Welcome back, #Booktober

Every year when the leaves begin to turn, the air becomes crisp, and we wait for morning frost on the grass, I know we've come to my favorite month of the year, October! Why October? Well, it's birthday month for me and my two siblings and Mom makes the most incredible chocolate chip cookies ever—that is if she can keep us from eating all of the dough first!

Plus, there's Halloween. Love Halloween. I can also start to at least think about digging out my sweaters and scarves, make a list of the things that I could knit (but never seem to have time to) and then, of course, I bind a lot of books. I mean A LOT of books. I call this time Booktober.

My absolute favorite binding is the Springback binding. This is a demonstration of how a springback operates before the custom laminated card spring and split boards are covered by leather and decorative papers. 

Right around October, for those of you who aren't in the craft/trade show circuit, you may not know is that there's a short lull between the slew of shows during the hottest, miserable months of the year and the gradual pedal-to-the-metal snowballing of shows that begin to fill nearly every weekend until the end of December.

I do a lot of bookbinding demos at trade shows and festivals towards the end of the year. Last year at "Dickens of a Christmas" in historic Franklin, TN I dressed in Victorian garb and sewed books on a frame, a traditional production binding method used at a time when the trade was becoming more mechanized.

During this brief lull, as an artist and small business owner, I begin to prepare for this high-selling time by checking inventory, advertising, filling orders, and of course making new work. It's a season that many small businesses like mine depend on, to finish out the year on a high note. It's a time not just to sell work, but also to make connections, meet lots of new people, and connect with the people that use my books. 

The majority of my work is useful and perishable. Not perishable in the sense that it will spoil or that my books will fall apart, but perishable in that I design every book to be thoroughly and lovingly used to the very last page—written in, drawn in, carted around in a satchel, and tossed on counter tops at the coffee shop. The bottom line is that I build my books to last. Nothing makes me happier than being contacted by a former client who's just finished the last page and is back for a second or third journal.

During the month of #Booktober, I step outside of my usual bookbinding comfort zone by using different materials and methods of binding. This watercolor journal uses a walnut-dyed, handmade flax paper as a cover, thick watercolor paper, and decorative stitching on the spine! 

These are the sorts of things that I think about in October, as I'm powering through my last production cycle of the year. Binding new books, working with beautiful materials like leather, linen blend cloths, and gorgeous papers in a range of hues and jewel tones that I haven't had a chance to use all year. Booktober is an opportunity for me to let loose in the bindery and mix all of these wonderful materials to make books that would otherwise never come into being.

To share this manic binding time with the world, I also share photos, quotes, and "did you knows" on social media. This year, I'm also doing something a little different. Every day in the month of Booktober (starting Monday the 3rd), I'll list one unique blank book for sale and share the live link to that one-of-a-kind book on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Every day a new book will be offered up and once it's gone, it's gone. I'm looking forward to #Booktober. Won't you join me?

Be sure to follow me on social media to get your hands on the daily #Booktober offering!

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re·con·nect—re·set—re·fresh: Making & keeping New Year's resolutions for 2016

Part 2: re·set

We’re already wrapping up week 2 of the New Year and there’s no doubt that some of you have already broken one or even several New Year’s resolutions. I know I have. That one about, “Try to eat healthier”?  How’s a lady supposed to eat healthier with the remnants of a perfectly good New Year’s ham in the fridge and a Christmas stocking full of candy? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, (and the day-after chocolate sales,) I might as well call it a year and sweep that “eat healthy” resolution under the rug, right? WRONG. Here’s the thing with resolutions, you get do-overs. All. Year. Long.

The way I see it, the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions is a tool designed for self-improvement and optimism. Resolutions shouldn’t be so specific that you set yourself up for failure, (“I will run 3 miles every day”). Instead, make your resolutions broad and realistic, (“I want to run more and be more active”). This blanket resolution is specific enough to define an achievable goal, but broad enough to allow for the ebb and flow of daily life. It also leaves room for evolution and improvement.

Not only are stamps great for that resolution for writing more letters, they're also a great reminder for all of those fruits and vegetables you said you'd eat more of this year.

Maybe your “run more” resolution turns into playing on an indoor soccer team during the winter, a kickball league in the summer, and trail running in the fall. And as we all know, making New Year’s resolutions is only the half of it. The other half is holding yourself accountable.

In Part 1 of my “re·con·nect —re·set—re·fresh” post, I mentioned that while some people like to share their resolutions with friends, others choose to keep theirs private. One of the easiest and most rewarding ways of tracking your own success throughout the year is to keep a “Resolution Journal”. Keeping a journal just for New Year’s resolutions is a great way to help you reach your personal goals by creating a sense of personal accountability.

For insight on how to start and keep a “Resolution Journal” check back for Part 3. If you’re like me and you’ve already broken one or two resolutions, use this week as a breather to regroup and even revise your resolutions. Scout out one or several special journals that speak to you and then, hit the reset button. 

Check out my selection of journals and notebooks and use the code RESOLUTION2016 at checkout and receive 15% off of your very own "Resolution Journal" to start the year off right. Use #MyCHBook on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to show how you use your Crowing Hens Bindery book throughout the year!