New Notebooks

Now that I'm back from my lovely holiday in Marseille, I'm getting back into work mode now that I've recovered from delayed flights from Paris. I've been busy this week. Sorting out my schedule for the next few weeks for my own work and doing voluntary work (met my new match). A flat tyre that needed replaced and a leak from the flat upstairs again, not a bad one this time though. I've got some courses to do. A Pitman's social media course which includes an exam, a couple of webinars to catch up on about marketing on Twitter and a couple of networking meetups. There are also the Business Gateway courses that I need to go to, but not yet. I want to go out and have a few coffees too.

I finished the last (for a while anyway) of my coptic bound A6 dark tree notebooks and have put them on Etsy.  I use 120gsm white paper in all my books now (an exception will be the cigar book that I need to start) as I find it's good to work with and doesn't bleed with ink. I hate that some of the well known notebooks on the market have reduced the quality of their paper, one of the reasons that I started making my own books.

I'm starting a new series of A7 size notebooks (even though I have a "to do" list of books to make). The first is a commission with a monogram. It's will be in blue with black lettering. The spine is being done in shades of blue with a black cross stitched spine. I'll upload a photo when it's finished. I have an idea for displaying the smaller books. I can probably just do it, but I think I might go along to my favourite bindery to get a hands on box-making course instead of the hand tooling course that I was going to book on to.

I've got the blank A6 cards that I'd ordered to make the business xmas cards to send to clients. I had a trial print, but decided that they really need an insert for the text, so I've ordered some. I need to get on and do the needle felting for the front of the card, the inside and the back texts are ready to go.

Talk soon
Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Bookbinding Course

On Saturday morning, I got the train to Partick to attend another bookbinding course at Downie Allison Downie. It was a great day, made 2 heavy A4 ledger type books. It was an experience working with the larger notebooks, A5 is the biggest I've dealt with. The day went so fast, that we were all pretty surprised when someone told us it was 4:30. we thought it was only about 2:30. John is a pretty patient guy, which is probably just as well. He gets bombarded with questions at every class.

I've now got a drill stand to do Japanese Stab Bindings, yay. John was kind enough to let me have a couple of drill bits (I didn't have any the right size). The next thing I have to buy is a pedestal for under my desk for storage and then a guillotine, I think. This all may change on pay day in a few weeks.

On Saturday, I'm looking forward to having a shopping day at Hobbycraft with the Etsy Crafters Team. I'm looking for some 3mm greyboard, they usually only have 2.5mm. There is an empty space on the rack for 3mm, so I'm going to ask them about it this time. After that we are going for a nice relaxing coffee to talk about what we bought and what we are going to do with it. They are a lovely bunch of people. The next outing will be to the Scrapstore in Musselburgh, though the opening hours may prohibit some people from going.

Today I'm meeting my amazing Mentor for a coffee. I'll take along the stuff I've made since our last meeting and she'll get a little surprise too.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Courses

I've just booked another bookbinding course with a bindery in Partick called Downie Allison Downie (aka DAD) for July. I'm really looking forward to it. A Saturday at the bindery is really relaxed and there is no pressure. I left with 4 lovely books and I was delighted. These guys are highly recommended. I've planned to do at least 4 of the courses this year. I love the machines they have, I could play there all day.

I also need to get a more advanced needle felting course. I've found one on Etsy that looks great. Making the little mice will let me practice the techniques I need to make my own creations. I'll buy it next month.


This is a case bound book, again, done at the course. It has been personalised with my initials. Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela
xxx