Ruth Bleakley lives and works in a seaside town in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Her interests in paper art began at a young age with cardmaking and illustration. In college at Clark University she discovered the world of handbound books through a class called Artist’s Books which focused on non-traditional bindings – she felt more drawn to traditional bindings and spent several years of independent study learning new binding techniques. Several years and a couple hundred books later, Ruth continues to learn new techniques and teaches workshops locally.

Her influences include bright colors found in nature, the sky, colorful Indian fabric and art, and Japanese silk-screened paper. She is currently persuing an interest in accordion fold books, popup cards and origami.

Meowstro, Ruth's cat, often "helps" by drinking the paintbrush water, eating wheatpaste and stealing erasers.