Crafting your everyday sketchbook

Settle into the quiet rhythm of paper, needle, and thread as you create a hand-bound sketchbook—a place to keep the beauty, observations, and small stories of everyday life.

BOUND FOR KEEPING

October 26 - October 30
Live or Later

Save Your Seat $67

Fold paper, draw thread, and make a place for the things you want to keep.

Our creativity is a gift—one that invites us to notice beauty and take part in making it. Working with our hands offers a way to slow down, attend to what’s in front of us, and find satisfaction in bringing something into being.

In Bound for Keeping: Crafting Your Everyday Sketchbook, I’ll guide you through making your own hand-bound book, from preparing the paper to stitching the binding. You’ll learn simple, approachable techniques, with room to enjoy the materials and make a book that feels like yours. No previous bookbinding experience is needed.

You’ll leave with a finished sketchbook, ready for drawings, gathered words, observations, and memories—and the knowledge to make another whenever you need a fresh place to begin.

BOUND FOR KEEPING

Make a book by hand, and fill it with the beauty of everyday life.

  • Learn how to prepare your paper, assemble your cover, and stitch a simple binding to create your own everyday sketchbook.

  • Follow approachable, step-by-step guidance, whether you’re new to bookbinding or returning to the pleasure of making books.

  • Enjoy the encouragement of a supportive, faith-rooted Maker Community, with live Open Studio Hours to ask questions and create alongside me.

By the end of Bound for Keeping, you’ll have a finished hand-bound sketchbook—a place for what catches your eye, stirs a thought, or deserves remembering—and the confidence to make more books of your own.

October 26 - October 30, Live or Later

Save Your Seat $67

YOUR HOST

Meet Gabi

I’m a botanical artist and preservationist working with pressed flowers, textiles, and paper. My practice explores the connection between creativity, faith, and rest, shaped by the textures of nature and my life in the south of France.

Much of my work begins with noticing and keeping—a flower, a few words, a record of a place. A handmade sketchbook offers a home for these things. I love the thought of making the book itself with care, then allowing its pages to become a record of what we see and experience.

In Bound for Keeping, I’ll guide you through creating your own hand-bound sketchbook, using simple materials and approachable techniques. My hope is that you’ll enjoy the making as much as the finished book—and feel free to use its pages for ordinary observations, unfinished ideas, and whatever you want to remember.

Warmly,
Gabi

A FEW BONUSES

  • Fifty Beginnings

    Fifty Beginnings offers simple invitations for filling your handmade sketchbook with observations, sketches, gathered words, and everyday beauty—a little encouragement whenever you’re wondering where to begin.

  • A Little Company for Your Making

    Join me for two, bonus Open Studio Hours —a welcoming space to ask questions, share your progress, and work on your sketchbook together. Come with your materials and whatever stage you’re in.

  • The Makers: A CONNECTED COMMUNITY

    Step into a warm circle of fellow creatives who understand the joy—and the vulnerability—of making art. Gain access to our private community space where you can share your work, celebrate small victories, and ask questions along the way.

  • Thank you, Gabi, and all the women who shared their stories. I was so touched by you all and really enjoyed painting with everyone. I have never done this before and I learned so much.

    —Judy E.

  • Gabi set the stage with calmness, thoughtfulness, and love! It was like a therapy session while producing art!

    —Kathi T.

  • I was so impressed by the community and the wealth of ideas, stories, and resources cited that I wanted to paint each session and then on the back of that sheet jot down all the suggestions.

    —Kathleen S.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No previous experience is needed. I’ll guide you through each step, from preparing your paper to stitching the binding, so you can make your sketchbook with confidence.

  • You’ll need paper for your pages, material for your cover, and a few basic bookbinding supplies. You’ll find the materials list inside the workshop so you can gather what you need before beginning.

  • The workshop lessons are recorded, so you can pause, revisit a step, and work at your own pace. You’re also invited to two bonus live Open Studio Hours with me for questions, encouragement, and time to make together.

  • We’ll gather on Tuesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 29, at 6 p.m. CT. Bring your materials, your questions, and your book at whatever stage it’s in.

  • You’ll have lifetime access to the workshop, including the Open Studio recordings and bonus resources. Return whenever you’d like a refresher or feel ready to make another book.

  • Yes. You’ll receive access to the Maker Community—a welcoming place to share your progress, ask questions, and connect with other makers.

A GENTLE INVITATION

Settle into the quiet rhythm of making a book by hand.

Bring paper, needle, and thread together into a sketchbook for the things you want to keep.

October 26 - October 30
Live or Later

Save Your Seat $67