The Codex Chamber

Halloween Book Drop In Bound
Happy Spooky Season to all who celebrate. I'm launching my Halloween book drop, with a new batch of handbound novels, handmade journals and sketchbooks, all made by me in the UK and available in small quantities. Read more...
Two Festive Drops, One For Each Broken Wrist
Personally, I am choosing to deal with this in the only sensible way - by making a frankly unreasonable number of books (I’ve actually been dealing with some pretty aggressive repetitive strain but is art even art if you don’t suffer for it?) So, there are going to be two big shop drops over the next couple of months. The first is happening on 1 October, just in time for Halloween. The second will be on 1 December, once my craft fairs and markets are finally wrapped up and I... Read more...
Marketing My Markets And Not Panicking About Looming Dates
If you're local to any of these craft markets in the Midlands, I'd absolutely love it if you came to say hello. You can browse the handmade Kindle sleeves, have a look at the handbound books, pick through the bookmarks, or simply witness the fruits of my ongoing inability to do anything without making it slightly medieval. The commitment to the vibes is important, I feel. Read more...
Locked In (In the Least Cool Way Imaginable)
One thing this little business has taught me is that most dreams don't arrive fully formed. They arrive looking a bit impractical. Then, if you keep showing up, they quietly become your normal. Read more...
Price Tags, Tablecloths & Mild Existential Crises: Getting Ready for My First Market
There's still plenty to do before market day. If nothing else, I have an enormous pile of bookblocks that need cases making, and if I don't tackle that soon, I fear it will gain sentience. But for the first time, I can properly picture it. A little table full of things I've made. People wandering over. Conversations about books. Read more...
Trust the Process (Even If It Looks Like an 80s Temporary Classroom)
They smelled of damp and broken dreams, and were where enthusiasm for long division went to die. The display looked exactly like one of those. A pebble-dashed educational bunker. Read more...
I Haven’t Sold Anything in a While (But I Do Have an Entire Shop Now, Which Feels Relevant)
One thing I am slowly learning is that both creative projects and small handmade businesses move far more slowly than the internet would like you to believe. A handbound book takes time. A good Kindle sleeve design takes time. Writing takes time. Finding your people takes time. Read more...
Free Printable Bookbinding Typesets: Pride & Prejudice + Grimms' Fairy Tales
If you’re searching for free printable typesets, DIY bookbinding resources UK, bookbinding PDFs, printable book pages for handbinding, handbound books templates, or bookbinding files for personal use, you’re in the right place. Read more...
I Didn’t Wait for Anyone - I Just Took Myself (and My Kindle) to Bath
There’s a particular kind of calm that comes with doing a solo day trip as a reader, just having a wander about and stopping wherever looks interesting. And, practically speaking, it’s exactly the kind of day where bookish accessories earn their keep. My Kindle was safe and sound inside the handmade padded sleeve in my bag, doing heavy lifting without making a scene. You definitely need one. That is my unbiased, independent opinion as the person who makes them and is trying to sell you one. Read more...
I Cut Off My Finger - Not Clickbait *Story Time*
Armed with a brand-new craft knife, a trusty metal ruler, and a head full of optimism, I went to cut the first piece of board. And then- Read more...
Hopecore, Half-Formed Ideas, and Making Things That Might Not Work
If everything becomes overly planned and optimised, it gets very dull very quickly. I didn’t start making things to become exceptionally efficient at producing items. I started because I liked the process - sewing, folding, designing, figuring things out as I went. Which is why I’m letting these newer ideas develop without too much pressure. If they work, great. If they don’t, at least they existed briefly and taught me something before disappearing. Read more...
When Handmade Doesn’t Go to Plan: I Let Austen Down
This ripped the bookcloth, so naturally I attempted to glue it back down and cover the damage with a gold paint pen. It was only after this sequence of decisions that I finally admitted defeat and accepted that I had, in fact, ruined them. Read more...
Meet the Maker (And Why I Chose Plan A First)
The narrative we’re given is that chasing creative work is indulgent - something to do once you’ve secured everything else. But sometimes Plan A is the thing that builds the rest.  Sometimes the sensible choice is to try the improbable one. Because the backup plan will still exist later. Read more...
Printable Classic Novel Typesets for Bookbinders and Bookish Types Who Like to Make Things
Why Bother Binding a Book Yourself? Because it slows you down. Printing, folding, stitching, and pressing a book forces you to engage with the text before you ever read it. You notice chapter lengths. You learn the shape of the story. The book becomes something you’ve spent time with, not just something you’ve consumed. (Oh, how I hate the way ‘consuming content’ has become a common phrase. Engage, people, engage!) It also happens to make an excellent gift. A handbound classic carries weight - not just physically, but emotionally. It’s... Read more...
So Long, 2025: A Year of Small Wins, Big Feelings, and Unexpected Magic
This year, I launched this shop. I stitched books and sewed sleeves and put my work out into the world, fully expecting it to drift quietly into the ether like so many creative dreams do. Instead? I sold a handbound copy of Dracula. I sold three handmade Kindle sleeves. And honestly, that feels like an absolute, earth-shattering win. Read more...
A Very Medieval Christmas: Gifts for Readers
Hear ye, hear ye! ‘Tis the season of festivity, fire-roasted marshmallows, and, alas, the dreaded quest for gifts. Fear not, noble reader, for I come bearing a humble selection of treasures worthy of your court… or, well, your cousin who reads too much and steals your pens. Read more...
A Halloween Love Letter for the Bookish and Bewitched
This collection isn’t just about accessories - it’s about rituals. The ritual of reading under a blanket while the wind howls. Of carrying your favourite stories in something made with care, not churned out in a factory. It’s about that kind of quiet, timeless magic that never goes out of season. Read more...
A Gentle Rebellion: A Slower, More Magical Christmas
Ah, Christmas. The season of twinkling lights, cinnamon-scented everything, and frantic online shopping at 2 am because you can’t remember who you’ve already bought for. Every year it feels like we blink and suddenly we’re knee-deep in wrapping paper, half-broken ornaments, and panic-bought plastic things nobody actually wanted. It’s exhausting. And somewhere between the Black Friday chaos and the next-day delivery options, we’ve lost the magic of it. Read more...
Writing a Book Is Really Hard
You’ve got a story burning inside you. You create a Spotify playlist. You imagine the cover. You tell your friends “I’m writing a book,” and they look at you like you’re holding a lantern on some noble quest. You are unstoppable. For approximately 2,000 words. Then comes the swamp. You reread a sentence and think, wow, that’s awful. You delete three chapters and rewrite one paragraph seventeen times. This is where 90% of books die. RIP to the Google Docs lost in the trenches. Always in our thoughts and prayers... Read more...
A Shameless Little Plea for Engagement (Because the Algorithm Demands Sacrifice)
Because as it turns out, the internet doesn’t reward quiet, bookish crafting in candlelit corners. No, it rewards clicks. Comments. Subscriptions. Shares. Basically, we’re all dancing for the Algorithm like medieval jesters. Slay. Read more...
Healing The Inner Child With Glow-In-The-Dark Kindle Sleeves
Remember when you were 8 and obsessed with glow-in-the-dark everything? The stars on the ceiling, the novelty pens, the weird slime that was almost definitely a toxic health nightmare? You wanted it all (we wanted it all), but your mum said no. Well guess what, friends - now you're an adult with adult money and you absolutely do need that glow-in-the-dark thing. How about a Halloween themed Kindle sleeve that makes your e-reader look like it escaped from a haunted library? Oof, now we're talking (don't look at me like... Read more...
12 Whimsical Bookish Gift Ideas for UK Readers (That Aren’t Just Another Candle)
Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that feel a little extra, a little unnecessary, and a lot magical. Whether it’s a glow-in-the-dark Kindle sleeve or a handbound Austen, these are the gifts that spark joy in readers - the kind of presents that say: “yes, I get you.” Book lovers don’t really need more books. They need bookish magic: the glow, the handbound keepsakes, the thoughtful treasures they’ll cherish forever. This year, skip the generic mug or candle. Give them a piece of whimsy they’ll never forget. Read more...
Cozy & Spooky: Halloween Bookish Gifts for Readers in the UK
The candles are lit, the blanket’s on, and your TBR pile has officially turned to the spooky side. There’s something about autumn that makes reading feel extra magical - especially when Halloween rolls around. Spooky szn has your heart as well as mine. Read more...
Why Your Book Club Besties Deserve a Kindle Sleeve
Perfect for carrying in your tote, placing dramatically on the table at your next book club, or whispering incantations over. Idk what you do in your spare time. Read more...
How to Live Your Dark Academia Truth: A Guide
To live the dark academia aesthetic, you must first develop a deep disdain for fluorescent lighting and a burning love for candlelight (pun oh-so-very intended). If your house doesn’t look like a haunted library where a ghost librarian might shush you at any moment, what are you even doing? Read more...
Why I’ll Always Collect Jane Austen (And Why She’s Still the OG of Romance)
The blueprint is all there in Pride and Prejudice: the sparkling heroine, the brooding-but-secretly-soft hero, the obstacles of pride (his) and prejudice (hers), and the triumphant ending. Every modern rom-com - from Bridget Jones’s Diary (which is literally Austen fanfiction) to You’ve Got Mail - owes its structure to Jane. She’s the OG.  Read more...
Gift Ideas for the Book Lover Who Has Everything
We all know one: the friend (or partner) whose shelves are already stacked high, who seems to own every book under the sun. What do you buy the book lover who has everything? Another bestseller? Nope - they’ve read it already. A book voucher? It's like you don't even know them. Fear not, noble gifter, for there are treasures beyond the ordinary. From handbound tomes to enchanted notebooks, here are gift ideas worthy of even the most seasoned bibliophile. Read more...
Why I Built a Bookish Kingdom (and Gave My Collections Extra Names)
The real world may be burning at the edges, but books give us sanctuary. They’ve always done that. Stories whisk us away to other lands, give us courage when our own feels thin, and remind us of beauty even in dark times. Read more...
A Guide to Kindle Protection: Why Handsewn Sleeves Rule Them All
Your Kindle is a portal to a thousand worlds, but even portals need protection. For the bookish soul, this means your Kindle doesn’t just feel protected - it feels dressed for an adventure. Whether tucked in a tote on your commute, or slipped onto a bedside table, it’s a companion worthy of a fantasy tale. Read more...
Handmade Notebooks: Why Every Writer Needs a Handbound Journal
Yes, you could pick up a plain notebook from a supermarket. BUT for the bookish soul, a handmade notebook is something entirely different - part journal, part heirloom, part magical companion. In our world of screens and scrolling, writing by hand has become almost enchanting. Studies show that handwriting boosts creativity, improves memory, and sparks focus. Find that slow hobby! Read more...
Printable Typesets: Create Your Own Classic Novel
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at bookbinding, these files make it easy. Print them at home or at a local shop, then bind them however you like - clothbound, leather, or even stitched into your own handmade notebook covers. Read more...