From Norfolk to Orkney: my journey from stationery lover to bookbinder
Sparkling seas at Newark Bay, Deerness
Confession＃1 - Stationery products have always been my 'guilty pleasure'. I am a committed collector and enthusiastic user of journals, sketchbooks, notecards, fountain pens and colourful inks. There are many practical and beautiful options out there for notebook lovers, but now I have found a way to fulfil my desire by creating my own.
Born and raised in Norwich, I worked in education and special education across Norfolk and Suffolk for two decades. Initially I supported young adults with special needs in the community and worked as a teaching assistant in a special school while I studied with the Open University. On receiving my degree in Special Education, I completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education at the University of East Anglia to become a primary school teacher, progressing to deputy head and later re-training as a specialist teacher for vision-impaired children. But the need for change was on the horizon. With the end of another school year approaching and after a decade of amazing holidays in Orkney, my husband and I made the decision to take a ‘Grown-up Gap Year’ in Orkney to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and consolidate our plans to make the move to island life a permanent one.
Confession ＃2 - I have always loved making things and exploring creativity through a range of crafts. With the slower pace of life in Orkney and the privilege of spare time granted by the Grown-up Gap Year, I found myself exploring new creative skills such as linocut printmaking, calligraphy, photography and bookbinding. Surrounded by the beauty of Orkney and with so many inspiring creative folk willing to give generously of their own time and expertise to support an enthusiastic novice, my bookbinding obsession and passion for all things paper began to unfold and Orkney Vibes was established.
Most of the books I create are made completely from scratch, with materials sourced locally in Orkney where possible or from suppliers within the UK. From the cutting and folding of the carefully-selected paper to the stitching of the spine; from the step-by-step making of my own bookcloth to the pressing of the finished book, each process builds towards the final product - a handcrafted notebook, journal, sketchbook or photo album. I take a great deal of pride in my work and will only ever sell a product if I would be happy to buy it myself.
Confession ＃3 - The exceptions to the ‘everything is made by my own fair hand’ rule are the dated diaries and a few of the lined notebooks/journals - for these I buy pre-printed and ready-stitched book blocks and then add my own handcrafted covers. Mostly, I print my own lined paper, so I try to make it clear when I have had to take a shortcut.
Orkney Vibes is now in its third year and we are looking forward to new opportunities for development as the restrictions imposed over the last 2 years by the COVID-19 pandemic begin to be lifted. Keep up-to-date with our news by:
- following us @OrkneyVibes on Instagram or Facebook
- checking out our Folksy shop where you will find the range of handcrafted books currently available for shipping within the UK
- contacting us to discuss our made-to-order service
- meeting us in-person at any of the local craft events we will be attending
- browsing and buying from our local stockists and online markets
- checking out our RedBubble shop where you will find a range of print-on-demand products featuring our linocut print designs and photographs with international shipping available
