Was it or was it not the middle of a summer heatwave four seconds ago? Now we're talking about Halloween, Christmas markets, Christmas gifts, stocking fillers, gift guides and whether November has somehow been cancelled - RIP to the festive middle child.
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 can return to the shop and work out what I've actually made.
The October Drop
On 1 October, I'll be adding a new batch of handbound novels, handmade journals and sketchbooks to the shop.
This one is very much the Halloween drop. Not necessarily in the sense that every book will be covered in bats and dripping blood (although, frankly, give me time.)
It's more that I'm leaning into the slightly darker, old-library, gothic-bookshop end of things. There will be handbound classic novels, handmade books, journals and sketchbooks, all made by hand here in the UK.
And because they're handmade, there won't be hundreds of each design sitting in a warehouse somewhere. There will be one. Once they're gone, they're gone.
This is partly intentional, and partly because I am one person with two hands. (See reference to RSI above)
Small Batch, Made Slowly
One of the things I really like about running a small independent business is that I don't have to make things by the thousand.
I can make a few and see how they go. Maybe make a few more, change something I don’t like. Make a completely different book because I had an idea at 11pm and that's when my brain chooses to become productive.
It means my products are made in small batches, rather than being mass-produced.
That doesn't automatically make something perfectly sustainable - I'm not going to start pretending I've personally solved the environmental crisis, but buying from small businesses and independent makers can be a more considered alternative to endlessly buying disposable, mass-produced things (looking at you, egg-headed billionaires).
Particularly when you're buying something designed to be used and kept. A handbound novel can sit on a shelf for years. A handmade journal can be filled, carried around and filled again. A sketchbook can become the place where someone's next great idea, terrible drawing or shopping list lives. A Kindle sleeve can be used every day for years.
And that's much more interesting to me than making something whose main purpose is to exist briefly before becoming clutter.
Shopping Small at Christmas
There's also something quite nice about shopping small for Christmas gifts.
Instead of buying everything from enormous online marketplaces, you can find things made by actual people. People who designed it, and made it, and packed it.
When you buy from an independent UK maker, your order isn't disappearing into a giant anonymous machine.
It comes through a very small operation. In my case, that operation is just me, my sewing machine, and the book presses I made out of clamps and chopping boards.
So when you buy a handmade book, handmade Kindle sleeve, literary bookmark, journal or sketchbook from my shop, you're supporting a genuinely small creative business.
And that means a lot.
Handmade Gifts for People Who Are Difficult to Buy For
I've always liked the idea of giving someone a book as a gift.
There's something particularly nice, however, about giving someone a handbound book that has been made by hand rather than produced by the several thousand. A bookish gift for someone who doesn’t need another mug (we as a society need to agree to stop producing mugs, literally every single household already has too many, prove me wrong).
The whole point of my shop is making things that feel a little more personal.
So alongside my handmade Kindle sleeves, literary bookmarks, foiled literary bookmarks, A5 quote prints and other bookish accessories, I'm also making more physical books and stationery for the gifting season.
There are plenty of people who are difficult to buy for. Readers are not necessarily among them. Give us a book and we'll generally find a way to justify keeping it.
Then Comes December
After the October drop, I have the small matter of four markets to get through. Once those markets are finished, I'll be turning my attention back to the online shop.
Which brings us to 1 December.
The second big shop drop will go live then, with another batch of handbound books, handmade journals and sketchbooks, ready for Christmas gifting.
So if you're looking for Christmas gifts for readers, bookish gifts, handmade gifts, literary gifts, gifts for book lovers, or something a little less "I panic-bought this from the internet on Christmas Eve", there will be plenty to look at.
That's the plan, anyway. Whether I achieve the plan without accidentally creating a new type of administrative crisis remains to be seen.
And There Are Still Books You Can Make Yourself
Of course, if you'd rather make your own books, I've got that covered too.
There are now more than 20 printable typesets for bookbinders in the shop, covering classic literature and other literary titles.
There are also free printable typesets of Pride and Prejudice and Grimm's Fairy Tales for anyone who wants to use them.
Because apparently I wasn't content with making books. I also needed to make the files that let other people make books. It's a problem - a bookbinding problem, which is, of course, terribly specific, but it’s a problem nonetheless.
So if you're interested in DIY bookbinding, printable book pages, bookbinding PDFs, printable typesets for bookbinders or bookbinding resources in the UK, there is now a rather substantial collection to rummage through.
Two Drops. One Chaotic Small Business.
So that's what's coming up.
1 October: Halloween spooky season shop drop - handbound novels, handmade journals and sketchbooks, adding to the Kindle sleeves that are already up.
October–November: Markets, making, packing, sewing, binding, panicking.
1 December: Christmas shop drop - another batch of handbound novels, journals and sketchbooks for gifting.
And then, presumably, I lie down for several days.
If you're looking for handmade Kindle sleeves UK, handbound books, handmade journals, sketchbooks, bookish gifts, Christmas gifts for readers, literary gifts, handmade bookmarks UK, small business gifts, sustainable gift ideas, independent UK makers, locally made gifts, small-batch gifts or gifts from British makers, there's going to be quite a lot happening around here.
And if you'd rather support a small business, shop from an independent maker, buy something handmade or simply find something a little more unusual than the usual Christmas tat, then I’ll be here, as apparently I have decided this is my life now. Seems sensible (if you ignore the wrist pain. If anyone has wrist pain tips, please email me.)
A Few Questions You Might Have
When is the Halloween book drop?
The Halloween collection will be released on 1 October, with a small batch of handbound novels, handmade journals and sketchbooks available in the shop.
When is the Christmas book drop?
The second shop drop will launch on 1 December, after my autumn and Christmas markets have finished.
What handmade gifts do you sell?
I make handbound classic novels, handmade journals, sketchbooks, handmade Kindle sleeves and A5 literary prints, alongside printable typesets for bookbinders.
Where are your handmade products made?
Everything is designed and handmade by me in the UK, in very small batches.
Do you sell gifts for readers?
Yes. Bookish gifts are essentially the entire point of this strange little business. There are handbound books, Kindle and e-reader sleeves, journals, sketchbooks and literary prints available throughout the year, with larger seasonal drops around Halloween and Christmas.
Are your products mass produced?
No. The physical products in my shop are made in small batches by hand. Because I'm a very small independent maker, quantities are limited and designs can change from batch to batch.
Do you sell bookbinding resources?
Yes. I currently have more than 20 printable typesets for bookbinders, including free printable Pride and Prejudice and Grimm's Fairy Tales typesets.
Why shop small and buy handmade?
For many people, buying from independent makers is a way to support small businesses, discover unusual products and choose gifts that feel more personal. Small-batch production can also mean buying fewer, more considered items rather than treating everything as disposable.
And sometimes you just see a handbound copy of a classic novel and think, "Yep. That's going under the Christmas tree." Honestly, I respect it.
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