Witty Sampler of Summery Paperie

Dear Everyone ~

I’m delighted to announce the Witty Sampler of Summery Paperie. We have refreshed our original sampler to include four new papers, two of whose provenance is a paragon of providential papery procurement. More about that in a…paragraph. The updated sampler presents a binder’s dozen of various sheets ranging in size from a postcard—yes, an actual postcard—to 8½ x 13 (folded in half). The sampler also includes a “summery summary,” detailing the specifics of all thirteen papers: country of origin, finish, and weight. But weight, there’s more! The sampler also includes a mini pencil covered in Japanese decorative paper, for jotting down your notes & musings whilst experimenting with different mediums. The pencil is presented in a petite glassine, clipped to a large British glassine envelope (protecting all the papers). As you might imagine, the two glassines are clipped together with a…teeny butterfly-clip, likewise covered in Japanese decorative paper.

Here, for some light reading, is the serendipitous saga of the two new lightweight papers. Alyson, my postal (and paper) muse, texted me “live” from Spencers, a fabulous stationery store in Carmel where she has shopped for years and years. The shop’s office supply section apparently contains some somewhat vintage items, lingering from years past. I had mentioned to Alyson that I was on the lòókout for some lightweight papers. The proprietor of Spencers promptly produced, for Alyson’s perusal, these two boxes, which Alyson photographed and texted on the spot.

Yes, I exclaimed, Yes! Please “shop ’n’ ship” on my behalf. Well, Alyson and I are both big fans of Priority Mail, and Alyson remembered a flat-rate large Priority Mail box that she has always said looks like it was designed specifically for mailing board games. Neither of us had ever used one of these boxes…

Alyson acquired one of these at the Marvelous Main Monterey Post Office. It perfectly accommodated the two boxes of paper with room to spare for the truly most charmola paper plates I have seen in a millennium. (You will see them soon.) The parcel of lightweight papers weighed in at a little over 10 lbs. They put quite an ounce, a bounce, a spring, I mean a summer, in the Witty Sampler!

Meanwhile, back at the paper ranch: In addition to the two somewhat vintage (meaning they aren’t made any longer) lightweight papers, the updated sampler includes a Cambridge Imprint patterned paper and a sheet of Hahnemühle Cappuccino.

Whilst I was folding & cutting a few sheets of the Parchment Deed (which we must refer to henceforth as Parchment Indeed) and the Plover Bond, to see how they might behave as a mini-book, I sent a few sheets to Janet Bouldin, our in-house whimsy illustrator & watercolourist, to test. She squiggled and striped and dotted, oh my! She tried micron pen, fountain pen, and watercolour, and was thrilled at how beautifully the papers responded to all of her inks & pens. Each Witty Sampler includes a chevroned lightweight paper ribbon by Janet, attached to a 33rd year Bari Zaki Studio seal.

Each of the papers in the sampler is sold in a pad or packet on its own. Parchment Indeed and Plover Bond are each available in sets of ten sheets.

Witty Sampler of Summery Paperie
Parchment Indeed
Plover Bond

From the cockles of my heart, Bari

Mighty fine July nine musing

Dear Everyone ~

My first “edition” of Mighty-fine-nine-signature-spine (MFNSSB) workshop for a group will debut via Zoom next Saturday, July 16, one summery week away. The book is so voluminous that in the workshop, everyone’s goal is to complete the first three of the nine stitching rows. Students are then able to stitch Rows 4–9 on their own—with my guidance and virtual company on the live recording of the complete lesson.

Our group next Saturday includes several students who recently completed Trio of Diamond-stitched Booklets. Their fingers are definitely itching to stitch again. I assembled their kits for MFNSSB so they could ship with the Diamond-stitched kits. I next assembled the kits for students in Canada. And then the parcels for students who had ordered multiple kits. So, kit assembly was not as chromatically dramatic as usual. Tammy, who helps me in the studio & shop, had her fingers full—awhir as it were—with winding long lengths (48 inches each) of threads for each palette. I love this photo.

This style of book, for me, has a nice nostalgia. I made my first MFNSSB back in 2018 when Emmy Kennett was nimbly assisting me in the shop. Emmy is an artist, and she likes to make her own sketchbooks. (You can see some of them here.) We often experimented together with different page sizes, stitching styles, and thicknesses for our sketchbooks. When we embarked on this particular style, I was curious to see just how it would function as a sketchbook, because of its super-thickness. Emmy finished hers almost overnight, I was taking a bit more time. She began to use hers immediately. . . and I so enjoyed witnessing her pages. . .and her book fill up with all manner of musings, colourful illustrations, and charming collages. I loved that not only had she delighted in making her book, but also revelled in using it, with almost reckless abandon. I asked her recently if I could share photos of her long since filled up book. I also asked her about how she had enjoyed using the book. Here’s what she shared:

“ I like a thicker book. Interestingly, small/thin books are the most intimidating for me. I tend to use my sketchbooks like reference books. If it is a small book, there will not be a lot to put in it, so it’s unlikely there will be anything I want to look at later. When I am working on a one-off painting, brainstorming ideas for a mural, or just wanting to draw a bird or a border on a postcard, I like having a lot of pages to flip through.”

Emmy had a great deal more to say on this subject, and her stream of consciousness was so refreshing, that I’ve decided to let it splash into a separate post in a couple of weeks. I think she will inspire even non-sketchers to want to carry around a blank book.

Gabriele in Austria, a veteran of a handful of Bookfuls, took the MFNSSB as a private workshop back in mid-April. The very next day, she sent me this lovely photo of herself with her book. And she shared this:

“ It's hard to believe, but taking a few pictures with me and my mighty fine book is not so easy. The book looks good—I am just not sure if I should not hide behind it. Oh well. When I finally liked a photo—oops, the book was upside down. So another session became necessary. But here it is at last. And I’d like to say that the greatest challenge for students in your group workshop will not be the stitching itself, but deciding which kit to order :) Have a wonderful rest of the week full of colours and birdsong. ”

Virginia in Utah is an avid bookbinder, quilter, and crafter-at-large. She has taken numerous Bari Zaki bookbinding & boxmaking workshops—both long distance and in person, during a very steamy workshop weekend, which you can read about here. During the pandemic, she sent word to say she really wanted to make one of these books, but the internet connection is a challenge where she lives. So she decided to commission a MFNSSB because she had to have one. She e’d me a few photos of her book pages in progress and shared this:

“ This week has been really hectic but I've done a couple of pages in my ‘Mighty Fine Book’. The grand title makes me feel a little guilty, so I call the book ‘Snippets’. It started out as an album for photos, drawings, and notes of quilts/gifts but quickly segued into memories and why I chose certain items for each person. I wanted it to be spontaneous and quick, so I didn't set any limits on what I put in it. ”

If you’ve been tempted to register for the MFNSSB workshop, there’s still time to receive your kit via Priority Mail (or curbside pick-up). If the palette(s) you prefer are marked Sold Out, just e me or call, and I’ll be delighted to put together a custom kit for you.

Mighty-fine-nine-signature-spine Book Workshop

Be-stitched, but not bothered or bewildered, Bari

A Toast to Post-anniversary Post

Dear Everyone ~

Last Tuesday was my red-letter day, my 7th anniversary of opening Bari Zaki Studio. It was also a red-stamp day! My envelope from Alyson with an address frame of 1959 7¢ Hawaii stamps arrived, delivered with a priceless smile by Will. The week also brought an exceptional bounty of other noteworthy mail.

First, two postcards of distinction: I have been postcard pals with both Stacey & Denise for several years now. Stacey is a calligrapher, and her postcards always feature a meaningful quote as the image, with a decorative border, and a greeting on the back. I keep my Favourites of Favourite Postcards in a special little stack, and several of Stacey’s reside there. A couple of others from her are on the Postcard Wall (where I can only savour the quote side).

Denise is an avid postcard sender to her personal correspondents, and also the proprietress of a postcard subscription service that she started back in 2007. (You might like to look at Letters Mingle Souls on Facebook! Denise’s description is delightful in the xoxtreme.) Her postcards to me always include a bit of collage or original artwork on the message side and a “framed” quote on the front.

Talk about having philatelic friends! Alyson, a.k.a. my postal muse, asked her friend Mary, who was visiting Canada, to see if 1¢ ladybug stamps were still available…for me! (As you may or may not know, I love ladybugs.) Mary, who lives in San Francisco—and is in fact the co-founder of the San Francisco Center for the Book—had visited Bari Zaki Studio pre-pandemic for an in-person shopping stop. Mary accepted the mission and reported via text to Alyson:

“ Oh you are in luck. I’ve been stopping by every post office I have passed and have gotten two sheets of 1¢ stamps here, five sheets of 1¢ stamps there. Canada Post is phasing out the low denomination stamps. As luck would have it, I went to a tourist part of town where people are not actually mailing anything other than standard letters, and they had two sheets of ladybugs which I picked up for Bari pronto. ”

Mary mailed me 10 sheets of ladybugs! So, I have 500 ladybugs to use for decorative purposes. The accompanying note is inside what turns out to be Mary’s signature notecard. On the front, she drew a little ladybug perched on a…punctuation mark that Mary and Alyson have named the EPT, for Emphatic Pause Thingy. (Quick def: A punctuation innovation to show or express emphasis within a sentence, like a semicolon with attitude.) Mary makes herself emphatic pause notecards in various colour schemes. I can’t make an EPT on my computer (at least, not yet!), but Alyson makes them on her typewriter, by typing an exclamation point and then backspacing and typing a comma.

And yet one more gift of flap-happiness: My friend Michael made me a letter opener of zebrawood. Please note that zebra contains a b and a z. My initial delirium has not diminished! I actually know Michael through Alyson, and he presented her with a “companion” black acacia letter opener he made, awesome for a correspondent whose favourite letter is…a.

As the frosting on the camaraderie cake, I received a trio of particularly lovely emails in response to my 7-year-anniversary blog post.

Tammy D. wrote:

“ 7 years! I must’ve met you early on as I have memories of browsing your store with big dreams, well before the pandemic. Congratulations on making your evolving dreams come true and, in the process, helping your patrons bring theirs to life. I just love your emails. They are little moments of meditation. – Sighing blissfully. ”

Lynn L. wrote:

“ Frankly, I'm not a Zoom class lover but your classes are the exception. I love your clear instructions and your well coordinated kits.The classes are unique and well paced and produced, making it a fun experience. Thanks again, Bari. As they say ... I'll be back. xoxo. ”

Shea M. first emailed:

“ Big Cheers to you Bari!! I hope you have a great 7th year celebration, and I can't wait to see how your business continues to expand in creative and exciting ways. I wish you all the best. ”

The following day, Shea wrote:

“ What I really wanted to say, ---I look forward to following your paper trail and listening to your paper tales! Do you think I'm a little obsessed? ”

And, my Instagram post (showing a new photo of me in the shop) received the most comments of any of my posts ever! Thanxox to everyone who shared the occasion!

In deepest bow, Bari

P.S.
Also last week, I finished assembling & shipping all the kits for the Mighty-fine-nine-signature-spine-book (MFNSSB) workshop, which debuts a week from Saturday, on July 16. As an additional layer of loveliness here at the Palette Palace, two students requested one additional kit, and one student requested two additional kits! Later this week, I will showcase several MFNSSB’s made by students in months past.

A slightly introspective retrospective

Dear Everyone ~

Today, June 26, is my seven-year anniversary of opening Bari Zaki Studio on Lincoln Avenue! To honour the occasion, I have updated the “About” page on my website, highlighting major moments in the past seven years. The element that binds them together is paper, my enormous love for it, my endless desire to make beautiful and meaningful objects with it, and, of course, the ways that paper connects us!

It has been an eventful seven years, from filming my first online bookbinding video with Sonheim Creative (2017), to offering workshops via Zoom to an international audience (2020)... to my recent filming with The Crafter’s Box, which will debut this August & autumn. My postcard wall, which began (2015) as an ode to my love of correspondence, with a hundred or so postcards washi taped to the shop wall, now flows all the way back through the studio, with at least 1,001 postcard tales from customers, students, and ardent correspondents from around the globe.

I am infinitely grateful for the continued community & camaraderie that has expanded despite the pandemic. And for the ongoing pleasures that teaching workshops and receiving mail & photos provide. Students, shoppers & correspondents all contribute their creativity & ingenuity, renewing and refreshing my papery passions.

Speaking of postal musing, Alyson Kuhn has sent me two swoonworthy envelopes commemorating my anniversary. I want to share them with you here. Her address frame of postage stamps always delights me, and her use of “themed” postage is a bonus. The Postal Service issued very few 7¢ stamps, and these two are such beautiful examples of engraving. The blue-frame stamp, issued on January 3, 1959, honors Alaska’s admission as the 49th state. The red-frame stamp, issued on August 21, 1959, honors Hawaii’s admission as the 50th state—the envelope is winging its way to Chicago, hopefully to arrive today!

To envelop shoppers in my anniversarial happiness, I have assembled a party-favour: seven sumptuous scraps in a Cambridge Imprint envelope, super-sealed with a teeny butterfly-clip covered in Japanese paper and flap-happy strips of washi tape. Everyone who places an online order or shops in-shop through Tuesday, July 12, will be gifted these scraps of my paper gratitude.

Summery Summary of Custom Projects

Dear Everyone ~

Custom projects are one of my favourite parts of Bari Zaki Studio. They are also “the original part” of my bookbinding passion. Thirty-plus years in, each project still seems new and one-of-a-kind, even if it involves multiples. From family memoirs to large storage boxes, from artists’ portfolios to ephemera albums, each commission has its own distinctive parameters. And the recipient, the audience, the user is part of my process. Who will do what with the object I’m making?

I haven’t written about any custom projects this year, but that is not because I haven’t completed any. Au contraire! I am starting to make up for this l-o-n-g lapse today, the longest day of the year. I have just added to the Project Gallery a four-needle Coptic-stitch binding which I refer to as Double Bind.

The “cover story” is a rainbow of bookcloth that houses, if I may say so, an epistolary pot of gold. Donald’s inspiration was to give Stephanie, his wife, an album for a very special set of letters relating to her passion for equality, which has become her profession. I wrote a blog post about Donald’s surprise for Stephanie shortly after I finished the project, and you can find that here.

Donald recently sent me this update: “ Stephanie’s book sits proudly on our bedroom bookshelf. The letters were once folded up in a crumpled brown paper bag and not touched for years at a time—she knew they were there, but she never looked through them. Now they sit on display with her other personal memories…definitely an upgrade. She does visit it from time to time. Because it’s private, she’s only shown it to her friends who also attended Emmaus. ”

* * * * *

My most recent commission was from Eunique D., who came by the shop this past Saturday, to pick up her amazing Father’s Day gift for her dad. We had started musing voice-to-voice about her project this past January. She e’d me a few photos of her grandparents’ wedding album, which she was hoping to restore in some fashion for her father. The original album turned out to be in poor condition, so my challenge was how to retain its persona while creating an entirely new album. I double hinged the pages and bound them into a screw-post binder. One of my favourite details is the front cover “window,” framing an important portion of the original cover: the couple’s names and the date of their wedding. I plan to add this to the Project Gallery in July, with my production details and Eunique’s wonderful narrative.

Also earlier this year, I received an email from Sarah B., a longtime customer who now lives in Japan. She wanted to commission two albums to give as baby gifts. We mused about binding styles, number of pages, and, of course, what papers she would like the books covered with. I was thrilled when she offered to ship me a selection of papers from Itoya, one of the largest paper stores in Tokyo! I was further excited when she requested that I hand-fold an assortment of envelopes that the recipients can place wherever they’d like in their books. Both albums are now finished, and I will be making the envelopes this coming week. And, then, to the Project Gallery it will go!

If you’re curious as to how most customers select their palettes & materials, you can read about our swanky swatch service right here.

Project Gallery

Projecting, Bari

Fresh Supplies for Summer

Dear Everyone ~

Scouting for new tools & supplies for bookbinding, corresponding, and drawing is a part of the creative process I find so enthralling. And when a new-to-me supply turns out to work like a charm, I'm charmed! Herewith a tour of my favourite recent discoveries & acquisitions for the shop.

Let’s start with my new crush. It's true glue love. Yamato brand glue from Japan is a smooth, lightweight paste that comes in a squeezable tube. Made, from tapioca starch, it is both acid-free & non-toxic. Most exciting of all: it is s-l-o-w drying, giving you ample time to position and reposition whatever you are glueing. Once dry, what you’ve glued remains perfectly in place. I was eager to see how this glue behaves with thin, delicate papers, as well as chiyogami & katazome. I am delirious to confirm that a layer of this paste, brushed on lightly, performs superbly. I also tried glueing bookcloth to bookboard with excellent results! And it’s perfect for collage work. Totally tubular.

Also new in the bookbinding department is a six-inch teflon bonefolder. I’ve used mine for many, many moons & consider it indispensable when I’m working with soft Japanese papers, especially when on larger books or boxes. The teflon finish makes this tool the smoothest of operators, simply gliding over the paper, banishing any bubbles or wrinkles without scuffing or marring the paper. Make no bones about it—once you use one, you’ll wonder how you've bound without it.

An Xacto knife (#1) is an essential bookbinding tool, always included on the “tools needed” list for my bookbinding & boxmaking workshop. Finally, you can purchase one #1 Xacto knife individually, with five fresh #11 blades. Xacto-ly the tool for the job.

First up in the paper department is a delicious pad of cappuccino from Hahnemühle. It’s one of their newest toned (meaning “coloured”) sketch papers in pad form, measuring 4⅛ x 5⅞ x ¼, with 30 silky smooth sheets. This paper takes all manner of mediums beautifully, which is why we've given it our stamp of approval!

Pads of Rivoli Rose notesheets in European A5 have arrived. You might wonder what size that is, and it is 8¼ x 5¾. It is twice the size of the A6 sheet and, as it happens, half the size of a European letter sheet, which is called A4. Yes, it’s a system! The companion C6 envelope measures 4⅞ x 6⅞. The A5 notesheets fold in half to fit comfortably, with room for larger enclosures, such as a postcard. I've bundled the envelopes in a set of 10, tied with snowy white seam binding.

Back to the Kuretake fudegokochi brush pen. It’s a felt-tip pen, with a cap that snaps shut. The ink is pigment-and-water based, so it is not waterproof, but let that not dissuade you. I found the tip to stay in pristine condition, even after long interludes of drawing. I also enjoyed using it to outline and then fill in the deep black ink on my wintry botanical illustrations. Its nib is good for drawing wide lines as well as thin, and is also great for calligraphy and hand-lettering!

Last, but not least, we have a charming addition to Washi World! The official pattern name is “stick stick” which cracks me up. It’s ¾ wide and marvelously mix & matchy, natch!

Yamato sticking glue
Teflon bonefolder
Xacto-knife (#1) + five spare blades
Hahnemühle cappuccino pad
Rivoli Rose (A5 pad) & envelopes
Kuretake fudegokochi brush pen
Stick-stick washi tape

Iced cappuccino, Bari

A very epistolary & origami friendship

Dear Everyone ~

While I was in packing mode for my trip to San Diego, I received a large Tyvek envelope from Alyson Kuhn, a.k.a. my Postal Muse. Inside that envelope was a “glassine suitcase” enveloping…an origami wardrobe! I left the suitcase closed (it was latched with twin strips of washi), saving it to savor upon my return. I could see, as can you, Cambritches and shirts within, and I knew that Alyson had not folded them herself. I “suspected” her friend Eroca Brawne in Vancouver and promptly sent Alyson a handful of questions. I’ve never met Eroca but feel I know her, thanks to our papery kuhnnections.

Please divulge your inspiration for this Cambridge folding caper.

Well, I have a constellation of Cambridge stars and butterflies in my open-fronted china cabinet, all folded by Robb. I enjoy them every day, and it occurred to me that some of the patterns would make charming fabric. It was less than a leap to think of origami shirts, so I packed up some sheets and sent them off to Eroca with a buttery note.

Can you remind me how you know Eroca?

Our friendship started with an exchange of mail, back in 1993. I had seen Eroca’s self-promo piece in a paper company’s awards show. I typed her a fanletter, on the wonderful stationery of the printing company I worked for in Atlanta. I was rewarded not only with a piece of paper-engineering magnificence and a delightful handwritten letter…but also with the beginning of an extraordinary friendship.

Eroca is a designer, an artist, and a creative spirit. Recently, when she sent back the Cambridge suits, she included samples of several of her recent projects & passions, including the handsomely bordered sheet you see above. The marvelous menagerie is not Eroca’s handiwork, but her note (set in Aquiline Two, based on a Renaissance script) tells a captivating tale, which is well worth sharing:

“ This beautiful bit of artwork is from Philipp Hainhofer’s ‘Grosse Stammbuch,’ a friendship book signed by some of the most powerful figures of 17th century Europe. Hainhofer would ask dignitaries to paint in his friendship book, and each individual would commission an artist to create a painting accompanying their signatures. It took more than 50 years to compile the 100 drawings in the book. In our current times of instant gratification, it is quite an amazing accomplishment. (1578–1647) ”

I asked Eroca if she’d done anything else with that gorgeous border, and she e’d me back, ‘No, I thought a friendship book was appropriate for our 29 year love-of-paper correspondence—and it had a beaver in the margin, so Canadian!’

Have you ever had the pleasure of seeing Eroca hand fold her suits in person?

I have! When I worked for Crane & Co. in the late ’90s, Vancouver was part of my territory. Eroca invited me to her studio, and I arrived laden with Crane promotion materials. It was a momentous interlude. She gave me a little suit she’d folded out of Italian currency, and it looked like Gucci-Pucci lounging pyjamas. Eroca commented that U.S. currency was actually her favorite to fold, so I asked why, and she replied (unaware that I currently worked for the American manufacture of that paper) that the paper was quite crisp and folded beautifully and could be ironed with great results. I explained that Crane paper is 100% cotton, and that it behaves and feels like fabric, but with a superior memory. I happened to have some crisp $1 and $2 bills with me, for tips, and Eroca folded them into suits for me before I left Vancouver—including a pleated skirt!

So, have you ever had any creative pursuits featuring the suits?

Oh, of course! I’ve given many suits, always folded by Eroca, as gifts over the years. The little medallion with a letter inside refers to the Federal Reserve Bank for which the banknote was destined. There are twelve Banks, lettered A through L. One of my funnest capers, many years ago, was presenting my friend Jake with a set of four “monogrammed” suits, in a Sobrani suitcase. (Thank you, Jake, for these fresh photos!)

For a dinner party at Crane & Co., attended by engravers from across the U.S., we commissioned Eroca to fold 160 shirts from crisp $1 bills. The gentlemen received slacks she folded from Crane’s Old Money, which was itself made from a blend of recycled undeinked $1 bills and cotton linters, so it was pale green, and the ladies had skirts Eroca pleated from Crane’s Distaff Linen. “Distaff” is a tool used in spinning; it more broadly refers to “womanly work”—so, ahem, suitable for skirts!

Are you considering learning to fold yourself?

I am not. I will continue to impose on Eroca for shirts, though I do enjoy folding slacks. Recently, I tried pairing a Cambridge shirt with inside-tint capris, and I was quite pleased with the beachy-keen result. Wouldn’t we give the shirts off our backs for outfits like these?!

Speaking of outfits & suitcases, I am happy to report that my week of filming with The Crafter’s Box in San Diego was a dream, quite literally. And as soon as I had finished unpacking, I was Zooming Lesson #3 of Bookful of The Clothes We Wear! This past week Cat focused on entire outfits. Here is what Alison Zehr from Chicago shared along with one of her Bookful pages:

“ Bookfuls are always a two-for: you come away with a book and with some art work. Both of which continue to inspire. Cat really acts as a sort of coach, encouraging, reassuring, providing helpful hints. I’ve done several Bookfuls, starting as a complete neophyte. I think the image completed last Saturday, in the beautiful book Bari guided us through, is the best I’ve done. Thanks to Cat! ”

Ready, steady, thready!

Dear Everyone ~

I am delighted to debut two new workshops via Zoom: Mighty-fine-nine-signature-spine Book and Trio of Diamond-stitched Booklets. My table and my heart are almost overflowing at the prospect of assembling the kits for these workshops. Photos of my “Palette Palace” will be forthcoming!

The mighty-fine-nine-signature spine book (MFNSSB) is one I am particularly fond of, and not just because its name delights me. Pre-pandemic, I had taught this structure as a group workshop in the studio, and my students had a mighty fine time indeed. Zoom forward three years, and Gabriele B. in Austria scheduled a private workshop, via Zoom of course, to make her own MFNSSB. She showed herself to be a speedy, tidy, and über-joyful stitcher. She is currently on holiday without her book, but promises to send photos with her oeuvre upon her return. Chuffed by Gabriele's enthusiasm, I will offer MFNSSB as a group workshop in June (which rhymes with swoon and summer solstice moon). I’ve devised an aviary of palettes, all with Saint-Armand covers and Stonehenge signatures. Deckles abound, ditto waxed-linen thread combinations.

I myself am now on a bit of an MFNSSB jag, and hereby admit that I have made five (yes, 5) of these in the past several weeks. They are each about 2½ inches thick, so I currently have a linear foot of them on a bookshelf.

Switching stitching gears: The Trio of Diamond-stitched Booklets will be my very first two-Saturday workshop—a double happiness happening! Each booklet uses a different stitch, so it’s almost a triple happiness. Each booklet has three signatures; two of the booklets involve two needles for their spine stitching. Don’t let the arithmetic put you in a tizzy! No previous bookbinding experience needed, and we will have two sessions, so the pace will be comfortable. Again, Saint-Armand covers, Stonehenge interiors, a multitude of colour-curated thread options…and (hold onto your Cambritches) Cambridge Imprint papers to reinforce your covers. Like a beautifully lined jacket.

As always, the sessions will be recorded and viewable immediately after class. And extra kits will be available. I am excited to be teaching these workshops and look forward to basking in the creative camaraderie with you.

Speaking of teaching: I’m delirious & mysterious to announce that I am embarking on a collaboration with The Crafter’s Box (TCB). This coming week, I will be in San Diego at TCB studio headquarters, filming workshops that will air this summer and fall! I’ve been given the AOK to post some behind-the-scenes photos on IG… so stay tuned!

The dynamic duo of Tammy and Zak will be shipping online orders while I’m on the Left Coast.


Mighty-fine-nine-signature-spine Book
Trio of Diamond-stitched Booklets

Threading my way, Bari

May I marvel at my mail?

Dear Everyone ~

A lot has been happening in the studio these past few weeks, perhaps even a little more than usual. Now that National Letter Writing Month is behind us, I’d like to showcase an artful handful of lovely mail I’ve recently received from customers & students (who, of course, are also cherished customers), mostly via first-class mail. It almost goes without saying that receiving mail is a happy occasion unto itself.

Will, my trusty mail carrier, definitely recognizes a good envelope when he sees one. Sometimes, he will obscure my “good mail” under a commercial envelope or two, so I can be surprised… and, sometimes, when it’s the only envelope, he hands it to me slowly as if unveiling it. It’s a joy beyond measure to see the creative uses and beautiful things inspired by the papers & teachings purchased from Bari Zaki Studio. I am honoured to be on both ends—and sometimes in the middle!— of people’s correspondence & gift-giving.

This envelope was sent to me by Melanie O., who writes: “ The envelope, well, it was made by Ellie, my 4½ year old granddaughter, with my assistance. She chose the paper from an art book by Carla Sozzani, with my guidance, as I shared what I look for to coordinate with the watercolor [which was enclosed]. You should have seen her with the bonefolder! We pieced it together and even though it ended up upside down, we were pleased. ”

Melanie followed up in an email with a charming photo of Ellie hugging the envelope she’d made. “ Here Ellie is giving the finished product a hug. When I asked who the envelope was for, she exclaimed, ‘MEEEE!’ ”

Melanie affirms, “ Passing on my love for envelope making is such a joy! ”

Coco D. has been a student in the duo of recent group Zoom workshops, Glueing Happiness (GH) & Chic Cambridge Suite. Moments after the conclusion of GH, Coco emailed me this incredibly charming collage she’d made with scraps from the hardcover padholder-folder, which she planned to give her mom for Mother’s Day. She shares: “ The colorful scraps were so beautiful and just the right materials to create a collage in my sketchbook for my 100-day project, which is titled ‘Woof Meow Chirp.’ The linen paper tape called out to be hair and a skirt while the top, shoes, and hat were my inside papers used on my notepad book. Adele the Cat developed as the character to fill the outfit and, of course, there had to be birds :) ”

Melanie M. lives in Outer Chicago, and I’ve been shipping parcels to her since the pandemic panned in-person shopping. We’ve kept in touch via email, and so when an unassuming envelope arrived and I saw her return address, I was eager to see what might be inside. I absolutely love how she pieced together two sheets of cover weight paper with washi tape, complementing her Cambridge Imprint origami heart. The added Thank you tucked inside the heart itself warmed my heart from ear to ear! Her companion notecard reads:

“ Heaps of thanks to you! Your beautiful papers and all the other treats you’ve sent inspire me! Making cards to connect with family and friends has provided me with a much needed creative outlet. I figured it was time to let you know! Thank you! ”

Michelle H. ordered a MORE Art of The Handfolded Envelope kit. When I received her freshly hand-folded recent envelope, I recognized paper from the kit. I carefully opened it to read the card, and, oh my, a double-happiness moment indeed! Her use of scraps to create a bounty of bookshelves still has me aswoon. She writes: “ I really enjoyed going through the process of making the envelope. Upon receiving my kit, I had to make all of the selections. It was incredibly fun and satisfying. The ‘scraps’ in the package I bought were just so gorgeous that I knew I needed to create something with them immediately. ”

Laura L. is a big fan of the Extremely Exquisite Scraps, so when Will handed me her envelope, I was delighted to see the colourful collaged scraps, as you see, on the envelope itself as well as on the notecard. I took a moment to marvel at how well Laura’s artistic envelope had fared through the mailstream. I had to immediately send her an email letting her know it had arrived in good order and she replied: “ I had so much fun making that for you. At the time, it was cold and wintery. It sat with me in my studio whilst I worked on so many projects and finally told me it was time to be sent. ”

Debra M was a student of Bookful of Notes to Self and sent me this heartfelt missive as a thank you. I so enjoyed the way she described her Bookful book. “ I loved the bookful class I took with you and Cat. My journal is a bit wobbly, the stitching uncentered and yet it is a friendly place. Notes to Self, a collection of thoughts, ideas, experiments so I don’t forget any of the inspirations that left an invitation. ” She has annotated her wonderful watercolour of a mailbox, on a petite Saint-Armand sheet, saying “It’s a handmade envelope made with love from Bari Zaki.” The thrill of a trill!

Late-breaking muse: Just yesterday I opened a large envelope from my Postal Muse, containing a poufy glassine envelope, containing little origami lounging pyjamas folded out of…hold on, yet again, to your Cambritches…Cambridge Imprint sweet sheets. Eroca Brawne is the paper engineer in Vancouver pressed into service by my Postal Muse. There’s delightfully more to this story, as I shall reveal in due course, of course.

MORE Art of The Handfolded Envelope
Extremely Exquisite Scraps
Bundle of Stationery Joy

Post haste, Bari

Padding the Hahnemühle Ultimate Palette

Dear Everyone ~

For many moons, I have sung the praises of Hahnemühle Bugra. I introduce students to this gem of German papermaking when they’re binding their first case-bound book. It glues like a dream & stitches like a charm. No need to wheedle your needle! It is also one of my preferred papers when making books for the shop (and myself). It’s a beautiful weight (130 gsm) & texture to write and draw on. As my homage to Hahnemühle, I reissued the Heavenly Housemade Hahnemühle pad last year, featuring a total of 120 sheets, measuring 4 x 7¼ x 1, and combining at least two, sometimes three, and on some occasions four, different Bugra colours in stripes.

Even with the help of my two nimble studio assistants, Tammy Stams & Emery Kennett, making these pads is an all-day process. We count, divide, stack, sip some tea, and then collate 22 beautiful Bugra hues into assorted striped pads. Earlier this year, whilst we were mid-assembly of the previous batch of pads, I decided I had to see how thick a pad would become if we padded 10 sheets each of all 22 colours, and OMW (O, my wow)! It became a brick to behold, at 220 sheets & a full three inches tall! Paper happiness abounded and abided.

I’m delighted to debut it, in all its multi-colour glory: The Hahnemühle Ultimate Palette Housemade Pad! More than a deluxe desk accessory, a divine hostess gift, a nightstand companion, it is a source & surface of endless experimentation & exploration. Think of the combinations & permutations you can try with various mediums, both opaque & translucent! Clearly an opportunity!

But, wait, while I envelop you in Hahnemühle happiness: herewith a complete suite of Hahnemühle A6 square-flap envelopes, one each of 17 colours. The A6 size holds a postcard (or several postcards) perfectly. A Rivoli Rose sheet (or 2, or even 3) also fits nicely. And, hold onto your Cambritches: you can easily, and almost instantly, line your envelope with a 6 x 6 sheet of Cambridge Imprint craft paper. Simply score, fold & taper with a snip of your scissors (as seen below) and apply a swish of a glue-stick, et voilà! You have a luxurious envelope inside and out, like an epistolary sweater set.

Twin tips: (1) Measure 1½ inches down from one edge of your sheet, and then score with your bonefolder (2) Measure ¼ inch in from both upper corners of your sheet and make 2 tiny pencil marks (3) Use a sharp pair of scissors to shave off your tapers (4) Slide your Cambridge Imprint sheet into the envelope and align your folds (5) Swish a swash of glue-stick across the top edge of your CI paper, close your envelope flap & press! Presto!

* * * * *

Mother’s Day is just around the calendar corner. I’ll be delighted to assemble custom gifts for shipment or curbside pick-up early next week. Might I suggest a bouquet of coloured pencils (lavishly beribboned), a binder’s dozen of Japanese paper covered mini-pencils, or assorted desk bonbons?

Hahnemühle Ultimate Palette Housemade Pad
Suite 17 of Hahnemühle A6 square-flap envelopes

Colourfully, Bari