New Notebooks

Now that I'm back from my lovely holiday in Marseille, I'm getting back into work mode now that I've recovered from delayed flights from Paris. I've been busy this week. Sorting out my schedule for the next few weeks for my own work and doing voluntary work (met my new match). A flat tyre that needed replaced and a leak from the flat upstairs again, not a bad one this time though. I've got some courses to do. A Pitman's social media course which includes an exam, a couple of webinars to catch up on about marketing on Twitter and a couple of networking meetups. There are also the Business Gateway courses that I need to go to, but not yet. I want to go out and have a few coffees too.

I finished the last (for a while anyway) of my coptic bound A6 dark tree notebooks and have put them on Etsy.  I use 120gsm white paper in all my books now (an exception will be the cigar book that I need to start) as I find it's good to work with and doesn't bleed with ink. I hate that some of the well known notebooks on the market have reduced the quality of their paper, one of the reasons that I started making my own books.

I'm starting a new series of A7 size notebooks (even though I have a "to do" list of books to make). The first is a commission with a monogram. It's will be in blue with black lettering. The spine is being done in shades of blue with a black cross stitched spine. I'll upload a photo when it's finished. I have an idea for displaying the smaller books. I can probably just do it, but I think I might go along to my favourite bindery to get a hands on box-making course instead of the hand tooling course that I was going to book on to.

I've got the blank A6 cards that I'd ordered to make the business xmas cards to send to clients. I had a trial print, but decided that they really need an insert for the text, so I've ordered some. I need to get on and do the needle felting for the front of the card, the inside and the back texts are ready to go.

Talk soon
Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Business Gateway - Edinburgh

I attended a Business Gateway (absolutely free) course about networking a few nights ago at the City of Edinburgh Council HQ. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a speed networking event. One half of the delegates stayed at the seats they were in and the other half moved around from person to person for a timed mini meeting. It was great for me, as I'm really quite shy, not that good at making conversation, so I could just sit and people came to me. I found that I really enjoyed talking about my work. They say it's not really work, if it's something that you love doing, I must say, it's really true.

Business Gateway is a Government organisation where you can get free practical help, advice and support for your new or growing business in Scotland. They had loads of great free workshops about all aspects of getting a business going, such as finance, SEO, marketing, etc.

I met a lot of lovely people, who had started up a new business. There were all sorts of business and it was great to hear their stories of why they were starting up and how they were going about doing it. There were a few web designers, a piano teacher, a personal trainer who goes to the homes of new mothers to help them get back on track and a lovely charted accountant from Bolland & Burke in Edinburgh who helps people in small businesses get through the more of business finance.

Business Gateway in Edinburgh have loads of free courses that anyone can attend and believe me, they are really worth it. I intend going to all of them, even if I get one piece of information I can use in my business or even personally, it was was going to. Keep up the good work guys.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

New Improved Website Launched

The new and much improved website created for me by Marco Argentina is now up and running. The problems with my website for the past few days has now been fixed (thank you Mr Hosting Company). While it was down, I thought it would be a great time to upload the new version, so that when the site appeared again, it would be all sparkling new.

I've been making some books and started the Spirals' abstract series. It's Coptic bound and in the lower prices range which starts at £14.00 for the A7 size (this one is an A6).

I have a commission ongoing. I've done the book block and I'll start cutting the boards and covering paper this week. I'm looking forward to seeing it completed, should look great.

Go a few things on this week, including 2 courses (one is online which is great), a Sci-fi book group and I'll go and see the Mary, Queen of Scots exhibition at the museum either this week or next, I'll see how things pan out.

Heading off to Marseille soon with Ricardo. Really can't wait. Lovely weather, beautiful sights and wonderful food and wine and some Ricard of course. Planning to buy some Savon de Marseille, lavender oil and some herbes des Provence.

Talk soon
Love & hugs
Angela xxx

New Website Launching Soon

My new website will be launching soon with many thanks to Marco Argentina. The current site was a quick pop-up done in one night, just to get me to the business launch date. Marco has taken the things I like about the site & blog and made a new template for me. It's brilliant. Websites must be able to evolve as the business grows, so this is version 2. A tutor recently said that eventually you don't even know the version number. As I'm quite a restless person, it won't be too long until I reach this point.

Went to Pitman Training today to sign up for a business social media course, I'm getting it on an ILA account, which is great. Didn't realise there was an exam at the end of it. I can do the course online at home, it will take 6 hours I think and I have a month to do it. Sounds good.

BTW. I've sold some books, so I'm a happy puppy.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

New Toy

Ordered a new toy today, it's probably only something that would excite me though. A heavy duty guillotine. It cuts through 400 sheet of paper and it's something I really need for McLean Book Arts. My book blocks will now be perfect. I've been cutting the paper with a knife up til now, still looked good though. It should arrive next week, so I'll save cutting any more paper until then.

It's only a couple of weeks until I launch, so I'm going to be very busy getting things ready. I have about 5 x 1 day courses to attend after that, and I also have a training course with Pitman Training, so really, September is going to be hectic.

The Etsy Edinburgh Crafters Team are going to have a few things going on as well. The Captain is Vicky and her Etsy page is Science Coming To Town . Vicki makes gorgeous xmas cards and decorations and her sets of chromosome ornaments are totally fab. Check out her site before they are all snapped up.

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Bookbinding Course

On Saturday morning, I got the train to Partick to attend another bookbinding course at Downie Allison Downie. It was a great day, made 2 heavy A4 ledger type books. It was an experience working with the larger notebooks, A5 is the biggest I've dealt with. The day went so fast, that we were all pretty surprised when someone told us it was 4:30. we thought it was only about 2:30. John is a pretty patient guy, which is probably just as well. He gets bombarded with questions at every class.

I've now got a drill stand to do Japanese Stab Bindings, yay. John was kind enough to let me have a couple of drill bits (I didn't have any the right size). The next thing I have to buy is a pedestal for under my desk for storage and then a guillotine, I think. This all may change on pay day in a few weeks.

On Saturday, I'm looking forward to having a shopping day at Hobbycraft with the Etsy Crafters Team. I'm looking for some 3mm greyboard, they usually only have 2.5mm. There is an empty space on the rack for 3mm, so I'm going to ask them about it this time. After that we are going for a nice relaxing coffee to talk about what we bought and what we are going to do with it. They are a lovely bunch of people. The next outing will be to the Scrapstore in Musselburgh, though the opening hours may prohibit some people from going.

Today I'm meeting my amazing Mentor for a coffee. I'll take along the stuff I've made since our last meeting and she'll get a little surprise too.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Trip to Ikea

We had a trip to Ikea today to get a desk and chair for my studio/spare room. Got a great desk, the right size, along with a matching bookcase for £50, yay. The chair is great too, it's a lovely green one on wheels. We put the desk and chair together when we got home and we'll get around to the bookcase another day. I can now get all my tools and supplies sorted out in a permanent home.

I bought an online course yesterday, it will help me with my technique with the decorative parts of my bookbinding. It will be really quite unusual and it will add another string to my golden bow.

Off to sort some paper out.

Talk soon

love & hugs
Angela
xxx

Courses

I've just booked another bookbinding course with a bindery in Partick called Downie Allison Downie (aka DAD) for July. I'm really looking forward to it. A Saturday at the bindery is really relaxed and there is no pressure. I left with 4 lovely books and I was delighted. These guys are highly recommended. I've planned to do at least 4 of the courses this year. I love the machines they have, I could play there all day.

I also need to get a more advanced needle felting course. I've found one on Etsy that looks great. Making the little mice will let me practice the techniques I need to make my own creations. I'll buy it next month.


This is a case bound book, again, done at the course. It has been personalised with my initials. Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela
xxx