It's May, and that means the start of the wedding season! If you're getting hitched this summer, many congratulations! Whether it's next week or you're planning far ahead, here's what you need:
Bound in the finest white goatskin with beautifully smooth cartridge paper, this lovely book lies flat on a desk to receive your guests' well wishes. The first page reads 'Happily Ever After' in a romantic cursive font. Available in A5 size at £99 and A6 size at £70. Ready to ship.
Choose your leather and thread colours to co-ordinate with your wedding colour scheme, or your home decor. Bound in the finest goatskin or calfskin, available in a regular binding as a guest book, or with a memory binding if you'd like to add lots of photos and mementoes of your invitations, place settings, etc. Ask me to print custom frontspage text, such as your names and the date and location of your wedding, perhaps with a romantic quotation.
Available at A4 size at £199, A5 at £119 and A6 at £90. Please allow 2-3 weeks plus shipping for me to bind your commission.
For bridesmaids, flower girls and as a lovely little addition to the place settings at your wedding breakfast. Available to commission in sets of 10 or more from £90, in colours of your choice. Available as a stand alone purchase or in combination with a Guest Book.
Reviews
"A gorgeous, bespoke wedding guest book... did everything possible to make it perfect for us... our book was a one off, a treat and well worth every penny" Alice, Penrith
"We love it - thank you so much for making us a unique and beautiful wedding guest book - perfection" Janine & Tom, London
"We bought this as a guest feedback book for our wedding - we loved it and so did our guests!" Catriona, High Peak
Getting hitched?
The White & Neutral books are ready to ship so you can shop online right now.
For bespoke work, please contact Susan the bookbinder to discuss your requirements, and please mention your deadline and the country to which you would like your book(s) shipped. International brides, please do ask for a quote in your currency.
E: info@boundbyhand.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7748 759 371
Have a wonderful wedding day!
Susan
The cutest journal in the history of the world! Thank you @boundbyhand :) pic.twitter.com/VCh5VIyrtS
— Tia (@whoatemycrayons) May 1, 2014
Wow!!! Thank you Susan @boundbyhand for my beautiful leather journal prize :-) Xx pic.twitter.com/6ZdTlV0RdB
— Bernie Perkins (@TheChoirBoy) May 3, 2014
Grab a Mini Journal of your own in a cheerful range of colours and don't forget to follow me on Twitter - you're automatically entered into my monthly giveaway!
Good luck and many thanks to Tia and Bernie for sharing their pictures!
Susan
Make a fresh start for Spring with these new books for artists, writers and scrapbookers.
Small Leather Journals £39 Lilac & Yellow; Pink & Tan
Accordion Sketchbook Set £15 Moss; Neutral
Memory Book £119 Blue & Tan
Leather Journal / Sketchbook £99 Pink & Tan
Click the yellow links to shop online - checkout is secure and I never pass on your details. If you're inspired to commission your own Bespoke book for your new Spring projects, email me: info@boundbyhand.co.uk or call +44 (0)7748 759 371.
Susan
Here's all the information from my PTLLS micro teach workshop on 'Unusual Books and a Hot Dog'. It was fantastic good fun showing you how to make a book out of a single sheet of paper, thanks for providing such a 'safe and supportive learning environment' (sorry, no Harvard reference!).
Unusual Bindings: Sewn
Unusual Bindings: Folded
You can Google these and check out my Pinterest board of interesting bindings for examples.
Hot Dog
Instructions handout copyright Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord, 2008
YouTube instructional video by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord
Hot Dog Tips:
Extension activities:
Ideas for use:
I hope you find these resources useful and enjoy experimenting with your own adventures in bookbinding! If you've got any questions or if you'd like to be kept informed of workshops, please email me: info (at) boundbyhand.co.uk. Meanwhile, I'll be in my kitchen extracting DNA from strawberries!
Susan
Tell your friends! Every month I do a #TwitterExclusive draw to give away a Mini Journal to one of my followers. pic.twitter.com/HM2usChgAk
— BOUND (@boundbyhand) March 12, 2014
Longstitch with Linkstitch leather books are now available in Extra Large A4 size in a range of 14 colours. They're bound in vegetable tanned calf skins with a distinctive napped reverse.
Update August 2015: New colours! Now also available in White, Pewter Grey, Blackberry and Azure Blue.
Top L to R: Oxblood, Crimson, Light Toffee Beige, Gold, Duck Egg, Midnight Blue, Sapphire Blue
Middle L to R: Maroon, British Racing Green, Forest Green, Chocolate, Rich Tan, Tobacco, Black
Bottom: White, Pewter Grey, Blackberry, Azure Blue.
Extra Large A4 size is:
Landscape: Height 8.5 inches / 220 mm x Width 12 inches / 300 mm
Portrait: Height 12 inches / 300 mm x Width 8.5 inches / 220 mm
Your Bespoke options include:
Thread Colour: view here
Closure: thong, strap or fob
Pages: Journal (192 blank pages of 130gsm paper) or Memory (128 blank pages of 220gsm paper with spacers in the spine to allow for inclusions).
Price & Delivery: an A4 book is £199 plus £9 UK delivery. International delivery is also available, please ask for a quote.
A5 books are also available at £119 bespoke / £90 ready to ship
A6 books are also available at £90 bespoke / £70 ready to ship
How to order: please contact me by email: info@boundbyhand.co.uk or call +44 (0) 7748 759 371 to discuss your commission or with any queries. Do mention any deadline you have and the country you'd like your order shipped to.
Susan
Oh Comely magazine has included my Mini Journals in the latest issue of their magazine, a mourthwatering Pretty Lovely feature of tantalising items in tangerine, marmalade and mandarin.
For a chance to win one of the Mini Journals or the other orange items, email free@ohcomely.co.uk by the end of March. And of course you can buy the Mini Journals, too!
Issue 19 has interviews with Lionel Shriver and British Sea Power to name but a few, interesting articles on Medieval cookery, synaesthesia, art, writing and plenty of outstanding imagery. Buy your copy here.
Huge thanks and congratulations to Olivia Wilson and Oh Comely for another gorgeous issue.
Images copyright Oh Comely magazine, 2014
In a quandry? Here are some ideas for stocking fillers, special presents and everything inbetween.
Don't forget to order by midnight on Thursday the 19th for Christmas delivery. I'd be happy to send orders directly to your gift recipients - just include their name, address and any gift message when you check out.
STOCKING FILLERS: Mini Journals £10
Bound in the same lovely, tactile goatskin as my larger books, they're the perfect little luxe gift. In pretty pink, to manly monochrome and all shades inbetween they're small but useful notebooks to slip into bags, pockets - and Christmas stockings, of course!
Paperback Notebooks £10 set of 2
Florals and graphics are paired with handmade Nepalese batik-dyed paper in these sweet notebooks.
FOR ADVENTURERS: Travel Journal £99
If someone you know is planning an extended trip overseas, this is just the thing. With a Mark Twain quotation on the front page, and special entry sections for date, location and in case of emergency details, this Travel Journal will be their faithfull companion.
FOR COUPLES: Wedding Guest Books £70 and £99
For love birds planning a wedding, these Guest Books will be a treasured gift. Bound in white goatskin for guests to leave their good wishes and advice, the couple can also include photographs from their big day. Bespoke options also available for made to order.
FOR ARTISTS: Leather Journal / Sketchbook £39, £70 & £99
The Longstitch with Linkstitch binding styles allows these sketchbooks to lie flat on a table, they take inclusions such as mixed media and collage, and with various secure closing methods, they're a safe place to plan larger pieces. Three sizes.
Sketchbook Set: Accordion Fold £15 set of 3; £10 set of 2
Something a little less ordinary for people who love to draw, collage and story-tell. These paperback notebooks open to reveal an expandable page.
FOR SCRAPBOOKERS: Memory Book £119
This book bound in fine goatskin is a luxurious option for those who love to scrapbook their holidays, event planning, make a record of the year or compile a photograph album. A5 landscape size with heavyweight paper and spacers in the spine.
FOR WRITERS & BLOGGERS: Hardback Journals £25
These hardback journals are the perfect size to tuck into a bag, take on a trip and jot down notes on inspirations, dreams and plans.
All of these books are in stock and ready to ship. For all that's good to go in time for Christmas, click here.
If you're reading this a little later than the 19th and are in a last minute fix, email me and we'll see what Father Christmas and the Elves can sort out for you!
As ever, bespoke options are available for all leather Journals, Sketchbooks, Wedding Guest Books and Memory Books. These are made to order, so please allow a few weeks and get in touch if you're planning a special gift for the New Year or Spring by email: info@boundbyhand.co.uk or call me: +44 (0) 7748 759 371
Happy Christmas!
Susan
Some are pretty, some are pretty minimal, none of these new paperback notebooks and sketchbook sets will break the bank. Explore the single and the double Pamphlet Stitch and the Accordion Fold...
Paperback Notebooks: £10 set of 2 in Pink, Blue or Orange.
I've paired floral and graphic prints with batik Nepalese Lokta paper to bind these sweet and slim notebooks.
Accordion Fold Sketchbook: £15 set of 3 in Sand; £10 set of 2 in Earth
Originally designed for an exhibition this summer, these sketchbooks are an inventive way to make and display your work. They're a very simple, clean design bound in the simple pamphlet stitch, but the pages are the accordion fold format - use it just like a regular book or open to its fullest extent for an unusual, expansive way to write, draw, collage, story-tell or make graphic novels.
Notebook Set: Double Pamphlet: £20 set of 3 in Earth or Cereal.
A single sheet of strong cover paper with a 'w' fold in the centre allows 2 signatures to be bound into one notebook in this Double Pamphlet style.
I'll be making more paperbacks in the new year and look forward to sharing more simple yet slightly unusual binding styles with you. I plan to start delivering adult workshops in book arts and bookbinding later in 2014, so if you'd like to learn how to make books like this, that you can then use to make your own art with, do sign up to my newsletter.
Susan
Are you subscribed to my newsletter? It's a great way to keep up to date with new products, special offers and how to grab a freebie! I've just sent the latest international one with a reminder of last order dates for Christmas - I'm organised, so you don't have to be.
Happy holidays!
Susan
Calling all adventurers! I'm pleased to present the Travel Journal. Each opens with an inspiring travel themed quotation, from Oscar Wilde to Mark Twain, Tolkien to T S Eliot. The pages each have a space to record the date and location, and at the back of the book you'll find an In Case Of Emergency section to record your personal, medical and legal information.
Buy ready to ship in Dark Slate Blue and Tan with the Mark Twain quotation:
Alternatively use my Bespoke Service to choose your colours and quotation, and you could ask me to print a dedication page, too, if you like.
They're bound in goatskin leather in the Longstitch with Linkstitch style, a binding in use since the 15th century that's renowed for its durability and flexibility. There are 192 pages of cartridge paper which will take all pens and pencils, dry-medium artwork and which will take glued inclusions such as ticket stubs, postcards, photographs and so on.
So whether you or your gift recipient are about to take a GAP year, are recently retired and plan to make the most of your free time, or are about to set off on your annual leave, take one of these Travel Journals with you - it will be your faithful companion.
Come along to St Mark's church hall in Talbot Village this Saturday to start your Christmas shopping at a Charity Christmas Art & Craft Fair.
I'm joining in with the festivities selling my work and possibly demonstrating bookbinding if table space allows. It would be great to see you there, please make sure you come and say hello!
It's organised by a graduate of the Arts University Bournemouth in aid of Spreading Health, a charity which works in partnership with rural communities in developing countries who want to improve health care provision in their villages.
You can find directions here. See you there!
Susan