About sproutspress

As a bookbinder and artist, I like to live in a fairly analog world. I bind books by hand, with a needle and thread, I paint, draw. You get the idea. I blog about bookbinding, paper arts, crafting and other bookish goodness.

Sprouts Press goes to the Junction!

Posted on April 4, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 179/365

You can now find Sprouts Press products in the Junction! Introducing our newest retailer: Urban Gardener on Dupont!

If you haven’t checked out this shop you definitely should! They have a great selection of gardening products, and a curated selection of handmade items from local makers!

There are a few Sprouts Press items there, like the Starburst journals, Indigo Fancy Coptic journals and Bookbinding kits.

I have only good things to say about this shop; it’s beautiful, welcoming and run by incredibly sincere and lovely people. Go and check it out!!

Details:
Urban Gardener
1640 Dupont St, Toronto

Spring Time Collaboration

Posted on April 3, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 178/365

Introducing the Spring Gift Pack from Graven Feather:
I am so proud to announce that my Quick Notes notebooks in gold are a part of these gorgeous sets! They are curated by Graven Feather and showcase the work of a few local artisans and shops. (and did I mention how beautiful they are??)

Housed in handmade paper from Paperhouse Studio here in Toronto, Graven Feather printed on the reverse and hand crafted each folder. Inside you’ll find all sorts of goodies including one of my handbound gold notebooks, as pictured above.
Inside you’ll also find a pen from Articulations and several other printed goodies! (I’m not spilling the beans on the rest of the contents – you’ll just have to get your own to find out!) When secured shut (gorgeous!!) it’s the perfect place to keep your cherished ephemera and paper treasures. The Spring Gift Pack also makes the perfect gift for Mothers day or a special birthday or anyday!

Secrets Journal

Posted on April 2, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 177/365The Secret Belgian binding has always been one of the most intriguing books I’ve made. I love the jacobs ladder-like structure that gives it so much flexibility. That’s right, this handbound book can flip completely open! I was going for an Edward Gorey feel with brown Florentine paper, black ribbon and my own handmade grey sparkle paper.

To see the full Etsy listing, go here.

Wordless Wednesday 01.04.15

Posted on April 1, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 176/365

Make your own journal at Graven Feather!

Posted on March 31, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 175/365

Teaching others my craft is something I really enjoy. I’ve taught a few different workshops at a few different places and it’s always so much fun. I wanted to talk a bit about it today.

The next workshop is set for Saturday April 11 at Graven Feather here in Toronto. This is a creative bookmaking workshop for everyone and anyone; no previous art experience is required. Following a demo of basic paper decorating techniques, everyone gets to try them in a non-intimidating, supportive environment.Then I’ll teach the Longstitch/Linkstitch technique, and everyone leaves with a finished project! This is one of my favourite stitches, it’s versatile, durable and beautiful!

The details of this workshop:
When: Saturday April 11, 2015. 10am – 1pm
Where: Graven Feather, 906 Queen St. West, Toronto

For more information and to register, please click here.

If you’ve taken one of my workshops then you know the satisfaction of finishing your first, from scratch, hand bound journal! If you’re a past student, I’d love if you took a moment to share your experiences below.

Morsels of Spring

Posted on March 30, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 174/365

According to our calendars, spring is officially here. But in reality it’s not quite here yet! So I’m taking this time to stock up on these little book magnets. Or as I like to call them, morsels of spring!

Every part of these tiny books are offcuts from larger projects that I just can’t justify tossing. They’re papers I decorated by hand; paste papers, resist techniques, relief prints, and just washes of colour.
When bundled together in a set of 6, they’re quite cheerful! The idea is to make your own mini library, or share some with a friend!

To learn more and see them on Etsy, go here.

The Studio on a Sunday

Posted on March 29, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 173/365

Today I’m in a different studio, teaching my craft to others! It’s the Bookmaking Workshop at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga!!

If Mississauga is your neighbourhood or you just want to take a workshop with me, there are still a few spots left in the next workshop. To learn more and to register, go here.

Otherwise, keep your eyes on the workshops section on my site for more classes local to you.

The Grey Beaded Journal

Posted on March 28, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 172/365

Cleaning and organizing always leads to reminiscing for me. Like this beaded coptic journal, for instance. It’s the last one of a series, all featuring my own handmade paper on the covers and matching beading details.

The covers showcase my own handmade papers, each is different.
From left to right:
Coral: pigmented cotton.
Green: pigmented abaca with multicoloured gampi inclusions.
Blue: pigmented abaca with multicoloured gampi inclusions.
Grey-Black: pigmented cotton with supersparkle!! *This is the last one!
White: cotton.
Tan: my own pine needle fibres mixed with abaca for strength.

And this is the last one left! The grey-black sparkly journal with royal blue beading detail on the cover, check it out here.

Bookmaking Workshop: Mississauga

Posted on March 27, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 171/365

I’m proud to announce that this sunday I’ll be teaching my first workshop at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga!

It’s a bookmaking workshop, using the Longstitch technique, as pictured above. I really enjoy teaching bookbinding and am so happy to be branching out and offering my workshops around southern Ontario. (Yes, there are more in the works!! Watch the Workshops section of my site to find out!)

While this sunday’s workshop is sold out, there is a second date in June that still has some spots left. Go here for details and to register.

Use Your Journal No.5

Posted on March 26, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 170/365

Spring is in the air, the snow is melting/melted and many of us are eager to help welcome the new season.Usually, springtime means spring cleaning. Oh joy.

Today’s post is a mix of ‘Use Your Journal’ and spring cleaning, specifically; getting your books, journals and sketchbooks organized and accounted for! In a fun way, I promise!
My secret weapon to accomplish this, if you haven’t already guessed, is with Ex Libris bookplates.

Ex Libris bookplates are labels that go in the front cover of your books (journals, sketchbooks, novels, biographies, etc). Ex Libris is latin and roughly translates to ‘from the library of’. Therefore, when you write your name in the space provided on each bookplate, you are creating your own library! What’s more organized than a library!?

My Ex Libris bookplates are my own designs that I carve into lino blocks. Then I hand print each one onto self-adhesive paper, making it easy and convenient for you to label your beloved books. I’ve printed two different designs, each in a few different colours, you can read about my process here.

I’ve even got gold bookplates! They’re actually quite beautiful and classy, and make a great gift when tucked in the front of a special book for a friend. To recap, here are 3 steps to incorporate Ex Libris bookplates into your journalling, sketching and book-collecting lives, making it even more fun to use your journal!

1. Choose a selection of journals/sketchbooks/books to be labelled.

2. Write your name in the space provided on the bookplate. Some people also like to write the date they start the book.

2a. If you’re giving a special journal/book as a gift and want to put an ex libris bookplate in the front cover, you can write the recipient’s name and the date. You can also write the occasion for the gift, as a memento for life milestones or achievements.

3. Once you’ve written the info in the space provided on the bookplate, peel off the backing and adhere to the inside front cover of the book/journal/sketchbook. Repeat for all your most fancy and special books!

Have fun!