new class in march: DIY

Rockpile Bindery — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:22:04 +0000

In the past, I’d hear the term DIY and an image of a haphazard, clumsily made object would come to mind. But these days the concept of Do It Yourself has a completely different implication. (As proof of this, google images of “DIY” and see what comes up- the DIYs of today are neat, and innovative, and well made!) I like the Do It Yourself trend, and have, in fact, embraced it myself in my own bookbinding practice. As I’ve said here before, I embraced the craft of bookbinding because I could DIMyself at home, and I love teaching students all the ways that they, too, can make books at home. Got a few bricks, a flower press, a bone folder, a clothesline and some PVA glue? You can make a beautiful book for yourself or someone you love. Add a neighborhood copy shop to the mix and your bookbinding potential expands.

In that spirit, I’m offering a new class in March!

In the class we will explore a handful of bindings that can easily be reproduced at home with a few simple tools and easy to find materials. We will also learn techniques that work well with recycled and found materials.

Once again I am offering the option of work-trade for part of the class fee. Let me know if you’d like to help me with basic binding jobs in my studio for a partial discount.

Sunday

Rockpile Bindery — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:19:54 +0000

Thanks to my first cup of coffee in over a month I finally got some things done at my studio.

Two custom orders: a little weekly planner and a guest book for a west coast wedding.

projects

Rockpile Bindery — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:50:32 +0000

It’s January, and I’m a little bored of making books. This afternoon I have ideas of learning to quilt, and I’m excited about upholstering. Here’s the chair that I recently finished. I don’t have a before picture, but it was covered in blue vinyl, and looked like an old, beat up seat in a car. I think it looks better now.

Rockpile Bindery — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:25:06 +0000

Before the holidays when I was making some copies at a print shop I saw a calendar on the wall that said “Paper because…” Each page had an example of when the use of paper, as opposed to digital or online formats, is superior. The calendar was made by a paper company, which has a whole website called PaperBecause. Check it out if you are a dork like me.

There’s a video on the website of a woman sniffing paper that she illicitly buys from the guy with keys to the stock room.

Just so you know, this is not a plug for why we should all cherish and keep using paper in our daily lives. It does, however, remind me that I should share my love of my paper supplier with any fellow paper-lovers out there.

Most of the paper that I use for my planners and journals is made by French Paper. Here’s a little bit about them (from the website):

Established in 1871, the French Paper Company is a sixth-generation, family-owned American company. And after 140 years of continual operation, French has not only persevered in an industry notorious for corporate acquisitions, name changes and outright shutdowns, they’ve emerged as one of the strongest, most consistent paper brands around.

As one of the last remaining small, independent mills in America, French Paper takes their direction from customers, not corporate bean counters. They spend their days improving product lines instead of the bottom line. And when they talk about the quality of their stock, you can be sure they mean their papers, not shareholder value.

Long recognized for their iconic designer paper brands including Speckletone, Dur-O-Tone, Pop-Tone, and Construction, their impact on the design world has been enormous. Their environmental footprint, however, is tiny. French uses no petroleum in the manufacturing of their papers, and instead generates their own clean, renewable energy. Hydroelectric generators installed on-site in 1922 have saved over one million barrels of fossil fuel to date. And French was an early pioneer of recycled, 100% post-consumer, and other environmentally friendly sheets.

I think they’re a badass company, and aside from that, I really like their paper. And now you know that your Rockpile handmade book was not only bound with lots of love and care by a real person in the USA, it’s also full of environmentally friendly, domestically made paper that’s also beautiful. And it smells good, too.

january days

Rockpile Bindery — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:31:37 +0000

Happy 2012!

Rockpile Bindery — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:53:59 +0000

Can you believe that it’s already January? For me, the holidays felt less like a time to relax and spend time with the people I love than a constant, never-ending to-do list. So January feels nice and slow, and a good time to get reoriented with my goals and plans for the year ahead. As it’s looking now, 2012 will hold multi-faceted changes for my life, and I am looking forward to seeing where I end up.

Rockpile takes a bit of a little break in the new year to unwind after the holidays, but I am planning a few bookbinding classes for the winter and spring, and I’d love to hear from you if you have any requests for class options. Also, email me if you’d like to be on my mailing list. I’ll send out an email with class info and other news.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make this holiday season fun and successful for Rockpile. Hope that everyone is enjoying the newness and insight that come with the turning of a new year!

December Stuff at Rockpile

Rockpile Bindery — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:53:30 +0000

Hello my dears. The holidays are always an overwhelming time of year for me, but December has gotten off to a wonderful start with lots to feel thankful for. I’ve been teaching Beginning Bookbinding at the shop and I have another class of star pupils. It’s neat to learn from my students; not only do I learn more about how to be a better and more effective teacher, I also get to learn more about bookbinding. I can get so stuck in my ways that I don’t see alternative methods and avenues in binding, and new students often have really unexpected insights into the creative processes of making books. So far in this class series, we have made coptic books with linocut printed covers, Japanese stab bindings, and concertina dos a dos books, some with a few creative variations.

In this class I’ve put a lot of emphasis on processes that can be replicated at home, without big, heavy, or expensive equipment. My artistic path took an unexpected turn when I graduated from college with a true love for printmedia, but had very little in the way of space or resources for artmaking. I turned to bookbinding because I felt a kindling of creative love in the art and processes, and didn’t have any printmaking equipment of my own. Learning so many structures by trial and error at home in my studio after having minimal bookbinding instruction has been a wonderfully empowering process, and I love how portable and compact the art of making books can be. If it weren’t, I don’t know if I could have ever begun binding in my sunny little studio on Cumberland Avenue.

Now, five years later, I have a life of creativity that I couldn’t quite have imagined in its entirety. Having the opportunity to teach has given me a push to do something that scares and inspires me in equal proportions. On good days, the encouraging words that I hear from the people I love mirror the pride that I have in my work. And these days, one of the greatest gifts of my life as a maker of things is that I always have more ideas for things I’d like to make. It’s so lovely to feel wealth and abundance in that area, wouldn’t you say?

New books on Etsy

Rockpile Bindery — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:49:08 +0000

Rockpile on Etsy

Rockpile Bindery — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:19:24 +0000

Hello friends. How are you? I am working away for the holidays and here’s a preview of a new project! Happy November to yous.

Rockpile Bindery — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:29:02 +0000