Tomorrow there is a very special party at my great auntie’s house. She’s calling it, Pink Party. On the surface, it’s a celebration of the pink dresser that was a Christmas gift given to her and her sister (my grandma) when they were girls. The pink dresser is famous in our family – [...]]]>

Tomorrow there is a very special party at my great auntie’s house. She’s calling it, Pink Party. On the surface, it’s a celebration of the pink dresser that was a Christmas gift given to her and her sister (my grandma) when they were girls. The pink dresser is famous in our family – and the story that goes along with it. Aunt Ellie wrote it down and you can read it here or here (the pdf is very slow so give it a second to load). I wish I could be at the party! My mom will be there and I hope she takes a lot of photos.

Aunt Ellie asked me to make a book for the party. (umm, yes, I would love to!) It’s about 8″ square with a silk cover. It’s a beautiful silvery-green (Steph, that’s your wedding fabric!) with white pages. The first half is for guests to sign while they are at the party – there will be four generations of Ashton girls there. The back half is for photos of the party Aunt Ellie can add after the day is over. The pages in the back are thick to hold the photos. The back cover has a pocket to tuck other mementos she collects from the party (the invitation, etc). I designed the title page and drew a simple line drawing of the dresser. I’m in love with this book!

I’m happy to know that a piece of me will be at the party after all.

I love my family!

Hi. How was your weekend? Are you all spooked-out? We had a fun weekend – busy – but fun. Glad Chris’ parents could come visit for a few days.

My Mom and Pa come today! Hooray! I tried my best to have everything ready for the Open House before today… I was close! Still a few [...]]]>

Hi. How was your weekend? Are you all spooked-out? We had a fun weekend – busy – but fun. Glad Chris’ parents could come visit for a few days.

My Mom and Pa come today! Hooray! I tried my best to have everything ready for the Open House before today… I was close! Still a few final touches I’ll be working on (and so will my parents, haha). Like making some tasty treats. And going to the zoo. Trust me: going to the zoo will make my kiddos so happy which will lower my stress level. I don’t want to be stressed during the Open House. I want to be having FUN!

Anyway. On to the sneak peek.

Journals. Hand-made every step of the way (by me!). The pages are hand-torn to make a beautiful deckle edge. I cut the boards and make the book cloth for the covers. Each book block is hand-stitched using linen thread.

From start to finish, each journal takes about a week to complete. Several steps along the way need 24-hours drying time before continuing on. So you can imagine what my studio looks like (eek!). I have my own assembly line: pages ready to be sewn together, book blocks ready to be cased, finished books in the press. I like to have 5 or so books in production all the time (but at varying stages of the process).

This is just a small sample of the journals I will have at the Open House this week. They are bright and cheery and need a good home.

Jessie is back! Hooray! A couple weeks ago she gave us some tips on choosing a journal and today she’s picking up right where she left off. Now that you have a journal, you should write in it. Thanks for the pointers, Jess.

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first, let’s clear the air. sometimes the thought of writing in [...]]]>

Jessie is back! Hooray! A couple weeks ago she gave us some tips on choosing a journal and today she’s picking up right where she left off. Now that you have a journal, you should write in it. Thanks for the pointers, Jess.

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first, let’s clear the air. sometimes the thought of writing in a journal can be incredibly intimidating. what if your mom finds it underneath the mattress? what if your posterity find it and laugh at your handwriting or spelling or deepest thoughts and desires? what if your writing sounds a little bit inane? what if your journal isn’t entertaining or awesome or interesting? or worse, what if an english major finds it and corrects all your errors with a red pen?

i’ll tell you a little secret: your journal isn’t for anybody but you. unlike a blog or email or facebook or the myriad ways we communicate with others through text, a journal is just for you. it’s not being printed. no one will pull up one of your entries on a google search. look at it this way, if the idea of actually writing something makes you nervous, just take a minute and ask yourself how many times a day you email or text or blog. you’re already a writer. you’re already comfortable with words as a medium of expression. (you talk to people, right? you call your mom or your sister or your best friend, right?) writing in a journal is just your chance to communicate with yourself. and feel free to communicate any way you want.

a journal is a place where you can’t be wrong. there aren’t any false moves. there’s no such thing as a sentence or word or phrase that you shouldn’t write. with that in mind, i’m going to give you a few guidelines. but that’s all they are. any way that you find to write in a journal that makes you happy is a good way.

1. be specific

it’s much more important to include specific information than lots of information. (just a few lines is all it takes!) let’s take a look at a couple of examples.

here’s a journal entry from a fictional person. let’s call her jessie.

“today was rough. i think my head is going to explode.”

okay. jessie. nice try! i’m glad that you’re writing. but let’s see what would happen if jessie took a few extra seconds to make her entry more specific.

“henry threw a tantrum for 45 minutes in the parking lot of family housing. the baby is getting her front teeth. i have a headache—maybe a sinus infection. probably from the canned air on the flight to houston. i don’t have any milk in the fridge.”

do you see the difference? in the first entry, all we know is that the day was “rough”, but we don’t know why. in the second entry, jessie never uses the word “rough” but it’s pretty obvious that she didn’t have the awesomest day ever. if you find yourself writing general phrases like, “today was great” or “i’m exhausted” or “i can’t take it anymore” or “i’m happier than i’ve ever been”, make sure that you stop and ask yourself why this general statement is true. try to include specifics. this will make your journal more interesting, but more importantly, it will make the journal more of a treasure for yourself. details are the kinds of things that melt away over the years. (fictional jessie really hopes that the tantrum from this morning will melt away.)

2. be honest

there’s no reason to candy coat things in a journal. even if you imagine hundreds of your great-great-great-grandchildren holding your journal in their hands and reading it, there’s no reason to make life sound easier than it really was. call me crazy, but i don’t think it helps anyone to pretend that you didn’t have challenges and confusions and distresses. be honest. lay them out. work through them in your journal. it will help you the next time you face something difficult to remember how you climbed the last mountain. but, remember balance. don’t write in your journal only on the days when you’re so frustrated you feel like skinning squirrels. it’s just as important to be honest about joy. it’s important to remind yourself of those moments when joy is so real you can taste it and feel it and wrap it around yourself. let your journal be true about the good and the bad.

3. be consistent

pick a writing schedule that works for you and stick to it. writing at the same time whether it be nightly or weekly or monthly will get you into a rhythm of writing and it will help you measure your growth. i like to write every night after i pray. (for those who aren’t particularly religious, consider my moment of prayer meditation time.) i find that writing after i’ve taken a few minutes to discuss my day with God, i get little shreds of inspiration and picking up my pen helps me work through the day, remember what i’ve felt that would make the day better tomorrow, and spend a little time in gratitude (and solitude). my husband knows not to interrupt this moment of reflection. take out your calendar or your date book or your tiny electronic whatever and pick a time to write and stick to it. it will change your life.

4. be yourself

obviously, what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. you need to find a way to keep a journal that speaks to your soul, that opens a space inside you for mediation and reflection. if this means keeping your grocery list, don’t hold back. if this means sketching or pressing leaves or reams of poetry, let yourself go. if it means you doodle and write upside down and let your two year old go to it with a crayon, don’t worry. this is your space. and no matter what happens inside that little book, it’s going to mean a lot to you someday. trust me.

One of the new products I’ve designed is this little blank notebook. Each notebook is hand stitched [...]]]> The Book Bound Bindery Open House is just around the corner (Thursday, November 5th). I have a handful of new products that will be available that night at the open house and in my Etsy shop the days after.

One of the new products I’ve designed is this little blank notebook. Each notebook is hand stitched with 30 blank pages, has pockets in the covers, and has one of the four designs on the cover (dino, butterfly, bird, or truck). The covers are hand pulled prints with paper collage – so each one is unique!

Each notebook comes packaged in a parchment paper envelope.

Just shy of 5″ square, it’s the perfect size for your purse or backpack.

It’s Tuesday again already?  Guest posting our tutorial today is my sister, Jessie. [Writing this is really intimidating because she is my editor - she rewrites everything I write so it actually makes sense. But this time she's not.] She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her family (also around the corner from my brother [...]]]>

It’s Tuesday again already?  Guest posting our tutorial today is my sister, Jessie. [Writing this is really intimidating because she is my editor - she rewrites everything I write so it actually makes sense. But this time she's not.] She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her family (also around the corner from my brother and his family. Lucky!) She reads and writes and edits all while keeping down the fort.

I’m pretty sure Jess has been keeping a journal since she could hold a pen. She’s not the kind of journal keeper that gets a journal and keeps it. She writes in it. Every. Single. Day. Amazing, right?! I love this girl! Keep reading and you will too.

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i know you’ve always meant to keep a journal. i know that you have a book stashed next to your bed (underneath the mattress?) or a file on the computer. i know you’ve started and stopped. written a few sentences here or there. but now you’re wondering to yourself, why keep a journal when you could just print out your emails or your facebook status over the past few months or ye olde family blog?

this is where i step in. i am a self-proclaimed expert and advocate of journals (and of writing with actual pens and/or pencils on actual paper). this is not to say that technology is bad, this is just to say that there are some things that a computer screen simply can’t replace.

books can slip into your pocket or purse. they can be romantic or stoic. they can feel comforting to your fingertips. their paper can be intoxicating, exhilarating. they are important.

so, write in a journal. your handwriting, your choice of book, your pen, your paper, your ink, your words will all tell an important and irreplaceable story.

first: pick a journal that feels right to you. make sure it’s not intimidating. make sure you don’t feel like you need to have something really great to say before you put a few words inside. make sure it’s a book that feels safe and inviting.

here are a few suggestions:

your assignment: pick a journal this week. make sure it’s lovely and it screams “this is me. this is the place where i can be me!”

third: start to write. a little bit. whatever you feel like. don’t be nervous. no one’s going to give you a grade. no one’s looking over your shoulder. write down whatever you feel like writing. don’t pretend. just be yourself.

tune in next time when we’ll talk more about the actual writing. what to say? how to say it? get a little practice first. and if you have any specific questions about journal writing that you’d like me to address, drop me a note at sqzuni (at) gmail (dot) com.

write more. write happy.

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Thanks, Jess! Find more of Jessie on her blog. And if we are lucky, she will move to Texas and all you local Houstonians out there will get to meet her in real life.

[image credits belong to: StrikeBooks, peaseblossom studio, Kreativlink, Jungae, j.s. de la Press, Dr Awkward, Book Bound Bindery, Angela Wehrle]

Ready for a new project? This tutorial is for a 4″ by 6″ pocket pamphlet with four pages.

Named ‘pocket’ because it’s small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, not because it has pockets.

Named pamphlet because it is bound with the pamphlet stitch. The pamphlet stitch is good for sewing a few pages together [...]]]>

Ready for a new project? This tutorial is for a 4″ by 6″ pocket pamphlet with four pages.

Named ‘pocket’ because it’s small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, not because it has pockets.

Named pamphlet because it is bound with the pamphlet stitch. The pamphlet stitch is good for sewing a few pages together – it won’t hold tons of pages together very well.

Use it for making a multi-page program or greeting card or letter.

SUPPLIES:

2 sheets of paper for the inside, 6″ by 8″
1 sheet of paper for the outside (I like to use a heavy weight paper), 6″ by 8″
ruler
needle and thread (I used linen thread but you could use yarn, twine, sewing thread, waxed linen thread, ribbon, dental floss, etc)
scissors
bone folder

STEP 1: Make the book block.

Stack the 3 sheets of paper together and fold in half. Crease with the bone folder.

STEP 2: Prepare the pages for sewing.

Using your ruler and your needle (I’m using a tiny awl), mark three sewing stations by poking a hole through all three sheets of paper. Station 1  is 3″ from the edge (dead center). Station 2 is 1/4″ from the top. Station 3 is 1/4″ from the bottom.

Please Note: I marked the sewing stations in red so the tutorial is easier to follow – you shouldn’t mark your paper.

STEP 3: Sew the pages together using the pamphlet stitch.

Start at Station 1. Go through the hole from the inside to the outside. Leave a couple of inches of thread here so you can tie off the loose ends once you have finished the stitch.

Next, sew through Station 2 from the outside to the inside.

Next, sew from the inside to the outside through Station 3.

Then, go back through Station 1  from the outside to the inside.

Pull tight and tie off.

STEP 4: Personalize (always!).

Make it your own. Add a name. Add a monogram. Give it a purpose. And then make another one!

Check back later tonight for the giveaway I promised yesterday. I made a set of 3 pocket pamphlets to give to a lucky random winner. All the details will post this evening.

I have a 5 step program for you that will make you fall in love with journaling. If you already keep a journal, try this anyway. If you don’t keep a journal, this is a great place to start. I started keeping little travel journals in college so you can imagine the pile of little [...]]]>

I have a 5 step program for you that will make you fall in love with journaling. If you already keep a journal, try this anyway. If you don’t keep a journal, this is a great place to start. I started keeping little travel journals in college so you can imagine the pile of little books I have by now (lots!). Keeping a journal for each adventure is so satisfying. Try it.

Step 1: Plan a trip. Now, this doesn’t have to be a crazy expensive family vacation – I’m talking a day at a state park close by or a field trip with the kiddos or a weekend away from the kiddos.

Step 2: Go to a book store. Browse through their journals until you find one that is calling your name. You’ll know it’s the one for you – you’ll love the texture of the paper, the size, the details, etc. I like mine to fit in my purse and to be blank (no lines). Buy the one you love (the love part is important).

Step 3: Pack your bags. In a ziplock put your journal, a glue stick and pens.

Step 4: Go have fun! Take notes as you go. Glue in ticket stubs. Make sketches. Include maps and menus.

Step 5: Once you are home, develop your photos (don’t let them sit on your memory card!). Add the photos in the back.

Happy adventure journaling!

Congratulations to Tammy who wins a hard back journal in aqua silk! More surprises for all you fans out there in the summer months ahead, so keep reading! And if you are not yet a fan, become one pronto!

New idea here. By the end of the summer they will be in the shop.

Just like my other products, the baby journal that is listed in etsy is the very same one that will arrive at your house in the mail. This time, though, you can add a single initial to the front [...]]]>

New idea here. By the end of the summer they will be in the shop.

Just like my other products, the baby journal that is listed in etsy is the very same one that will arrive at your house in the mail. This time, though, you can add a single initial to the front cover in a coordinating print.

It’s the perfect baby shower gift.