Swoon - February 2017

Dear Everyone ~

We Love Books, as is no suprise to you!

And so we wanted to share with you some of the lovely books and sketchbooks that have delighted us in recent weeks.

Beginning with these old books... which we are tempted to turn into new books, but for now are completely smitten with the red stained edges, and the numerous amounts of pressed flowers in each and every volume!

Then there's this book of lovliness; The Art of Marbling!
An edition of 200 of which this is #10. Letterpress printed & actual hand-marbled 'specimans" tipped-on a handful of pages.

If you've been follwoing me on instgram then these might look familiar; Emily Franklin, who teaches our Sketch/Doodle/Draw class purchased one of my sketchbooks several moons ago, and has filled each and every page. We love to see how her work has evolved from the first page to the last.

This book is one of our vintage-book-cover coptic-stitch style books;
(a tongue twister)
It brims with collage on every page & is So Endearing!

And last but not least, Emmy Kennett's (our nimble shop assistant) sketchbook;
We love her whimsy style of drawing, and that she has various uses for her sketchbook.

Writing little notes about this and that, testing different pencils & inks, and experimenting with patterns, one of her favourite things to draw.

Books are a treasure! An essential tool for telling stories, recording moments, to muse & create. Books are a companion, and a keepsake. By making our marks, we see, we learn & we grow. And we Enjoy!!

Swoonfully yours, in books!

Bari

19th Annual Studio Sale

Dear Everyone ~

The center table is brimming with studio sale loveliness!!

Saturday & Sunday from 12 - 5pm

We're looking forward to seeing you!

See you soonish!

Bari

Celebrating Hawthorne

Dear Everyone ~

Hawthorne Home is officially open!

We've been buzzing all summer about the space at the south end of our makers row, and this weekend Hawthorne Home celebrates their official opening.

Robert Rud designed all three of our shops: Union Handmade, Bari Zaki Studio, & Knit 1. ...which also included finding charming & stylish, fixtures & furniture, to say the least!

We are thrilled he's taken his leap of faith & joined us on Lincoln Avenue!

Celebrations begin Saturday October 8th, from 11am - 7pm

To honor the occassion, we will have a huge bowl of our beloved malted-milk balls!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Bari

The Studio of My Dreams {06.15.2015}

For many moons I would joke about wanting enough room in my studio for a couch and a toaster… I wanted more light, more open-ness, and then a little area to make a proper cup of tea… priorities, you know :)

In the last few months all of this (and more) has transpired in the most magical ways!!

My new studio address is: 3858 N. Lincoln Avenue
(1-1/2 blocks north of Trader Joe's. And right next door to Union Handmade!)

Shop hours are:
Wednesday - Friday: noon-6pm
Saturday & Sunday: noon-5pm

Studio hours remain by appointment, & I can still be reached at 773-294-7766.

I look forward to seeing you soonish!

Bari

In Memoriam: My Mom & My Desk {11.17.2013}

My mom, Pepper, passed away in May of this year. My heart wells up when I see this in type, but I will persevere as I really want to share with you what is going on at my desk these days —and its significance to me. 

In the 70s when I was in my teens, my mom had a thriving jewelry business. Our dining room table was filled with beads which were organized in type drawers that my dad had brought home: antique silver, old amber, African trade-beads, beads from all over the world. My mom had a knack for assembling combinations of shape, texture & colour. I loved hanging out with her at the table while she worked on her creations. For me it was intoxicating.

I can't remember why she had given up beading, but she continued to knit and needlepoint. She opened a shop called Complete, which sold vases, pillows, objects, fabrics, beautiful things for the home. And at some point, she managed an art gallery or two.

Whenever it came to the arts, or things creative in nature, I could count on my mom to have the answer and provide direction. It was she who knew exactly where to go when I got an intense desire to learn how to make books.

Wherever I was hanging out with my mom, or if I was picking her up at work, her friends addressed me as Bari of course, but always referred to me as Pepper's Daughter. Somewhere along the way as I began establishing myself as a bookbinder, we began to meet people in common circles, and not long after that, she became Bari's Mom. I really loved that — I remember us smiling at each other the first time someone phrased it that way.

As my 2013 Studio Sale approaches, my emotions are so mixed. I'm excited about my the sale, of course, but incredibly sad that my mom is not here to tell me all the things she wants to have for herself & her friends prior to the sale itself. This "ritual" used to drive me insane…and now I'm missing that more than ever. She was always at the ready when I needed her nimble fingers to help me assemble swatches, postage, whatever it was I was working on. She was thrilled to help & full of unconditional praise & support.

I consider my mom the largest influence on my creative life, the source of my appreciation for beautiful things. There were times when she was inspiring me, and times when I was inspiring her. It was our unspoken bond, this unspoken love that connected us.

This year's studio sale preparations are made bittersweet as I think back to last year at this time, when I began helping my mom with some of her jewelry projects. We also designed bracelets together for my sale, and it was hugely important to me that we shared the experience of selling her beautiful jewelry at my sale. It was a great feeling to have so many beautiful people interested and purchasing our collaborative pieces. And that renewed my intoxication.

My desk is in my dining room, my constant comfort zone. I frequently re-arrange the objects on it to display — even if only for my own enjoyment —  what I'm working on and anything else that is currently inspiring me. Much of my creativity resides on my desk at the heart of my home.

The Provenance of My Passion For Paper

My Family was in the printing business. My dad regularly brought home paper in various forms: stacks of paper, scraps of paper, pads of paper, & assorted printed samples. This was my FAVOURITE part of the day. There was never a shortage of paper to write on…but there was always a desire for more.

In my bedroom I had a little walk-in closet. I often hung out in my closet and could amuse myself for hours arranging all my paper samples. I often think of my first bookbinding studio as a larger version of that closet, as it was also quite small.

Visiting my dad at work provided other sources of inspiration. The office was the most fascinating spot to hang out, particularly sitting at the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist was single, young and hip. She had her own apartment & I wanted to be like her..

The center drawer of her desk was stuffed with the expected office supplies. But, as I pulled the drawer out further, I discovered photographs, matchbooks from cool restaurants, and glamorous correspondence she received in the mail. Remember the days when the post was our most relied-upon means of sending word?.

Every desk was equipped with an IBM Selectric typewriter, a pencil cup, and a desk blotter with a super size calendar, the days measured in squares to be filled up before the month’s end. Even back then, I sensed that everyone’s desk had its own personality, from the nonsensical notations to the appointment-filled days on their blotter, which were then obscured by printed samples that would become orders.

I also became intensely curious about everyone’s handwriting, and how this too contributed to the uniqueness of each desk..

Beyond a single door at the back of the office was the hum of printing presses. When the door swung open, the whiff of inks and solvents wafted in. In the huge plant, bindery carts were rolled across the uneven wooden floors, filled to the brim with freshly printed letterheads, engraved business cards, invitations, and lined envelopes..

This is where my curiosity began to twirl, where my love for the materials of corresponding and the setting of the desk came to life. Desks and their contents continue to intrigue me.