If you are in a hurry to make a journal or album and don't have time to prepare your block, you can use one of these sewn text-blocks from Italy that Hollander's carries. All you need is to case them in (give them a cover). They come in various sizes, and you can get blank or lined blocks, even address books, diaries or photo albums.

Visit Hollander's to get these sewn text blocks.

Started as a little hole-in-the-wall store in San Francisco's Castro area, Kozo Arts has been around for almost 16 years. While I was visiting San Francisco last week, I stopped by the store literally 5 minutes before they closed for the day.

Located in the upscale Union Street shopping district, the store is definitely a bookbinder's dream come true. It's essentially a bookbinder's studio open to the walk-in public, probably one of its kind in the country.

Kozo displays an entire wall of Chiyogami paper on one side, and their beautiful handmade products on the other. They have albums, guest books, journals and frames, all handmade on site.

I am glad to say that my new work space has been set up and I am ready to make some books again. I will be first focusing on a bunch of lined journals for friends and for the coming holiday season (yeah, to sell).

On a recent trip to London, M. visited the famous Falkiners fine paper and bookbinding supplies store on 76 Southampton Row, and took a few pictures for me.

Falkiners's wall of paper:


I just want one of these huge paper shelves in my studio!


This picture is blurry, but just see how organized they are with their bookcloth stock:


An antique press for 300 pounds:

I am recently addicted to these 2 online stores, admiring their paper collection and web usability. Browsing through them has been a lot of fun. Not only that they have great selections of paper, but the way that they organize the paper products are intuitive and usable.

French Paper (mrfrench.com)


Family-owned French Paper has been making paper since 1871. And for almost 85 years, their entire factory is hydro-powered. They have 11 lines of paper, totaling a number of 150 paper products. Their website has a strong and pleasant visual identity that makes browsing so much fun.

Each of the paper is accompanied with a big and clear image so that you can easily see its texture. For pattern paper, they even show you a 200% enlargement of the pattern. You'll know what you will be getting. Each paper is available in different weights, and from letter size up to 26"x40", so your every need will be covered.

And the best of all, if you have a Pantone color in mind, their "Custom Paper" service will make that paper of that particular color for you.

Paper Mojo (papermojo.com)


On Paper Mojo, you can find a paper starting from a given color. Paper Mojo shows you all the paper that relates to the color of your choice. Details of each paper, such as origin, materials, make and dimension are clearly presented. All the paper is divided into 3 major categories: prints and patterns, textures and inclusions, and tissues and lace paper. Once you get into these top categories, you can see minor categories to narrow down your selection.

Paper Mojo also gives you great tools to help selecting your paper. "Inspiration Gallery" presents design palettes to allow you to quick start on any project.

Seriously environmentally concious, this paper recycles undigested fibers from elephants into paper. Sounds just like any other paper, right? Paper is all just plant fibers, right? Recycled paper is essentially regrouped broken fibers from used paper, that's why paper recycled from elephant dung is just like other recycled paper.

You got that right, elephant poo. Paper is made from fiber, afterall. No matter where the fiber is from: whether it's from used paper or undigested elephant food.

And it doesn't smell like poo.

Learn about The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper and get some for yourself.

If you know some woodwork, chances are you could've made yourself a sewing frame. Otherwise you would've have to shell out at least 100 dollars for one. I wanted a sewing frame for so long but I wasn't going to go either way. When I found California-based Jim Poelstra's pieces on eBay Jim Poelstra's pieces on eBay, I knew that was it, and when I got it, I was exceptionally happy with it.

The frame I got is is made of "hardwood plywood with a high pressure plastic laminate covering." It makes the surfaces easy to clean if glue gets on them. All the edges are sanded with dedication and and sealed with paste wax silky smooth. All the parts can come off so that it can be stowed away easily.

Jim has been self-employed for 23 years and building mostly custom furniture, cabinets and some commercial laminate work. He was dissatisfied with the price of bookbinding equipment, especially sewing frames and presses, so he has been making excellent and high quality pieces for the novices and the pros. At one point, he almost started an online company called "Affordable Binding Equipment" to sell his excellent handmade binding equipment.

Before Jim designed and built this simple and elegant sewing frame, he had tried looked for something else to fulfill his needs to bind his books. He has tried found people using a wire hanger and clothespins, and of course, the chair. He finally decided that he had to make a sewing frame, and in turn, shared with everyone else!

And without a doubt, I just couldn't wait to start using the sewing frame!


Note: Jim corrected me as he actally found those funky alternative frames on the Internet. I misunderstood him for trying those himself before making his sewing frame.

The books at Greenjeans have been selling really well last few weeks as it's the holiday time. Amy at Greenjeans sent me a picture of the books that are left to be owned by someone (hopefully you). More books are on the way, I am working on 3 half letter-sized hardcover thick notebooks, and there are already 2 softcover coptic notebooks ready to be sent to them.