Nothing Sketchy

Mum's High Tea Treats

2010-09-20T15:43:00.000+10:00

I spent a good part of Sunday drooling over all the goodies my mum made for a High Tea she was holding for her work friends. I had the all important job of taste testing everything - for quality control, of course. She's hoping to one day provide a High Tea service as a side project or small business in the future. Here are some of the yummy treats!

Pistachio and Raspberry Jelly Cakes

Smoked Salmon and Herb Sandwiches

Mum's friend brought these amazing cupcakes!

Almond Coffee Slice

Strawberry Powder Puffs

Crab and Spring Onion Mini Quiche

In Love With Letterpress

2010-08-31T15:26:00.000+10:00

I have a lot of respect for people who can print using letterpress. I tried my hand at it during an Advanced Typography course I took as part of my university degree, and let me tell you it is not easy! It is time-consuming and fiddly, and you need endless amounts of patience and attention to detail - however the results are absolutely stunning! Well, in my case they were, um...interesting, but the ones below are unbelievably classy!

{Bella Figura}

{Mika 78}

{The Dingbat's Agenda}

Shop Envy!

2010-08-24T12:21:00.000+10:00

{all images belong to Kate at Bendy St Emporium}

One of the great things about blogging and Twitter is discovering gems such as the Bendy St Emporium! Located in Canowindra NSW, Bendy St Emporium takes you back to a time when "when products were not mass produced, when quality and design were important and when brown paper packages were tied up with string." What a great concept!

This treasure trove is fitted in an a hundred year old shop front with stained glass windows and original shop fittings, and is home to a wide range of goodies such as soaps, jewelry, books and homewares.

I think it's time for a road trip!

The Sketchbook Project

2010-07-13T21:57:00.003+10:00

If you're the kind of person who loves to doodle in a sketchbook any chance they get, then this is the project for you. The Sketchbook Project is run by the Arthouse Co-op in the US. They send out thousands of blank Moleskine sketchbooks to people all over the world, who spend a couple of months drawing it in with different mediums, writing interesting quotes, pasting in bits and bobs, and generally making it look fantastic. The sketchbooks are then sent back and exhibited in galleries and museums around the US, and then finally end up in a permanent collection at the Brooklyn Art Library.

You can keep from a wide selection of themes to guide you in your sketches for example: 'Things found on restaurant napkins', 'Figuring you out', 'The view from up here' and 'I'm sorry I forgot you.' Each book is given a unique barcode so you can track how many times people have viewed your work!

This project sounds so intriguing, imagine the possibilities! I wish I had the time and drawing skills to participate, and the money to go see the exhibition in New York!

If you'd like to participate, head on over to their website! (Do it!)

What I've been up to...

2010-06-25T00:04:00.000+10:00

I've been terribly neglectful of the blog this month and I apologise. I've been consumed by my part-time job, making journals for my first market stall at Poppyseed Markets, fulfilling wholesale journal orders, applying for full time graphic design jobs, and various freelance design projects. But I'm pleased that I have several new journal covers to show off to you (and much more to come very soon)!

Yummy Paper Goods

2010-06-11T12:44:00.000+10:00

Two of my favourite things in the world are paper goods and food. Dessert especially! Etsy seller imeondesign has combined the two...catch me as I swoon. Each of the cake slices is a little box that you can put gifts or lollies into and is perfect for parties or bridal/baby showers.

A Ladybug's Picnic

Two Tiered Butterfly and Flower Paper Cake

Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Paper Cake with Blue Flowers

sammiabrie designs

2010-06-04T16:11:00.002+10:00

My level of squeeing rivaled that of a group of Twilight fan-girls seeing Taylor Lautner topless when a clutch purse that I ordered from sammiabrie designs arrived in the mail today! (My sister was NOT impressed.) Amie uses a large range of fun fabrics for purses designed for everyday use, and she also has a range of stylish evening clutches. The purse is hand made and the quality is fantastic. You can look through the various albums on her Facebook page an contact her if you want her to make one for you!

Market Stall Inspiration

2010-05-28T22:24:00.005+10:00

For the past few days I've been trawling through Flickr and through blogs looking for inspiration on how to display my journals at Poppyseed Markets. I was particularly drawn to these homely and inviting market stalls and was inspired by the creative use of space, including props, signage and price tags. And HOW CUTE are those mini suitcases!

{image by acoate}

{image by monkeyminddesign}

{image by priscilla at the locker}

Poppyseed Markets

2010-05-26T13:24:00.000+10:00

Nothing Sketchy is going to have a stall at the Poppyseed Markets on Sunday the 11th July! It will be held at:

St George PCYC
9 Ador Ave, Rockdale NSW

The Poppyseed Markets is a fairly recent venture - their first market was held last week and the July market will be their second - but it is already flourishing and gotten a wonderful response. The stalls specialise in "showcasing shabby, vintage, retro, chic looks which are affordable" and the majority are handmade/hand crafted goods.

I'm so excited to be a part of it - I've been visiting a few markets in Sydney for a bit a research to figure out which would be the most suitable for Nothing Sketchy, and the Poppyseed Markets is just perfect. I also can't wait to meet the other stallholders and just people who are passionate about crafty/handmade things in general!

Little Mo and Friends

2010-05-25T12:30:00.000+10:00

I discovered children's illustrator Little Mo & Friends through Twitter and instantly fell in love. Helena Tay is behind these beautifully detailed and fun illustrations which are inspired by her love of trees, bedtime stories and animals. And even better - she has her own stationery range featuring Mo and her cute furry woodland friends! You can buy her paper goods - which are all printed on 100% recycled paper using green printing processes - at her Etsy Store.

{Sourced from the Little Mo and Friends Gallery}

{Pinic Slumber Notebook}

{Garden Friends Banner}

{Bear, Mo and Teddy Stickers}

All images are copyright to Helena Tay.

Little Paper Lane

2010-05-21T16:38:00.000+10:00

A new paper boutique has just opened up in Mona Vale, Sydney - Little Paper Lane. They stock "beautiful products from around the world and from our very own backyard! We stock, notebooks, wrapping paper, ribbon, gift cards, invitations, and lots of little gifts!"

I haven't had a chance to visit yet, but the store looks fantastic in the photos! Like a cosy little treasure trove. What an amazing job owner Jayde has done...congrats!

All images sourced from Little Paper Lane's Facebook album, Introducing Little Paper Lane.

Nothing Sketchy on Style Collective

2010-05-20T16:36:00.000+10:00

Today I got an email from Style Collective, an online urban living, fashion and design magazine, telling me that they featured Nothing Sketchy on their website! What a wonderful surprise! The article is under their Urban Living section.

Hyperactivitypography

2010-05-19T12:23:00.001+10:00

This book is perfect for the typography obsessed! It's called Hyperactivitypography: From A to Z and is essentially an activity book with heaps of typography related excercises and quizzes. How fun!

Nothing Sketchy on Facebook

2010-05-18T23:34:00.000+10:00

So I've gone an made a Facebook Page for Nothing Sketchy. I've had a few people asking if I had one so I thought it might be a good way to both promote Nothing Sketchy and connect with other crafty businesses/individuals (provided I utilise it properly of course!). Do you have a Facebook fan page for your business? Do you think it's a good method of promotion?

A little bit of press

2010-05-17T15:59:00.000+10:00

Amanda at Calico & Co has a great feature called Monday's Spotlight, where she interviews indepedant Aussie designers and crafters. This Monday Nothing Sketchy has kindly been featured! Yay! There is a special offer for readers of the interview.

Email Subscription

2010-05-14T14:56:00.000+10:00

Amanda from Calico & Co suggested that I offer email subscription to blog readers some time ago - I have finally gotten around to doing it! If you would like to recieve an email when the Nothing Sketchy blog is updated, type your email into the little box on the right and follow the prompts - easy! This is especially handy if you don't have an account with Blogger.

Thank you Amanda!

The Contemporary Handmade Alliance

2010-05-13T23:08:00.030+10:00

The Contemporary Handmade Alliance is a Facebook community created by Tania of Chicken Ink Creative which "provides the Australian contemporary crafting community a space through which is shared high quality information, to assist and support members in their crafting endeavours; including the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, packaging and selling of their products, as well as networking opportunities".

It has only been up for a day, but it is already thriving! It is a really positive environment where independant crafters or designers can share their business experiences and give each other advice and support. The are opportunities to promote your business, get involved in discussions, learn about handy online tools or new suppliers...the list goes on! An extremely valuable resource for a newbie like me.

More journals for sale!

2010-05-12T16:59:00.000+10:00

Four new designs are now for sale at the Nothing Sketchy store. Here's a quick peek...

Oh Deer

2010-05-12T13:45:00.000+10:00

Another Madeit seller rave! I love Aussie designer Oh Deer and their collection of vintage inspired jewelry. Below are three of my favourites - so gorgeous, and reasonably priced as well!

Sweet Memories Locket

Masquerade Mask Necklace

Swinging Birdy Necklace

New Stockist - Handmade Heaven

2010-05-10T17:55:00.000+10:00

Nothing Sketchy is now available at Handmade Heaven, store run by Liesa in Ipswich, Queensland! Each 'handmadie' gets their own little cubicle or shelf space. I wish there were more stores like this in Sydney - does anyone know of any?

Image taken by Liesa at Handmade Heaven.

Nonpareil Magazine

2010-05-07T15:07:00.000+10:00

I have recently fallen in love with Nonpareil Magazine, an online magazine filled with wedding inspiration and DIY projects. I won't be getting married anytime soon but that doesn't stop me from drooling over the beautifully designed pages, interesting tutorials and lovely photography!

All pages sourced from Issue 3 of Nonpareil Magazine.

Blue Caravan

2010-05-05T13:25:00.000+10:00

I've been meaning to blog about Blue Caravan for a while now, basically because I love the concept and what they do.

Blue Caravan is a website where you can buy and sell contemporary handmade, environmentally friendly and ethical products directly from the designer/maker. All the products sold there fall under one or more of these categories: one-off, limited run, handmade, upcycled, sustainable, locally made and sweat-free certified, and ethical trade or fair trade certified.

And as you can see the products are beautiful!

Market Finds!

2010-05-03T23:38:00.000+10:00

This weekend I visited the Bondi, Surry Hills and Glebe Markets (phew!) to do some recon work before taking the plunge of holding a market stall. It was interesting to see how other stallholders present their goods and represent their brand in a market environment. One of the stalls I found particularly inspiring was Summer Blossom, who make handmade hair accessories. There was so much attention to detail - everything was colour coordinated, there were lanterns hanging from above, grass (fake but very effective) covering the ground - I felt transported to a different place! And she had some very creative ways of displaying her headbands and hairclips. Just gorgeous.

All images sourced from Summer Blossom's Facebook Page.

For Sale!

2010-04-28T23:12:00.000+10:00

I've finally uploaded the new range up onto the Nothing Sketchy store. More to come soon!

Journals on Ink & Spindle blog

2010-04-27T22:34:00.000+10:00

Lara from Ink & Spindle made a post about some Nothing Sketchy journals made using their fabric on their blog! Stoked!

Whisk Kid

2010-04-27T14:49:00.000+10:00

Whisk Kid's blog is just drool-worthy. There are some amazing recipes - majority are desserts, but definitely not complaining! - and some beautiful images to inspire a spot of baking! And I LOVE baking!

Rose Cupcakes with White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Vegan Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes

A New Range

2010-04-26T17:03:00.000+10:00

A quick preview of the new Nothing Sketchy range, made with hand printed, Australian made fabric. I would love to know what you think.

Ink & Spindle fabric

Kristen Doran fabric

Pippijoe fabric

Ink & Spindle fabric

Earth Day Fabric Giveaway

2010-04-23T17:46:00.000+10:00

Ink & Spindle, along with 11 other fabric business around the world, are each having a giveaway to celebrate Earth Day! The prize is your choice of 4 fabrics (47x47cm pieces) from the Tamarillo collection. Their prints are amazing, so it will be well worth entering!

Visit the Ink & Spindle blog for more information on how to enter and on the benefits of using organic fabrics like theirs. You can also see the other participating businesses in the Earth Day Giveaway.

{source}

New Stockists

2010-04-23T16:30:00.000+10:00

Two stores are now kindly stocking Nothing Sketchy journals!

Dorothy & Evelyn
81A Chapel Street
Windsor VIC

Milk Thieves
Shop 10A, 157 Crown St
Wollongong NSW

New material from Pippijoe!

2010-04-21T16:45:00.000+10:00

New material that I ordered from Melbourne textile company Pippijoe arrived in the mail today! Made from hemp and organic cotton and hand screen printed with environmentally friendly inks...can't wait to turn this into a journal.

The Owls Are Hunting

2010-04-16T12:16:00.000+10:00

I am a huge fan of these vintage inspired lamps by The Owls Are Hunting. No two lamps are the same and they are made from reclaimed materials. They are so fun, pretty and cute and would light up any room (*that was a really bad pun that I didn't realise was there until I read this post over...cringe). And the styling in the photos is great too. Maybe I will ask for one for my birthday!

{source}

Anais Lamp

Evie Lamp

Tea Party Heaven

2010-04-12T16:59:00.000+10:00

I have so many Made It sellers that I want to rave about right now but I must pace myself. Kitty Robot has the most gorgeous tea party inspired jewelry. Amazingly, they are all handmade out of clay! How on earth do you do that?! And on such a small scale as well! Needless to say I'm a fan. I like the necklaces the best because I'm not much of a ring wearer. Visit the link for more jewelry and buttons too.

Wonderland Cards - Teacup cutie ring

Fairytale Princess tea cup necklace

Shabby Pastel Rose - Teacup cutie ring

Cookie Time

2010-04-09T15:34:00.000+10:00

I made these Peanut Butter and Choc Chip Cookies for my friend Kylie's Easter lunch. They were quick and easy to make, and they were nice and soft. And no one died after eating them. All in all an epic win.

Ingredients:
125g of butter
1/4 cup of peanut butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup of self raising flour
3/4 cup of plain flour
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
- Combine peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and well combined
- Add brown sugar and egg and mix.
- Add flour, oats and choc bits and mix.
- Roll a tablespoon of mix into a ball and flatten onto tray, continue with rest of mix.
- Bake for 12 -14 minutes or until golden.

Salvo's: The Treasure Trove

2010-04-07T12:26:00.000+10:00

My friend Martine and I went to visit the largest Salvation Army store I have ever seen yesterday. You can't really go wrong with the Salvo's: all the money goes to charity, you're reusing items that would have otherwise gone into landfill, and you find some awesome stuff!

Some lace ribbon that might come in handy for packaging.

An old teapot and saucer that I might use to challenge my limited visual merchandising skills at upcoming market stalls.

Some photoframes that remind me of being in a beach house.

Postman arrived!

2010-04-06T15:02:00.000+10:00

I was excited to have a few things arrive in the mail today!

First came the business cards. They are 100% recycled business cards which I ordered from an Australian printing company called Krankn. I wasn't too sure about the colours at first - they didn't come out exactly as I would have liked - but I do understand that colour variations occur when printing and I also have to take into account that it's on recycled card. All in all I'm happy.

I also received the material that I ordered from Ink & Spindle, an Australian business that creates hand printed textiles. They use environmentally friendly, solvent free inks and the many of their textiles are made from an organic cotton/hemp blend.

I'm hoping to gradually make all of my notebooks using hand printed Australian fabrics that take the environment into consideration. It's a little more pricey, but worth it to support locally made products. And the prints are beautiful!!

Pretty Packaging

2010-04-04T13:26:00.000+10:00

How to package my notebooks when sending them to a customer is something I struggle with. There's nothing wrong with sending something in an envelope/box/bag bought from the post office, but imagine receiving something in the mail that's been done up all pretty, with a lot of thought put into it. Customers of hand made objects especially would appreciate it - I know I would be excited!

Here are some inspirational (and beautiful) packaging ideas I found via Oh Hello Friend . Visit the link for many more pictures.

The Gilded Bee

Creature Comforts

Paisley Green

Old Tom Foolery

2010-04-01T13:29:00.000+11:00

Who needs Hallmark when you've got Old Tom Foolery?

Go to the link to see many more hilarious greeting cards. I had a difficult time choosing which ones to post on the blog because they were all so good! They are exactly my kind of humor - a little sarcastic and not too sappy but still get across the message.

The Lovely Blogger List!

2010-03-31T13:10:00.000+11:00

Just a quick introduction whilst the blog is a baby. This was an idea posted over at the Lovely Clusters blog. Visit the link to discover some interesting and inspirational design and craft blogs!

My name is Jaclyn and I am a recently graduated graphic designer from Sydney, Australia. I love to read - I'm currently obsessed with Percy Jackson and the Olympians (by Rick Riordan) series as well as The Mortal Instruments series (by Cassandra Clare). I have a wonderful group of friends who enjoy (or endure) movie nights watching hideously bad horror films, for reasons unknown to us.

At the moment I design print material such as restaurant menus, logos and banners. I also design and code websites (my skills are basic but I'm learning more and more as I go along). But my first love is designing and making journals or notebooks, which I have been doing for several years.

I am constantly inspired by the work of any other book binder that I come across and I am always looking for new techniques and ways to improve. I am inspired by nature and romantic/vintage/pretty things! Under 'My Blog List' you can also find some of the blogs that I find inspirational.

Find me here:

Home | Shop | Twitter

A Beautiful Idea

2010-03-31T11:22:00.000+11:00

Now why didn't someone think of this before?! A Beautiful Idea is an organisation that encourages artists and crafters to donate 100% of the proceeds of one (or as many as you like) of your goods sold to a charity! This month it is World Vision, specifically for the Haiti relief. If you sign yourself up they will feature your chosen product on their Shop. Spread the word!

I have chosen the Leaf Wrap Journal to be sold in partnership with A Beautiful Idea, and 100% of the proceeds (even the postage) will go towards World Vision.

Mini Burgers!

2010-03-30T12:24:00.000+11:00

These amazing little mini burgers were recently featured on the Upon A Fold blog. They are made by Stephanie Anderson. I am in awe of the attention to detail and patience you would need to make this!

Visit her Flickr page or her store for more.

I also thoroughly recommend that you visit Upon A Fold to see more goodies like this!

Aussie Hand Made websites to sell your goodies

2010-03-29T14:33:00.000+11:00

I always thought that there weren't any Australian websites that provided a platform for Australian designers to sell and promote their goods without having to set up their own website and shopping cart platform. I thought Etsy was the only option, and whilst Etsy is fantastic I wanted something local as well.

How silly of me, because I am discovering more fantastic Australian sites each day!

Here are some well known ones:

Georgie Love - "Georgie Love launched in March 2006 and was Australia's first website store dedicated to promoting and selling handmade delights from independent and emerging artists from Australia!"

Made It - "Madeit.com.au is a handmade online buying and selling destination, which showcases Australia’s most creative, undiscovered art, design & craft talent."

Leeloo - "Leeloo is an online community and store where treasures from a selected group of emerging Australian designers and artists can become yours!"

Udessi - "Udessi is an online boutique gallery and the new home of independent Australian art. By bringing together both established and emerging Australian artists to showcase and sell their works, Brisbane-based curator Kim Wallace has achieved her goal of providing a unique shopping experience to those who value quality and originality."

Modamuse - "showcasing creative designer gifts crafted by independent modern Australian and New Zealand designers and artisans."

These two stores are actually retail spaces. How awesome it would be to physically see one of your designs in a store! You can apply to be a supplier via their website.

Milk Thieves Art & Design - "The Milk Thieves Art & Design store is a mini market of handmade art, design and craft goods located in central Wollongong. The store aims to provide a unique space for Australian independent and emerging creatives to sell their work."

Little Shop Of Handmade - has a retail space located in Melbourne and an online store. I believe you need to be in the Melbourne (or possibly Victoria) area to become a supplier as they focus on supporting local work.

First knitting adventure

2010-03-29T13:19:00.000+11:00

After reading a couple of how-to-knit books from the library and getting very confused, I was finally able to get a hands-on lesson from a friend visiting from the US who is an extremely passionate ( and skilled! ) knitter. Here is the first ( and rather sad looking ) patch that I completed. Yet another crafty hobby to obsess over!

Wrap Journals featured in Lovely Clusters!

2010-03-28T22:33:00.000+11:00

Two Nothing Sketchy journals are up on Lovely Clusters in the 'Journals, Jotters & Notebooks' section! Woot!

Websites to kick start your online handmade business

2010-03-20T23:42:00.000+11:00

Some interesting websites that I stumbled across that help promote your handmade store and generally just make it easier for you to gain some exposure. Some of them charge a small fee, but are very reasonable.

Lovely Clusters - international site that gathers handmade and vintage items from sellers all over the world together for people to browse through. Each item is linked to the sellers shop. Starting from US$5 a month you can have some of your items featured there (after you have submitted your shop website and it has been approved).

Indie Art and Design - a weblog featuring products made by independent Australian artists, designers & craftspeople. You can submit your site to be part of their art and design directory.

We Love Indie - describes themselves as "a unique platform for indie artists, crafters and designers to showcase their best work and to allow these works to be discovered by a new audience". Sounds good to me! Basically gathers heaps of art, craft and design blogs together on one site for people to browse through. If you have a blog for your work you can submit it to be part of the site.

Indiespotting - a website that features handmade products that people have discovered and submitted to the site. Each item is linked back to the seller's store. You can submit an item from your store to be featured and its free!

I Heart Handmade - an online handmade market. Each shop participant has their own page on the site with up to 10 product images linked directly to your online store. They charge about US$20 but they put heaps of work into marketing and advertising the market and they also do shop spotlights on the site and their blog.

That's all for now but I'll post more as I find them!

New products up for sale!

2010-03-20T00:32:00.000+11:00

Five wrap journals and six hardcover journals have finally been uploaded to the Nothing Sketchy store (http://nothingsketchy.bigcartel.com)! So much work has been put in to making it to this point, but it's safe to say that my work has only just begun!

I'm hoping get a spot at some of the design markets in Sydney in the near future to gain some exposure for Nothing Sketchy. I've got some other marketing strategies (probably a little ambitious to call them that at this point haha) up my sleeve as well. Fingers crossed!