I've been growing a creative community since the internet dark ages of 2007 when I started my first blog. I now run an online bookbinding community called the Handmade Book Club. It's a subscription site that provides monthly education and connection. As of the end of of 2023, my list is 23k. I'd love to collaborate with other artists and creators.
Hello Reader, Please join me today at 10am EST when I show you how to create another quick handmade holiday gift. It will be recorded :) WATCH VIDEO Have a beautiful day, Ali 145 Main Street, Suite 208, Groton, MA 01450Unsubscribe · Preferences
Hello Reader, I hope you had a great weekend and set aside time to get into your crafting/art making space. Did you know that we publish a new blog post every week? If not, here's what you've missed lately Fabric Book Covers Enjoy lots of fabric cover inspiration from our Handmade Book Club members. Read post Top 10 Free Tutorials Find my top 10 projects all in one convenient spot. Use them for your next creative playdate with friends. Read post Behind the Scenes You might also have missed...
Hello Reader, do you ever feel like when things are going really well, the universe has a way of bringing you back down to earth with a bump? That happened to me this week. Mikki visited the office last week and we made lots of exciting plans for the Handmade Book Club in 2024. I was back doing YouTube lives after a break during the Fall and I was hoping to end the year strong - we just hit 23,000 subscribers and 1 million video views. Then after 4 years of avoiding getting sick with Covid,...
Hi Reader, Do you remember the book or perhaps the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? I remember loving the idea of a traveling pair of pants that magically fit a group of friends and had been lovingly worn by all of them. That book inspired the name of an exciting new collaboration between me and three of my creative sisters: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Journal. Andrea Chebeleu, Minette Riordan, Roben-Marie Smith and I have been friends and business besties across time and...
Happy Monday Reader, With all the tragic things happening in the world right now, I want to offer a quiet respite. Snuggle into an arm chair, wrap your hands around a warm drink and read some of the inspiring things I've found on the internet over the past few weeks. Printing Secrets for Bookbinders I highly recommend this 4-part blog series by book club member Tadara Smith. While you're there, check out the amazing printables she sells in her store. Read Now Instagram Finds I cannot stop...
Happy Friday Reader, I hope you've had a paper filled week! I've got 2 fun things to share with you today: Zen Books I'm beyond excited to share with you a new class that I'll be teaching with Kate Ward from Zen Stitching. Kate will share her knowledge of Sashiko and show you how to stitch four different summery stitch patterns that you can use on your book covers. I will then teach you how to bind them into a Japanese book structure for summer sketching and journaling. The six-week program...
Hello Reader, I hope you had a great week filled with creativity and not too much heat! It's been quiet in the studio because I've been away creating with my friends but I do have a fun interview with Handmade Book Club member, Kelly Barone, to share with you. Kelly is a wonderful artist, teacher and human being. In the interview we chat about her creative and business journey from stamping to Zentangle to making her own watercolors. I know you'll enjoy getting to know Kelly and will be...
Happy Saturday Reader, this week I spent a lovely hour chatting with Handmade Book Club member, Ricki Golick, about her creative journey and practice. I came away so inspired and I think you will to. Watch Video Some highlights of our conversation are how she masters a new skill every five years; how she traded studios with a friend to share supplies and how she overcame her fear of drawing by starting with one inch at a time. You can see some of Ricki's artwork and read an interview...
Make Ahead Bookbinding Method Happy Thursday Reader, I want to be the kind of person who plants seeds in January so that I have a garden full of summer flowers. And I want to be that person who prepares a week's worth of meals on Sunday night. However, I spend too much money at the garden center on pre-grown garden annuals in July and find myself ordering take out at 7pm several nights per week. Can you relate? But one area of my life where I do plan is in my journal making. I hope you can...
Sick Bed Resources Happy Saturday Reader, I hope your week was better than mine. I've been laid low with bronchitis for the whole week. We have so many fun projects happening at Vintage Page Designs and The Handmade Book Club that being sick wasn't part of my plan 🤦♀️ But sometimes the universe has other plans and our bodies make us slow down. But I still have some fun things to share with you from reading my ipad all week. Artwork Hack I discovered Emily Hadley's Instagram account and loved...