Tinkering

I'm thinking about changing the look of this blog. I like the gray, but I'm not sure about the other colors. And I'd really like a more lovely header up there for the title. What I have now is so blah and kind of low budge, right? So, I'll be adding that to my long long list of things to do. Yay! Actually, I did get a good piece of work done last night, I cut a whole slew of covers and now they are just waiting to be made into notebooks. My hopeful schedule for completion is construction Saturday night, then photo taking on Sunday, provided it doesn't rain. I've been thinking for a while that I would love to try taking some product pictures outdoors, so I'll try to work that in too. Chances are there will be lots of new notebooks popping up in the shop next week! Fancy that, it's been a long time since there was any fresh blood in there.

Well, scratch that, I believe it was just last week that I listed my latest drawing, Nesting. It's been seen here before; I've had it kicking around for quite some time, but for some reason only just got the impetus to list it. So, it's for sale now over at Etsy. I like it a lot, I hope you will too.

mel

BOOKS - No, not just more books I made, but yes, there is that too

Yep, that's my new notebook. I love it. It's exactly what I wanted. I went to the Big Book Sale at Fort Mason last weekend (and I know I say this a lot, but I mean it: if you live in SF and you've never been, put it on your calendar for next year right now. It's so awesome). I was shopping for more materials for my books and was specifically looking for botanical guide books. I found only one, but as you can tell from the notebook above, it is really wonderful. It's a Golden field guide and it's for Identification of Trees of North America. It was published it 1968 and it has the most gorgeous illustrations. I'm really really pleased. I also found a couple other guide books, including my first that focuses on East Coast flora/fauna; it's a guide to sealife of New England. Very cool. I also got a fun Jacques Cousteau book for kids and a Disney book about animals, both with awesome photos and illustrations. I also got some books that I actually intend to read, imagine that! I'm really looking forward to reading A Year in Provence and America by Alistair Cooke. I'm not sure exactly when I'll get around to those; I have, in years past, become a very bad reader, but I've been trying hard to be better this year. I just finished Craft, Inc. and am now working on The Adventures of Augie March, though, to be honest, I'm not sure I'll make it through that one. I am really really tempted to preorder this book; it is taking all of my self-restraint to hold myself back.

mel

update: speaking of books...ok, I really am trying to be good about not spending, but I just found this via the obsessive consumption blog, and there were no two ways about it: I had to have it. HAD to.

400

Ava's cute face inspired the stencil on this little notebook. I am considering making some to sell. What do you think?
I am stressed out lately. There is no good reason why. Things get kind of hard when I'm taking classes because I end up not being home very much. I am really really loving my classes, but I will be glad when the semester is over. At least my saturday class is only 8 sessions, so pretty soon my saturdays will be all open again.
On the good news side, as of yesterday I have 400 hearts! Wow! Business has been super brisk these past few months. I feel like I am finally coming into my own as an artist and an Etsy seller. Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way, and to you lovely blog readers!
mel