I'm a tactile person by nature. As an embroiderer, my work revolves around texture, color and the patience of a few thousand stitches. Through the details of my work, I strive to draw connections between people and place, desert and sun, fate and chance with imagery and themes of the southwest. Stitch by stitch, my embroideries have begun to unfold a story of their own.
As a maker, I love being able to share my studio and process with my followers through social media, but I had never created a book, so when I was approached to partner with Blurb I was immediately drawn to the project. I knew it was a great opportunity to show the narrative and details of my work in a new way.
Initially I wasn't sure where to begin as the possibilities felt endless, but after sitting with my photos and browsing through Blurb's online bookstore for inspiration, I decided to create a book that was part portfolio and part studio snapshot. What began to develop felt like a glimpse into my practice and I loved how naturally it all came together.
I took advantage of Bookwright and in no time was able to figure out how to import my images, create and edit layouts and format my book exactly as I wanted. I'm often frustrated by computer programs, but the tools at hand were very straightforward and intuitive and made it easy for me to focus on the book itself. Blurb also offers other professional tools, like plug-in’s for Adobe InDesign and Lightroom so there are actually various methods of completing your project based on what programs you are most comfortable with.
Being a visual person, one of the features I loved was the ability to preview what the finished book would look like and gain a sense of how the images would flow once in print. The swatch kit offered by Blurb also made selecting my paper choice easy as I could actually compare papers, hold them up to the light and really get a sense of how my book would read and feel in my hand.
Having a book making platform like Blurb allowed me to easily create something more intimate than what my social media accounts could convey. There's something about seeing your images in print that gives them more importance -- I was thrilled to find a way to connect on a more personal level and can't wait to put together more books in the future!
This post was sponsored by Blurb, but all opinions are my own.