I Love Paper!

When it comes to paper, I just can't help myself.
There is always something extra special about each sheet, especially handmade paper, and I find it so hard to resist bringing a whole shop-full home with me. I love the fact that it can be used for everything from notes to clothing and this has led to quite a stash in my wee studio!

 Paper was actually what first got me into this wonderfully exciting world of book-binding, in the form of the most wonderful shop I have ever had the pleasure to visit 'The Japanese Paper Place'. When I lived in Toronto (working in a book-shop appropriately) I used to pass this shop every single day on the way to and from work. This was often one of my favourite parts of the day, and always inspiration-sparking.

 One day I noticed that they were offering book-binding classes and this was my revelatory moment when I realised that you could actually BE a bookbinder, people got to create artworks of books for a living! Amazing! Although I never took one of their classes (too poor, official learning had to wait until I was back in Scotland) I held onto that thought and read up on the subject, creating mini-books and journals from some of the lovely papers I had aquired.


I still have some of the papers I bought in that magical emporium...and many more bought since then! I never seem to use them up as fast as I aquire them which is why this morning was a sorting extravaganza, nothing more fun that sorting rainbow of gorgeous almost-forgotten papers though. I have so many new project swimming in my head after seeing them all out in the sunlight again.

Watch this space... :)

First Sale!

I sold my first book today! (Well my first one since I finally and firmly decided that I really was going to do my utmost to actually be a full-time bookbinder, rather than just my test selling last year) I am so happy I want to frame the notes and hang them above my desk!

I just had a friend around for a 'coffee and creation' afternoon (you know, getting crafty while solving the world's problems over a cup of good coffee. I love afternoons like this!) and she almost immediately got completely distracted by my desk full of projects. Lovely to hear when someone likes your work but I really didn't expect her to turn round and say "How much is that one? It's perfect for my writer friend's birthday.".

I told her the price and she said "Great, I think I have that with me. Do you have a bag?". You could have knocked me over with a feather! I really had only invited her for coffee and this was so unexpected! So happy to know that my 'Woodland Reverie' is going to a good home, and now I feel like I am a tiny step closer to my dream! Let the celebrations begin!

Information Overload...Almost.

Wow, I think I have just had the more useful and informative afternoon workshop of my life! It was brilliant!

As you will have gathered my aim is to become a bookbinder (at least most of my time) and I have been putting a lot more effort into working towards this recently. To this end I booked myself onto a 'Starting Out' workshop run by the 'Cultural Enterprise Office' which is all focused towards creative businesses. Amazing!

Their webiste alone is stuffed full of more information than you can possibly take in, even after visiting it several times, but it is all organised so that it makes sense and is easy to find. Perfect or what?! It is a Scottish thing but a lot of the info is highly relevant to anyone just getting into starting up/running you very own creative business.

The one and only bad thing about this is that I now have a to-do list about as long as I am tall and, although I am really quite short, that is a lot to get going with! It was helpfully all broken down into bite size chunks however so I have 3 points to work on first and the rest should flow from there. So inspired! (This is also the first time in my life I was excited to learn about tax, have you ever heard anything so crazy?!)

Good luck to all of us carving out our own wee creative corners around the world! :)

A lightbox ate my evening!

I knew I had a few hours to myself tonight so I had big plans for making in-roads on my creative to-do list...enter the lightbox...and now it's almost 10pm! What happened?!

Mostly it was distraction (I like to say I have ADOS - Attention Defecit Ooh Shiny!). I forgot to factor in that although my main challenge of the evening, making myself a pauper's lightbox from a cardboard box, wouldn't take too long playing with it and taking test photos would! Oops...but a fun oops!


Anyway here is the finished product, as rough on the eyes as sandpaper (as my aunt would say) but functional - hooray!

I used tracing paper for the side and top panels to keep the light properly diffuse but I think I need to get at least one better light. The one I was using seemed to have that yellowy cast to it. It's all a learning curve right? :) I was also wondering about playing around with coloured backgrounds... but maybe I should make sure that I can get the simplest version right first! Wish me luck!

If anyone has any tips about lightboxes and photography of books please feel free to share! I also haven't quite figured out how to stand the books up to get total flat-on views, would a hidden book stand work do you think?

Etsy Shop is open! SO scary!

Ok, it's open! OMG! I am really quite scared. Not sure exactly what of, maybe just putting myself our there. I really have to get moving though because, although it is now officially open, I have only listed one thing! I really need to work on my photos...but I want to put more stuff on there right now to make it look a bit more like a 'real shop'.
Please do go and have a look and let me know what you think, I need the advice! Starstruckbooks on Etsy! This is one step closer to my dreams coming true. I am scared but grinning SO much right now! :)

Bee Happy Mini Book

This is just a mini-post to go with the mini-book! I have been working so hard on my new designs, inspired by my recent trip to the land of colour that is Morocco, that all my good intentions of many blogs have fallen by the wayside slightly. Will try harder!

This wee book (only A9!) makes me smile because it is just so bright and jolly, hope it brings a splash of cheery colour to your day! I was so totally smitten by the mini star button/beads that I have used them as the fastener as well as the accents on the end of the wrap-cord, but stars make me happy so they are a perfect fit for the book :)

(It is also an excellent reminder that I need to be working on my photography skills though, especially as I want to take the plunge and get my Etsy shop up and running. Is there anything scarier?!)