scoring mat: Cardboard from the back of sketchpads. I use sketchpad paper for a fair number of books, and instead of recycling the backs right away I’ve found that the thick backing makes an excellent “pad” to protect my table when scoring pages with a bone folder. In a pinch they also work as a quick cutting mat. Bonus- you can write down your measurements on the board for quick reference.

Punching Cradle: Telephone book. I started using the phone book in a pinch when my cradle bit the dust and I needed a quick replacement in the middle of a project. You do need to be extra careful that the signatures don’t slide once you’ve squared them up, but otherwise this works great- just tap your signature on the table to square up the pages, open your book to near the center, and place your signature in the valley to punch. And don’t forget to put your slip of sketchpad cardboard underneath to protect your table from awl holes. One warning- I’ve yet to run into a problem, but you may want to “test” the ink in your phone book first by rubbing a piece of scrap paper against the page you plan to set your signature on- if the ink rubs off place a clean sheet of paper between your phone book and signature for extra protection before punching.

Bookpress: Stack of books. The classic book press (no pun intended). Just sandwich up your glued boards (wrapped in wax paper) between heavy books large enough to cover the board surface for a good, even pressing. Our Time Life art history books get lots of love this way.

Hinge spacers: Skewers. At just over 1/8″ wide wooden skewers have become my favorite way to get even, easy hinge spacing in my books. Just place down a skewer on either side of your spine, snug up the cove beside it and lift the skewer away. Voila! Perfect, even hinge spaces- from a cheap and reusable little tool. The pointy end is also good for poking ribbon ends down into hole to finish off a stab-binding.

So what am I missing? I’m sure there’s a ton of great “household material tool hacks” out there, please share your favorites in the comments below!

**This post was first published on the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team blog.

Last week the Georgia House of Representatives passed their fiscal year 2011 budget, which includes eliminating Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA). Remaining grant funds would be transferred to the Department of Community Affairs, leaving Georgia the only state or territory in the nation without an arts agency.

So, what’s at stake?

A lot. According to Susan Weiner, Executive Director of the Georgia Council for the Arts, “GCA receives the National Endowment for the Arts State Partnership Grant with a value of almost $900,000 as well as additional funding from regional arts agency South Arts of $200,000,” she said. “These grants require receipt by a state entity with a mission and programming that is dedicated to the arts. Neither the Georgia Arts Alliance nor the Department of Community Affairs fulfills these requirements. Georgia stands to lose more than one-million dollars in national and regional funding if this agency is eliminated.”* The NEA has confirmed that the Georgia Council for the Arts is the only Georgia state agency that meets its partnership requirements.

In addition to money lost from national and regional funding sources, Georgia stands to loose money in the form of tax revenue and tourist dollars. According to a recent study conducted by Price-Waterhouse Coopers, 380 arts and cultural organizations in the state had a net impact of $387 million and contributed more than $18.6 million in tax revenue.* And according to the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, nonprofit arts and culture groups brought in $722 million in 2009, with $386 million going into the state’s economy.****  Cuts in funding will result in a loss of some of these reliable revenue streams.

Add to the loss of funding and revenue the loss of jobs. Yes, no one goes into a career in the Arts to make lots of $$, but one does hope to be able to at least find employment. Sadly many who have dedicated their lives to the Arts have found themselves unemployed in the past year due to general budget cuts and falling oraganizational incomes (people such as myself). With further cuts Georgia will loose yet more jobs.

And finally you can’t ignore the cost to Georgia’s overall image. The dubious distinction of being the only state without an arts agency will certainly impact how the “quality of life” in Georgia is judged by businesses and corporations looking to open new offices and move organizational headquarters.

Please tell me there is some good news.

There is! While the Arts Council cuts in the 2011 budget have been approved by the House, they must still pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Perdue.

Great!  What can I do?

For the most impact, contact members of the appropriations subcommittee that handles the budget for GCA, Economic Development, and remind them of the economic impact the arts have on Georgia.  The subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Chip Pearson (R-Dawsonville), includes Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamagua), Sen. John Douglas (R-Social Circle), Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) and Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus). ****  Remember, this is the the Economic Development subcommittee- let them know how cutting the GCA will affect economic development in GA!

Additionally, calls, letters and e-mails to the budget conferees below should continue until the session ends on April 29:

Rep. Ben Harbin (R-Evans): ben.harbin@house.ga.gov; 404.463.2247

Rep. Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons): jerry.keen@house.ga.gov; 404.656.0152

Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta): jan.jones@house.ga.gov; 404.656.5072

Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville): jack.hill@senate. ga.gov; 404-656-5038

Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock): chip.rogers@senate.ga.gov; 404-463-1378

Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) (an artist and gallery owner <3): tommie.williams@senate.ga.gov; 404-656-0089

Want something a little more low impact?  You can also sign the petition over at the Save the Georiga Council for the Arts site.  And remember to use social media and good old fashioned face to face conversations spread the word about this important issue!

Sources

*Source: http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/April/19/Susan_Weiner.html

** Source: http://www.ajc.com/news/state-cutbacks-put-georgia-465850.html

***Source: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/2010/04/17/what-can-you-do-to-help-save-georgia-council-for-the-arts/

****Source: http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=143037&catid=3

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.

For more in-depth learning (and to prepare for holiday seasons for years to come), why not join me at the Atlanta Printmaker’s Studio this January/ February for my popular Book Arts Class?  I’ll be teaching 5 different book structures, including Japanese stab-bound (great for photo albums) and a variety of hard and exposed spine formats.  Classes meet Sunday afternoons and total up to 24 hours of instruction- more than enough to start you down the addictive path of bookbinding, a skill comes in handy whether you’re an artist/ crafter looking to take your skill to the next level or a a novice hoping to pick up a fun new crafty skill.  All skill levels are welcome, but this class is best geared towards beginners looking to learn the basics and work their way up to making some pretty awesome books!  Register now at the APS website, and I’ll see you in January!

If you purchase books from participating shops during this time (including Re:Paper), you have a chance to win prizes from BEST team members and gift certificates to participating shops!

A drawing will be held with the winners announced December 7th on the BEST Team Blog.

For every $10 you spend in participating shops, between Nov 27th - Dec 5th your name will be added to the drawing. For example, if you purchase something for $50 your name goes in 5 times! If you put “BEST Holiday” in the note to seller box then you can have an extra ticket in the drawing!

Here is a list of the participating shops:

ParksideHarmony

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!