FAQ

Every journal is created with the appearance of the spine in mind as part of the overall form and feel. This means that each book is permanently bound, using Irish waxed linen, which is safe from sun damage and mildew from moisture. Since every book is one-of-a-kind, they are intended to appreciated, used, and collected over time. When one book is full, the journey of another begins.

A lot of the papers I purchase in large sheets. They are handmade, archival acid-free papers made from a variety of botanical materials, from all over the world. Some have been decorated with print, silk screen, or marbling. I have also hand marbled many papers myself. These can be found in my marbled series. Others, I have designed with batik, which is layers of paint or ink atop layers of wax resist, the last step being the removal of the wax layers. These decorative papers are then cut or torn, layed out, and glued to bookboard with archival PVA (polyvinyl acetate, or bookbinders glue), inside and out, pressed flat, and punched in preparation for sewing. The text block (fill paper) I purchase from quality paper distributors. These are then cut or hand-torn to size, stacked, folded, punched, and sewn into place.

Made by Strathmore, the 80 lb sketch paper comes in three colors: grey, tan, and white. It has a subtle tooth and lighter pages, so it makes for a thinner book. This paper is suitable for charcoal, pastel, colored pencils, graphite, pen and ink, and light washes. Best for writers, sketch artists, and creative journaling. Made in France by Arches, the 90 lb white watercolor paper. I purchase the cold press (rough texture) papers. Each page is hand torn for a deckled edge. Suitable for any artist's medium, including acrylic, gouache, and watercolor, of course, as well as everything listed above. Made for artists of all kinds. Both types are acid-free, non-yellowing, archival paper.

If you have a specific size, page count, color or design in mind, please contact me to start the conversation!

The base is handcrafted to make a solid bar that produces a long, rich lather. Core ingredients include the saponified oils of pomace olive, coconut, sustainably harvested palm, and castor. All soap is made with lye (NaOH, sodium hydroxide) for saponification to take place, meaning the chemical reation between the fatty acids (oils) and base (lye) to produce soap. Historically, folks might use hardwood ash or guess the amount of lye required, making caustic and crude bars of soap from the leftovers of their meat products (lard and tallow). Thankfully, now we have so much more information about the chemical process and benefits of the oils for the skin to make nutrifying body bars. In addition to the ingredients needed to make a plain bar of soap, essential oils are used for smells, and herbs, spices, and clays are used for colorants. I avoid synthetically produced fragrance oils and lab colors, with the exception of sandalwood oil because it is unsustainable to harvest. Therefore, all the scents used here are those that can be easily "squeezed" out of nature itself. Lastly, all soaps are made in small batches for optimium freshness.

If you have a specific smell, color or look, and batch size in mind, please contact me to start the conversation! Please note that it will take 4-6 weeks for the soap to cure and be ready for use, so this will need to be factored into your timeline. If you'd like a larger batch of something I already offer, that can also be arranged. Again, cure time is a factor. Please contact me to enquire.

Absolutely! We can work together. Email me to start the conversation. I can also include a note with your gift, in your words.