Please join us tomorrow, Sunday, at the Oak and the Ax in Biddeford. I'll be sharing a table with my wonderful and talented niece Sarah (who has some awesome jewelry and photos from her recent travels). The fun starts at noon.
Bio
- About Strong ArmStrong Arm Bindery is a bookbinding studio located in the east end of Portland, Maine. We repair and restore old, well-loved books. We also build boxes to protect them. And we design and build our own line of stationery pieces. We do alot of printing; hot-stamp, letterpress, screen and off-set printing---all here on our own machines. At Strong Arm we have a loose and fruitful association between 3, sometimes 4, of us. Our work is mighty and useful.
Store
- Buy Strong Arm
The Mighty & Influential
December 17, 2011
December 10, 2011
PICNIC...with Poodles
PICNIC Holiday Sale happens tomorrow, Sunday the 11th of December, 11am to 6pm. Besides being a consistently fantastic craft fair, this year's PICNIC Holiday Sale is especially wonderful as it will be taking place at the Portland Company Complex, home of Strong Arm Bindery. In fact, the venue is right across the alley and just one catwalk away from my humble digs. Best load-in ever and an easy walk from downtown. There's plenty of parking: 58 Fore Street, just up the hill from Hamilton Marine.
This time around we have some new letterpress cards and posters high-lighting the compelling and complex world of poodle hair-dos: The Continental, The English Saddle, The Puppy (or Working) -- all tastefully described with linoleum block and wood type.
Hope to see you tomorrow, and best wishes for your winter.
May 23, 2011
Selling the Kelsey
I have a lovely little Kelsey press that needs a new home. 5x8" chase, with composite rollers---it's fully functioning and ready to use. I've posted it over on Craig's List, though you can contact me directly through this site. And I think we'd all prefer a local pick up here in Portland...
UPDATE 5/26/11: The press was sold this morning to a couple of awesome ladies from NH. Many thanks for the inquiries, and best of luck to the new owners!
April 11, 2011
The Horror
It's the last thing mice see around here.
New Workshops in April and May
We had a great response to the last series of workshops at Strong Arm Bindery, and are very happy to announce the next go-round for the rest of April and on into May. As ever, if you're interested in signing up for a class, or if you have any questions, please call us at (207) 879-4672 or via the e-mail: strongarmbindery@gmail.com
SIMPLIFIED BOX MAKING
Saturday, April 23
10:30am - 4:30pm
This workshop is an excellent introduction to box making all its organizing power. We'll make a lidded box, as well as a hinged-lid box. And throughout the day we'll explore special features, such as creating compartments, as you would with a pencil or jewelry box, and surface treatments that please the eye and improve longevity and durability.
Class fee $95 (includes $20 materials fee)
PASTE PAPERS
Saturday, April 30, 2011
10:30am - 4:30pm
Paste papers are nuts! A traditional method for bookbinders to create their own decorative papers on the fly (and on the cheap!), paste papers can also be great outlet for creativity and experimentation. This workshop will provide a happy haven to explore different recipes, methods and tools to make your mark in the realm of decorative paper work. Paper, pigments and paste, all provided.
Class fee: $95 (includes $20 materials fee)
DROP-SPINE BOX
Saturday & Sunday, May 7 & 8, 2011
10:30am - 4:30pm
AKA Clam-shell box... Some books need extra protection from the elements, and the dop-spine box is a classic solution. Two trays, measured and built to fit around the volume, are built into a cover that will stand it's own on any bookshelf. Knowing how to make a drop-spine box opens up a whole new world of structure and design to every student of bookbinding. This workshop requires alot of attention to detail and is intended for those with some bookbinding or boxmaking experience.
Class fee: $180 (includes all materials)
CLASSIC CASE BINDING
Saturday & Sunday, May 21 & 22, 2011
10:30am - 4:30pm
Back by popular demand! Make a book from the ground up; from folding signatures, sewing the text block, shaping the spine, building the case, then covering and casing in! It's a 2-day bookbinding marathon. The workshop is open to all levels---a great introduction for those just getting started with their book work, and a handy refresher for others with experience.
Class fee: $180 (includes $20 materials fee)
February 19, 2011
March (and April) Workshops at Strong Arm Bindery
We've got two workshops scheduled for March (and now April), and we're feeling fairly optimistic about the state of the alley by the time they roll around...
To sign up, please call us at (207) 879-4672, or send us an e-mail: strongarmbindery@gmail.com
Stiff Leaf Binding with Multiple Matting Options **POSTPONED**
Sunday March 6 10:30am to 4:30pm
***Stiff Leaf Binding Workshop is now scheduled for Sunday, April 10 10:30am to 4:30pm***
This is a nifty little book constructed with museum or mat board and perfect for carrying small batches of photographs, drawings, ephemera, etc.
We'll build the book and then spend the afternoon exploring a variety of matting options and creating handsome frames and enclosures to house your pieces.
This workshop is appropriate for all levels of skill and experience, and will require a minimum of hand tools. Workshop fee is $80, plus $15 materials fee.
Classic Case Binding 2-day Workshop
Saturday & Sunday, March 26 &27
10:30am to 4:30pm
Build a book from scratch! This 2-day workshop will cover all the steps necessary to make a classic case binding, from folding and sewing text blocks to building a case and covering it with cloth and paper.
This workshop will be a great introduction to bookbinding, but also a healthy refresher course for those with some experience. Students should expect to bring some basic hand tools. Workshop fee is $140, plus $20 materials fee.
If you'd like to sign up or you have any questions please call us at: (207) 879-4672 or e-mail us: strongarmbindery@gmail.com
July 21, 2010
Summer 2010 Workshops at Strong Arm Bindery
We're very excited to announce a small suite of workshops this summer. Please read below for details on classes. If you'd like to sign up, or you have questions, please contact Martha at Strong Arm Bindery by e-mail: strongarmbindery@gmail.com, or call the shop at (207) 879-4672.
Non-Adhesive Bookbinding
Sewn bindings, with no paste or glue, are a practical alternative to traditional case bindings, and offer unlimited possibilities for such a modest investment of time and resources. In this day-long workshop we'll build on several sewn structures, from the pamphlet stitch and chain stitch, to the more elaborate long stitch, all the while exploring the diverse decorative possibilities each structure offers.
When: Saturday, July 31, 2010, 10am - 5pm
Fee: $100
Class size is limited to 7 students. Materials are included in the workshop fee, but students are encouraged to bring decorative papers that they'd like to use in their work.
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Organize! Part One: Simplified Box Making
This workshop is an excellent introduction to box making and all its organizing power. We'll make a lidded business card box, and a covered pencil box with multiple interior compartments. Throughout the class, we'll address special features, such as hinged lids, removable compartments, and alternative surface treatments that please the eye and improve longevity and durability.
When: Saturday, August 7, 2010, 10am - 5pm
Fee: $100
Class size is limited to 7 students. Materials are included in the workshop fee, but students are encouraged to bring decorative papers that they'd like to use in their work.
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Organize! Part Two: Build a Portfolio
How terribly chic to walk around town with a portfolio of your own making tucked under your arm! While creating a portfolio with an inner envelope to house 8-1/2 x 11" documents, students will gain a solid introduction to case making and protective enclosures, and also get practical experience working with book cloth, fabric and paper. This workshop will also include a demonstration of backing fabric with Japanese tissue, transforming it into cover material.
When: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 10am - 5pm
Fee: $100
Class size is limited to 7 students. Materials are included in the workshop fee, but students are encouraged to bring decorative papers, etc. that they'd like to use in their work.
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To reserve a spot, or ask any questions, please e-mail Martha at Strong Arm Bindery: strongarmbindery@gmail.com, or call the shop at (207) 879-4672. Credit cards and personal checks accepted.
March 16, 2010
Portland Flower Show 2010
Yes, we did it! Four days at the Portland Flower Show, 14,000 people through the front door and we're still standing.
This time around we took on a woodland theme. Screen printed some wood grains and letterpress printed some title work over it (with wood type, naturally). My heartfelt thanks to Reuben J. Little of 43rd Parallel Press for his advice and assistance with the screen printing of all things woodsy.
And a big thank you to my sister Ann, Will, Desneiges, Diane of Ferdinand, and Rich and Kathy--all for spelling me long enough to take time out for breaks and do some fudge gazing upstairs. Thank you very much!
It was a very easy commute, as the Portland Company is located just
across the alley from my studio, with ample opportunity to go feed the
cat and breathe a little bit.
And check it, right there in the background is our very own Vandercook 223. Best 3,600 lb trade show prop ever!! It really pays to do your business where fork lifts are abundant.
March 08, 2010
Work in Progress for the Portland Flower Show
It's been two years since Strong Arm Bindery participated in the Portland Flower Show. This year we're focused on the woods. Yeah, it's not exactly flowers, per se, but trees have flowers, too. You know? And it's what we like.
Here's what we're working on: screen printed wood grain images, with letterpress text printed on top. Much obliged to Reuben J. Little of 43rd Parallel Press for the screen work.
Right then, more work to be done and more updates to follow.
December 16, 2009
Sweet Weed & Pencil Boxes
I've been working on little, and not-so-little, boxes for the holiday sales this year. The smaller boxes were originally designed to house business cards. But then a younger, hipper friend of mine stopped by the table at the SPACE sale, took a look, and shouted "Sweet weed box!" The rest is marketing history. Another friend offered "Sweet tampon box!" and while that's probably what I'll wind up using them for, it doesn't have quite the same sizzle. I'm sure the Pencil Boxes have a number of alternative uses and would love to hear your suggestions. All that remain can be found at the Etsy site.
