Tag: traveller’s notebooks

SoulFlower’s Basic Leather Workshop

February 7, 2016

Unit 2H, 22 Malingap Street, Teacher’s Village, Diliman

Quezon City, Philippines

0977 805 2806

On January 21, 2016 I attended a workshop on Basic Leather craft from Soulflower. I’d heard of them through a Facebook group about (what else) Traveler’s Notebooks. They were recommended by one of the members, accompanied by a proud picture of one of her creations. I’d been slobbering for just such a workshop and instantly messaged her to get the details (Thanks, Jacqueline!).

I forgot to take pictures because I was so excited furing the workshop; many of these photos were taken by Pat, our facilitator.

BASIC LEATHER CRAFTING AND MARIKINA TOUR

They do jewelry design primarily; leather was a secondary add-on.

Workspace at Soulflower in Quezon City, Teacher’s Village.

The workshop, held in their small workspace near the famous Maginhawa food street, included lunch at Rustic Mornings and a short tour of Marikina’s leather-goods stores for P4,000 ( at the time). It’s a good deal, because they provide the basic materials (scrap leather, buttons, fasteners, pounding board, some thread, rulers, mallet, etc.) and insider tips on how to get what you want out of the old-style Marikina shops.During my workshop we had an even better deal because there was only one other woman attending (hi, Elora!), and we got to hog our facilitator Pat! So: sulit na sulit!

The workshop space.

The first three hours is spent learning how to make leather cuffs, cord holders, and a small purse. You learn how to fasten buttons, how to stitch leather by hand, how to cut leather, and how to measure it. It’s not difficult, and Pat, our facilitator, as very generous with the questions. Pat had invited us to bring any patterns or examples of leather items that we wanted to make. Of course I showed her a TN, and she gave some tips on what skills to develop for making them. Sorry Pat, my cuts and stitching are still crooked- it’s not your fault!

Supplies for LEather Crafting.

Materials for the leather workshop.

Afterwards it’s on to lunch. Rustic Mornings is an excellent restaurant and something of an area legend and yes, you get to order what you want ( it’s not a boxed/fixed meal or anything like in other workshops).

The restaurant is a short drive away from two of the shops we visited, Nation (for leather and tools), Trans Asia Shoe and Upholstery Supply, Nation Leather Supply ( both owned by the same family), and Otto shoes, which has a large store for leather hides behind the shoes- who knew!?!

Of course you could always visit these stores yourself without taking the tour. That’s exactly what I did when I’d first heard about them in February. If you do that, though, you won’t get Pat’s thorough advice on the items you’ll need to get, or her “suki” relationship with the proprietors. Let’s just say that the customer service in those shops is….old fashioned, too: Courteous and well-informed, but they expect the same from you—or else. They mostly serve shoemakers and leather crafters who already know what they need, fast. Good luck on getting guidance if you’re a total newbie stuck on decisions!

Choosing leather hides at Otto. Photo by Pat.

We weren’t able to purchase leather at Nation at that time because they were very busy and we were running out of time, so we headed over to Otto Shoes. Apparently you have to buy leather by the whole hide- either that, or scraps by the kilo.

Rolled and ready to go! Photo by Pat.

If you’re making small items such as pouches or purses, the kilo scraps will suffice. For larger items like notebooks and bags, expect to spend P1500 or more for a decent hide. I bought a couple- one large supple rich brown hide that I intend to turn into TN’s, and one patent purple hide for book covers. I also bought lots of materials- probably more than I need. Oh well, it helps to be prepared, right?

By the way, when buying tools, don’t expect them to have have that shiny industrialized look of materials you’d find in department stores. They look a little, uh, aged. The variety/ amount are far from exhaustive. You should still be able to find the basic stuff though. For the rest, I guess there’s Amazon?

Crafting tools from Trans Asia. Photo by Pat

One more tip: You can go on the Marikina tour with Pat for P350 if you skip the workshop and bring your own transport (and, sadly, no lunch at Rustic Mornings), but for repeat customers this is a great opportunity to restock on tools, get new ones, and still pester Pat for advice!

We finished at about 5 am back at the studio after braving the traffic in Katipunan. I enjoyed the workshop so much that I contacted Soulflower again to set up a workshop specifically for TN’s. There are some complex designs in my head that I can’t wait to get on the table. If that goes through, I’ll let you know how it goes!

The results!

Traveler’s Notebook- Kuwero ‘Lakbay’

January 24, 2016

by tintinpantoja

comments 2

NOTE:

It’s come to my attention that the size of this notebook is smaller than the Standard Midori size The notebook I have as “Standard;’ by Kuwero is 110 x 210 mm. From the Goulet Midori page,

Standard Midori dimensions are :
Leather Cover / (130mm x 218mm, 10mm deep)
Blank notebook (64 pages) / (110mm x 210mm)

So you see, the actual Kuwero notebook cover is only the size of a Standard refill. I think this is a serious oversight; the notebook cover ought to be slightly larger than the refills to accommodate several refills. I’ve reached out to Kuwero about this, but be aware that if you buy or make your own refills, they might not fit current Kuwero notebooks.

When I did my roundup of -then current Filipino fauxdori makers a couple of months ago, I mentioned that I wanted to get acquainted with Kuwero’s notebooks in the future. I guess they heard me, because they send over a review copy. Yay!

Lakbay Standard in Outback cow leather

This is their Lakbay, a new model coming out in February 2016. It’s strictly made to order, so expect a couple of weeks before you get yours. It features pockets, stitching, a a choice of leathers:

Red (red brown color, carabao leather, velvety texture)
Labrador (choco brown, carabao too with velvety texture)
Deep Sea (dark blue, cow leather,soft)
Midnight (black, cow leather, soft)
Woodland (brown with black marks, cow leather, smooth and glossy texture)
Outback (our toughest cow leather, perfectly tanned)

They also apparently do custom orders for different sizes,although most common sizes are covered: Standard, Passport, A6, and Wide. They told me they welcome challenges too- big words!

The unit they sent me used the Outback cow leather. I love it. It’s all coppery and crinkly and it’s got variations in color from orangey tan to dark chocolate-brown. The texture is semi-rough, and it is also one of the firmer leathers I’ve seen. Smell is a tad bitter, as is most local leather I’ve experienced, but still definitely “leather.”

It holds four inserts easily.

The leather is quite firm and holds its place well.

Here it is without the inserts. You can see the rotating strap ( which is either a mistake or genius on their part) and eyelets. I believe the elastic is 1 mm.

Stitching could be neater, but this roughness and uneven-ness gives it a rustic, very homespun, homemade feeling. Paired with this leather, it looks okay- if that’s your taste. If you like more refined craftsmanship, it’s probably not for you.

Uneven trim and finish on the leather strap too; and with that “button” (what IS it). I’m worried about the strap eventually weakening and breaking apart, and it’ll be harder to repair than an elastic, but otherwise I like it because it’s firm and holds the four inserts just right. However, because it’s fitted exactly, you probably can’t stuff this particular TN.

Note that the edges are rather rough and sharp, and cut slightly unevenly on the strap.

Inserts: 2 fountain pen friendly cream inserts with colorful cardstock covers, and two kraft inserts.

All in all i quite like this TN. I wish it were an A5, but I guess I could try learning how to use a Standard. Art journal, maybe? Anyway I like it enough to order a custom A5 one in the future

Here’s their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kuweronotebooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kuwero_notebooks/

Aside from the Lakbay model, you can still order their ‘Orihinal” -no pockets-no stitching models. As mentioned earlier, the Lakbay is strictly made to order, while the Orihinal is readily available ( at least in those four sizes).

Travelers Notebooks- Inserts

January 16, 2016

by tintinpantoja

comment 1

My Tomoe River paper was just sitting in a corner so I decided to make some inserts for my two A5 Traveler’s Notebooks. In the Philippines, Tomoe River paper may be ordered from PenGrafik.com.

First I had to visit a paper shop two hours away. It was worth it though, they have the prettiest papers! I purchased about a ream of metallic cardstock in different colors. I love metallics because the coating makes it semi-water resistant, and I just love them, period!

So many papers!

After selecting my papers ( which came in huge sheets) I waited to have them cut into A4 pieces. i cut them in that size because I use A5 Travelers Notebooks, and A4 folded = A5.

A4 sheets of Midnight Blue metallic paper against Tomoe River sheets, which are slightly larger than A4.

My Tomoe River paper sheets are slightly larger than A4, so I have to trim a bit off the sides to make them fit.

Trimmed sheets using a rotary cutter.

I personally prefer rounded corners to my papers (so the edges don’t curl as easily), so I use a border trimmer (in this case the Kadumaru Pro).

Rounded corner

So now it’s time to make the actual booklets. Carefully ( this is the part where I always mess up) I fold the paper into the covers using a bone knife to flatten the spine. Then I stable bind the spine using my long stapler (it’s specifically for booklets.)

Folding into booklet form using a bone knife.

Trim some more (sigh).

More trimming since there is some overhang between the sheets and the cover

Finally, they’re done! Not the neatest, but I hope to improve and speed up my process with practice. I’ve got lost of paper left to go!

All done!

Five inserts, many more to go.

This picture shows the metallic covers much better. I love them! Slightly more expensive than regular cardstock, but worth it!

Metallic covers! I love them so much. Can’t wait to decorate them with stickers.

Tomoe River scraps.

The only problem is, so much waste is generated. Sigh, I hate that! It’s why I use A5 in the first place. Oh well.

That’s my process. I hope to be making more sizes soon.

Review: Kraft Korner PH Expedition Travelers Notebook

January 10, 2016

by tintinpantoja

comments 2

Last December, while still in the grips of fauxdori frenzy, I came across Kraft Korner PH’s Travelers Notebook offerings when they post it on the Fauxdori Philippines Facebook group. I was intrigued by the design of their Expedition model, which took liberties with the original TN prototype and added a few “steampunky” embellishments that looked like something out of Indiana Jones (I know Indy isn’t steampunk, but it’s got that rough ’40’s archaeology vibe going for it).

Anyway, I promptly ordered one, but had to add my own modifications. KKPH was very accommodating and gave me a reasonable price, though they told me it was introductory and would change soon.

Anyway, here’s a cursory review and some pics to go along with them. I hope you’ll excuse the video quality as it is my first.

Here’s how it looks from the front: LEather is a waxy glossy maroonish-red. Reminds me of wallets and briefcases. They were offering a distressed brown leather in their earlier editions. i think i would’ve preferred that, although they DID tell me they were changing their leather. I told them to go ahead with my order. Now that it’s here, however, I’m afraid to take this leather around for fear it’ll scratch. I’m usually quite rough with my notebooks. Also, the leather at 2mm is a bit thin- this isn’t a problem for smaller notebooks, but something this bulky and large would probably benefit from a thicker, sturdier leather.

The modified expedition model which I ordered.

3/4 view.

I specifically asked them to size it for six inserts. They did a pretty good job, the measurement is more generous than I need.

Stuffed six inserts, though the strings were initially too thin (my fault, I didn’t ask for larger strings). Eventually I restrung this with my own elastics.

Here’s what it looked like before I added inserts, in its ‘pure’ form.

Interior folded out view

I mention this in the video, and I just can’t get over it- this enclosure strap with the buttons is just too wobbly and loose. It’s a great concept ( I asked for buttons instead of buckles, because leather buckle straps tend to tear over time) but it just …doesn’t….quite work the way it’s executed here. I think some reinforcement stitches to the strap, plus more buttons, would’ve helped.

Exterior folded out view. You’ll notice that the enclosure strap (with the buttons) is only held to the cover by a two tiny stitches. This makes the strap wobbly and unpleasantly loose.

Loose Stitch nub! Inadequate for size of cover.

stitching and eyelet details. Stitching could be neater, but otherwise is fine.

I’m not sure I like this stitching on the edges of the strap itself. Maybe it’s a taste thing, but I also feel the stitches will eventually come loose. Would have preferred none at all. Maybe the stitches are reinforcing the strap? Either way, not my taste.

Button enclosure. Points deducted for the way it was finished. That pasted thread looks like something I sneezed. Sorry to be so crude.

Verdict: I paid about $US 30 for this, including all the modifications. At that price for a leather notebook it’s still way better value for some of the fauxdori I’ve bought. Plus, bonus points for an eye-catching design. I still like it, despite my misgivings. Time will tell how it holds up to my rough daily use.

I’m going to keep an eye on Kraft Korner PH. If they fix some of these flaws, I’m sure their future TN’s and journals will be even more interesting.

Overall, it’s a nice notebook that’s worth the price when they make some improvements to the design and execution.

Sunday Leather Craft Traveler’s Notebook 2

December 30, 2015

by tintinpantoja

comments 3

Sunday LEather Craft Traveler's Notebook

See my first Sunday Leather Craft TN here.

Continuing from my previous post, I liked the Traveler’s Notebook that I’d commissioned from Sunday Leather Craft so much that I immediately ordered another one. The reasonable prices and great craftsmanship were just too good to pass up.

This time I ordered my TN with a light tan or beige color. I’d seen how some leathers darkened over time due to exposure to UV rays, skin oils, and air, etc., and I thought it would be interesting to have a cover that would change color over time.

I also asked for a pen pocket, as I’d seen on other TN’s, flap envelopes, as well as four string inserts

The results were great, with a couple of caveats:

Front view: I like that SLC uses a slightly thicker elastic for the enclosure. That puts it a step above a lot of TN makers out ere already. The leather is beige (or tan depending on the lighting), slightly glossy so it tends to show scratches and stains. I’m pretty rough on my stuff, so I’ll expect this to become scuffed pretty soon.

Sunday Leather Craft Travaler’s Notebooks- front view.

The notebook includes a pen case.

Sunday Leather Craft Travaler's Notebooks- foldout

Foldout view

The pen case adds to the bulk. When empty, it gives added protection to the inserts as a mini ‘trifold’. Unfortyunately when it’s full, the leather “hinge” that attaches it to the cover is too short, so you have to tuck it into the back cover. I might reconsider having a pen case on my third order (oh yes, I’m still plotting a third one!)

Sunday Leather Craft Travaler's Notebooks- pen case

Pen c ase as trifold cover

A view of the inserts from above. I’ve set this up as an ‘art’ journal, so it’s got my Curnow Tomoe River journal from PenGrafik, a couple of handmade inserts using blank cardstock, and a blank journal from SketchnotesPH.

White/ cream stitching is very neat!

Overall I’m quite happy. There were a couple of glue stains on the leather when I first received it- deducting points for that- but I guess it’s something I can overlook since they weren’t major flaws. The leather itself is semi stiff but will probably soften over time, particularly the corners. They’re already kind of bendy since they take the most punishment, I think. Don’t let that dissuade you it’s a great leather (I wish SLC would name their leathers like other makers do!) and great notebook ; for under US$30, it’s a steal.

Sunday LEather Craft Traveler’s Notebook

TN’S and Tabs

December 14, 2015

by tintinpantoja

comment 1

TN’s are great if you’re an ADD- prone planner person with multiple projects!

Different sections for each project. Now tabbed!

They’re already divided into separate little notebooks, so you’d think it would be easy to find the exact notebook you’re looking for. However, you can save one or two seconds if you didn’t have to flip through every single notebook and hey, time is precious. That and I think some of the creative ways people use tabs is really cute.

Still on my Jakarta trip, I happened across these small Bantex divider tabs at a small stationery store in Pondok Indah Mall . The tabs are simply colored cardstock with clear adhesive plastic e on the bottom. They work well enough for my needs- not cute, but functional.

Bantex divider tabs

In this TN, my creative writing projects, each tab corresponds to a single project. Previous to owning a TN, I had to keep all projects in a single notebook and tried to use this Japanese method of marking page edges to differentiate each section, but it always got too chaotic for me. With this method, I keep each section separated and neatly marked.

Filipino Fauxdori- a look at the country’s traveler’s notebooks

December 4, 2015

by tintinpantoja

comments 7

EDIT: See the 2016 edition here! We’ve had some changes!

Here’s a short (hopefully growing) directory of Philippine-made traveler’s notebooks/ fauxdori. As a newbie collector and enthusiast, I’ve only gathered what I hope are a fraction of the craftspeople working on their fauxdori. Please feel free to let me know who I’ve missed. If you’re a local creator of inserts, TN’s, and accessories, let me know via tintinp (at) gmail dot com.

Note: All Photos used with permission. In cases where I was unable to secure the permission of the photo creator/ product owners, I left out photos and will only show the website.

If you’re on Facebook, feel free to join the Fauxdori Philippines group!

QUICK LIST: CLICK BELOW

11_11HANDMADEPH
AIREESCREATES
ALUNSINA HANDBOUND BOOKS
BPMONTILLA
CN PAPER CRAFTS
FOLKLOREPH
GAV and SAV
KRAFT KORNER PH
KUWERO
NOTED JOURNAL PH
PENGRAFIK
PLANNERS and JOURNALS
SHUTTER CREATIONS
SUNDAY LEATHER CRAFT
VIVIAMO INC.

11_11HANDMADEPH

WEBSITE: https://www.instagram.com/11_11handmadeph

PRODUCTS: Leather traveler’s notebooks in a variety of sizes. There are three colors currently available: red, blue, and tan. They also make fountain pen friendly refills.

Photo provided by: 11_11handmadeph

AIREESCREATES

WEBSITE: http://aireescreates.com/

PRODUCTS: Unique paper traveler’s notebooks by Airees printed with her own painted designs. Very colorful and feminine; I believe the paper is of a sort that is treated to be pretty tough: “organically-treated handmade paper from abaca made to have the strength of a thin leather but lightweight as paper.” Sold in a variety of sizes.

Aireeescreates fauxdori/ traveler's notebook

Photo provided by: Aireescreates

ALUNSINA HANDBOUND BOOKS

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/Alunsina.Handbound.Books

PRODUCTS: The Kislap (A5) and mini Kislap (Field Notes) are leather fauxdori-inspired journals sold as sets with inserts and charms. They also sell refills for the Kislap in lined, blank, and dot grid, as well as beautifully crafted leather journals in various designs.

The Alunsina Kislap. Photo provided by: Alunsina

BPMONTILLA

WEBSITE: http://www.bpmontilla.com/store.html

PRODUCTS: Leather traveler’s notebooks in Standard and (soon) A6 size. A very basic design (no pockets or customizations) but in feel, I think it’s the closest to the original Midori TN- very firm leather, good craftsmanship. He’s been making them for years, even before their popularity really exploded, so I feel he’s got the most experience. He is also a crafter and fashion illustrator, which carries over into his work.

CN PAPER CRAFTS

WEBSITE: https://www.instagram.com/cnpapercrafts/ and https://www.facebook.com/cnpapercrafts

PRODUCTS: Creators of the Macata, a pleather fauxdori . Cool name! Cool colors!- black, bone, orange, and a few metallic, though they may be phasing those out soon. Also: adorable leather tassels! Sold in standard and passport size.

The Macata. Photo provided by: CN Papercrafts

FOLKLOREPH

WEBSITE: [Under Construction] You can order their products using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jp1NTqsB3LZUGTXp-kfIZ0pQWb3YRHOPVjG3Uym8T24/viewform?c=0&w=1

PRODUCTS: Vintage-style postcards, stationery, and notebook inserts on fountain pen friendly paper (yay!). Currently their lineup also includes a 2016 fauxdori and ring planner insert in weekly and monthly formats. Love their lean, clean, and mean layouts!

FolklorePH’s inserts. Photo provided by: Des Mendoza

GAV and SAV

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008276317220&fref=ts and https://www.instagram.com/gavandsav/

PRODUCTS: Cute sewn cloth fauxdori (sewdori?) in a variety of prints and sizes. You can choose your design-mostly very colorful and sweet, very cute stuff. I’d like to get one but prefer muted colors, so I’ll be on the lookout!

Gav and Sav’s Sewdori. Photo provided by: Gav and Sav.

KRAFT KORNER PH

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/KraftKornerPH and https://www.instagram.com/kraftkorner_ph/

PRODUCTS: Lovely craft notebooks and leather traveler’s notebooks in two very interesting designs: the Expedition and the Voyager, which I believe are both customizable. I’m hoping to add one of them to my collection soon. They’re very rugged-looking and remind me of Indiana Jones (the notebooks, not the makers- though that would be cool too).

Edit: I take a look at their customized Expedition model.

Kraft Korner. Photo provided by: Kraft Korner PH

Edit: I take a look at their customized Expedition model.

KUWERO

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/kuweronotebooks

PRODUCTS: Leather traveler’s notebooks in a variety of sizes. I’m not too familiar with them yet, but I hope to rectify this soon!

Kuwero. Photo provided by: Kuwero

Have a look at my first Kuwero ‘Lakbay’ fauxdori!

NOTED JOURNAL PH

WEBSITE:http://notedjournalph.com/

PRODUCTS: Under the Notedori brand, Noted Journals PH makes the’ Notedori’ in a variety of colors including copper and silver. I love metallic colors, and these look pretty sturdy.

Noted Journals’ Notedori

PENGRAFIK

WEBSITE: http://www.pengrafik.com/

Not a creator, but rather an importer of fine leather travelers notebooks and refills. They have a variety of sizes. Pengrafik also carries a variety of fine writing instruments, inks, and the much-admired Curnow mini journals/ TN refills, which feature fountain-pen-friendly papers, including Tomoe River! They come in Regular, A5, and Field Notes size. I have to give a special mention to Tomoe River paper ( they also sell loose sheets) because this is the paper used in the Hobonichi Planner. It’s amazingly thin but resilient!

Photo provided by: Pengrafik

PLANNERS AND JOURNALS

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/plannersandjournals and https://www.instagram.com/plannersandjournals/

PRODUCTS: Traveler’s notebooks (I believe they’re called ‘Fundori’) and ring binders that convey a sense of cuteness, lightness, and fun, in both leather and synthetic materials. The sheer variety of their materials, including printed leather, makes this a brand to watch.

Fun with Planners and Journals PH! Photo provided by: Planners and Journals

SHUTTER CREATIONS

WEBSITE: https://www.instagram.com/shuttercreations.ph/

PRODUCTS: Colorful PVC and Textile “Shutterdoris”, currently sold in Standard, Traveler, and Passport. I particularly like the look of their patented journal, but we’ll have to wait and see if they offer an A5 size ( Edit: yes they do!)

SUNDAY LEATHER CRAFT

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/Sunday-Leather-Craft-211739225703254

PRODUCTS: Leather watch bands, bags, journal covers, and some of the most beautiful traveler’s notebooks this side of the Pacific. And they’ve only been at it a few weeks as of this writing. Ask for something and they’ll customize it for you.

Photo provided by: Sunday Leather Craft

Edit: I take a look at my first and second TN’s from Sunday Leather Craft!

VIVIAMO INC.

WEBSITE: https://ilovebdj.com/shop

PRODUCTS: The Quest Journal, a fauxdori in the regular Midori size, as well as refills. Viviamo! Inc., also makes different planners, both under their own brand and other companies. One of the former is the bestselling Belle du Jour Planner. I personally love their Focus Journal and its very clean and clear layout (to help you focus, I guess).