Business Card Cases in Leather

If you read my Wednesday Worktable post, you'll have seen In Progress photos of some Business Card holders I was making, from pieces of leather: 

I had cut out the leather and embossed a design onto each one.  Two were painted, one in gold and the other in silver. 

I also had various pieces of decorative paper on the table, that were suitable for lining the cases.  

They are now finished! 

Grey-beige, soft leather case, with silver-painted embossed design and blue lokta paper lining. 

Light grey, smooth leather case, with gold-painted embossed design and lined with teal lokta paper. 

Smooth red leather case, with blind-embossed design.  Lined with floral patterned Italian paper.  

This red case sold immediately, to the lovely lady who had originally persuaded me to make some more of these.  She'd asked to see the case I had made for myself, when I mentioned it on Facebook: 

This is my case, in soft black leather, with an embossed design, which I decorated in gold leaf.  The gold-leafing was really tricky and I'm still learning how to do this successfully.  The method I'm using doesn't require heating tools, but it still needs a lot of care.  I'm practising, but not yet quite good enough to make items for sale.  I'll get there though!  

Meanwhile, I'm quite pleased with my case and it was a good learning exercise.  For a start, this case doesn't hold enough cards, so I modified the design so that the new ones will take up to twenty cards.  I also changed the position of the flaps, so they are now positioned in the centre, instead of at the end.  

So now I have two cases for sale - just in case anyone would like one!  Of course, I could be persuaded to take a commission.  I do have other leather pieces in stock! 

National Stationery Week - Prizes, Prizes - Who Won the Prizes?

Okay, so here are the Results of the Prize Draw for National Stationery Week!

Last weekend I posted that the week was called National Stationery Week - goodness knows who decided this, but it seemed to be widely accepted as true... so who am I to object?

And, as I Make Stationery (after all, what are books - especially notebooks & journals?), it seemed only right to have a small celebration of this event.  So, I offered three little prizes - each one a different notebook, each with Kraft card covers and presented in its own little kraft envelope.

Kraft notebooks in envelopes.

 

Prize #1 - a "Red Line" Notebook - cream paper in a kraft card cover, stitched with a fine red linen thread. 

Prize #2 - Rainbow Notebook - a kraft card cover, with a rainbow of text paper inside

Prize #3 - Pastel Rainbow Notebook - a kraft card cover, filled with multi colours of pastel paper

 

* * *

 

Of course, you'll want to know who won the prizes?  Well, alright... I'm late with the draw anyway, so now it's high time I got on with it!

I used the "True Random Number Generator" at website Random.Org (if you're wondering about this, there's an explanation at the top of the home page.  They also offer various facilities for recorded prize drawings, plus things like coin-flipper, card-shuffler,  dice roller etc... Very handy).

 

There were 38 entries in the blog comments, so I wrote all the names out in the order the comments were left, numbered them in order and drew three numbers between 1 - 38.

 

* * *

 

PRIZE #1 - Red Line Notebook

The first draw was Number 3 - This was JULES (of JuJu and Bubba fame... see her blog here, or her Facebook page here

 

PRIZE #2 - Rainbow Notebook

Second was Number 28 - BEARSFOOTPRINTS - her blog is here and her Facebook page here

 

PRIZE #3 - Pastel Rainbow Notebook

And Third was Number 18 - Maria Ontiveros (better known to us as RINDA!) - find her blog over here

 

 * * *

 

So, Congratulations to the three prize winners; Commiserations to all the unsuccessful entrants - but I would like you to know that I really appreciated you all joining in and the very nice comments that many of you left for me. 

 

I will try to contact each of the winners, but if you see your name here on the prize list, it would be good if you'd contact me, either by e-mail (lizziemade at aol dot com) or a message on Facebook (Liz Gillum is my personal profile).  I'll need your address, so I can post your prize - which I hope to do in the next couple of days.

 

Thanks All!

 

* * *

National Stationery Week - Prizes, prizes, we must have prizes!

This week is "National Stationery Week" - or so I am reliably informed, by at least two of my Facebook friends. 

And, what do I make?
Books.
Which are Stationery of course!

Sooo, in honour of the occasion, I thought a little Giveaway is in order!

* * *

Three nice little prizes - one of each:

One of my Kraft-covered "Moleskine" style notebooks, in its own little envelope...

 

#1: A "Red Line" pocket notebook size 6"x4", filled with cream paper & bound with red linen thread.

#2: A Rainbow pocket notebook, also 6"x4", filled with a rainbow of coloured text-weight paper.

Like this, see?

#3: Pastel Rainbow notebook - the same idea, but filled with pastel rainbow paper.

And, because I'm very nice, I will add a little shaped label to your book, in whichever position you choose - just like those above!

 

* * *

 

Are you In?  Would you like one of these notebooks? 

 

If so, please leave a comment on this blog post, to let me know you want to be in the draw. 

 

I'll draw three names at random, at the end of this week (sometime on Saturday evening, I hope), then I'll post the results for you to see.

 

Good Luck!

 

* * *

 

PS. Just adding a footnote, to say that the prize draw is open to Everyone, irrespective of location.  I don't mind posting a small book to any place that my blog friends are in the world!

Three More Books

I have a lot of books on my Commissions List just now.  It's good news really, though I'm having to keep myself organised, so I get it all done (those who have known me for a while, will know that organisation doesn't come easily to me, nor am I a particularly speedy worker... hmmm..).

This week, I've completed 3 more books (one of which I posted an In Progress photo last week). 

This - a ten-needle Coptic Binding - became...

this Wedding Guest Book, for Maria and Bruce.

This is the completed binding.  I think it looks good!

The cover images kind-of continue across the back and front pages. 

The Coptic binding allows the book to open out flat all the way through - you can see that the stitching forms a sort-of "hinge" on the bound edge.

I made a special label for the inside of the book.  The coloured section-wraps are cut with my new Martha Stewart edge punch. I thought it would be lovely for wedding books!

* * *

Yesterday, I finished this Japanese stab-stitch Photo Album, for Sarah.  She saw one I made last summer (posted on Facebook) and asked for a similar album, as a gift for her grandparents.

It has 15 pages of white stiff card, with spacers included, to prevent the photos making the book bulge.

A detail of the binding, made with a grape-purple waxed linen. 

You can also see the spacers and the gaps between the pages.

 

I used some threads from a piece of the silk, to make a hand-tied matching tassel.  It's tied with gold thread, to match the printed design on the paper. 

Sarah has seen the photos I posted on Facebook.  She says she loves the book, so it will soon be on its way to her!

* * *

This is a Coptic-bound book, that I completed today. 

It's a Comments book, for a lady I know, who runs a stall at craft fairs and farmers' markets, selling her excellent herbal-based remedies, soaps and skin-care products.  Her name is Melanie. 

I took a selection of papers to her, just before Christmas, and she chose this "Bird and Nest" paper, by Cavallini.  I made up some covers -  a pair of hinged covers, for a stab-stitch binding and this pair, for a coptic binding.  She chose the coptic binding, so she could have more pages.  I then added the silk edges, to enhance the binding.

The back cover has more birds on (though the silk has covered a bird's head).  It's not a very large book, so the big designs have been rather chopped up, but I think it still looks nice. 

Melanie wants a label for the book. 

I have taken a number of shots for her, with various label ideas.  This is one, for the inside of the book, with an oval label mounted on a piece of silk, to match the covers.

Really though, I think the front cover makes far more sense, and looks much more balanced, with a label mounted under the medallion with the big bird in it.  I hope this is the option she likes, as it's definitely my favourite idea.

I'm waiting for her to see the photos I posted on Facebook (it's so useful to be able to post an album full of photos on my Facebook Page, then send someone a link to it!), then for her decision on a label.  Then this will soon be displayed - and I hope, used - on her table, at various fairs and markets!

* * *

That's the three books I've completed in the past week.  I still have plenty to do; also I want to make a number of books for my shop, as Stock items, that are ready to send out immediately.   Tomorrow I must go "paper shopping", then get back to work! 

Facebook Sales

I have made my first sales directly through Facebook.  I decided to have a go at this, so set up a Photo Album, with pictures of ready-made books for sale.  I don't think I really publicised it enough - you need to keep flagging things on FB, as everyone's homepage shows lists of all their "Likes" or "Friends" comments and items, which change all the time.

However, I had a request from another crafter, The Pink Fairycake, to make her a Cup Cake Notebook.  I made this:

Cupcake Journal, A4 size, with plain pages and decorated covers. 

The patterned papers wrap round onto the back cover.  It has a wrap-round ribbon fastener, with a vintage button.  There is a decorative pink tassel on the spine.

It has decorative end-papers, to match the cover trims, plus a pink ribbon book-mark, with a yellow tassel.

The customer was very pleased with this - as was I.  I think it turned out really quite nice!

Following on from this, another Facebook person has asked me to make a similar special book, as a gift for her friend, a musician.  She wanted something for her to write lyrics in and liked the cover of this 6" square scrapbook:

She didn't want a square book, but one that was A5 size, like the cupcake book.  It was to have lined pages and her friend likes green. So I came up with this:

Musician's Notebook, with decorative panel on front cover.

The cover is stiff black card, with a wrap-round panel of apple green art paper.  There is a metal button, with wrap-round pale green ribbon to fasten the book.  It has lined pages - it is very difficult to find A4-width lined sheets, so I cannibalised some exercise books. There are just under 150 pages altogether, so I think the owner will be able to write plenty of her lyrics in this book.

The customer says she likes it and I'm just waiting for her payment to go through, so I can trot off to the Post Office again! 

I'm learning how to flag my stuff on Facebook, so I hope my new Photo Album of Christmassy stuff will begin to get a bit of attention - I might make some more sales!

Odd Sox Rox - Totally!

Hello Blog Friends,  sorry I've been away for a while. I have been pretty busy, but also had one of those blog-breaks that happen from time to time... No lack of material, but a definite lack of inspiration!

But here I am, back again, like the provervial Bad Penny!

To tell you about an Event that Happened this morning.

For a bit of background...  You may not know, but I have a Page on Facebook - called, funnily enough, "LizzieMade" (you can find it here, if you fancy a look - feel free to "Like" my page, it will make me smile anyway!) .  Sooooo.... Anyways, I follow a number of other folks' Pages from my own, including a lot of artists and crafty folks, who make fab and wonderful stuff.  A few times, I have bought something from one or two of these people - either from their shops on Etsy, Folksy or BigCartel etc, or direct through their Facebook Page. 

One of these people is Louise, proprietor of Odd Sox Rox, maker of  "Original stuff made from socks."  - she has a shop here. 

Odd Sox is not the place to find a cute sock bunny (though, as you will see, Cute does occasionally happen there).  You won't find a monkey or a giraffe, elephant or bear... But she makes and sells the fabbiest Sock Creatures in the whole world, so it doesn't matter if the traditional toys are not featured!

So, to return to This Morning:

The doorbell rang and the Post Lady was there, with two dark pink parcels for me.  Cue happy dancing, as I had forgotten!

Once I had (nicely!) got rid of the post lady, I hurried to open them and then to find my camera, to record the Event:

What was Inside the packages...

This adorably cute little person, is a Bug.  She is my very own - I chose her from a basketful - and she is the Best Bug in the Basket.   See the note on the back of that postcard in the previous picture?  That shows how Important my Bug is.

She has cute little Buggy Wings....

...and a little heart-shaped pocket, just right for tucking a note inside - or holding a folded-over notice like the one above.

That was the first parcel.  There were also some very nice cards, with envelopes, as I had paid for two lots of postage (2 orders on the same day), but Louise felt I should have only paid for one; so she sent me a pressie (or two... wait and see!)

Parcel Two

First of all, out fell this sweet little heart.  He says his name is Clive - who am I to argue? Welcome Clive, to your new home!

Then this Person! 

This is a Grump.  You can tell because he looks like one.  He is a Grump and Proud of it!

I don't know his name - he doesn't seem to have one.  DS will help him to choose one later.

The trouble with being a Grump, is that grumpiness is your natural state.  But, hey! I know other people who don't like having their photo taken (in fact, I have an excellent photo somewhere, of my mum and grandma, at my sister's wedding... point a camera at them, and they immediately began to look as if it was a funeral, rather than a wedding - yet they were all smiles before and afterwards. Hey-ho! )

So, anyway, grumpy being his version of Normal, this Grump found it hard to pose for a photo shoot.

He did try - I'm sure he did...

I thought it was time to introduce the new members of the household to the Studio and its other inhabitants.  I started with Zombie Monkey.  He's been a bit lonely the past week, because all his friends - Bella, Elvis the Teddy-Bear, Apres-Ski Bunny, White Bichon Puppy and Doggy - are at Tudor Rose (the sewing shop), being "models" for my Sock Creatures workshop day in January.  They are supposed to look cute and drum up trade.  Zombie Monkey isn't good at being cute.  Besides, he had work to do last night, so I couldn't let him go away. 

I thought they would like to meet each other.

In spite of the challenges he faces, Zombie Monkey is primarily a kind and friendly creature.  He doesn't like to see anyone else feeling sad.  He tried a kind word or two, a friendly gesture.

Mixed results, I think.  Our Grump didn't run away, but he seemed a bit bemused. 

I introduced him to the Shelf, where Zombie Monkey lives and works. 

You can see that Zombie Monkey is doing his best to be welcoming.

The Grump seemed less unhappy after being reunited with Clive.

The meeting between Zombie Monkey and Bug was more successful. I think they like each other.  Bug just needs to be loved - and Zombie Monkey does his best to be kind to those smaller than himself.

I think, in time, they will all settle down happily together... 

Thank you to the wonderful Odd Sox Rox, for my fab new Sock Things!