THIS BLOG HAS MOVED…

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED… Please update your bookmarks.
You can enter the giveaway draw at my new blog here:

http://lapaperie.blogspot.com

See you there!

Just so you know, all comments in this post will all be included in the draw, even though they won’t show up on my new blog. For some reason Blogspot wouldn’t allow me to import the comments here, and still allow other comments to be added. So new comments can be added there. Thanks for your participation!

journals + quotes – how did it all begin?

Things have been hopping here at the bindery. New leathers are arriving all the time, and I’ve been thinking of new quotes – ones I have loved for years – and adding them to my ever-growing list of quotes available for my leather bound journals. I enjoy this so much!

Some of you have asked how I began making my journals. As some of you know, I started off on Etsy selling handmade cold-process soap. While I loved the end product, I never really enjoyed the actual soap-making process very much (too much like baking, which I don’t enjoy either). While I still make soap from time to time, for personal use, I no longer make it to sell. For me, the entire experience didn’t allow me to express myself creatively enough. And to me, creativity is very important.

I was inherently creative as a kid. Not particularly special in any way, but always seeking to ‘create’ something. As the strong silent type preferring to be alone in my room, I was always preoccupied with making things on my own – usually little books with drawings, paintings, and story boards. While I have always loved drawing and painting, my ‘first love’ has always been books. It started at an early age. After reading Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl at the age of 10, I started keeping journals, which I’ve done every year of my life, ever since. I remember collecting and obsessing over journals as a young girl. And guess what? I’ve never quite grown out of that obsession! In order to ‘feed’ my habit, I taught myself bookbinding back in early 2007. After many months of my nose ‘in the books’ in my quest for the ‘perfect’ journal, I took the plunge and decided to delve into the world of book arts. In late 2007, with the support of my dear husband, I quit my day job at a local newspaper (due to health issues), and started my little online shop, which I run from home, La Paperie & Cozy.

While there were many talented bookbinders online, I noticed that no one -at the time- was offering books with quotes on the first page. As a book lover (especially of the classics), I’ve always thought it would be special to add a quote from literary greats, artists, poets, and excerpts from favorite classic novels — my way of paying homage to such a wonderful world of inspiration. And voila…my quoted journals were born. I can almost imagine literary greats of centuries past, writing in handmade journals like these… Jane Austen writing notes as she walked in the pretty wilderness behind her house, annotating her next great work, Pride and Prejudice. Or a young Charles Dickens reminding himself in his journal to incorporate the comic villainy of Mr. Jingle in his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. Inspired by these literary masterminds, the majority of my journals’ first pages pay homage to these outstanding writers and some of their best quotes! I will sometimes incorporate prints of my own original drawings and photos in a journal, to go along with certain quotes.

Every book I create is very special to me – so it is a personal experience. I spend a lot of time selecting beautiful leathers, creating original style combinations to make each journal “haute couture” — a journal that you can’t find anywhere else. I also enjoy choosing which quote to integrate into the journal’s collective “theme” because, ultimately, that literary figure will affect the overall design of the journal. To give an example, I will often pair a rugged distressed looking leather with a quote from Twain or Poe or Dickens, or a more refined camel or burgundy for Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte quote. I enjoy imagining what kind of journal they may have written in and, in turn, try to apply that to the books I make. I also love custom orders, which often times encourage me to come up with something entirely different…thus, thinking outside of the box.

See more at my shop: http://lapaperie.etsy.com

getting your needles all in a row

I just can’t rave enough about my newest purchase on Etsy — Sarah Kincheloe’s Knitting Needle Organizer. Being relatively new to knitting, I was coming to realize what a chore it was to hunt down and keep track of all my knitting needles, and keep them organized in one spot. This needle organizer was exactly what I needed! And not only is it super handy and sturdily made, but it’s also very easy on the eyes (look at this awesome fabric)!

At Sarah’s etsy shop, you can get a variety of knitting needle organizers, crochet hook rolls, and knitting accessories. They’re all made in the most gorgeous fabrics. Who would have thought something so simple, could be so satisfying! Thank you for such a great product, Sarah. I’m a very happy camper knitter!

more leather journals

I’ve been busy increasing the shop’s inventory, since the holidays depleted most of my stock. It’s taking a while but it’s getting there. January has already seen quite a few snow days, which are perfect for getting caught up!

Folks have asked me how long it takes to make one journal. To be honest, I’ve never really made just one journal at a time. I cut enough leather for about 6-10 journals, hand tear enough paper for them, and then prep them all for binding (punching holes in the leather, piercing the paper, getting out the thread). Only then do I sit and bind them, one after the other. It may not be how a lot of binders work, but it’s a process that I find works perfectly for me. So why mess with a good thing?

I’m really loving the new lightbox hubby made me, as it takes a lot of time off of editing photos. Before I would really have to adjust the brightness and contrast, and now, little if anything needs to be done. lighting is concerned. Here are a few new journals I made yesterday, with photos taken in the lightbox.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether
that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
—David Copperfield (1850), Charles Dickens

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty,
but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” ―Vincent Van Gogh

“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palms of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”
— Auguries of Innocence (1863), William Blake

Putting the “cozy” back into La Paperie & Cozy

When I’m not binding journals, I like to keep my hands busy. So I’ve embarked on a little side venture of knitting simple ballet-flat style slippers.

I am by no means a skilled knitter and have a difficult time following patterns. So my cowardice in following other people’s patterns has enabled me to avoid anything I can’t do, by coming up with my own pattern for these little cozies.

They are just simple and basic, but also cute, practical and oh-so cozy and warm! I am thinking of offering them on my Etsy shop sometime soon, in various sizes and colors (and perhaps even some felted pairs), so keep your eyes peeled! I’m thinking of calling them “Les Cozy Toezies” – a terrific suggestion by my buddy, Scott Smith, along with a collaborative effort of other friends! I don’t even know how much time I’m going to have, to make pairs for my shop, but we’ll see. I’ll probably only be able to list a pair or two, once in a blue moon. LOL!

The ribbon incorporated into the slipper is not only pretty but handy, as you can cinch the ribbon for a tighter fit around your foot. And voila! Pretty yet practical footwear for around the house!

This entry has been submitted to Make Your Monday over at The Twice Remembered Cottage. Take a look and submit your own crafty creations!

Lightbox! Yay!

Here’s the wooden lightbox that hubby built for me. I need to get brighter daylight bulbs for the lamps, but I see a marked improvement in photos already. Niiiice! I love having a handy hubby!

And the winner is…

I put all the entries in a bowl and I thought I would do the draw for the winner on camera. And the winner is…… *drumroll*

WATCH as I draw the name of the winner!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Grand Re-opening Giveaway Draw – Win a Mini Journal!

La Paperie & Cozy has dusted off the snow and is opening its “doors” today, after a short break. To celebrate the grand re-opening, I’m holding a giveaway draw for an adorable red mini journal. This little cutie measures approximately 3″x3″ and is 1¼” thick, and has 280 pages (counting front & back) of 50lb. sketch paper.

To enter the draw, here is what you have to do…

1.) Leave a comment on this entry.
2.) Choose a favorite item in my shop and why you like it, in your comment.
3.) Make sure you leave your name and email address, so I can contact you if you win the journal. I will email you for your mailing address and send your cute mini journal on its way to you!

The deadline for entries ends after Wednesday, Jan. 6. The draw will be made Thursday, Jan. 7th and the winner announced here. Have fun!

Shop is closed for a brief respite

It will re-open Jan. 4, 2010 with new stock.

Thank you for making 2009 a wonderful year! See you in 2010! ♥

Keep an eye open for a “Grand Reopening Giveaway” Draw for a mini-leather journal!

My journal won the Autumn Challenge!

Yes, my book won the first ever monthly challenge, over at Trans-Canada Etsy Team, receiving 104 votes out of 237 total votes! Yay! Thanks so much to all of you who placed your votes. Kudos also goes to those talented Canadian artisans who participated. Good show!