Meet Peter/Paul, Louis & James

Three new lines of journals have been christened and added to the etsy shop today. I once knew a wonderful Irene, however, after this weekend's run-in with the storm, I'm sorry to say that name will never grace one of my journals. So, let me introduce you to the new additions that have been added.
Meet "Peter, Paul and Pocket": a pocket sized (in numerous colors) journal with its own pocket that can stash your metro card, coffee money or any other small necessities for your day. A great little piece to keep you collected and organized. http://www.etsy.com/listing/80606842/blank-leather-journal-with-exterior

See the full gallery on Posterous

Next in the line up, "James", the rugged brother to the Gloria. Cut from a hide that has been distressed, this leather is not for the faint of heart. You may get your vampire on and find yourself feeling drawn to sink your teeth into this journal with its rich, thick, savory scent. Stylish, light and functional, these handy journals/mini sketchbooks are suited for every urban cowhand. http://www.etsy.com/listing/80601134/brown-leather-journal-blank-pocket-sized...

See the full gallery on Posterous

And last but not least, named after a clever renaissance man, the "Louis."  "The Louis" is a journal for the true renaissance individual. Record notes for your next play, invention or simply the grocery list. Cut from a rich, rough and tumbled leather cowhide, one sniff makes you feel the urge to start gnawing on the edges of this notebook. Please don't, it's not waterproofed.
Featuring two signatures (sewn sections) of 60 pages each, 120 all together (or 240 if you count front to back). The pages are ruled with a light blue to keep you in line (no margin), and features a slightly embossed line, for tactile enjoyment. For all you multi-taskers: the two signature design allows you to work in two portions of the journal at the same time, while still keeping your topics or projects clearly organized. Also handy, is the fact that you can fold the journal back on itself to make it easy for taking notes in small elbow spaces. The design also allows the book to lie completely flat when opened.
A hand-stitched lace wraps around the cover and tucks neatly under itself to keep your pages safe and secure.http://www.etsy.com/listing/80602300/leather-journal-lined-cedar-red-brown

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All available for order AND customization at www.thedelicateutility.etsy.com

Sharing the Love

This has been a busy week of promotion at The Delicate Utility. On Sunday, the green suede, 'Gloria II' journal was featured in an Etsy.com e-mail (the website my online shop is on, in their Gifts for Her Section). There were lots and lots of visitors who came by to check things out which was exciting. Then, yesterday afternoon Sydney Francis from the Craftzine blog highlighted my journals in her post. There's been lots of helpful publicity which, as a new shop, means the world. Please keep spreading the word and check out the shop as I add new items. Keep an eye out for the 'Louis' journal which will be making its debut in the next few weeks!

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/08/handmade_inspiration_journals.htm

http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&id=fs09s3gzw1y5ull&t=6

Featuring, and curating images of other people's work overall is pretty fun. So, in the spirit of 'sharing the love' and giving a shout out, here are a few treasuries of items from Etsy that I put together. Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTMwMTYwODl8NTU4NzgzMjYx/amber-swirls-and-falling-leaves?index=1

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTMwMTYwODl8NTg4MzYyNTE2/mums-the-word?index=0

 

 

 

 

 

Fever & Sale

Fever

For the last month I think I've had Esty fever. There is certainly a thrill that I experience every time I see the traffic in the shop rising and a small dose of euphoria when I see that I've made a sale. I suppose much of this is experienced by every new shop owner, but it doesn't make it any less exciting. Yesterday I found myself flabbergasted when looking at the stats for the shop. One of my items, the Gloria II (see below, on the top left), journal was included in an "etsy finds" daily newsletter and it sent the visits to my shop and that particular listing through the roof! Here's a capture of the finds-

Click the link to see all of the item picks: http://bron.to/fs09s3gzw5nyull

What's With The Reproductions?

Joining Etsy has definitely forced me to dust off the cobwebs on the business side of my brain. It's also forced me to think pretty hard about what buyers really want and... what they will really buy. Wearing that hat of artist and business woman does not always make for a comfortable fit. How do I make work that I care about, and can be enthusiastic about sharing while at the same time thinking about who will want to bring it into their home, and in what form? That's not rhetorical... if you have some good answers and suggestions make sure to leave a comment!

One way I'm trying to be "business wise" is to look for ways to produce beautiful images while conserving time and energy as best as possible. My first attempt at this is through giclee prints. Giclee prints (pronounced 'zhee-klay) are high quality, archival reproduction prints of original artwork. They have a wonderful color saturation and last for generations to come (over 200 years). By making prints of my original artwork I'm able to offer them at a lower price, expand the audience that can appreciate them and not exhaust myself trying to make similar pieces over and over again.

I've included a few of my prints in the gallery. I'd be interested to hear what you all think on the idea of reproduction prints in general. Considering that most people have a poster from a museum, a set of gift cards or even a framed print of a famous painting I don't think they are taboo, but still I'd like to hear what everyone thinks.[[posterous-content:pid___0]]