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  ALBUMS GUESTBOOKS GIFTS + BOOKS HOME + OFFICE  BABY WEDDING GIFTS
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We’re so incredibly excited to be on Oprah’s “The O List” appearing in the latest April, 2011 issue of O Magazine! We’re honored to be chosen for an O List pick, Jan in the sales office even ’stopped the presses’ to let the Rag & Bone crew know the good news. Thanks Oprah Magazine!
Save $4.00 on any Accordion Book order online, simply enter OPRAH at checkout to save!
Click here to start shopping
The ABECEDARY I wrote for Uppercase Magazine is in the current issue #7. Bookbinding and bookmaking terms from A-Z. My favorite is K:
KISSING THE BOOKBINDER’S DAUGHTER
A trick played on a young bookbinder just finishing his apprenticeship, in which, as part of the ceremony, he must kiss the daughter of the owner of the bookbinding establishment. The prettiest girl in the shop is actually chosen for the part, and as the new journeyman steps forward to perform his part of the ceremony, which he is required to do with his eyes closed, a well-filled paste brush is substituted for the girl and the young binder gets a mouthful of paste.
If you love books, bookbinding and book arts, you’ll love this issue which is very bookish - books, libraries, book reviews, etc. Many thanks to editor Janine Vangool.
Rag & Bone Bindery May Day Open Studio Sale
1088 Main Street Pawtucket, RI 02860
Saturday, May 1, 10:00 AM - 4:00PM
OPEN STUDIO
Rag & Bone Bindery, makers of quality hand-crafted paper goods, are sharing their secrets! On May 1st, their studio doors will be open to the public in order to showcase the craftsmanship and hard work that goes into making every single one of their journals, albums, guest books, and other stationary items. This event will allow loyal customers, as well as first-timers, the opportunity to preview and purchase first quality items,seconds and studio samples - all priced at a discount!
MAY DAY CAFE STYLE BREAKFAST
Join us before you shop for a cafe style May breakfast with delicious muffins, scones, coffee and juice.
CHILDREN’S BOOKBINDING WORKSHOP
We will also be offering two children’s workshops in partnership with Kidoinfo.com. Participants will make a folio to hold the child’s photo along with a special greeting - makes a lovely gift from the heart for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. All materials and tools will be provided. Two sessions at 11 AM and 1 PM. Space is limited so please reserve your spot - email:
We also want to share the following Rhode Island May events from our friends:
SOUL AT WORK “BE VISIBLE” PORTRAIT DAY
Saturday, May 1, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
Soul at Work invites you to an amazing opportunity for photographic fun with Mimosas and cameras. Professional photographer, Amy Amerantes, will capture you in a glamorous portrait perfect for print and web. Update your Facebook page, your business card, or your blog! Just in time for Mother’s Day, consider giving this as a gift to the amazing women in your life.
Photo Session is $49 ($39 for Season Pass Holders) Includes mimosas and a professional, re-touched CD of your portrait.
Space is limited so please register online now or call 401.351.7110
KIDOCONVERSATION: RAISING KIDS IN A DIGITAL WORLD
Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Kidoinfo presents the second KidoConversation, a series of networking and educational events, which address a range of topics relating to how online and offline topics can benefit our life and business, as well as foster deeper community connections.
This panel will focus on “Raising Kids in a Digital World” This topic will address the ways in which we can educate, guide and shape the next generation to be conscientious online and savvy users of social media and technology tools. Our panelists for this event are Alice Wilder, Jennifer Robbins, Kate McMahon Macinanti, and Trevor O’Driscoll
We invite you to shape the conversation. What do you want to know or talk about? Please post your questions on the Kidoinfo blog here: Join the Conversation: Raising Kids in a Digital World. Appetizers included, cash bar.
Tickets $15. Buy them now or at the Rag & Bone Studio Sale on May 1st!
THANK YOU!
Thanks for participating in the Rag & Bone 15 Days of Giveaways, it was fun. Congrats everyone who won one of the daily prizes. Without further ado, here is the final grand prize winner…
The winner of the grand prize $250.00 Rag & Bone Shopping Spree:
Susan
{We sent you an email Susan!}
Here’s a wrap-up of the daily giveaway winners:
Giveaway #1: Corinne won a Handmade Journal
Giveaway #2: Liz won Photo Frame Album
Giveaway #3: BonzaiB won a Pocket Brag Book
Giveaway #4: Jamaise won a Handmade Journal
Giveaway #5: Meg won an Accordion Book
Giveaway #6: Jeannie Kim won an Accordion Book
Giveaway #7: Julia Risso won Two Rag & Bone Paper Page Albums!
Giveaway #8: Britt won a Photo Frame Album
Giveaway #9: Clara won a Handmade Journal
Giveaway #10: Kath won a Pocket Brag Book
Giveaway #11: Tongueinbeak won a Photo Frame Album
Giveaway #12: Megan won a Baby’s First Book
Giveaway #13: Holly S won Twelve Ways You Made a Difference
Giveaway #14: Connie won a Handmade Journal
Giveaway #15: Sarah L won a 4×6 Photo Binder
Thanks for playing everyone! We enjoyed reading your thoughtful entries about who inspired you the most, why you love handmade products and about the new mom in your life you would like to share a Baby Book with. Our next event will be our annual Spring open studio which takes place on May 1st. If you joined our mailing list, you’ll be the first to know about our next trunk show too - lots of one-of-a-kind design samples for sale.
A final parting gift
Just for playing, here’s a small discount code to use any time at the Rag & Bone Boutique: Save 5% by entering the discount code: thankyou.
Wow, what’s with the huge photo? I have to thank our lovely publicist Sabina for suggesting to the WSJ that I might have something to say about running a small business during a recession. The article focuses on managing with a lean staff, something we’ve been doing since 2008. Ironically, we’re hiring right now.
If you’re new to our company, that’s me, Jason Thompson, founder of Rag & Bone. We made some big decisions with our company a few years ago, especially regarding our production and distribution channels, as well as to our product line. One of those decisions was to continue manufacturing locally, and never produce our books overseas. I’m happy to say those decisions have paid off. It’s exciting working in a bindery. Every one of our books is handmade by our talented and friendly staff of skilled bookbinders. We enjoy what we do and hope our enthusiasm shows in every book we make. Running an arts based business in this economy can sometimes be a challenge, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
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“Some entrepreneurs say they’re making do with smaller teams by cross-training employees to handle new responsibilities. Others say they’re hiring contract or temporary workers on an as-needed basis. And some are dividing the tasks that laid-off workers used to perform among those remaining in the same departments.
Jason Thompson says he did the latter in late 2008 after he laid off three employees and stopped retaining 35 outside sales reps for his company, Rag & Bone Bindery Ltd., a Pawtucket, R.I., manufacturer of guest books and photo albums. He then hired an in-house sales manager to handle as many accounts as possible, which resulted in fewer but larger orders on average. He says the reason is that customers now get more personal attention, whereas previously the sales agents also represented other businesses.
Mr. Thompson says he also removed some high-cost, low-margin items from his company’s product line, which made it easier for his reduced staff to handle the workflow. Last year, Rag & Bone Bindery saw its annual revenue increase by 27% from 2008, he says.”
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Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal online
Cheers from all of us and thank you for your continued support!
I received an advance copy of my newest book, “Playing With Books” today. I’m so happy with the outcome, the design team, photographer Karen Philipi and my editor Mary Ann Hall. Here are a few photos. It’s bigger than my last book, 154 pages, and contains work by many talented multimedia and book artists. Should hit bookstores sometime in April. Here it is on Amazon already. Thanks to everyone involved, I can’t say enough how wonderful it is to be part of such a talented community of folks.
Rag & Bone Open Studio & Sale, Saturday, December 5th from 10 - 4. Bookbinding classes at 11:00 and 2:00. Lots of books for sale: first quality books as well as samples, seconds, discontinued styles and one-of-a-kind design samples. Stop by for snacks, music and good cheer!
Rag & Bone Holiday Open Studio Sale
Saturday, December 5th from 10-4
1088 Main Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
GOOGLE MAPS LINK
Guestbook from Rag & Bone Bindery.
Congrats Karen! We’re always so excited to see our name out there, and in the New York Weddings magazine no less. Woo hoo! Karen Hill is one of our photographer clients who uses our Albums for the weddings she shoots. Visit www.karenhill.com
Uncommongoods.com placed a video of our Rag & Bone Twelve Wishes For Baby online. Cool!
Thank you Modern Bride for featuring our Peony fabric covered Guest Books. And thank you Sabina for making it happen.
Our Twelve Ways You Made A Difference book is on the Today Show! the final items to be reviewed for the segment “Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts” {at the 4:40 minute mark}. Rag & Bone sends a big Thank You to the nice Today Show people!
Our local NBC affiliate, Turn To 10, stopped by to interview Ilira & me for a new series called, “Success Stories.” Woo hoo! Times like this I wish we had cable TV. We’ll have someone Tivo it for us, but if you’re in Southern New England, it’s scheduled to air on Channel 10 NBC probably Monday at 6:00. RJ Hines interviewed us - a real sweet guy, totally put us at ease. Thanks to Janet, our Sales Manager, for setting this up!
OH. MY. Rag & Bone is on the front page of the Huffington Post Business News: “Bookbinder Rag & Bone Makes Art Profitable.”
I’m giving our Publicist a virtual round of applause {clap.clap.clap}.
Visit the Huffington Post
We have a small mention in the April 2009 issue of Pregnancy & Newborn. Our Little Lion Baby’s First Book gets some face time. Woo hoo!
The interview I conducted with Lynda Resnick is online.
It was a great conversation. Lynda is very inspiring, and she’s the owner of my favorite dring POM Juice!
People Magazine’s Celebrity Baby Blog featured our Accordion Book yesterday. Woo hoo!
Our Baby’s First Book and new Twelve Wishes for Baby were featured on the Cookie Magazine blog as their “Find of the Day” today. Woo hoo!
Visit Cookie
Kelly O’Brian over at Design A Life wrote a nice post about our Journals - Thanks Kelly!
Oh, to be able to make these luscious handmade journals! Something to shoot for, no doubt. The story of how founders Jason and Ilira started their bindery is inspiring. If you’re a fan of fine handmade books or paper, check out their blog. In the meantime, I can’t wait for my order to arrive.
Visit Design A Life
View Rag & Bone Journals
A week or two late, but I just discovered this nice mention of Rag & Bone Journals on the Lipzip blog:
I searched around town and couldn’t find anything I liked. I took my search online and, after many days in the hunt, I decided to buy from Rag and Bone Bindery. They create the handbound books themselves in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Each page feels like premium paper and I love the deckled edges. My journal was only here a couple of weeks before I got to start writing an actual baby instead of telling my pages I was hoping for a baby. I journaled throughout my pregnancy and as recent as last night so that my son will always know how much we love him and all the crazy little things he has done in his life that keep us so tired all the time.
Visit lipzip
