How to Personalize Your Design Sketchbook

I've blogged many times about how I use my sketchbooks to work out design ideas. More and more frequently now, I actually reduce sketches to practice, with very close resemblance. For example, I blogged about the long delay while I learned to make the beads I drew in my sketchbook in just the way I'd visualized them here. My motto is "if I can draw it, I can build it." My choice of sketchbook to keep in my bag has heretofore been a large (5"x8.25") Moleskine plain paper sketchbook. I've gone through a stack of them, and more recently I have turned to the Volant soft cover notebooks that come in fun colors.

A few weeks ago I was thrilled to receive an announcement from Blurb that they were offering a new blank paper notebook option. As soon as I found a few free moments, I whipped together a sketchbook with illustrations from my Bird Journal and ordered copies in color and black-&-white to inspect. Now I'll be giving them a whirl as new tote-around sketchbooks.

Want a notebook with your own personal artwork on the front? I can imagine lots of possible uses besides sketching -- a log of accomplishments, a 'to-do' list file, a guest book for studio or booth, ... Just follow my easy directions below. My design is also available in my Etsy shop.

Design Your Own Notebook/Sketchbook:

1. Download BookSmart bookmaking software onto your computer from Blurb.com .
2. Start BookSmart and select Notebook, a 6" x 9" format book with full-color covers and blank pages. Click Continue.
3. Choose Lined, Grid or Blank pages, then click Continue.
4. Upload images from your computer or photo sites (you can add more later). The optimal cover image sizes are 1684 x 2584. I used Photoshop to add borders above and below to my previously square images. Click Continue for the guided step-by-step construction.
5. Drag photos from the 'My Photo's pane on the left side to the target cover or page.  A slider bar at the bottom lets you scroll through the 100 pages. Just click on the page of choice to edit. This notebook template is set up for photo insertion every sixth page, but you can just leave the entire thing black inside if you prefer. I just drug in one of my high resolution square images to each of the templated image pages. These can be printed later in either color or black&white.
6. Add text (title and author, for example). I did my text when I added the borders in Photoshop, but it's easy to add here.
7. Make sure you add the back cover and a copyright statement somewhere inside. 
8. At any point, click "Preview Book" to see what the book will look like. Beware images at too low resolution -- a yellow warning sign will appear. Return to make changes by clicking "Edit Book."
9. When the book is finished to your liking, from the Preview, click "Order Book." 
10. Fill out information about the book, choosing whether it's private or public, add an author bio, set up  preview pricing info, and order from the Blurb link. B/W notebooks are obviously much less expensive than color.  That's all there is to it!

"Free As a Bird" Now Available

I finally made the newest book, "Free As a Bird," available to the public via Blurb. I've ordered a stash to put in my Etsy shop, for those who prefer the addition of an inscription and gift wrapping for a total price less than the Blurb direct price (their shipping for one book is a bit high, but then they use FedEx Ground and I'll just use the good old US Postal Service). But it will take another week or two before I have them, so if you just can't wait, go ahead and order direct to save a few days.

Click here to link to the Blurb preview and flip through the entire book.

Art and Inspiration for the Holidays

Looking for a special gift for an artist on your holiday shopping list? How about a gorgeous book? Several of my friends have published their own books recently on Blurb, as did I. Blurb has a holiday special offer for $10 off an order of $29.95 or more through December 31, using the following special codes, so you can find a creative collection and save.

Orders from the US (using US $): GREATGIFT
Orders from UK (using UK £): GREATGIFT2
Orders from EU (using EU €): GREATGIFT3
Orders from AU (using AUD $): GREATGIFT4

Perhaps your gift recipient would enjoy a creative book selected from the following:


Painted Threads Mixed Media Textile Art, a portfolio of whole cloth painted art quilts and mixed media textile art by the super-talented Judy Coates Perez.


Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life by Virginia A. Spiegel. "Wild at the Edges" is woven from the intertwined threads of writing, photography, adventuring, and making art. "I share my inspiration and influences as well as what’s beautiful and significant in my creative life."


art. stitch. life. works 2006-2009 by Kelli Nina Perkins. "I decided that it would be nice to have a compendium of the last few years' worth of artwork at a glance, so I knocked together a 194 page book filled with art. This represents at least my favorite, if certainly not all my work."

Of course, my two books are also available. See the links in the sidebar to the right. And a huge thank you to all those who have purchased it! What's better than a nice book of your own artistic out-porings, packaged beautifully, and for which people humble you by actually buying?