This custom order was for a woman as a Christmas gift to her son who is a river guide out west. She wanted something unique to him as well as durable and refillable. This is one of his favorite lined journal inserts, which will now be protected on all his adventures. The canyon, river and full moon scene are reminiscent of where he spends much of his time.

This is a custom-made pen/pencil case. It was inspired by the person's original case that was made out of cloth, and they wanted something more durable. Here is the finished product!

“At birth we are red-faced, round, intense, pure. The crimson fire of universal consciousness burns in us. Gradually, however, we are devoured by our parents, gulped by schools, chewed up by peers, swallowed by social institutions, wolfed by bad habits, and gnawed by age; and by that time we have been digested, cow style, in those six stomachs, we emerge a single disgusting shade of brown. The lesson of the beet, then, is this: hold on to your divine blush, your innate rosy magic, or end up brown. Once you’re brown, you’ll find that you’re blue. As blue as indigo. And you know what that means, Indigo. Indigoing. Indigone.”

-Tom Robbins

Here is one of the custom orders that I did this past month. It is a small leather refillable sketchbook. She said that she wanted it turquoise and wanted it to be based on the dandelion image that she sent me. I ended up hand-stitching the dandelion and was happy with how it turned out.

 This is a large leather handbound journal that has handmade paper and a leather tie closure.  I created it as a custom order recently for a new customer.  Here is what she wrote once she received it:  

I just got it, and it is absolutely beautiful!!! The colors are right on - perfect! Thank you so very much. You have an amazing talent, and as a person who is very picky about her journals, I'm so very glad I found you :)

Thanks again!

"To dance, put your hand on your heart and listen to the sound of your soul."
- Eugene Louis Faccuito

May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
-Irish Proverb 

This was a custom order that came in just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  A women ordered it for a friend who does Civil War reenactments and has Irish heritage.  We needed to keep it rustic and minimalistic (true to the times he is representing) and a nod to his Irish heritage.  This is what we came up with, and she let me know that he loved it.  

 

To write a life is to live twice. –Patricia Hampl

This is a custom hand-bound leather journal with lined recycled paper inside.  It closes securely with a pen and has the recipient's intials hand-stitched on the binding.  

This was a custom Christmas gift from one brother to another to be used as a sketchbook. It was made from reclaimed leather, recycled paper, and a belt buckle. It was 9 x 12 inches and has The Green Lantern's logo on the front.

Here are a couple of examples of large padfolios that I've been doing. I mostly do these as custom orders (basically so you can choose the type of leather you'd like), but I am starting to take some to festivals with me. They have an 8 1/2 x 11 inch pad of paper that you can refill, a pen and pen holder, and a pocket that you can carry 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets of paper without folding them.  It also have a business card holder.  You can have them close with a leather tie, snap, magnetic closure, or latch.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you made it through the holidays with as much ease as possible. I stayed busy and grateful throughout it and was also grateful for a little breather afterwards. I've been quietly getting paperwork, new designs, and such in order for this new year. While I get new designs solidified and ready to share, I will be posting some of the custom pieces from last year. These below are custom sketchbooks made as Christmas presents for a couple of brothers from their mom.

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?” ― Rumi

I was asked to create this journal intuitively. I kept getting the image of a partial tree and a subtle spiral. In the midst of creating it, the guy I was creating it for told me that it was going to be his mirror journal--a place for him to reflect on his strong responses to others and what those responses were showing him about himself. The partial tree signifies that we may only see part of a the picture until we take time to sit and be quiet with what is happening. Also, trees symbolize reaching to me--reaching upward for help and higher expression and reaching down and inward towards centering and rooting. The spiral represents the path we are on and how we keep encountering the same lessons, but from a different perspective because we are further along the path when they come back around. I hope this journal assists him well as he continues this work.

Pilgrims are poets who create by taking a journey. -Richard Niebuhr

This extra thick book was created for a couple who wanted a journal/scrapbook to record all their adventures in. They stopped in Lexington on their way back home to Illinois from Gattlinburg, TN, where they had hiked and found some great wood pieces. The husband is a woodworker so he made the wood piece that is part of the closure. This is something that they want to be an heirloom and are excited to add to each year. Their initials are hand-stitched on the side.

Centered is a local place that offers yoga, massage and many types of healing arts as variety of classes.  They had me create a custom sign-in book for them and have it near their entrance.  It is made from reclaimed leather and recycled paper and has their logo on the front.  If you are in the area, definitely check them out!  This is one of the places that I sometimes teach bookbinding workshops.

 A graduation gift from a mother to her daughter who just received her PhD... 

This is a custom refillable leather journal cover. It was made specifically for a notebook that he was already using and just wanted to cover. It has his name hand-stitched on the cover and has a pen holder inside. 

Now adding personalized messages to a slightly larger size book necklace...just let me know what you would like in your's. They can be fun reminders to have close: quotes, sweet nothings, prayers, mantras, etc.  

"Dreams are necessary to life."
-Anais Nin 

This was a custom refillable cover for a 5 x 7 notebook. A mother bought it for her young daughter who is an avid writer. Hopefully, it will inspire all kinds of dreams, stories, ideas, and reflections. 

 

This is a custom-made padfolio for a custom who emailed me a sketch of the design that she wanted.  I was able to do what she asked and included the teal design, a place for an 8.5 x 11 inch tablet/notebook, a pen holder, a sleeve for loose papers, and a business card holder.  It also has her initials hand-stitched on the front and closes securely with a heavy dut snap.

This is a custom scrapbook that I created for a dear friend whose son is getting ready to have his first birthday.  I included all the elements that she asked for including the state of KY and a star for where he lives, his name and birthday, and the scripture that was given to her and her husband before he was born.  It is made from reclaimed leathers, has recycled, archival pages inside, and is hand-bound.