What’s on in May 📆
New tutorial + project lands this week.
Hey bookbinders!
Thank you for your patience while I navigated an unexpected April which included my shop being broken into. Good news is that they have caught someone, hooray! Emotionally it was hard to deal with and I had brain fog for weeks, so if you came into the shop and it took me a while to register your words, this is why. Plus perimenopause, probably.
Anyway, I am feeling a hundred times better and I’ve actually been really busy. Read more about my very bookish month below (including a talk at the Society of Bookbinders, teaching 150 kids how to make tunnel books, and a packed out workshop too!)
If you’ve just found this page Hi! I run a bookbinding club for paid members where we delve into how to make books at home through monthly tutorials and explore their origin stories too. It’s my birthday month and I’m travelling to South Korea later this month so I’ve popped a very special discount while I’m away. Join us here.
To find all of the past tutorials, head here.
What’s on this month.
This month we’re heading into a brand new project. Covers! After spending the past six months exploring stitched books, I thought it would be fun to put the needle down and take a deeper dive into the wonderful world of covers.
Softcovers, hardcovers, wrap around covers, slipcases, dust jackets, there’s lots we can play with here. Over the past year I’ve learned a few new ones and I’ll be sharing it with step by step tutorials. This month, we are making a mini matchbox book with a wrap around cover. It’s a very easy structure I haven’t shared anywhere else before. You can expect the tutorial to land in a few days. 👀
Here’s a Chinese Receipt Book with a wrap around soft cover. You tie the binding so you can hang it up on a hook. Great for shopping lists. Tell me in the comments if you’d like this as a tutorial?
I’m going to South Korea
On Friday I’m going to South Korea to visit family and yes, buy a lot of paper! So I won’t be posting out any kits or taking map orders. If you need any materials, I’m posting kits up until Thursday. Don’t forget if you’re a paid member there’s 20% off everything in my shop just for you! Code is at the bottom of this email.
I will be sharing parts of my trip on Instagram because it’s partly a work trip - hello paper and stationery of dreams! Join me over there and expect some articles on Korean bookbinding here when I’m home!
My shop Hanji, will be open on the following Saturdays 10am-2pm, staffed by two of my favourite people Andy and Grace! Please give them a big hello if you’re popping in.
Saturday 16th
Saturday 23rd
Saturday 30th
Do I have any readers in South Korea? Please say Hi in the comments.
Also, should I go and visit the world’s most instagrammable library?
Society of Bookbinders talk
Speaking of amazing libraries, I had the privilege of returning to the fantastic Lit and Phil library where I learned how to bind books 19 years ago and give a talk about how I’ve used bookbinding in my career to the Society of Bookbinders (North East). It was a really emotional reunion with Chris who showed me how to make my first ever book! I’m heading back next year to teach a new structure and of course swoon over all the materials! If you’re passionate about bookbinding I recommend joining, they have a full programme of workshops and talks by binders from all over the country.
Tunnel Books
A few days ago, I taught the tunnel book structure to 155 school children. Take a look at these beauties!
Have you tried a tunnel book before?
Workshops
I’m back teaching in person workshops again. I had a packed out Introduction to Bookbinding Workshop where we made 48 books between us. That was quite a Sunday!
If you’re local to me, let me know if you’d like to join an in person workshop. Once I’m back from my trip I’ll be scheduling some more in. I love teaching and especially love sharing my obsession with bookbinding. We’ve got to keep the craft alive!
