About

Over 7 years ago, a friend of mine taught a small bookbinding class on making a Coptic Stitch book. I’ve always loved books and, while I was focused on working with polymer clay (a modern, low-fire clay) and developing my sculpting skills, I was interested in learning about making books as well, so I took her class. And loved it! I didn’t know at the time that I was actually preparing myself for a major change in artistic direction. A few years later, I developed an allergy to polymer clay (probably due to an ingredient that’s no longer used in their formulas) and switched to air-dry clay for sculpting. I found that the air-dry clays weren’t as conducive to bookbinding, however, so I decided to learn how to work with leather. Meaning, I went to the local leather shop, asked some questions, bought some leather and tools, and came home to make a book.

First leather book. It was for a team challenge (the Bookbinding Team on Etsy) for World Book Day, which celebrates Shakespeare's birth and death and Cervantes' death. I chose Cervantes, of course, as my inspiration.

It was definitely different than working with solid clay covers or cloth over boards but I made a passable book out of leather and posted it on my blog even though I could see every flaw and mistake I’d made on it. I’m still using the book today for making sketches of sculptures, dolls and automata ideas I’ve got.

I’m self-taught, for the most part, in both leather binding and leather working or “cold” tooling, as I’ve begun to call it, to distinguish it from the traditional tooling done in bookbinding with heated brass tools. I’ve used a wide variety of resources, both online and from books, and am currently working with a wonderful online mentor, Richard Norman of The Eden Workshops.

I’m a wife, mother, artist and bookbinder living in a small town just outside of San Antonio, Texas. We’ve got 3 acres, one dog and one cat. We used to have guineas and chickens but the hawks kept feasting on our fowl so we gave the rest away and haven’t replaced them. My husband has worked in audio-visual for years, handling A/V for a college, hotels and conventions. My daughters are both in elementary school and quite artistic themselves so my walls are covered in artwork from them.