On My Desk: Hand Embroidered Paper Details

Today I'm excited to share a really special project I'm working on. I've been creating an extremely detailed custom book and I thought it'd be fun to give y'all a peek behind the scenes with some progress shots. 

The final pieces will be a book of poems/song lyrics bound "accordion" style. This means that all the pages are connected end to end and the owner will have the option of either reading it as a normal book or using it as an art piece by opening it up for display. So if you literally imagine an accordion- the covers would be like the keyboard/woodboxes and all these pages will expand and connect like the bellows. 

But don't worry your head off about the construction- let's focus on all the embroidery going on instead! My client wanted to create a gift for a songwriting friend. So she provided me with the lyrics to be made into a book and then I went to work. 

And by work I obviously mean lots of planning and obsessing over details. My concept behind this book was to create lots of intricate layers. The writer's poems + lyrics are very vulnerable and telling so I wanted layers of pattern, colors, words, and stitching to draw the reader in and move them along throughout the collection. The end goal was to create something that you can look at several times and find a new detail that you didn't notice before (the way you can fall in love with a different part of a song you've heard a million times).

I chose vintage inspired floral papers to embroider on for the bottom layer, which you see here. The second layer is a translucent vellum that the lyrics are printed on. Once the layers are attached, you get a dreamy effect of hand embroidered vines and words peeking out from under the lyrics. It's a lot of fun to look at in person. 

Since I knew the embroidery would be covered up, I wanted to get some really detailed shots for my portfolio. (And can we just talk about the word "portfolio" for a second? It  always makes me feel so weird. . . like overconfident or a corporate executive giving a boring report, ugh. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to have a gallery of my embroidery and handmade books when I re-do my website, but at the same time it still evokes weird feelings. . . )

All of the embroidered words are lyrics I hand lettered and then stitched. I included a time lapse GIF above of the process because it's always fun to see the evolution of an idea!

After all the embroidery was done, i used my sewing machine to attach the two layers. My desk then turned into a disaster area of string and paper that Olive was more than happy to frolic all over. The next step is to attach all the pages into a seven foot accordion and then give it some covers to live between! (And then more photographing and then shipping it off— but one step at a time!) 

I an honestly say that this will probably be one of the most beautiful books I've made yet. I'm also learning a ton along the way so it's been a rewarding and challenging experience. Yay for new things! I'm looking forward to wrapping this project up and making even more books. I have a lot of ideas floating around that I can't wait to get working on, so stay tuned for loads more books and handmade goodness!

Custom Rainbow Journal with Duct Tape Covers

Hello, everyone! I've noticed a lot of my friends (both online and off) have been feeling less than inspired lately so today I thought I'd try to combat the winter blues by sharing this borderline nauseatingly bright & cheery book that I made for a friend. I've had a less than ideal couple of months but just thinking about how I felt holding this book after finishing it is warming me up a bit— I couldn't stop smiling!

But let me back up so you get the whole story. I have a pretty amazing friend group and we organized our huge second annual Secret Santa event in December. There must of been at least. . .  30 of us?! and I got to be Santa for my good friend, Neil. In order to describe Neil to you, I think I need to tell you about the first time we met.

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In December of 2009, I went on a two-week winter tour with my friends' band, Blastoids. This was my second stint with them, (you can read about the first one— a 45 day long summer trip— here). That winter, still filled with wanderlust, they bought a school bus, gutted it, filled it with over a dozen friends, and drove it up the east coast on tour. We played a show in a different city every night and it was amazing.

During that journey, we met up with another band on a similar journey: Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. And that's how I met Neil (and a half dozen of my now best friends). Neil writes music about how amazing life and friends are and then travels the world with an array of people, costumes, lights, and instruments— spreading happiness everywhere he goes.

All 20+ of us spent our days on a bus playing games and getting to know each other and our nights singing songs and dancing together. By the end, it was clear that when we said goodbye it was just the beginning. Now, five years later, I still keep in touch with everyone and consider them my closest friends even though we are all across the country now.



Neil is a lot of things— funny, eccentric, encouraging, smart. He is an inextinguishable spark of positive energy and fun. Neil is also always, always, always, on tour—I can hardly keep up with where he is. Since he is always traveling, I wanted to give him something portable and practical, which is how the book you see here was born.

Neil's music equipment and gear is covered in neon duct tape, so I immediately knew his book would be, too. And there was no way that clean white pages would work (if you don't believe me, just look at his website) so I gave him a rainbow to choose from. I finished it up with purple stitching and even though I sometimes felt blinded by it's power, that's also how I knew it would be a great fit.

I didn't even know if he would use a journal when I made it, but the process of creating the perfect book for someone is where all the fun comes from. I thought maybe he could at least use it for lyrics, but he told me he plans on making it a gratitude book, which is an idea I love for a book so vibrant.



So that's the story of the brightest book I've ever made. When I sat down to write this I actually had no idea what I was going to say, but after talking about friendship and memories I'm all warm and fuzzy on this nasty winter day. I mean, it was a fun book to make, but I think I love the reason that I made it even more. I like making things for other people so much, and with each book I create I've realized that my greatest ambition is to do it for a living— and the thought of making that a reality is what I'm using to keep the winter blues away. Until next time, Jenna 

8 Reasons My Former Self Would Be Proud of Me

I think it's really hard for a lot of people—especially women— to pat themselves on the back these days. It's way too easy to focus on the things we didn't do than to acknowledge what we've accomplished. Think about it—what have you been stressing about today?

The phone calls/emails you haven't returned? The laundry you didn't do? The yoga class you missed? Today I'd like to take away the self-inflicted criticism and focus on something way more valuable:

What things have you accomplished that your "former self" would be proud of you for?

I bet you've crossed something off your goals list, or learned a new skill, or picked up a positive habit recently that's worth giving yourself credit for! I'll start us off— in no particular order, here are some highly personal things I've done that I think "former Jenna" would be proud of.

1. Starting to run again

— even if I've missed some days (or weeks) here and there. I might not be as far along with training as I'd hoped to be BUT this post is about celebrating the good! And for me, just beginning a goal/project is about 75% of the battle. I feel a lot better mentally when I can get in a few runs per week and I think former seven-mile-a-day-Jenna would be on the sidelines cheering me on towards my goal.

2. Gaining the confidence to open my own (part time) business

(+being honest with others when they ask what I wanna do for a living). I've always thought the idea of being my own boss was ideal, but until recently I never thought it was actually an option for me. I've spent the last year working with two amazing female entrepreneurs and they've convinced me that I'm a strong, driven, talented individual. I've gained so much knowledge from my two mentors about what goes into creating a handmade business so now I'm brainstorming ways to use it to make my dreams a reality. I haven't told many people this, but I literally feel like the last year of my life has been preparing me to become a small business owner. I've finally found a way to combine my passions seamlessly together and I'm no longer keeping shy + quiet about my goals. I'm hoping to transition into opening my own shop filled with handmade books + papercrafts in the next few months (this is why it's been a bit quieter around here lately— I've been hiding away making items and business plans instead of blogging).

Whew— it actually just felt really good to type all that out! I've felt kinda secretive about it when really I should probably be screaming it from mountain tops! When I used to visit art + handmade markets and imagine myself selling at them I used to think "Oh that'd be nice" and sort of push it out of my mind. But these days I just keep saying "Heck yeah, that'll be me!" instead. This feels like a such a promising new season of my life and I only wish I had the confidence to begin it earlier.

3. Quitting a dead-end job that was making me miserable.

If you've read my blog for awhile then you know I moved to Nashville to work as the head baker at a local cupcakery a year after I graduated college. I really loved the actual work, my coworkers, and all the things I was learning. I didn't even mind getting up at 5 a.m. and biking to work— at the end of the day I was still mesmerized by the way cake ingredients mixed together and I loved watching 144 little cupcakes rise up in the oven all at once.

I made thousands of cupcakes a day and I learned a lot about the science of how different ingredients react to each other. But unfortunately there was just no upward movement for me. That plus the fact I was underpaid just made things incredibly daunting. I was constantly overwhelmed, never had energy, and was always on edge. When you're only able to go to work because you tell yourself "at least I have a job" then something needs to change. And soon. Now I will never make the mistake of staying at a job that's making me unhappy— life is just way too short for that.

4. Buying my own first car + paying in full for it

I bought my first car this year and it was a huge deal for me! I never had the desire or need for a car before now— I always biked everywhere. But once I switched jobs and started commuting I had to drive. So I did tons of research, test drove over a dozen cars, and finally bought myself a little vintage BMW. I'm currently paying off student loans so getting further into debt wasn't really an option for me. So I saved up and now I literally own my car. It's a great feeling and even though my car is older than me, I know it was the right decision! I don't know what my former self would think about me driving so much, but I'm sure we'd both agree it's good that I didn't incur more debt in order to do so.

5. Learning to use a sewing machine.

This was a goal of mine for at least the last 10 years. Dozens of people have offered to teach me over the years but I was always too timid to follow up and make it happen. Then Elizabeth suggested I take a local sewing class with her and seriously— a couple hours later and I had sewn a pillow! Since then I've made a shirt into a skirt, hemmed some stuff, and I even made my own skirt.

If there's something you've been wanting to learn then DO IT TOMORROW. I'm so happy I finally have this skill to explore. My only regret is that I never learned sooner. But we're not here to focus on the fact that it took me so long to get active about a goal. Just the fact that I am so happy I finally did it!

6. Continuing to learn new bookbinding methods after graduating college.

For the last few months I've been taking bookmaking workshops through the public library and local art co-ops— it's been such a blast! I've even taken a few classes on bookbinding techniques I "already knew" how to make and even learned a lot from them, too. Part of this is because it's just really fulfilling to pick up new skills and I never ever ever wanna stop learning BUT the more I know about bookmaking the bigger my chance of being able to create the perfect book for someone else— and that's really what I'm all about!

7. Learning to say no and to put my own priorities before others.

I know that sounds like a self-centered thing to be "proud of" but that's only because it completely is. Let me explain— I am a recovering people-pleaser. I felt incredibly guilty saying no to anyone or anything. I even feel guilty just talking about learning to say no to people.

But, as it turns out, every time you say "yes" to something, you are actually saying "no" to something else. For me, this was me saying no to sleep, to starting my own business, to running, to blogging, to spending time with Nick, and so on. Granted, most of the things I committed to doing are things I really enjoy doing or helping others with. But by refusing to say "no" I was overcommitting myself and unable to focus on what was really important to me.

So I started saying no more often, tied up all the outstanding commitments I had to other people, and started using my free time to focus on the things I really care about. I started running, eating breakfast, creating more things, learning new skills, taking fun classes, and sleeping better. And doing all of those things has made me actually want to say "yes" to other people now. Fancy how that cycle works, huh?

I know it seems selfish, but I highly recommend saying "yes" to yourself first. In my world, if I can't even take care of myself, then I'm not mentally or emotionally capable of helping or taking care of others.

8. Letting myself slow down and focus on mental health + well being.

When I realized I was overcommitted and stretching myself thin it was not a pretty picture. I could barely get out of bed in the morning, I was exhausted all day, I couldn't focus on singular tasks, I got overwhelmed with even the tiniest decisions (WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SOUP OR SALAD?!— JUST KILL ME NOW).

When you end the day by sprawling out on your bed and screaming into a pillow then it's probably time to uh, how you say— RELAX?! (I know some of you probably think I'm exaggerating but if you've ever found yourself nearing tears in the shampoo aisle for no "apparent" reason then just know you're not alone.) So I finally stopped treating myself like crap and started putting my mental health first. Spending time with Nick, running, making art, eating wholesome food, journaling— these things made me feel a lot better mentally so I put those first on my priorities list. And, this is important,

I stopped feeling guilty for it.  So in case nobody's told you: it's okay to take good care of yourself. Taking time for myself to evaluate and find a mental, physical, and emotional balance has made a very positive impact on my life. I know what I want, what my goals are, and what I should be doing to make them happen. Life has been a lot easier since I found some personal clarity and started focusing on where I want to be in life. Now I just ask "what is the most important thing I can be doing today?" .  . and then I do that thing.

— — — — — — — — — — — — 

So there you have it. Realizing all the goals I've made in the past and then actually accomplished helps put things into perspective for me. It's a lot more inspirational + encouraging to see how far you've come than to focus on what's missing. So, enough about me!

I wanna hear about what YOU have done that would make a former you proud. Leave it in the comments or make a list of your own and then send me the link! I hope you all have a great day and that you find a moment to pat yourself on the back— I think you all deserve it! Cheers, Jenna

Ps. Most of these photos are from my Instagram— let's be friends!

Custom: Coptic Bound "Do-si-Do" Book (Photo Heavy)

The Dos-á-dos binding, more often called the "Do-si-do" book here in America (yes— like the square dance!), is basically a way to create one book from two. The "two books" share a back cover so when you look at it from the top, the covers form the letter "N" (as pictured above). The translation is from French which literally means "back-to-back." You would open the front cover and begin writing in it as usual. Then, when you get to the end, you close the book and voilá — it's another blank book waiting for you to fill it up again. Pretty cool, huh?

Sidenote: There is a similar book form called the "Tête-bêche" where two texts are bound head-to-tail. This means that one of the books would actually be upside-down in relation to the other. BUT Tête-bêche bound books only have two covers so they look like a normal book except when you finish the text of the first book, the next page would be the upside-down last page of the second book.

If you think of Do-si-do books as "conjoined" and Tête-bêche as "two in one" then it helps to keep them straight and understandable. These two book forms were often created for complementary works such as the Bible's New and Old Testament.

So, now that the history lesson is over, the photos I'm sharing today are of a custom book that I was commissioned to make. I'm a problem solver by nature, and so making custom books that fit someone's specific needs is literally my favorite thing. My client* wanted me to create a blank book that she could give to a friend for her birthday. Her friend's husband had passed away and my client wanted the family to have a place to capture and record not only wonderful memories of previous birthdays and holidays, but also their future celebrations together. I suggested a do-si-do book and she loved the idea.

The other problem I had to solve was that my client already had a very specific idea for the covers. This is only a problem because if someone already has an idea of what they want in their head before you start the project then they have already created their own set of expectations for you. So the risk is that if you don't deliver exactly what they want then they will be disappointed with the end product no matter what it is.

Luckily, I realized this beforehand and was able to work it into the design of the book. So I used papers that she chose for the end pages (end pages are the papers that are glued onto the inside of the covers) and I created neutral covers that she could later adhere her own design onto.

The last design decision I made was the coptic style binding. This binding style is perfect not only because it's a very pretty exposed stitching, but it allows the book to lie flat when open so it's really convenient and pleasant to write in.

So after I addressed all those problems, this is the book I came up with. I'm so happy with the way this book turned out! I only broke two needles while sewing it together but at least I got lots of practice ;-) This book is unlike any other I've made before since it addresses some things I've never had to think about before. I learned so much from it and I love the fact that no one else in the world has this book besides one family. It's completely unique to my client's friend, just like her husband.

*I use the term client throughout this post but for the purpose of full disclosure I don't mind that anyone knows that this book was commissioned by my boss! I just didn't feel like saying "boss" or "friend" was quite right for this situation (though she is both to me!), so in the name of professionalism, I chose "client." She knows I'm preparing myself to open a bookmaking business so I'm so excited to have this opportunity to work through a real-life client situation and figure out some of the hiccups along the way now instead of when dealing with strangers. Also, I normally wouldn't create a book so minimal on the covers, but since I got to talk with her at great length about what she wanted, I was super comfortable and happy to accommodate her wish to create her own covers. I actually really like that it will end up being a collaboration between the two of us!

So there you have it— a little peek at my process and what goes into creating a custom handbound book for somebody. I also got to play around with potential packaging and product photography, though I'm not 100% satisfied with either of those yet.

Do y'all think these pictures are acceptable for product shots on a website/Etsy store?

I can't decide what I want to do. My heart wants something "real" like these indoor photos that I just snapped at my desk. But sometimes my brain wants "classic" photos taken on a plain white background. . .  Ugh, I don't know y'all! Do you find yourself drawn to one or the other when shopping online? Give me all your feedback because I am really indecisive and when I start to over-think things I get really anxious.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this and letting me share my passion with you! There's nothing quite like watching someone's eyes light up when you give them a handmade item. Honestly, it makes my spinster heart grow a size and lets me know I'm definitely on the right path to doing what I love for a living. Until next time, j.