Opening new shop

I've finally decided to move my shop from Etsy to Folksy. There isn't anything on it for sale yet, so I won't put the link on the site yet..

I'm going to try a different angle for the notebook covers. I've been on a few wet felting courses and really enjoyed it. I've got all the gear, including olive soap, all I need to do is get on with it.

Wet felting is great fun, it's like being a child and guddling (It is thought that the term applied to any mess involving water) with soap and water, getting everything soaked.

I'm also going to make some accessories as well, Keep an eye on the shop......

I'm going on an Exploring the Divine Feminine/Icon Painting workshop soon. A bit of meditation and a bit of painting a religious icon (I'm not really religious, but I love icons.)

Sold another notebook this week, so really happy.

Talk soon
Love & Hugs
Angela xxx

Pet Fostering

We have just started pet fostering and it is amazing. We have fostered a dog for a few weeks while her owner is unwell and unable to take care of her. Not many people seem to know about this service provided by a charity. The owner provides enough food (or cost of) for the duration along with the pets belongings and a carer will take care of them (the owner is also expected to cover any vet bills). This isn't a re-homing service, the pet goes back to the owner once the fostering period is over. The owner has no access to the foster carer, but can keep in touch via the area manager.

The dog we have at the moment is quite well trained and is no problem to have in the house or to take out for walks. She took to us very quickly and it's like having a dog of our own, albeit for a short while. It must be a relief for a person who is ill or going into hospital, to know that their pet is being well taken care of.

Maybe this is something that you or someone you know may like to do. Please look into it, there may be a similar service near you.

Talk soon

love & hugs
Angela xxx

PS: The wee dog has gone to a re-homing service as the owner couldn't take her back. I'm heartbroken that she can't go home and that we can't keep her. I'm sure that Dogs Trust will find her a forever home, because she deserves a lot of love and hugs.

PPS: Checked the Dogs Trust website. Candy has been reserved, yay. Hopefully the checks all go through and she will have a loving new home. So happy for her :)

29 March: Candy is no longer on the rehoming website, so my wee girl has her forever home.

Just waiting for our next foster pet.
Talk soon
Love & hugs
Angela xxx

My Filofax

Yes, even though I make notebooks, I still use a filofax. Weird, I know. I have an A5 size Domino in brown snake. It's ideal for planning my work week and making lists and notes for the notebook I am working on and ideas for the future.

At the front I have the diary. I create and print my own diary, On the left side is a week to a page with 3 lines making 4 spaces for writing. The right side is my notes side. It has a weekly tasks section, a calls section and a full length To Do list section. The To Do list can be split into various other section if needed. I find that this layout works really well for me and if I do change my mind, I can easily go into the laptop and change the format and print it off.

Next I have the admin section. This is where I make general notes about the business. Lists of craft fairs and what to take to them. Excerpts from meetings with contacts, the whys, wheres and whens (these come in very handy as reminders of discussions) and notes from any courses I've been on. I use my Moleskine cahiers to actually take the notes on. I also keep a timeline of everything I do concerning the business, like notebook specs, when I've submitted tax forms to HMRC, updated my Sage programme with purchases and sales, sent out brochures/ flyers and had contact with clients, etc.

There are small sections next. My Ideas section is just that. Anything that comes to mind, no matter how silly the idea, goes in here. Silly ideas can be adapted to great ideas later on when I'm in a different frame of mind. I also have drawings and photos of things I like that can become an inspiration for a new notebook. I have a section for website and blog. Domain and blog details are kept here, in case I forget. Then the finance section. Since most of the financial info is on my laptop, the notebook just has finance codes, etc. as a backup.

I really have to go through the Filofax again and reorganise it. I feel that I'm not getting the best use out of it. Need some ideas here

Do you have a business Filofax? Tell me about your layout.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx

Another Year

Well, that's me gearing up for work again after a nice break. Christmas and New Year were very good. We had a relaxing Christmas day, just the two of us. Duck was on the menu, cooked by my lovely husband. Boxing day was for family, we cooked venison. Hogmanay was spent at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society at The Vaults, with a lovely 3 course meal (steak pie) and a 30 year old cask strength malt for The Bells. A wonderful time was had.

My studio (aka the spare room) needs a clear out, so I moved a few things around and got some stuff ready for the charity shop. Unfortunately, it doesn't look any tidier. Maybe do some more tomorrow. My plan this year is to clear out everything I don't need or use. It's going to take a while, I have a lot of stuff to get rid off.

I'll be starting a new notebook this week, not sure what I'm going to do yet. Maybe a Japanese stab binding or maybe something else I have in mind. You'll just have to wait and see.

What design would you like to see on a notebook?
Leave a comment and I might give it a go.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela
xxx

Notebook clearance sale - up to 50% discount

McLean Book Arts sale starts today in my Etsy shop to clear out stock before adding my 2014 notebook series.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/McLeanBookArts

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (or whichever holiday you celebrate) and I hope those caught out with the severe weather problems can have a better time than they expect to.

Love & Hugs
Angela
xxx

Yet Another Notebook

My latest commission was a monogram notebook in damson and pink, which I've just this minute finished. It's for a good friend and I'm sure she'll like it. The monogram notebooks are becoming quite popular, probably customers looking for something personalised for Christmas.

My next notebook is going to have a celtic design on the cover and could be the start of a new series. I've not decided on the colours or the size yet, but I'll do that next week. This one I'll be putting on the website for sale.

After doing my voluntary work today, I had a lovely walk down the High Street today, haven't done that for years. Had a seat at a cafe and just watched people go by. Took a photo of John Knox's house, it's amazing that it's still in such good condition. I bought some Mehari's in the Robert Graham Cigar Shop, never been in before, they have a good selection. Dropped in on Sandra and Dee in the Wyrd Shop, it's been years since I've seen them, left some business cards there (many thanks S&D) and hopefully I might find some buyers for a couple of things I'd like to sell. After that I sat on a bench outside the Canongate Kirk and had one of my Mehari's, it was very nice, then got the bus home. It was an enjoyable day.

Talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx