Happy Holidays

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I hope everyone out there had as fantastic holiday week as I did. Sure I worked most of it at my DayJob but I spent a long weekend at my family's place in Maine. It was cold and crisp in coastal Maine but it was nice. I could have done without the snow while I was there but it was pretty. I also saw a dozen or so deer grazing in the fields, they were slightly wary but not overly so, on set of 4 didn't even mind when I pulled out of the driveway in my car, they watched me leave, their tails twitching, but they didn't stop eating for one minute.

I didn't make any books while I was there, nor did I work in my art journal. Instead I soaked in the pure wilderness of coastal Maine. I took some long walks around the farm and visited my family. I had a  quietly great time. I hope that everyone out there reading had a great time as well.

Upon my arrival back to Mass I've readied myself for listing a bunch of new items I'll post links as I list.

doodle time!

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I am a long time doodler. I wish I had
some of the notes I did in college from my Psych 101 class, which was
essentially a repeat of the Psych course I'd had in high school. I
used to bring a big spiral bound notebook with me to class and
doodle, when I wasn't falling asleep. I aced the course and learned
noting I didn't already know. I really wish my high school had
offered that course as an AP… Then I wouldn't have wasted my time
in the class. Anyway, I wish that I had those doodles.

I spent the last 2 days in meetings for
work. Most of the meetings were reviewing information that I already
knew. While the review was good, I spent a lot of time doodling.
Anyway, check out this article on how doodling isn't bad!

shear doodles

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A little studio update here:

The paper shear continues to be a source of happiness and
amazement as aI wonder why I didn’t just pony up the bash I needed to get it
before now. Seriously if there are any book artists reading this thinking of a
new item to get for your studios, I’d recommend that you put a paper shear to
the top of the list. I got mine on eBay for a little over $200, shipping
included, it will cut 12 inch high pieces of paper and a stack 2 inches high.
And it will cut that stack of 300 or so sheets in 2 seconds. Literally taking
the time it used to take me to cut my books and laughing at it.  Seriously I made something like 20 sets of
jotters one weekend in the time it would have taken me to make 5 or sets in the
past.  The best part about it? The cuts
are perfect, square and the books are better because of it all.

I had a bunch of meetings for work last week and spent a lot
of time doodling. Yesterday when I was back in my own office I rehashed in my
notebooks everything that we had learned about, some of it was already review
for me, but I found that I retained a lot of the info though I had not strictly
taken notes, but paid attention while doodling. I’ve always been a doodler and
meeting sketcher and my anecdotal evidence suggesting that I learn well if not
better while doodling is now supported by research. Anyway I got some cool pen
sketches of my coworkers and some neat-o doodles. I’ll have to try it out
again.

So on my etsy site I’ve got some great deals. I’ve got my
destash sale going on, rock bottom prices on some stuff I’ve had but never
listed or stuff I listed and never sold or re-listed.  I’ve also got some new large sign vinyl
sketchbook and journals, large jotters and lots of pocket sized jotters. All
have new lower prices due to the economy, the shear and because I can!

Anyway, check out the etsy site and doodle!

Studio Update

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In more studio news, I'm offering
repeat buyer discounts. This has often been asked for and I've never
been able to coordinate it but now I am able to do so.

So in each batch of orders sent out
there will be a business card with a label on the back with a
reordering code for 10% off an order. All you'll need to do is enter
the discount code in the buyer's notes on etsy, pay, and then I'll
refund the 10% through paypal. It's fast and easy.

I'm pretty excited about that. I'm also
really excited about eh larger jotters. They measure 5.5xX 6.25 high,
just like the larger moleskines. I find them the perfect size, they
also have JUST enough pages for about a month's worth of journaling.
I'm considering making slipcases for a years worth of them! How cool
would that be!

The Destashing Begins and some other random stuff

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Alrighty! The de-stashing has begun!

I've got 4 items up right now that I'm
listing as a de-stash sale, prices are rock bottom to move them out
of my storage. Got to move them, I need room for all my new recycled
items. I'm stitching up new big 240 page notebooks with recycled sign
covers and hemp stitching. As they are bigger they need more room.
Also the larger size of jotters takes up quite a bit of room too.

Also going through and working on the
older stuff gives me ideas for newer items. Exciting.

Another exciting thing is that there is
another Etsy seller out there who likes my books enough and is making
another style of cover. The appeal is for a totally different set of
people than GoodKarma's covers and the cover is totally different in
style. I'll post more about the covers when I get a cover in my
hands.

Let me give Bren of GoodKarma a little
shout out here. Her work rocks. I'm absolutely abusive to my notebooks,
wallets and other items. The wallet organizer that she made still
looks wonderful and is standing up to my abuse. When I was first
starting to make books, before I would sell a new design it had to
stand up to a month in my bag, that is how hard I am on my books. The wallet organizer has done that and more. So check her work out, she
makes a stunning all cotton covers that perfectly fits moleskine
cahiers or my jotters.