Handmade notebooks, Japanese silk and sourcing materials - an interview with Maria Le Van

In this episode we interview Maria Van Le of LeVan Books. Maria makes her own beautiful notebooks - of which Helen has purchased a few. They are exquisite, hand made and use some top notch material.In this episode:Helen talks about her 6 ink pens - and decides she needs more (or not).Maria talks about her passion for glass ink pens, water colour painting and using her own booksMaria explains how she started making books for her daughter and her friends, before making them for other peopleMaria is self taught and a perfectionist - always ensuring her books meet her own high standards - therefore delighting the customerMaria mentions Shepherds book binding (bookbinding.co.uk) - a cool store where she gets many of her materials from.Rob realises Shepherds is not too far from his office….credit card readyMaria explains how long books take to make and how precise she needs to beWe discuss GSM paper thickness and their different uses. Maria also shares the 5 things she would take to a desert islandMaria also shares why she set up the Etsy store and how you can get your own custom notebookUseful LinksYou can find Maria on Etsy at LeVan Books - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LeVanBooks?ref=usf_2020Fancy having a go at making your own notebook? Here’s a kit (affiliate link).