A great Oriental stab binding resource

For the record, this post is nearly identical to one I made in the handmadebooks Yahoo! group last week. If you've never checked the group out, I highly recommend it!


I've been very focused on stab binding lately (I made twelve stab bound books in one week for the arts fair I went too), so I dug up an old (very good) internet resource on Japanese bookbinding.

I have never found any resource as good as Graeme Dawe's history of traditional Japanese binding! It's truly incredible: it's the bulk of his dissertation on the subject for the University of Brighton in the UK! He's very generous to make this available on the web. The full resource is still available at his original site (above); he is working on a new site, though, so the old one may disappear at some point.

One really cool thing about this is that I learned something my book arts instructor didn't know: the correct terms for the binding elements of a Japanese stab book! The little twist of rice paper for the inner binding is called "nakatoji," and the optional corner piece is the "kadogire." (Useless knowledge, I know, but still very cool!)

Hope this is of use to someone besides me! I will post more resources when I find them. When I figure out how, I'll even post the pdf handouts I created for the classes I taught.

Xandria

Tips for selling

I have been to tons of art and craft fairs, but never to sell! I've also never seriously considered what it takes to sell. So, fresh from my first fair, here's my advice! (I did wait a couple of days to catch up on all the sleep I missed and chores I skipped…)

First, when you have lots of books to make, work in an "assembly line," as much as possible. If I had tried to switch back and forth between book forms, or complete one whole book before starting another, I would have made maybe half as many books finished. For instance, I did pamphlet stitch the first week. So, I did all my cutting, then all my scoring and folding. Then I would punch a half dozen books or so and then stitch them all. Then I punched and sewed some more. (Alternating kept me from getting too bored.) I waited until I had a small stack to do any embellishing.

Second, give potential customers lots of ideas on how they can use your wares! If you can think of some really unusual uses for your "stuff," display some samples or make a sign suggesting them. For instance, I used an accordian book to create a memory book when I graduated college. I had all my friends sign the pages before I made the book. Then I added rub-ons saying "have fun," "celebrate," and "friends," accompanied by photos. I displayed this one at my table, next to the brag books I was selling.

Third, clearly mark all your prices. You don't have to have an enormous tag or sign, but just make sure that potential customers can easily find it and read it. (Print out stickers if your handwriting is really bad! Or use an inexpensive picture frame and slip in a printout for a polished look with little fuss.) Many people will just keep on going if they can't find a price. (Fortunately, mine were all marked. Not that it helped that much.)

Finally, remember what you are selling: your incredible books…not the display! You've worked hard to create them, so keep it simple and let them be the stars. You want to showcase the beauty of your work, not eclipse it. Your props, table coverings, even your signs, should never compete with your work! A simple rule of thumb: if you can't justify its presence, dump it!

Xandria

My first art fair

I decided to do my very first arts & crafts fair with only three weeks to prepare for it! Obviously I had no life and didn't sleep much, since I also have a full-time job and a husband… The first week, I made twenty-five little pamphlet stitch booklets, some plain, some embellished. The second, I made twelve Japanese stab bound books. The third week, I made five hardcover, open spine, french braid-bound books and five hardcover accordian fold books, which I dubbed "brag books."

It was a really great experience, even though I didn't sell very many books. I did sell enough to cover my costs–but just barely! Mainly, I learned how it all works, and what types of venues not to choose. (I think handmade books were a bit too "gourmet" for my run-of-the-mill suburban audience. Maybe if it had been closer to Christmas–or if it hadn't beeen Atlanta's first dry Saturday in weeks! I don't think anyone wanted to be indoors.)

While I didn't make a lot of money, I can't wait to do this again! (My husband is even more enthusiastic about it than I am!) Next time, though, I am definitely leaving myself more time!