Saturday, May 28, 2011

For The Wedding of Sara & Dave


This special guest book album was personalized for the special union between Sara & Dave.

pink damask soft cover with leaf stamped pages.


Congradulations on your union!




For The Marriage of Matt & Danielle Morgan


I had the privilage of personalizing this guest book album for a couple getting married today. After celebrating my 11th wedding anniversary just yesterday, I feel honored to share this blessed occassion with you today of these two special people.



May you have many years of happiness ahead of you!

Friday, May 27, 2011

My Day Off

So today is my wedding anniversary. 11 years! Yipee!!

Needless to say, I'm taking the day off.

No posting today.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

What keeps my book proportioned?

Whenever you buy a commerically made book, you never question if the book is going to retain it's form when you add your photos and other memorabilia.

However, an important factor to know when ordering a book from a craftsman who creates handmade books is how they create their binding.

I, like many other book binders, cut small slivers of card stock and place between the pages in the bindings of my books. These small slivers of card stock are called "spacers".

Spacers build up the binded edge of your book. When you first buy a handcrafted book, you might noticed the binded end of the book is thicker than the outer edge of your book. This is because those spacers are the same thickness as a photograph. Until you place your photographs inside your pages one side will be slightly wider then the other. But, once you place those pictures inside the pages, the good thing is that your book will remain it's proportioned size.

Really, it means you won't have a book that looks like a triangle from the top when your done. I'm sure you've seen those kinds of books before. The pages become thicker than the binding and doesn't hold the books shape so it feathers out at the end.

So that my friends, is why you'll find spacers in all my albums and guest books.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

No Matter the Occasion

I recently had to move my studio down into another part of our house. I simply out grow my tiny little work space. Now, however, I've got some elbow room.

I've been working on several different types of books lately.  Now that spring has sprung, rainy and wet and I can't wait for some sun shine, I've been working on a lot of bright and cheerful projects.

Tis the season for baby showers, bridal showers, retirement parties, graduations, and weddings.

There are probably 101 or more occasions that one can think of for the use of an autograph guest book album. There's nothing like creating those special memory books and flip albums filled with photos of a special occasion to last a life time.

How many times will you graduate from high school? college? get married? or have your first baby?

That's why many of my guest book albums have blank signature pages ready to write down those memories, best wishes, advice, and provide plenty of room for journaling. In the back are acid-free and lingign-free card stock pages that await your special photos. It's like a scrapbook to hold on and cherish through the generations.

What occasion is coming up in your life?

Monday, May 23, 2011

How soon should you be looking for a guest book?

I'm always getting asked, "Can I have this book by...."  then there is usually a date at the end of this question. Most of the time I'm able to create a book and have it shipped within the time frame. However, alot of times to ensure the package arrives on time I have to charge priority shipping.

And, 90% of the time we're talking soft cover or premade books that I already have made in my shops. 

So the big question for today, How soon should you be looking for a guest book?

There is no easy answer to this question, but here's a little advice.

If you're planning on having a custom, one-of-a-kind guest book made, I'd start searching as soon as you know the date of your occasion. Many times, book binders and other talented people need at least 2-4 weeks to create your special order. This doesn't include time for it to arrive once it's been shipped. Which depending on your location could take anywhere from 2 days to 14 days.

(That's why I ship a lot of my larger guest books and rush jobs via priority mail.)

Secondly, don't wait until Wednesday to have something shipped for Saturday. There's nothing worse than waiting for the mailman to arrive and wondering if you're package will make it on time.

If you're buying something pre-made, order two weeks (at least) before the event. I don't mind last minute orders, but it's a lot better on your stress level if you ensure you have a few days cushion for the mail man to deliver.

And lastly, when your shopping around for a guest book or any other book for your special occasion make sure you know who soon your item will be shipped. Pre-made orders from my shop are shipped within 48 hours of receipt of payment.  Most custom orders take on average two weeks for me to complete.  Every book binder and shop has their own time frame, make sure you and the shop your ordering from are on the same page when it comes to creation time, packaging, and shipping time.

If all else fails, ASK. It only hurts when you don't.

Have you started searching for your guest book yet? Why not? and when do you plan to start?

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Valentine Theme Guest Book Album


This is an 8" x 10" valentine theme guest book custom made recently for a special couple for their wedding day.  I slipped in a few heart themed thank you notes into the package.


After receiving their guest book, the bride was nice enough to send me this note:

"I received my guestbook and absolutely love it!"

Today, that bride and her groom are taking their vows and celebrating their union with family and freinds. Congrats to them both!

Congradulations to the Graduate!






Monday, May 16, 2011

Bridal Shower Guest Book - Dessert Island


This treasure island themed scrapbook journal is on it's way to becoming the keepsake of one lucky bride and her ocean/beach theme wedding. It almost makes me think of those survivor shows.

Only, if you were deserted on a island, and could only choose one person to have with you, who would it be?

This is an awesome bridal shower guest book album! What fun!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

Blue Stars Baby Shower Guest Book Album


Cute, colorful, and just the perfect design for welcoming baby boy Crocker to the world!


Great blank pages stamped for lots of advice and best wishes for the mommy-to-be.

In the back of this baby shower guest book album are bright blue pages for photos of the shower.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Gray and Gold Wedding Guest Book


Simple, yet elegant.  This custom soft cover guest book will soon be filled with special notes and well wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Eric Eastman.

Soft gray signature pages inside and golden rod tone photo pages in the back will be graced with the lasting memories of today's events for this special couple.  



Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Birthday Autograph Album

I just finished this custom order birthday autograph album and thought I'd share it with you today.




The first page is black photo card stock. Then the ivory signature pages then followed up with more black photo pages in the back.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Making a Little Music - Wedding Guest Book


This 8" x 8" music note themed wedding guest book is a custom order for a music loving couple who are getting married today.  The binding is gray satin with blue ribbon stitching.

What you can't see, is that the first two pages are lemon yellow with the music lyrics of the couples special song.  The signature pages are gray with a music note in the bottom right corner. In the back are Tiffany blue pages of card stock for photos. 

As you can see from the photo, I had some scraps left over from the book and put them together as thank you notes for the couple that I included with their package.


I love making books, and I love hearing from my customers. The bride sent me this special note after she received her guest book on April 4th and I thought I would share it.

"I received the guestbook yesterday after I got home from work! I couldn't wait to see it. You did an amazing job and I love everything about it, down to the music notes on the pages. I can't wait to show it to my fiance, he has no idea what it looks like so I can't to show it off when he gets back from his bachelorette weekend:)

The letter and blessings you enclosed along with the guest book were so thoughtful. I had to share it with my bridesmaids. It means a lot to me. With the hustle and bustle and stress that goes along with wedding planning, we get so caught up that we forget to enjoy and realize the blessings God has given us with wedding planning. Reading your note made me remember that. Thank You! I will definitely share your amazing talent with my friends and maybe one day, I will order a "guest book" for my baby shower!! "

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