I’ve put together some stamping kits for my stand at KUKI which include one of my Town House stamps. I decided I’d better make a few samples to go with the card kits so that’s what I spent this morning doing. It was quite nice actually to simply do a bit bit of colouring in, I can’t remember the last time I did that.
This is what the front of the instruction sheet looks like.
I laid everything out yesterday and mocked up my table. It doesn’t look much here but I’m hoping on the day I can make it look better.
I have a couple of ideas to make it look better on Sunday as I’m very aware it has to look good from outside the tent to entice people in.
Anyway, once I’d taken a few photos I packed it all up again ready.
I’ll tell you next week how it went. I think the only thing worrying me at the moment is the weather.
I know one thing you really shouldn’t do is start a blog post with, ‘it’s been a while since I blogged’ but really…it’s been a while!! Truth is I’m juggling with getting ready for the Summer art fairs, being with the family and as the weather is now perfect – gardening like a mad woman. The warm weather makes me, a) want to rush outside with my sketchbook and draw everything in sight, b) keep on top of the weeding and c), yes there’s a c, just keep the back door open to let the warm sunshine in as I cut a few more books to put on my stand. What a whirl!
Over the past couple of weeks I’ve done all of the above and more so I think I’m in a happy place right now. I think my stand at KUKI will look pretty good, not bursting at the seams but who wants that any how? I want it to look cohesive, bright and smart. I keep forgetting that the next one is only a week later so I need to keep creating books and cards whenever I can.
One of the things I’ve been working on recently was a bunch of scrapbooks. Honestly, when I rediscovered them I was prepared to pull them to pieces and start all over again. Actually I should rewind a bit here. I made these books a few years ago for one of the last art fairs I attended before ‘Rona’ and as they were the last few which hadn’t sold they sat on the shelf doing nothing. Fast forward a couple of years and the way I make these type of books has changed so they were bugging the heck out of me. I mentioned this to a friend who told me basically I was totally over thinking the whole thing (which I tend to do) and suggested a small but fairly obvious change which made all the difference. So much so that I added a couple more scrapbooks to the pile and now love them. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.
I think it’s easy to over think things and as I had been looking at these books so often and for so long I had become far too critical and would spot small niggling things which no one else would even notice. That’s why it’s good to step away occasionally, take some time out then come back with a fresh eye or better still get a good friend to give you some advice. They’ll see things you can’t!
It’s now the last week until KUKI and I’m getting down my to-do list so it’s all good. This week will be table mock-up, labels and packaging. At this point I’m not stressed but then maybe I should be? Oh now I’m stressed about not being stressed!! Just kidding, it’s all good.
I’ll post a picture of my table mock-up when I’ve done it and I’ll compare it with the actual table later on just for a laugh!
It’s been a loooooong time since I did a Coptic stitch binding. I’d almost forgotten how to do it but I guess it’s like riding a bike, once you get on and get going it comes naturally. This is what I spent most of last week doing – no not riding a bike, coptic stitch binding. I’m very proud of myself for keeping the stitching so neat. I think the secret to that success is using a waxed thread. I used to use plain embroidery thread which looked pretty but was such a pain as it kept getting tangled. It goes to show it’s worth using the right tools.
I’ve used sketchbook paper once again for the pages and pretty paper to cover. They’re A6 in size so nice to carry around whether that’s on holiday or in the garden.
I think this image of the signatures inside the covers looks like an ice-cream sandwich. It made me smile.
The coptic bindings make them look so pretty as well as being very tactile to hold. While I was in the groove I made a few more.
They’re all listed in my shop now and I’ll be making a few to go to KUKI later on this Spring.
As I stand here cutting paper and sewing books for KUKI I’m reminded of the last time I was preparing for the KUKI festival which was three years ago I think. I cannot believe the change in just a few years in my approach to making these notebooks. Looking at some of the books I made back then, frankly I’m embarrassed. My slap-dash way of measuring and cutting was shocking! In fact I’ll go as far as to say it wasn’t in my nature to quibble over the millimetres. I would even suggest to the participants at my workshops to ‘wing it’ most of the time and I’d mock anyone who spent longer than a couple of seconds calculating exactly how many millimetres to measure with their sharp HB pencil. After making accordion books and discovering the need to have deadly accuracy if you want the pages to look perfect and the covers to open properly, I find myself measuring twice before cutting just to make sure and testing paper grain. All alien concepts in my past life.
Sharp blade needed
I’ve even marked on my cutter the mm difference because I’ve discovered not all rulers are the same.
I can tell you right here and now that my HB pencil is sharp, my cutting blade is regularly changed and my metal ruler is always on the table. There’ll be no slacking with these books.
Notebooks
I’ll crack on sewing until I have a nice little stack.
Have a good weekend and I’ll see you here next week.
