paypal shipping

whee! i printed out my first shipping label via paypal today for an order i need to get out for christmas! hehe... just wanted to share ;) tis exciting! i bought a scale months ago but have just been too nervous that things would go wrong with the shipment that i haven't tried it until now! except for a glitch in the system that wouldn't let me send to the confirmed address because usps' recommended address didn't spell out "east" or "avenue" which forced me to have to call paypal's customer service, i think it's worked out just fine. :) hooray!

handmade confessional!

tara aka weirdwolf filmed a bunch of people at the felt club event the other day, and is posting them on the etsy storque as a mini series of handmade confessionals! she just posted mine today :D you can check out the actual post here!

buy handmade! support artisans and crafters! shop locally! yay! :)

felt club

checked out the felt club craft fair in downtown l.a. the other day, wanted to share a pic i took of it:



so many people gathered to share handmade goods makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! :)

hey ya'll

it's been a while!

not a whole lot has been happening in terms of etsy, i've taken on a few commissions since the last post but haven't really made anything on my own for a while since i've been working 7 days a week for the most part :T i did make a couple books for halloween, which was fun :) even with tea staining and baking one book's papers, something i swore i'd never do again ;)

looks like i'll be missing the next book swap for best, but i've got a book to make for a friend and then i have some extra paper folded and punched, ready to bind! i'm excited about using some of my new japanese paper! and these next two weeks will be a little less busy production-wise, what with thanksgiving and all, so i should have time to work on books! hooray!

life-wise, i've been working at effinfunny for a couple months now and it's been great! they actually brought me to work on "the guild" with them, so i've been the art p.a. since almost the beginning of this season. they also teamed up with machinima.com to work on some projects and i've been helping with those. one of the videos they did on the election got on the carson daly show, so that was pretty neat! they also took me to blizzcon for a day, which was very nice of them :)

starbucks didn't quite work out, but i'm still workin at sushi! hoping that little production gigs here and there will cover the amount that i'm not making from a second job, but i don't think that's really going to happen so after i get back from my two week winter vacation in hawaii i'll be looking for another part time job. probably bad timing, doing it AFTER the holiday rush, but with the economy now i'm not really sure there's a good timing!

i was a moogle for halloween. what were you?

bookbinding etsy street team storque article!

exactly what the title says.

hooray for best! :) very exciting for the team! and i'm personally excited about our upcoming team challenge... halloween is the bestest holiday evar!!!11!1! hahaha...

on a personal note, s-bucks hasn't quite worked out my schedule yet, but i just started interning at effinfunny, sandeep parikh and leah mann's production company. pretty awesome! :) i'll be working on my first shoot this weekend, woot!

no longer homeless and unemployed!

as the title says hehe! have moved into the new apartment, and now just finishing up getting furniture and arranging the rooms and whatnot :) also been working that hostess job at the sushi restaurant, but starting this week i'll be working tuesdays, thursdays and fridays instead of mon-fri, so that i'll have more time to possibly work production gigs. next week i'll be starting a job at starbucks working those mornings, hooray for health insurance! but the pay is very low, and i found out that unlike missouri, where i worked as a waitress for $2/hr + tips, restaurants here pay minimum wage ($8) + tips, so i'm probably going to need to look at getting a waitressing job in a couple/few months because that's much more than i had thought, hence the hostessing job! for now though, i'm doing well and will at least be making rent + utilities, huzzah!

i will probably look at getting into working on my etsy shop some time this week or next week! i need to run out to the paper source store in pasadena to pick up some pva to make books (although i do still have leather to make non-glue books!), but i've already made some jewelry since i got here. a friend of mine is a photographer, and was going to be taking headshots for my roomie and her bf, so he offered to take pics of me wearing my jewelry to use in my listings! here's a preview :D

things coming together...

today was a fruitful day:

1. went with friends to a photo/techie store out in burbank. there was a loooooong shelf full of gaff tape and paper tape and painter's tape and everything! i didn't spot any glow tape when i walked by, but the beautiful colors of gaff tape made me swoon ;)

2. mailed off my third custom scroll order this summer! considering i really haven't been updating my shop, i am happy that i'm getting these requests :) they've all been for weddings, so i figure that means they'll drop off now, but you never know!

3. i signed a lease with my roomie for an apartment in encino (which will forever give me a mental face-palm every time i think of it due to watching "encino man" before i came out here, but it's actually a nice area). rent is pretty decent, and it comes with a fridge and side-by-side parking, score! the rooms are equal enough that we're having a hard time deciding who gets what room, which is actually nice.

4. interviewed with a little sushi restaurant in encino that i happened across yesterday, and was hired as a hostess/cashier. will be making enough to pay for rent and such, hurray! work starts monday, have the night shift 5-10pm mon-fri. i did have a phone interview yesterday for a teller position with a local bank, which would be nice to get because it'd pay about the same as the hostess job but i'd only work 3 days a week (which would leave time for side production gigs) and since it's a bank i could possibly get benefits on top of that. i think i'm lucky either way!

5. and the coolest of the coolest: was added to the set crew volunteer list for "the guild", which starts production in september, i do believe! ecstatic!



all of this helps me sort of shrug off getting a parking ticket when i stopped by my bank for 5 min and had no idea that i was in a no parking zone. may try to see if i can contest it or something.. man, couldn't i have gotten my first ever ticket when i was doing something illegally on purpose? ;) alas, i know ignorance is no excuse, so i don't imagine i'll argue too much... besides, the rest of the day was just wonderful! :D

and tomorrow, i'm running out to santa monica to eat lunch with friends (was going to do it anyway, but now it's kind of a celebration hah!), and pick up my very own pair of climbing shoes! i'll be paying more for those shoes than i've ever paid before, but i'm considering them an investment for much needed exercise and good times. afterwards, i'll be off to los feliz to help out with the "team smithereen" show painting props!

now, back to watching the last couple "dead like me" episodes! i heart mason!

craft magazine august edition

i was rather excited to see this. i received a couple custom scroll orders shortly after this, though i don't think the ad was how they found my shop... i honestly didn't care if i got any traffic from "craft" or not, i just liked the idea that something of mine (even a 1" pic) was published hahaha! ahh vanity!

settling into l.a.!

drove from missouri to los angeles, and have been busy hunting for apartments and jobs. went out today to rock climb for the first time! had a lot of fun :) must return to the apartment hunt tomorrow though, and hope for work to come soon!

"arte y pico" blog award!

rhonda, from my handbound books has awarded me the "arte ye pico" blog award! thanks rhonda :) the rules for the award are as follows:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributing to the blogger community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award-winner, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winners and the one who has given the prize should to show the link to the Arte y pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) To show these rules.

and so, to pass the award on, i present these five blogs:

danca, from wear it like you mean it
jaye, from thirteenth story
guylaine and isabelle, from tomate d'epingles
anh, from my closet diary
carol, from quirky'nberkeley

temporary

been a while, been a while.. my life seems to be all sorts of "temporary" right now, and i'm not sure if it's going to ever really become "permanent"... so! charging forward, and on to a summary!

haven't worked on too many new things in hawaii, but did come up with things like these silly bumblebee earrings:

i'll be hoping to make more earrings soon, especially with the new little charms i bought in japan, they're adorable and whimsical, in my opinion :D hmm.. maybe i'll just keep them for myself, muahaha!

and finally made a "real" leather book, using a longstitch binding tutorial online, for my dad's friend:


used the suede side up, because the familia liked it better, although i thought the other side looked neat, all spotted and stuff, so much character! but they decided it wasn't "girly" enough for my dad's friend :P at least i got to test out my stamp, as you can see! :D

got a hair cut yesterday, i think i'm gonna need to actually learn how to use a curling iron so that i might make myself a little more presentable for interviews and the like in l.a.! ...what a terrifying notion.

i'm considering mailing all of my stuff from hawaii to l.a. via parcel post, since i won't be needing anything for the one day that i'm in missouri and i'm fairly sure the extra space in my car would be fantastic, but that would probably cost a fortune... plus, i'll just be worried about my pretty supplies sinking into the ocean or something! like my new paper and fabric that i bought in japan!



well, i'll be flying out tuesday, and driving to l.a. over the course of a few days. and then i'll be absolutely engrossed in "breaking dawn" when i snag it at midnight on friday-saturday... although only for about 6 hours probably, that's how long it took for each of the other books. too short! i blame my sister for my will crumbling and new twilight addiction, i refused for so long, boo... haha. ahh well, no more harry potter right? ;)

employment!

so, an update on life!

i'm currently considering moving to l.a. to pursue theatre and maybe get into film/tv. i swore i hated socal and would avoid it like the plague, but after talking to a friend who's planning on moving out there, i figure i don't really have anything to lose, so why not at least try? at least this way i'll have a roomie (and actually possibly 3, her bf's going and a friend of his might too), and i have some friends out there who may be able to help me out a little.

i figure i can try this out for a year and see how i feel afterwards. as much as i'd like to go "full time" with my etsy shop, realistically speaking that's not going to happen anytime soon. i'm nowhere near committed enough, i figure i should be churning out something new at least more than my current average of what, once a month? :P i'd need to sell enough to get out of the red first, and i've still got a while to go yet! i've gotta have something to pay the rent for now, so i'm going to see how this works out :) i've never had to start from scratch before, so this'll be interesting!

Virtual Labs Trunk Show!

The Bookbinding Team will be hosting an online trunk show at the Etsy Virtual Labs on June 2nd at 9PM EST.

We will be showcasing some handpicked creations through images and even via webcam so you can get a more up close and personal look at our books on Etsy. The creators will also be presenting why their shop (and themselves!) are unique, and you will have the opportunity to meet with them and ask questions in a session after the showcasing. There will also be some sales and giveaways, so this is definitely an event you don't want to miss!

A list of participating members:

yellowcraftychick
usefulbooks
thecraftykitten
kupokiley
myhandboundbooks
ladyartisan
flurrsprite
kristincrane
yatsu
thisisbexx

We hope to see you there!

new logo, promos, and pretties!

i recently updated my shop with a fabulous new logo, banner and avatar from the fabulous erin of designsquid and then i ordered some promos and such with it! my buttons are in the mail, but i've got my rubber stamp and stickers!



and here's a random sampling of things that i've ordered recently on etsy:

a super comfy custom dress from cherrypievintage that i ordered using alchemy. random picture with my wellies and the dress hehe.

i got a pretty mini mobile to hang above my laptop fromleahpellegrini, and ilusoria made me custom sock slippers!

i also ordered a custom pen from beetnik505! i love the little polka dots!


and an update on life: i will be moving away from missouri, staying with my parents in hawaii for a while until i can figure out what i want to do next! my shop will be closed while i'm in transit but hopefully i can still work on some things while i'm in hawaii, depending on what i can or can't cram into my suitcases and how expensive it'll be to ship my supplies over haha!

around the home

yep, that's my giant collection of handmade soap! it's sitting in the corner of "the dungeon", otherwise known as the boiler room/walk-in closet/laundry room/the space in between the bathroom and our room (the basement). ;) good stuff. i think i'm set for the year. just felt like sharing!


we completely flipped around the room last night, and now our desks are in a corner together! my shelves, work table, and desk are kind of taking over the corner while the poor boy is stuck over there with his desk hahaha. if you can't tell, i'm a bit of a slob. but an organized slob! really!


maybe? i think i just have too much crap XD

playing with bindings!

i recently joined the firefly-based big damn crafters street team on etsy, and for may's team challenge about unification day i created this book:

i used a stab binding method (which was a problem because i used my screw punch for the leather cover but not the pages, i used my awl for those and i probably had way too many because it was a pain in the ass to get the damn needle and thread through. i actually ended up breaking a needle, eesh!) as a way to bind (har) the old western and asian styles together into one book. i like it, but i don't know that i'll do it again ;) my first leather book, and also my first binding style other than the hardbound kettle stitch method! i haven't listed it on etsy, because the plan is to give it to my dad for father's day. :D

i did list this book on etsy, however:

i used a coptic binding method (ish... i think the first and last rows weren't done quite right because after i was done i compared it to eva's book that i received in the first best book swap and it looks like i should've looped the stitches a little more) based off of a tutorial i found online (did the same for the stab binding). i rather like this one, i don't think i could've done much different in terms of tension on the stitches because it does sort of pop open when standing up but it lies flat and i believe it's the paper itself that's doing the opening, not the stitching! so that makes me happy :) plus i've been wanting to use my papyrus for quite a while and i'm really glad it looks so awesome with the marbled paper (yep, same paper as used in the background for the leather book hahaha)!

two new creations

my friend pat commissioned me to make him a photo album for his recent trip to spain, so i finally ordered some stuff from hollanders (very happy with their products, i will definitely be ordering from them again!) including an unbound block for the biggest book i've made yet! he gave me a newspaper he got in spain, and together we designed and created this:


i'm rather proud of it, although i wish i had gotten better pictures before i gave it to him :) it was the second book i used methyl cellulose / pva mix with, and i think it helped me figure out its properties a little better! i ended up adding an end sheet to the back and pasted a map onto the inside front cover... a couple bubbles but not too bad i think! the front cover sports "spain" cut out in black library buckram (crazy thick bookcloth, a lil difficult to work with but cool cuz it's waterproof!) with cut outs of spanish newspaper text peeping through! i used red satin bookcloth on the spine, and i think it feels matador-ish haha.



and just so you know i'm a huge nerd, i also made myself a lightsaber. it doesn't work... yet!


don't forget to check out the best team sale going on right now! it ends saturday, april 26th! i'm offering 15% off all items in my own shop.

world book day team sale!

As part of the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team's World Book Day celebration, some of the members are participating in a sale from Wednesday, April 23rd to Saturday, April 26th. Check out the list of shops below and the discounts they are having!

ladyartisan: 15% off
lapaperie: 10% off
bluevalentinepress: free s&h + gift
subu: 10% off paper items
yellowcraftychick: 10% off
yatsu: free s&h
usefulbooks: 10% off
thisibexx: 10% off
myhandboundbooks: bogo 25% off
scodioli: free s&h
kristincrane: 10% off
kupokiley: 10% off
thecraftykitten: 10% off
flurrsprite: 15% off
uniquelycovered: 10% off
repaper: 10% off
moonbindery: 10% off selected items
artkitten: 20% off books + free s&h
bibliophile: 20% off

world book day challenge!

here is my entry for the bookbinding etsy street team's world book day challenge :) it's based off of shakespeare's romeo and juliet... i call it "story of woe" (har so clever!). i bound it with pretty italian paper and bookcloth, and then gold leafed the letters "j" and "r" on each side, so you can write in it from either direction (or both!). it's got black paper, which is always fun. for some reason it feels really awesome to hold in my hands, and i was tempted to keep it but i've been needing to post something up on etsy and it was kind of a relief to finally update *something* haha!

making a dress form!

i handed my boy a roll of duct tape and asked if he would help me make a ghetto dress form.

i tried to stuff it with old tshirts and socks afterwards, but it's a tad lumpy, so i may need to go get some polyfill or pillows or something.

i also need to get some new pins to use specifically for sticking into the goo-tastic tape :P

present from the boy

oh yes.

obsessed with clothing, oh noes

so a couple weeks ago, i may have purchased a funky little hood from pixiebell and awesome fingerless gloves from kitmit on etsy, as shown here:



oh yes. so much fun, and toasty warm ♥ love em!

i also decided to make some earrings for myself since i haven't actually made any to keep, and a sister pair to sell in my shop.



i like em! they tinkle when i move XD and i've been in a green kick, so hurray!

i'm also waiting for a pretty black and white circle skirt from tallgiraffe. i don't really wear skirts (i prefer dresses -- i is lazy) so this'll be fun!

AND! through alchemy (which i think i am going to abandon for the time being, due to the disorganization and craziness ensuing there at the moment) i have enlisted the aid of two fantastical seamstresses to make me a winter dress (by neurasthenia) and a rockabilly dress (by cherrypievintage). EXCITED.

naturally, i am now considering buying myself a sewing machine and experimenting at home! i've been dabbling and done a bit of work in school, so i'm kind of excited at the prospect :D i may also get a serger, because i'm not really sure how to finish edges without one! darn costume class, spoiling me rotten.

but never fear, i have not abandoned bookbinding! i have one book (black pages, whee!) in the works, and i plan on picking up supplies next week in st. louis and kansas city and teach myself how to do exposed bindings and such! hurray!

yes, my bank account hates me. damn you, crafting addiction!

charity, 1/3 the way through!

the charity drive for h.e.l.p. international is about a third of the way through! hurray!

we've made $146.50 so far, which is fantastic! but there are still lovely books out there that need homes, including my natural leaf book :)

check out this search for more books that are being donated to charity!

for more information, check out the bookbinding team's blog.

slow slow times!

in the past couple months, i believe i've made a grand total of 2 books and 2 sets of earrings for my shop. that makes me sad. :(

so today, i went to michael's and got myself (with a gift card, woot... hooray for free!) a pretty little screw punch!



i'm hoping to use this to make exposed binding books and the like :) part of my experimentation for the year! i'd like to start with the secret belgian binding, following this tutorial. it doesn't look too awful difficult! :D

i'd also like a better awl and a larger self-healing mat, but those may need to wait for the moment. same for my jewelry tools, they're lookin a little shabby, so i think i need to upgrade my cutters at least. i've heard lindstrom is the best, but they're a tad pricey... not too bad, but i'll think about it for a bit! ;)

Seller of the Month: purposedesign

Julie - Montreal - Canada



WHO (Your name, general description, any random bit of info about yourself, a vague sentence):

My name is Julie Pedersen, I am the brains (and brawn) behind purpose design. I run things out of my design lab in Montreal, Quebec. I have been designing homewares for about 4 years now.

WHAT (Tell us about your shop, the items you make):

The products I sell are mostly kitchen-related, magnetic spice racks, spice kits and the like. I am kind of a foodie, so designing food-related things is very satisfying for my inner chef.

WHERE (Why do you sell on Etsy?):

Well, I really wanted to start selling my work online. I painstakingly designed a web site in the summer of 2006 that no one ever visited (but me) and I thought, there's got to be a better way to get my stuff out there! Then I saw an article about Etsy in one of my fave magazines, Dwell. The rest is history, baby.

WHEN (When did you start making handmade items? When did you start selling on Etsy? Any tips for current/future sellers?):

I started making handmade items when I was becoming very tired of being an art director in advertising. It was an outlet for me to create what I thought was cool.

As for the type of products I make, that goes back to a downtown apartment I lived in with a VERY small kitchen (read closet). I had to be creative with storage, so I made a magnetized spice rack for myself because I was tired of spices raining down on me when I opened my overflowing kitchen cabinets. Friends suggested that I try to sell them to other space-challenged individuals, so I gave it a try.

I've had a great experience on Etsy and a good reaction to my products I think because they are very different from a lot of what is being sold there. I think that having an interesting product that sets you apart is a common theme to many other seller's success on Etsy. So I guess my advice is to create something fresh and interesting and people will find you and love you for it. And always try to be a nice person.

WHY (Go on, free self-promotion time! Why should people buy from your shop?):

I am currently designing a line of blackboard homewares, an area that I have experimented with before. I have magnetic blackboard coasters up in my Etsy shop now that are getting a great response. (you should go take a look, wink, wink)
I am REALLY excited to get the rest of my new line up for sale on Etsy soon.

I am also dreaming of designing a kids line sometime later this year, or maybe next year, I'm a busy girl.

FUN (Whatever you feel like talking about. A favorite shop or item on Etsy, a website you think others should look at, why butterflies and toe socks should rule the world):

I love indie design and support it with all my heart because design is SO important in my life. All big, fantastic, life-altering design starts with one person with an idea. It's humbling when you think about it.

I still find it amazing that I can create things and put them out there in the world and other people want to hold them and look at them and own them. That's one of the best parts of my creative process. I find that totally cool and gratifying.

Aaaand…RANDOM QUESTION! If you could have a wild animal for a pet, what kind would you have?

Um, something that would scare away the squirrels and pigeons that are living in my roof. A cougar? An elephant? Of course, then I would have a cougar or elephant to deal with...

Featured Items

best charity event

the bookbinding etsy street team is hosting a charity event, with proceeds from donated books being sent to the h.e.l.p. international foundation to support the cause of global literacy!

here is the book i have chosen:


i felt the adventurous nature of this book somehow fit :)

you can read more about the charity event and check out the other books that have been donated on the best blog.

Seller of the Month: Ottoman

Summer - Oregon - USA



WHO (Your name, general description, any random bit of info about yourself, a vague sentence):

My name is Summer (yet, I usually go by Ottoman) and I have a BFA in Sculpture and Printmaking. Crafting has been my way to be creative, yet be a mom.

WHAT (Tell us about your shop, the items you make):

I opened my shop with the Moss Collection, items that have been needle felted to look like moss. I really tried to push the moss idea in as many ways possible, which includes: pincushions, sachets (most of which can be used as pincushions), accessories, jewelery, and housewares. I will also be debuting my new Cork Collection this week which is very exciting!

WHERE (Why do you sell on Etsy?):

What attracted me to Etsy is that it is visually stunning and clean-lined, I opened my own shop as a creative outlet and to start my own business without overhead. It's also wonderful to be associated with a website that promotes handmade items.

WHEN (When did you start making handmade items? When did you start selling on Etsy? Any tips for current/future sellers?):

I started making handmade items as a child, but in regard to crafting, I just recently started this adventure; prior to crafting, I concentrated on fine art. I started selling on Etsy in October of 2007. I'm pretty new to Etsy, but my tip for current/future sellers is to make what you love!

FUN (Whatever you feel like talking about. A favorite shop or item on Etsy, a website you think others should look at, why butterflies and toe socks should rule the world):

I have so many favorites on Etsy! I tend to be drawn toward work that has a lot of thought behind it, similar to conceptual art; I also love things with clean lines, and work that has been made with sensitivity to the environment...oh, and I do like kitcsh.

Aaaand…RANDOM QUESTION! Would you rather live in Antarctica or the Sahara?

I guess the Sahara; I think I would have a better chance at survival.

Featured Items