Going Green Journals Posted!

Well, I’m just about back to normal. All the laundry is done, the house is (relatively) clean, and I finally got all my journals listed on Etsy! Even though I had taken nice shots of the front & back of each notebook with my fancy new lighting setup, I still had to take shots of the insides, as well as these cool (at least I think they’re cool) “still life” photos:

I also listed the 5 convertible clutches I made awhile back:

Now, with the bags, I’ve been listing them as a group, with a labeled photo to indicate the name of each item, and then when I sell one, I just change the text in the listing to indicate which are still for sale. Although I could have done that for the journals (all the warm color mini doodles in one listing, all the cool planners in another, etc…), I’m still not sure which way makes the one-of-a-kind, unique-and-not-to-be-repeated-ness of what I do more apparent. I know I’d love your opinion, dear blog reader!

Ultimately, I’m designing my own website so I can have more control over how things look when they’re for sale, and hopefully more closely illustrate my process to a prospective buyer, but I’ll probably always have an Etsy shop as well, populated with just some of what I do.

Anyway, speaking of the website, I’m going to work a little on that today, then take a look at my July list and see if I can get anything done on it!

Rest assured, you’ll be seeing Yellowstone pictures off & on for weeks!

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30 Journals finished…Off to Vacation!

  

Yes! This is stacks and stacks of new “Going Green Journal Covers!” Finished JUST IN TIME to pack up and take to Idaho, for my 1st out-of state trunk show! How many altogether? 30!, 15 in a warm set of colors and 15 in a cool set. If I ever tell you again that I’m going to make 30 of something all together, all at once – SLAP ME up the side of the HEAD! Seriously, it’s easier to do the same step over & over again – but when you’re doing that step 30 times, it goes quite slowly. SO, when you’re trying to keep some out of school boys occupied, attend and photograph several important concerts, and get ready for a camping vacation – it’s a bit UNNERVING!

Anyway, here’s a few more photos (do you like the name of this line?)

 

   

And more will be up in the Flickr site group.

And now – we’re off to Idaho and Yellowstone. I SHOULD have some connectivity in Idaho, so I hope I can pop in up there, but then – HORRORS – no internet for – over a WEEK!!!??? Help! Wish me luck!

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Lots of pieces!

I know this doesn’t look like much, but this is all the fabric pieces, properly cut, fused to interfacing (the outside pieces get interfacing & batting) for 30 new journal covers (still need name!). It’s the WORST part of making, and the more I make at a time, the longer it takes! AAAHHH! Lets see how much I can get done today!

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Guest Blogging

Hi there! I’m blogging about taking photos over at Simply Robin today. I took some new photos of my new Journal covers (STILL need a name!) this morning and posted my adventures over at Robin’s. Here is the “money shot” – I LOVE this one…

I’m now off to sew 30 of these babies by…Saturday! Yikes!!!!

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Introducing…Eco Covers!

What are these? you ask!

Do you remember the notebooks I won the other day? They are made by Ecojot, a Canadian company makes 100% post-consumer recycled paper products. And although the covers are beautifully designed by Carolyn Gavin, I have been searching for just the right notebooks to make covers for! I love making notetakers & notelets:

except for the 2nd to last step, wrestling very thick peltex into the cover – it has to fit just right, and it drives me crazy! SO, I’ve been looking for notebooks to cover with very stiff covers, so I didn’t have to worry about so much stiffness. The other issue with these is they hold tear-off sheet pads,

and I wanted to find nice spiral bound notebooks/sketch pads so the paper can remain in them more permanently. I’m also trying to use recycled paper as much as possible: man do these Ecojots fill all my criteria, Plus, they have plain brown styles of just about their entire line, so I don’t have to feel guilty about covering up Carolyn’s pretty covers! This is one of those ideas I’ve had in the back of my mind for over a year now, and I’m always on the lookout in Office Depot, etc…

Any old who…I’ve abandoned all other projects for the past 2 and a half days, I’ve gone through 7 different versions:

And these are now ready for production! These photos are NOT the best, but I’m too excited to stop and try to take more!

1st up is the largest size (6” x 9”), the Eco-Agenda. It is a perpetual datebook along with 100 pages of lined paper in the back:

Next up is the Eco-Agenda & the Eco-Doodle. Both are 5” x 7” and have 80 sheets of paper, either lined or unlined!

Last, and cutest is the Mini-doodle: 3” x 4”, it has 50 sheets of drawing paper:

As you can see, all the covers hold closed with an elastic, and have pen holders and pockets. To give the covers body, they’re interface with med. weight interfacing and batting, and the lovely stiffness comes from the awesome Ecojot covers!

I’m so excited, these are exactly what I’ve been waiting to make, and make I shall! I’ve ordered 50 from Ecojot, and FedEx willing, they’ll be here before I leave for Idaho in 10, 9, 8 days – yikes! Here’s hoping the folks up in Sandpoint like these, cause I’m making a bunch for my trunk show there!

just in case you haven’t seen enough pictures:

I’ve got work to do!

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