What happened to July?

Ok, so this month I haven't been very good about posting to my blog! And somewhat suddenly, the month is over. So let's see, what has been happening? Last night I updated the Etsy Guide to Bookbinding Supplies to include Randy Arnold's new etsy shop where he is selling his handmade Ebony folding tools. I saw one of his ebony folders when I was at PBI - very nice work! A while ago, I got some cool clasps and closures from BlueFlameLeather. Last week, I was able to incorporate a couple of them into steampunk-style journals. None of those clasps are designed for use on books, so it requires some creative engineering to use them and sadly, in spite of all my planning, the clasp on the black hardcover book doesn't function properly. But it still looks pretty cool. All the other bits of hardware that I use are random bits of junk, also never meant to be used on books so the results are always unique. These books are for sale in my Etsy shop. And a Virtual Barbeque! Also - I should tell you about the BEST Virtual BBQ since you might be interested in winning a $30 gift certificate to spend on handmade books! The Etsy Bookbinding Team is hosting a Virtual BBQ Scavenger Hunt this weekend, August 1-3, and the winner gets a $30 gift certificate! All you need to do is browse the amazing offerings at 18 participating shops, locate hidden items and submit your finds to enter. You also get a chance to win for each purchase you make during the event. Check our the book team blog for details: etsybooks.blogspot.com