For Alesa's Girls

6" x 6" Coptic Bound blank art journal with decorative paper cover

Decorative paper inside cover with a total of 128 pages

Closeup of Coptic bound spine

Closeup of Coptic bound spine

Decorative paper inside cover with a total of 144 pages

9" x 7" Coptic Bound blank art journal with a decorative paper cover

For Margie

10" x 7" Scatter-Brained Perfect Bind Journal with a dark brown Lokta paper cover

Decorative paper for the inside cover with a total of 180 pages of graphing, lined and newsprint paper

For Helen

6"x6" Coptic Bound Blank Journal with decorative paper

Multi-colored polka-dotted  inside cover with a total of 96 pages

Closeup of Coptic bound spine

For Ellen

10"x7" Coptic Bound Blank Journal with Japanese fine paper

Shot of the Coptic bound spine with a total of 144 pages

Hand pressed wheat grass inside cover

For Carla

10"x7" Coptic Bound Blank Journal with hand painted Japanese print paper

Shot of the Coptic Bound Spine

Inside cover is a hand pressed wheat grass paper with blank Mohawk paper

Closeup of the braiding of the Coptic Bind with a total of 144 pages

Scatterbrained Perfect Bind Journal

Slate gray book cloth with metallic flower outer cover

Metallic gray lined inner cover

Scatterbrained insides include lined paper, graphing paper, newsprint (that looks pink in bad lighting) and plain paper

Lined Journal for Daisy

Coptic bound spine with faux velvet dark red flowers

Front and back covers with Coptic bound spine

Open book with lined paper

Where The Wild Things Are Children's Art Books

Multi-animal outer cover with plaid inner cover and tan book cloth

Outside covers with and without book cloth

Outside covers with and without book cloth

Rhino and elephant outer cover with tiny chicks inside cover

Outside covers with and without book cloth

Lions outer cover with an animal print inner cover

The Steampunk

Sheet metal and decorative name plate

Adding the leather frame around the metal

Completed leather frame with decorative metal corner pieces

Closeup of decorative metal corner piece

Closeup of decorative name plate

Inner cover with decorative  paper

Final product with Coptic bound spine

Shot of binding

Closeup of binding

Closeup of the hand sewn magnet button on the leather strap

This is Jill...

...in one of her many hats, literally and figuratively. Jill often sports hats of differing shapes and sizes (she often has a hilarious facebook profile displaying one of her many hats). When she is trying to conserve her body heat, and not she also is a very dependable friend, coworker, sister, and daughter. She plays many roles in many people's lives because she is unfailingly compassionate.

Jill grew up in the small town in Eastern Idaho where she attended elementary school in a barn. I believe this is where her love of animals comes from. One of the last two sentences is true. Jill has three cats named: Dipsie, Duckie, and Oliver. These cats each have very unique personalities but that is because Jill treats them extremely well. Jill also has a scottie dog named Mia, who is the inspiration for our logo. She is the sweetest dog ever, but it also says a lot of her owner.

Jill is amazingly creative and usually is the one making up the names for the books we create. The best thing about working with Jill is her ability to take my simple ideas and make them into real possibilities. She is always on the lookout for things that will make our business better. She also regularly is looking out to help make her friends' lives better. She is incredibly kind and generous. I am truly lucky to be able to work with such a talented friend. She is one of the hardest working people I have met as well. She keeps going until the job is done right. She doesn't mess around, and that is one of many things I admire about Jill.

Jill always has a joke, or a funny story to tell. She has one of the best senses of humor I have ever met. She also has really random things happen to her. Like the guy at a local gas station putting a tarantula on her shoulder while waiting in line, or falling out of an apple while trying to cut branches out. She is accident prone for sure and has the scars and surgeries to prove it. But even with good, bad, or hilarious things happening to her she always pushes through with a smile.

Jill is one of the best friends anyone could ask for because she is loyal, unbelievably thoughtful, and caring. She is always there when you need a friend. I am really excited for her ideas and creative genius to be seen by all of the friends of Pepper Binding Co.!


- Melissa

Meet Melissa

Hi everyone.  This is Melissa.  She normally doesn't sport a sweet mustache and she normally doesn't allow photo shoots of her while she is driving in Utah, but under special circumstances, she allowed it.  Besides, if she were to have gotten pulled over, she would have a legit disguise to throw off the cop.

That's besides the point.  To start things off on a good point, Melissa LOVES Dr. Pepper, Ranch sunflower seeds and  black licorice, preferably salty black licorice.  I tend to not be around when she is eating black licorice because I think it is gross but we do share common loves of Dr. Pepper and Ranch sunflower seeds.

Melissa is the best friend anyone could ask for.  She is loyal, understanding and most importantly she laughs at my jokes, both funny and not.  But in all seriousness, I know without a doubt that here now or in the future and definitely in the past, Melissa has and always will be there for me.  Melissa is the epitome of genuineness and realness.  

Knowing Melissa has made my life for the better.  She is not only my best friend, but I consider her to be my sister.  Not to age Melissa, but Melissa is wise beyond her years.  Her life experiences have made her what she is today, and what I see today is incredible. 

Melissa takes the time to truly get to know someone, and listens to them.  She is one of the most crafty, creative people that I have ever met.  Working along side her to become business owners of Pepper Binding Co. at 24 (me) and 25 (Mel) has and always will be a privilege.

 

I can never say enough good things about Melissa but unfortunately, words do not come close to describe Melissa.  All you need to know about Melissa is that you want her as one of your friends because she will make you laugh, feel unconditionally loved and will make you a better person.  But those are just some of the things on the list of why I love Melissa and am honored to know and be friends with her.


Here's to you short stack.  :)  I sure do love ya! and I'm not the only one.


Jill

Where It All Began

When Melissa and I first met we were helping at a mutual friends wedding reception.  It was our first time meeting each other and we were both intimidated by the other.  Time was ticking by slowly and our friend's extended family decided that they didn't need our help fixing the dessert for the reception so we just sat and watched them do it.  We started talking to each other and quickly found out that the two of us needed caffeine desperately and so I offered to drive us to the nearest convenience store to curb our addiction,...I mean our craving of Dr. Pepper.  

This was harder than it sounded to leave the reception because two of our other friends were there at the reception with us and lets just say that they highly frown at our love of Dr. Pepper.  We quickly dodged their watchful eyes and were on our merry way to get a pick me up from the caffeine.  Our first stop at the convenience store was caffeine and the second stop was getting a jerky stick.

We enjoyed our beverages on our way back to the reception and went back to our chairs where we watched the dessert preparation.  We broke out the jerky stick and after one bite quickly threw it away because it was disgusting.  Whoever decided to create a stick of meat that has a crunchy hard outer core with a mushy chewy inner core, really should remain anonymous because it is not a prime grade jerky product.  After 20 minutes went by Melissa's ride back to Utah was ready to leave the reception to go home.  Melissa and I quickly exchanged phone numbers and texted each other most of that night until her "phone battery died" or so she told me.  :)


After that Saturday in March we have never missed a day talking in some form of communication.  Melissa moved to Rexburg from Orem in the middle of May to start up college again at Brigham Young University-Idaho and she is still currently renting the little studio apartment that is connected to my house that my parents own and manage.  


This upcoming March 8th will make it 3 years of knowing each other and becoming dear friends.  Through those 3 years of being friends we have both wanted to create something of our very own.  It started out as a joke of starting an ice cream parlor with a tattoo shop in the back but has since blossomed into creating hand made bound books because we know the importance of writing down memories so that they will last until the end of time.  Our minds may fade, but written down memories last forever.


So welcome to Pepper Binding Company where we make Unique Books for Distinctive People.