I made this 4.25″ wide by 5.5″ high journal a little earlier today. It’s got a whole 200 pages of fox river warm gray paper sewn in a long stitch pattern, through holes rather than my usual eBay line in slots. Holes make the cover production take about 15 minutes extra- each hole is individually cut, unlike slots, which hold the same number of threads as the holes but I only have to cut a few of those versus 20 to 40 holes, fast and quicker. The sewing time takes the same length of time as if I cut it into slots.

this journal is here.

I used an unprinted washi for the inside, I’ve had a lot of requests for paper without patterns. Sadly, I think the patterns are fun, more fun I think if you are picking out your own journal rather than bidding on eBay. Many people don’t want the patterns, which are half the fun of making the books. Ah well, I’ll make some without patterns and I’ll look for great unpatterned paper. I’ve never thought of the inner paper as a distraction from the book, always as a attractive element.

Any thoughts on this?

I‘ve been thinking of getting an eBay store. I sell 80% of my journals from eBay and since I’ve started to sell at the buy-it-now price, I’m thinking it would be nice to have some fixed price auctions. The potential sales don’t necessarily outweigh the cost of the thing. Of course I would use the lowest cost tier but still that’s $17, and that’s almost a whole journal when I’m selling the eBay line at $19.99. I would sell more but how many more, and once I open the so the account I would feel like no matter what I’d have to keep it, so I’d be roped into $17 a month for expenses, and what if I don’t sell anything?

It’s something to consider.

So I’ve got to head to the day job sometimes soon and I’ve finished 2 of the journals I set up to finish. I had hoped to finish at least one more, but I did manage to list them both on eBay, so I guess that makes it worthwhile.

They are listed here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6963359579

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6963346244

There are pictures in the last two entries. They were pretty slick to sew. It took just a little time to punch the stations and sew the spine. So I’m pretty happy with that. I love the chocolate brown cover; it’s just so soft. It really is the softest leather I’ve ever bound a book in, like a baby’s bottom! The deer is soft too, just not as soft as that lamb hide.

In addition tot eh day job I need to pick up more glue, i always run out at teh least opportune moment.

       

 

       

   

Today is gorgeous and sunny. I’ll be spending plenty of time soaking up those rays but in the rest of the day I have a lot of work to do. I made up 8 covers last night and cut the spines this morning. I spent a good part of the morning folding the pages into signatures and gathering them for sewing. This afternoon will be spent sewing many of them.

Sadly I have to ruin my day off by going into work and working on a special order. Things like that tend to ruin great plans. Not that I mind so much the special order but that I have to go in on my day off and make them.

Things have been going well. The custom orders have tapered off a bit but eBay has been going well for me. I think that I found my buy-it-now price, it’s not as high as I would like, but it keeps me in supplies and with a small profit margin, meaning I get paid about $5 an hour for my efforts, if that.

Later today I’m going to cut some black and distressed covers for eBay sales. Right now all I’ve got is this chocolate sheep hide, golden deer hide and blue cow hide. I’d like to get the distressed back up. They are a consistent sale and a good look. I think it would be nice to have 4 to 6 different styles up on eBay at any one time, that way I can maximize my sales potential. Thought I can’t really say that it will help. I’m never sure with these things.

I have to run to the post office and put out a package for Australia.

Okay, I’ve decided to list the small pink journal on eBay, BigBlue has gone to my web page. I can’t bear to part with big blue for less than it’s actually worth.

So LittlePink is listed HERE

Check it out!

BigBlue is listed on my website HERE!