Last night on my way home form work I was tempted to stop at Charette, the art superstore. As I went to merge into the right lane, I remembered it had gone out of business and I was hit with a moment of sadness.

I have to wonder how long before  all we have left as artists and crafts people to purchase supplies from are large big box art and craft stores or online retailers?

I want to shop for supplies as I create, small and handmade. Charette may have been a larger retailer but it was Mass based (right out of Woburn where the superstore was) and I felt good about going there. The older guy. Arthur knew my name and knew I always came in looking for watercolor and pringtmaking paper and that I shopped the clearance area for paper pretty heavily.

Right now, just thinking about never beiong able to walk in and buy some great HMP I'm pretty sad.

This blog's posts are interviews with artists about the tools they use. Some really great entries have been up recently. Check it out here.

ghosts of nights dreams of day
Originally uploaded by andrea joseph's illustrations

I love Andrea Joseph's work on flickr.

I've decided that I'm not going to give up my Etsy shop after all. I figure that the exposure is better if I have both shops running rather than just one. I'm going to "divide them." I've not decided which site will get which items but one site will get all the leather and handmade paper covered journals the other will get all recycled.

I'm thinking of going with Artfire with the recycled and etsy with the leather. My partner informs me that if I crunch the numbers that doesn't make sense fiscally. In that I'll end up paying more money to etsy by percentage where I need the higher dollar sales to go through artfire to pay for the monthly fee. Not to mention the higher the dollar sale the more money comes out of the item. Technically C is right. But when looking at the design of the 2 sites it LOOKS right and while I know mentally thats not the best way to go about it, it's what my head is telling me to do…

mc_etsy
Originally uploaded by Rymann

Check out his little baby on etsy

Pretty neat self published booklet/zine.

Yet another blog I love and found via Twitter: Doodlers Anonymous fan-freaking-tastic. Great art, great content and awesome images! Head over and check them out and folow them on twitter to know what they update!

6 Recycled Vinyl Notebooks
Originally uploaded by lessherger

I meant to get his post up last night but I was too tired after editing all my etsy and artfire items for the new postal rates. I’ve been shipping items off partially on my own dollar because I forgot to change shipping rates when they first changed. Damn. Anyway.

These journals are made of old advertising signs, the large vinyls banners you see outside of businesses, that’s these. I cut them up into small pieces ready to be turned into journals. I stitch pockets inside, those pockets are made of cardstock posters, the same stuff my jotters are made of. I then use natural hemp to stitch the paper into the book. I use Wausau 24lb, 25% cotton laid textured paper..

MOst are up on my artfire account now.

blind
Originally uploaded by sparkleface

I like these images so much I'm posting more than one item from that artist. Really like sparkleface's imagery. good stuff head over to flickr to see more.

father's day
Originally uploaded by sparkleface

I rather like this, though the subject is sad, the image is really neat, love the colors and texture, by sparkleface on flickr.

Sizzle
Originally uploaded by Mandy L.

Mandy is a poet and a zinester. I "met" her online years ago through LJ, i'm not sure how long ago. I've been the recipient of several of her teeny tiny chap books and delight in them. Her most recent adventures include some really sweet collages overlay with her poetry and that of her friends. Check out her work on flickr, it's well worth the time. It may give you some ideas for your own journals.