I managed to get many things finished this morning. I had my business stationary printed and I was going to get the cards printed but they didn’t have the color paper I wanted. In fact the color I wanted my stationary printed on was no longer available. I had it printed on a mottled dark ivory color, which was almost close enough. They had no card stock so I headed to several stores to find the color I wanted. No one had it. So I went to Michaels and found only 3 sheets in a similar color. So I bought a couple of sheets in a color that can only be described as coffee colored. After I had printed out the kraft and coffee color, I liked the coffee color better.

I printed the cards cut 3 of 4 edges and hand tore the other edge, so it has what looks like a deckled edge. The cards are pretty basic but enjoyable. As for the stationary, there isn’t anything special about it, same information as the cards, just on a full sheet.

Instead of going to have the stationary printed I’m going to see if I can find a ream of kraft colored paper, or kraft sheets and just print it off myself.

Not exactly bookbinding related but, it’ related to eBay sales and all that fun stuff. I managed to snag a ton of little sheets of bubble wrap from work. Not to worry, I’m re-using not stealing. They came on these cute little vases I ordered for the store. I had saved a few of them before and they were the perfect size for wrapping books for shipping. So I saved ALL 24 sheets this time. I don’t’ know where I’m going to store them, but I’ll store them somewhere. Shipping supplies are always good to have on had. Speaking of that, I need to pick up 2 sizes of Ziploc Baggies and envelopes. I’ve been using the giant manila envelopes my Mom gave me- she gave me a dozen or so of these giant 10 by 14 inch envelopes. When I ran out of the “normal” size I started to use them, thinking I’d only use one or two. Yeah right! I’ve used most of them. I have 2 left. I’ve done a lot of shipping in the last 2 weeks.

I’ve cut and folded all the paper for the large size sketchbook I’m making. Today I’m going to cut the leather to size and get it ready for backing. I haven’t heard from the lady who is purchasing the book so I don’t know what style of inside she would like. I wanted to have most of the book done today so that I could ship by Tuesday. I feel like this project has taken too long. I like to have a turn around that is a little speedier. I like to get all the discussion and design work done in week one and week 2 should be spent making the book and sourcing materials. This project has taken closer to 3 weeks and I want to get it done.

I’d like to make a form so that people can fill it out and really let me know what kind of journal they like, but it seems so impersonal. I like the personalized emails or phone conversations that get the heart of what someone wants. They let the person interested know I’m a real person and I think it gives people a little more value in the finished book. There are always those people who want something less personal but still handmade.

The other thing I need to work on is my business cards and perhaps stationary. I used to have it, and I think it would be good to print off everything on Comfortable Shoes Studio stationary and to be able to include business cards with everything. I used to do that, and it was great if people were giving the books as gifts. So I need to work on that today too. (As well as clean the house and studio- mess mess mess!)

This is also of my new stock line of journals. I think that I like this one most of all. I think that i like the non-alternating pattern on the spine better. Mostly because it makes a thick chunky mass of black on the spine.

It is also on eBay
HERE!

I had decided some time ago to create a “stock” line of journals. Journals that take me less time to sew and therefore less expensive than my custom or more artistic creations. This is the first in the line. I rahter like it. the sewing is simple, more easily sewn than others, but still decorative enough that I’m not embarassed to have it up here. It’s a very functional journal.

It’s posted on eBay here:Stock Journal #1

Whew! Today is my first sort of day off from the day job in over 7 days. Crazy!

So I’m rested and ready to go in the studio. I’m working on a larger size journal and thinking about how it will work in terms of the spine. I know from my own experience that I need to reinforce the spine with stiff paper. If I don’t it won’t stay straight. The journal that I made with very heavy paper and very heavy leather warped all over. I also did 12 signatures of heavy paper. I plan on reinforcing this spine with tyvek and heavy stiff paper. I’m thinking of picking up some canson in black.

I’m pretty excited that Strathmore has come out with a black archival paper. I’m not sure if it’s lightfast, but it’s heavy and feel like the drawing paper but heavier.

As a test for this larger sized sketchbook I’m making a book the same size but with fewer signatures. I’ve cut the paper and the cover now I just have to reinforce the spine and back it. Having not been in the studio for a week I realize I’ve run out of glue. Sadly I’ll have to leave the house again.

I may offer this one for sale, but I really would like to keep one of these journals. I’ve been reading the Artist’s Journals community again and well, it has my creative juices going and really, it’s something I’ve not done for awhile, so perhaps a beautifully bound journal is what I need to start creative journaling again.

As tired as I am from the day job I did manage to come home, watch some quality TV and then package, weigh, label and generally get ready for shipping a large assortment of journals. I’m pretty happy with the paying for and printing off of postage through paypal, it’s pretty seamless, I hate the fees associated with it but overall it’s not too bad. So all that will go in the mailbox tomorrow morning.

I’ll probably be at the day job until who knows when.

So tomorrow will be a minimal studio day. We’ll see if I even have energy to cut paper or fold it.

Last night I started to put the glue on a bunch of leather sheets for gluing up covers. Last night I was able to finish with 9 of them in an hour and a half. Today I spent 2 hours gluing the leather to the backing papers, trimming and reinforcing the spine areas. So far so good. I decided that some of the covers should have differently sized paper in them, so some of the journals will be listed on the website as my stock journals and some will be put up on eBay. Though I’m pretty sure I want to get away from eBay as my main source of art income, I get far too little for the journals, barely enough to cover cost.

After I trimmed everything down to size and made the edges all pretty, I started to lay-out and cut the slots for the spine. In another hour and a half I finished that. (A grand total of 5 hours on 9 covers.) I made what I’m calling the half inch series- all the heads and tails are exactly one half inch from the edge. I’m not doing head and tail bands because of the excessive time they take to sew. These will be my most basic and reasonably priced journals. If any more of my journals go up on eBay, these will be it. I am quite addicted to the positive feedback, regular sales and the gamble of eBay so I may keep on using the service. Getting $10.50 for a journal that took me 2+ hours to makes me a little ill.

Tomorrow I will be completely useless for anything related to journal making. I will be so tired from work that I will probably come home and sleep. Mother’s day is a huge flower holiday and the day job is going to be draining.

I heard back from the guy who is having his emails to his fiancé bound- I’m sending him some leather samples so he can decide on a color for his books. The whole thing is definitely a romantic idea, and anyone I’ve told about the project has said “Ohh that’s so romantic, why can’t my boy/girl friend be like that?!”

I’ve also thought some more on the large scale sketchbook- I think it can be done, I’m just going to have to reinforce the h*ll out of the spine. In the small journals a little tyvek goes a long way and makes the leather 100% more stiff. I think that to expand that 6 inch spine to 11 or 9 inches is going to require 2 layers of tyvek but also a layer of nice stiff paper. I’m also going to have to be very selective with the hide- any separation is going to be very noticeable and cause weakness. That being said, it’s also going to take a full hide to select from, which could be fantastic with the edges!

I’ll get some pics up of those covers tomorrow morning, right now I’m beat and can’t wait for some shuteye!