Getting to know us!

Hi Everyone! I'm Kiley a proud member of the Eugene Etsy Street Team. Welcome to our new fledgling blog! Here you will be able to see our works, learn about us, and find out about any great specials we might be running. Stop back often as you never know which one of us might have posted since your last visit!

This is an interview that I recently gave to Chelsea of Eighty8words that was posted on her blog. She does amazing work and keeps an amazing blog that is updated all the time, stop by and check us both out.

Meet Kiley, of KupoKiley Handmade Books. I fell in love with the Japanese influence seen in her work, and her clever little folding photo albums. I am accused of never having pictures of my kids on hand, so I bought one of Kiley's gorgeous photo albums so I can start bragging about my kids in style.

Who is behind KupoKiley? How did it start? How long have you been creating your gorgeous books? Give the world a little background.
Behind KupoKiley is a very busy woman named Kiley. I work for a fair trade African Imports company, currently doing post-bac work in Chemistry, and I bind books when time allows. I am taking the classes in Chemistry right now to apply in a few years to a graduate program to become a book and paper conservator. Which is how I got into book binding.

I worked in a library for all my undergraduate career and knew when I was done that library science was the next step in my educational journey. At the time I was not ready to keep going with school and wanted a few years to look at my options and just work for a bit. About a year after I graduated I got serious at looking into library career choices and knew what I didn't want to do. I was drawn to conservation because it wasn't just another desk job and it let me use hands to do something useful for years to come.

I took a class in book binding at that time to see if it was something I would really enjoy and feel in love instantly. I've been making books ever since, I think it's been about two years now. It took me a long time to get up the nerve to open an Etsy store, but I needed an outlet for the growing pile of books in my house. I enjoy making books as it feeds my own creative side and I need the practice as I'm working on the "perfect" set of books to submit with my portfolio application to graduate school.

What inspires you?
As cheesy as it may sound my moods inspire me. For example when I made the octopi book in my shop I was in a really funky mood, I wanted to make something playful. I chose a fun paper and a really unique structure and got to work. I love the end product, but then again I love all of my creations! Very rarely when I buy a sheet of paper do I know what I am going to use it for.

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
Not really! I as I learn more structures and try new bindings I think of it more as personal growth rather than design. I buy papers that speak to me in one way or another, and then build around them as my moods strike me.

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
The only place to buy my work online is Etsy. I keep a blog and a flickr account which often show the projects that I've been working on for things that may not end up on etsy for various reasons. I have done a few local shows but don't usually have the time to put into all the wonderful shows and markets in the area.

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
I think my origami books have been my best sellers. Sadly I haven't made any since I did a holiday show in December- I made a bunch in almost production line style and it really burnt me out on them. The good news is they all sold so I don't have any left for my store. Other than my origami books I don't tend to stick to one type of binding and the rest of my bindings all sell pretty equally.

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find yourself drawn to most often?
My favorite papers are handmade Japanese papers, they are a dream to work with. However they are not cheap and I often find myself shying away from using the ones I do have because I always worry that I won't like the finished product. My husband got me a great stash for a Christmas present that I am just working up the nerve to use right now.

I think that I find myself drawn to anything Japanese the most. My origami books use origami paper, most of my fabric books are from Japanese kimono remnants, and I buy lots of large sheets of Japanese paper that I never use!

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?
Right now I think it's a tie between the Retro Flower Moleskin and the Octopi Book. The Moleskin is no longer for sale. It found a very loving home in Malaysia, I have been in contact with the woman who bought it and I can't be more thrilled about where it ended up. I almost kept it for myself when it was finished, but there was nothing wrong with it and I usually only keep my mistakes for myself. However, the octopi book I was talking about earlier is still available. I love this binding and this paper. It was a small sheet and I bought the last piece the store had so I won't be able to make another large book with it.

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started? Or, what's the best piece of advice someone gave you when you were starting out?
I wish someone would have told me what a pain cutting book board is! My first class the instructor had everything pre-assembled for us and I never had to cut anything- of course he also has a board sheer so cutting board is not a chore for him.

The best advice I had when I was learning was about paper grain. A good book binder will always make books with the paper grain and it is so important for so many reasons! I see so many binders on Etsy who just fold printer paper in half and I cringe. I know that is has cost me some custom orders when they have wanted a book that size, but I just can't do it knowing what I do about paper grain and the importance it has to the life of the book.

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?
I'm splurging spring term for school and taking a silk screening class that I am very excited about. I am hoping to learn about paper and fabric and will hopefully be offering some journals with my own patterns on the covers! In the non-book world I've been working on a new scarf all week and I am going to make a hat to go with it. It's going to be a work in progress for awhile as I always have other things come up. I only crochet when I'm watching tv which doesn't happen very often.

What else do you want the world to know that I didn't think to ask?
Hmm... I think I've pretty much gushed about everything already. I guess I haven't talked much about my love for custom orders yet! I absolutely love doing custom orders, I tend to go all out for custom orders because I know they are going to someone who really wants them.