Bilberry and Wright

Bilberry and Wright Bilberry & Wright, home for handmade notebooks, prints, cards and gifts.

10/04/2026

Cutting it . . .

Back to it after the Easter Weekend, cutting soft card covers for my notebooks, steady hand with the scalpel and yes it’s very sharp, slices sooo much better when fresh from the packet 👍🏼so top tip, don’t forget to change them regularly 🔪 but watch your fingers 🩹

01/04/2026

🌸Starting Spring with a tidy desk 👍🏻😇

A tidy desk is a tidy mind?

I know your desk should be a place of productivity, not a storage space, however when I’m juggling a few projects and notebooks at various stages of production sometimes you cannot see the cutting mat underneath. Will try to do better 🤣

Are you tidy desk worker or a little more haphazard? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Not just scissors ✂️ 🧰 🛠️My tools for bookbinding are fairly standard, knife, paper clips, bone folder, ruler etc., howe...
27/03/2026

Not just scissors ✂️ 🧰 🛠️

My tools for bookbinding are fairly standard, knife, paper clips, bone folder, ruler etc., however a couple of items are special to me - the curved needles and awl.

The curved needles came from my Mums upholstery box, a little reminder of her every time I use them 💗 and they are very useful for my Coptic bindings. 🪡🧵

The awl was my Grandad’s, it’s really useful when I need a slightly large hole for binding and the handle is much more comfortable in the hand compared to today’s modern version, I don’t think it was made in China!
. . and then there are my glasses 👵🏻 vital for any close work and if I can’t find them they are usually on top of my head, along with my long distance ones 👓👓

🌟Design Details🌟 I always come back to the sewing and stitches in bookbinding, it’s the process I like the most, the de...
18/03/2026

🌟Design Details🌟


I always come back to the sewing and stitches in bookbinding, it’s the process I like the most, the design detail that I love. 🪡🧵

You can create a fully functional binding but then the stitches are glued out of site, it always seems a bit of a shame to cover them up!

Or you can make the stitches part of the design of the notebook, sketchbook or pamphlet. Different stitches, different thread thicknesses, different colours.💙

12/03/2026

🌟Currently Working on 🌟


This week I have been working on some spiral notebooks, the covers have to be glued onto the bookboard, the trick is to get an good even coverage of glue so then the patterned paper can be the star of the show and not be covered in glue!📒

🔪Cutting the corners is a key task, you have to allow and small margin to fold the paper over the corners of the book-board, it relates to the thickness of the card. You can cut it freehand or use a small jig as I do, it just makes it easier when you doing a larger run of notebooks.

A bit of spiral binding then it is finished ✔️

onmydesktoday

✨ What I Make ✨ marchmeetthemakerI love turning paper and print into something special!📚 Handmade books, notebooks, jour...
09/03/2026

✨ What I Make ✨
marchmeetthemaker

I love turning paper and print into something special!

📚 Handmade books, notebooks, journals, sketchbooks & notepads
🎨 Linocut prints made by hand
💌 Hand printed cards and gift tags in unique designs

Everything I create is crafted with care, creativity and a love for beautiful paper, who doesn't love a bit of stationery! Perfect for writing, sketching, gifting or keeping something meaningful.

06/03/2026

🌟Trial and error🌟

A lot of what we do as artisans is trial and error, we learn how to do things the best way then want to perfect it, tweak the design or change the colour🖍️as we make.

My binding machine used to create my spiral bound notebooks 📒 was something I had to use to understand how to adjust it to get all my little holes lined up, yes that’s all 1379 of them!

Initially I struggled with the alignment of the paper, pushing it right in the machine so the holes were straight.

Next making sure the guides didn’t slip when pulling the handle down, the force is quite a clunk - you can you hear it👂🏻

Even a millimetre out, your eye spots it and the paper doesn’t sit right.

Every time I make a batch of notebooks I make a page template and just test it out before taking on the notebook paper and decorative covers - saves me 1379 holes a time 👍🏻

Do you have any top tips for hole punching?

🌟Behind the scenes🌟What you usually see: the finished notebook or journal , styled and centre stage.What you don’t see: ...
04/03/2026

🌟Behind the scenes🌟

What you usually see: the finished notebook or journal , styled and centre stage.
What you don’t see: the organised chaos just out of frame 👀 😂

Before any paper is folded or pressed, the first job of the day is coffee ☕ + checking orders on Etsy & Folksy, replying to emails, and tackling admin. Glamorous, I know!

Once orders are packed and ready, I walk them to the post box (my daily excuse to stretch my legs before lunch 🚶‍♀️).

Back at the bench?
It’s a juggling act.

Glue something → wait for it to dry → start cutting paper → check stock → stitch a spine → answer an email → back to the glue…
That’s why you’ll spot little stacks of notebooks in various stages of becoming ✨
It’s not always tidy. It’s not always perfectly styled.
But it’s real, handmade, small-business life.

Are you team tidy desk or creative chaos? 👇

02/03/2026

✨Ever wondered where the name Bilberry and Wright comes from? 💜

Well it’s rooted in my family history. My mum had a childhood memory of collecting bilberries on the moor and that image always stayed with me. “Wright” is a family name — and when the two came together, it just felt right!

The colours were inspired by bilberries too — those rich, reddy-pink-blue hues — and from there I explored contrasting tones that really made everything pop.

You’ll sometimes see it shortened to BW on my packaging stickers and stall display. It’s simple, striking, and memorable — which I love. 💕

There’s no obvious mention of bookbinding or printing in the name (sorry algorithm👀) but it feels meaningful to me — and that matters most. ✨

Had you guessed my story?

Today marks the start of March Meet the Maker 2026 which I'm excited to be joining for another year, there are some great makers out there to discover



26/02/2026

Thread. Needle. Paper. 🪡📖

Sewing signatures by hand — one stitch at a time — turning loose pages into something that will last for generations. This is where a book truly begins: steady rhythm, slow craftsmanship, strong spine.

There’s nothing like the feel of thread locking each signature into place, built to last.





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Cambridge

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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