My name is Paul-Francis Law and my profession is interior design. I work mainly in stone - but my main interest is sculpture! You can see my 'stone' business website on http://www.stoneofdestinydesign.co.uk.

Making books has been my principal hobby for many years. I began to make my own sketchbooks and journals because I could not find the sort of book - and the quality of paper - that I wanted. Everywhere I found the same drab designs, the same dull factory-made paper, and the same poorly proportioned pages. I wonder if artists are aware how much they have lost under the pressure of standardisation? A generation ago you could buy sketchbooks and journals of character - well-proportioned, with beautiful bindings and interesting paper. You can still get good paper - but for handmade paper you must pay an exorbitant price!

Two years ago I turned my hobby into a business - because I discovered that there were other people out there who, like me, wanted good books and good paper, and who wanted to be able to buy those things at a reasonable price. I now run a small workshop with a production capacity of about 3,000 books a year. It is a small business, and it is going to remain small, as I don't have time to produce more. You can see my business website on: www.diaryshoponline.com.

However, I do always try to find time for one-off orders and special commissions. This is something I do simply for the sake of doing it - and because I believe that everyone has a right to a really 'unique' book. I charge the same rates for a custom order as for one of my regular books - but you do have to be patient, as I am sometimes very pressed for time.

I make books with all kinds of bindings, but in my eBay store you will usually only see books with leather bindings. I love working with leather, but I have ethical reservations about  the use of leather. If you check the 'ethical production policy' statement that appears on all my eBay listings you will see that I exclusively use 'vintage' leather from working animals. This means that no animals have been bred and slaughtered solely for the production of my books. I also avoid the use of chemical pollutants that are commonly employed in the tanning and dyeing of leather. In recent years I have researched alternative pre-industrial methods of dyeing and tanning, and I am gradually switching over to these methods - you can read more about this in item descriptions.

My business address:

The DiaryShop, High Trees, Parrock Lane, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4HS

tel 01342 822444 email: paulfrancislaw@btinternet.com

web: www.diaryshoponline.com