Guest Post | Boom Box Bindery

{Today’s Guest Post is an interview with Monica Holtsclaw, the face behind Boom Box Bindery. Not only is she incredibly talented with books, boxes, and more; she has her very own bindery in her home!}

What is a bookbinder?
First and foremost, a bookbinder is one that makes books! When a book is created, there many details on which to focus – thickness of paper, strength of thread, adhesive properties, durability of cover materials, color theory and design aesthetics. When a person spends the time to think about all of those details, plus some, it doesn’t hurt to go the extra mile and make a protective box or enclosure for it!

Preventative measures can be taken when books are custom made for a specific purpose or person, but a typical trade binding is read once or twice and will rest safely on a shelf untouched for many years. That is until one day the book is pulled off of the shelf into someone’s hands who finds so much meaning between the pages that a certain chapter is revisited a million times and the book becomes broken because it is so well loved. That is the time for a bookbinder to come to the rescue and create a new plan for the future of the binding. By reenforcing and resewing the pages, and repairing the cover that has been exposed to general wear and the elements, a binder will return the book to working order.

What types of projects do you work on?
Bookbinders can be trained with many specialties, from paper conservation and restoration to historical binding techniques. My focus is making custom books by hand, restoring older books of sentimental value, and creating custom enclosures and boxes.

For the past year, most of my work has been for private clients creating custom photo albums, guest books, and archival clamshell boxes. When I’m not working on a job for a client I still keep myself busy in the bindery, either making books using unexpected materials, or putting books together that I list in my Etsy shop.

What are the benefits of having the bindery just a step away? Are there any downsides?
My bindery is in our home, which is a great benefit. With some of the work that I do, time is a big element. If something needs to sit and dry for four hours, I can glue it up at the end of the work day and go check on it after dinner! It can be tricky to strike a balance between chores and work, especially when I have a full day of bookbinding ahead, but guests are coming over in the evening and the dishes in the kitchen are calling my name. Usually, unsewn pages and half built boxes call a little louder, and it all works out at the end of the day!

We’ve heard that you might have some upcoming travels?
Yes! An amazing opportunity has come up for Boom Box Bindery. My husband, Josh, will be working in Paris for three months, starting in a few weeks, and I get to join him! If you’re curious about what might strike this bookbinder’s fancy while traveling abroad, stay tuned because I’ll contribute a few photo heavy posts to the It’s Better Together blog while I’m away.

{You can visit Monica’s website at www.boomboxbindery.com and her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/boomboxbindery}