Hopefully when you are out trick-or-treating tonight, someone will drop a couple of these in your goody bag—bobe’s creamy candy corn, carnival candy apple, bubblegum machine & cherry red lollipop lip balm.

Deb Dormody of If’n Books + Marks is a bookbinder in the digital age and while you may think that may be shortsighted of her, I could not disagree more. I think we spend so much time online looking at pictures on flickr, reading the newspaper, and even reading books that it is a welcome change to hold something tangible and well-made. It’s nice to have an online travel journal or photo album, but even nicer to have one you can put on your coffee table. And even better if it’s handmade from an independent bookbinder like Deb.

Deb creates journals, photo albums, bookmarks and other fun paper goods in her studio, which is located in a century-old mill building. She does collaborations with artists like Jen Corace and Jesse LeDoux for the designs of her goods, but all the work of constructing the books is done completely by hand by Deb.

For all you paper fiends & journal geeks out there, and you know who you are and I am including myself in this group, you must own a If’n Books + Marks journal. They are so well-made and just lovely to page through…there is something viscerally pleasurably in doing so. Plus, if you are interested in the bookbinding process, watch an absolutely hilarious bookbinding demonstration video here.

To learn more about Deb and If’n Books + Marks read my interview with her below.

1. What’s the name of your business and what do create and sell?

If’n Books + Marks - I make super duper blank journals, photo albums and other papery doodads.

2. When did you get your start and what made you decide to take the plunge?

I was introduced to bookbinding in high school and immediately wanted
to marry it. So I continued my bookbinding studies in college and a bit afterwards. Then I got some jobs, since that is what you are supposed to do. One sunny day I realized that I didn’t have to be a chump for The Man any longer so I quit. It took me awhile to recognize that every company that is out there in the world was started by a person - which means that not everyone has to work for someone else. To some - okay, most people - this may be a pretty elementary observation. But sometimes it’s hard to latch on to things ideologically that can be incorporated into your own life. Plus, I’m slow. But the good thing is that I was able to hone my organizational abilities while being paid by someone else before I hired me as owner of a bookbindery. What a terrific resume! I had been a Program Director for a couple arts non-profits and a Marketing Director for a gift gallery, so there were certainly translatable skills accumulated that I have been able to use for my own business. Also, since the world didn’t collapse in 1999 like they said it was going to, I figured the new millennium would be a nice time to take advantage of being a human who was alive with a brain.

3. How do you come up with the concepts for your designs?

I’m pretty good at sitting and thinking. And working and thinking. So when I develop new ideas, it doesn’t happen in some awesome “By George I’ve got it!” singular moment, but more like a slow percolation over time. I absorb and then hash it out and rehash so that by the time I’m ready to make a prototype, it’s a pretty clear image in my brain.

(Continued)

Ooooh, this bag by my little bird is pretty…almost pretty enough to make me forget that it’s starting to get colder outside and that means that my long dark winter of coldness and shivering are just beginning. I am not a winter person at all, I am perpetually cold from about Oct- April and I live smack dab in the middle of the east coast, not Alaska. I am so much better suited to Key West or Hawaii….if only I could get my entire extended family & all my friends to move with me.

Anyway, back to the bag. It is lovely and has me longingly wishing for spring before winter has even started.

If you haven’t already pledged to buy handmade this holiday season, head on over to BuyHandmade.org and add your name to the list of peeps who have already pledged to support independent artists instead of huge mega-corporations this holiday shopping season.

I did it and you can too!

Here are some more of my Halloween inspired picks.

Halloween Treat Boxes from DeMarco Designs	Mummy at Shana Logic by Cuddly Rigor Mortis
Soapy Love Candy Corn Soapsicles at Mahar Dry Goods	Skully Cup by Circa Ceramics
Fifi the Bunny Girl by the Black Apple	Ghostly Garland print by Nut and Bee
Raven Necklace from Mymbles Daughter	Big Monster Stamp Pack from the Small Object
Monster Laptop Sleeve from Barry’s Farm	Vampire Tissue Holder from Sparrow Design Works
Zombie Study from Matt Cipov	Button from I like Seasmonsters
Axe Girl Tee from Damned Dollies	Otto, Ramses and Wolfgang Pocket Mirror by My Favorite Mirror

Boo! Scared ya, didn’t I? Halloween is coming, and although I’m pretty sure that you have already purchased and mailed out your Halloween cards, I thought I would mention glamscience’s gloriously ghouliscious glittery Halloween cards. Okay, technically there are no ghouls involved, but there is glitter and that’s just bootastic in my book.

Glamscience also offers other occasion cards and notecards, baby wear, jewelry, fiber gift enclosures and stationary and absolutely everything is decorated with glittery goodness.