Bookfolding and an interview!

Through ETSY, I have met all types of interesting people. And I am not only talking about Etsy sellers- although most of them are  truly creative minds and interesting people-but for ETSY clients as well! You know, when you want to know personal details, such as  loves and fears, hopes and traumas, lifechanging events  and plans for the future  of an individual,  in order to create your art, it is only natural that from a point onwards, that  you are considered and feel something like  an old aquaintance, a friend, and of course, a trusted person. This is what I love about ETSY. The personal involvement, the new friends, the communication and of course the art that is produced throughout the market place.

One of these interesting people I am talking about, is the author Ranay James. Her story is one of a woman of our times. Highly succesful corporate executive, who stepped away to find a meaning in her life! She moved to  a ranch in Texas and decided to make a living from her passion and write fantasy novels! Ok ! I am sure that since you read  the "writer" word, you had already guessed, that Ranay is a fantasy writer!

Anyway, you can find her McKinnon series at amazon, where you can download your first book for free! The McKinnon The Beginning: Book 1 - Part 1:http://amzn.to/1VNlnjk

I have folded two books for her May/June newsletter giveaways, with two words that I believe that summarize everyones life! And yes YOU can be one of the lucky winners if you subscribe here










Aaand  by getting the newsletter, you can also read my interview. Ranay split it in two parts - the first  for her May and the second for her June newsletter! You can find the link of her May newsletter here!

Excerpt from the newsletter:

Tell us a little about your background with the art of bookbinding? When did you get started? Have you had any formal training or education in bookbinding or has it all been on the job training? What kinds of things have you done / experiences have you had in the craft of bookbinding that our audience of book lovers might find interesting? How did you decide being a bookbinder was the career choice for you?

I was born in 1972 in Greece, so I was lucky to grow up playing outside with friends, without TV, computers and the internet. Back then, books were our “window” to the world. My mom kept a huge library at home and we were allowed to visit the local library once a week to borrow new titles. I was always a bookworm. Mom always said that I only wished for books as presents. I love that my daughter is exactly the same, nowadays! I was always enchanted by books, not only by their stories but also by their editions. We had some great publishers in Greece, and even the most common title, were hard covered, with good quality paper, beautiful illustrations and was a great addition to any library at a very affordable price. I was really shocked, two decades later, when I encountered the “mass market paperback” concept, during my postgraduate studies in Scotland. While in Scotland, I discovered art journaling. I always kept a diary, but for art journaling, I needed a good watercolor journal. I tried several popular journals, but either the paper was not good enough or the spine was not strong – I was not happy with any of them. My studies were in Computer Science, but our University had several arts and crafts workshops and clubs, that students could participate. As soon as I was informed that a new bookbinding workshop was planned, I signed for it. And then I was hooked! After university, I returned to Greece and worked at the family business (a clothing retail company) for ten years. Every time there was a bookbinding class offered in my area, I was the first attendee. I was bookbinding as a hobby always exploring new concepts, ideas, and methods. I was making journals for myself, for family and friends, for friends of their friends who liked my journals or for the pure joy of giving life and character to some simple pieces of paper. When the economic crisis knocked our country, and the family business started to decline, I decided that this was my chance to make a living from something I really love – my journals!

What is the most amazing project that you have completed?

Some years ago, during a visit at the Warwick Castle, I was impressed by a collection of municipality tomes from the middle of the 18th century. These books were the town records, hand-written by scribes, whose penmanship alone was worth seeing. But what was really amazing, was the fact that they were about 3/4 of a meter tall, weighed more than 3 kg and were STILL functional after two centuries of hard use! We are talking about books made before the modern glues were invented! I was dying to make such a big tome! So when an Australian tattoo artist asked for a huge book to draw his tattoo designs, I grabbed the chance! The book weighed more than 5.5 kg and for its binding I used more than 13 meters of linen thread! You can see this projectm here.

What is the strangest project that you have completed?

The strangest project I did, I am not allowed to show, according to the request of its owner. What I can tell you though is, that this journal is going to be kept in a vault for 350 years and then be given to the female descendant of my client at the time. For this project, I investigated the paper mills of Europe, and found out that the St Cuthbert Mill has a paper which guarantees that will be imperishable for 500 years!

To be continued...

Aren't you curious now? What else, have I shared?