Ground Floor Artists, 13343 W. Foxfire Drive, Suite 3, in Surprise, presents “Sewing Over Tapes” Book Binding with Kathie Shepherd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21.

The class costs $45 and includes all tools and materials.

Ready for some serious stitching? This book is sewn over tapes or ribbons with a little beading for accent.

It’s a nice-sized book, 5 1/2-by-8 1/2 inches, and would make a fine journal or sketchbook. Paper, ribbons, beads and thread will be chosen to complement each other but will likely differ from the sample and from person to person.

Shepherd is a creative bookbinder with 20 years of experience. She was the owner of the Occasional Artist, a small local paper arts store in Glendale, for five years and a partner in the Creative Quest for eight years prior to that.

She taught monthly bookbinding classes at her store and teaches simple as well as very complex stitches. Shepherd makes sure that her students leave with a finished product ready to hold memories, art, sketches and more.

Professionally trained as a pediatric physical therapist, Shepherd retired in 2020 to spend more time with kids and grandkids, and to have more creative time to make books and jewelry. She has dabbled in a multitude of creative arts including rubber stamping, sketching, painting, card-making and paste paper in addition to bookbinding and a more recent foray into silversmithing.

She has been commissioned many times to make wedding invitations and guest books. Shepherd said she is excited to join the creative artists at Ground Floor Artists.