Vendor Spotlight- Linen Laid Felt
This week we are featuring Katie Gonzalez's creative handmade books and her business, linenlaid&felt. So often brides are busy planning their wedding that there may not be enough time to put the care, love and detail into the "small" things -- which actually often contain our best memories and wishes! Read on to find out about Katie's mission to keep your best memories in a beautiful, unique and memorable way, and don't forget to visit her Etsy shop to view more of her beautiful books!
What made you go into the business of bookbinding?
I first studied the art of bookbinding during a semester abroad in Cortona, Italy during college. Visiting a medieval bindery, working with luxurious materials, and learning to make paper by hand instilled a sense of traditional techniques into my work. When I returned stateside, I completed my degree in graphic design from the University of Georgia and worked as a graphic designer for several years while still creating books in my spare time. When I was planning my own wedding to my high school sweetheart, I designed my own wedding invitations (which were actually little books, handbound with a decorative stitch) and created our wedding guest book. I loved the experience of making these personal keepsakes for our wedding, so I decided to start a business creating wedding guest books and photo albums for other brides. My bookbinding business, linenlaid&felt, has been my full-time career for the past two years.
Explain what you do.
I create personalized handbound wedding guest books and photo albums, along with making journals, sketchbooks, custom baby books, and sculptural artist's books. Each of my books is make using traditional bookbinding techniques and high-quality archival materials. Each part of the process is done by hand. I cut, tear, fold, glue, and sew everything myself to create long-lasting, one-of-a-kind keepsakes.
What are all the different ways brides can use your products?
Most of the books I make for brides are either guest books to hold handwritten messages from family and friends, or photo albums to hold wedding and honeymoon photos. Some brides combine the two ideas and use a photo album filled with engagement pictures or snapshots of guests from a photo booth, and guests can write their well-wishes around the photos at the wedding. Customized photo albums also make thoughtful gifts for parents, grandparents, and bridesmaids. Aside from guest books and photo albums, I can also make books to hold the couple's vows to be used during the ceremony, miniature books as wedding favors, and even honeymoon travel journals.
What options do you offer?
Brides can select from dozens of different decorative papers so the covers of their books will coordinate with their wedding color scheme. The covers can be personalized with the couple's names, wedding date, and wedding location. Or, the book can feature a portion of their wedding invitation on the front cover. But really, the options are endless when it comes to custom books. I've made a book filled with mad-libs-style questions for guests to answer, one featuring the bride's own calligraphy, and a book with surprise messages sewn into the binding from family members who couldn't attend the celebration. I love to be inspired by my customers, and to make meaningful keepsakes that will be enjoyed for years to come.
Mac or PC Mac
Tea or Coffee Both
iPhone or Blackberry iPhone
Favorite Song Right Now "Love You Madly" by Cake