Sunday, August 21, 2011

Can't find my sketchbook

You know it's time to clean when you can't find stuff.

I've been toying with ideas for my shops.  Since the beginning, I considered selling digital stamps of my artwork and die cut designs.  However, it's a really painstaking process to electronically clean them up properly.  (Either that, or I'm doing it the hard way for not knowing any better!)  I've also toyed with importing my drawings to my digital cutter software and making them in to die cuts.  My dragon ones, in particular, would be silhouette cuts - meaning, I would cut them and use the negative as a mat.  I'd put a paper behind it to fill in the cut details and then mount it in a frame or to a note pad cover or a magnet.  Something.

But I can't find my sketchbook.  It's been bothering me for a couple months.  I've looked where all my other sketchbooks are, but I can't find the one that has the sketch above.  While this sketch is over a decade old, but I know I saw the book in our new house because I scanned this image to give to someone who wanted a dragon logo for her business cards.  I thought it was a good candidate because it's a single tone.  You could print it in any colour you want and you would only need one colour.  I've looked in every place that I stash any of my art stuff.

I've also been drooling over a new machine. A BIG, expensive new machine.  There are two on the market that are fairly compatible with each other in features and price.  One has a higher upfront investment and one has a higher replacement parts investment.  Both offer custom die cut designs.  That means, I could take my sketches or electronic designs and have them converted into manual die cut designs.  (I actually find it easier to mass produce on a manual system rather than my electronic cutter.)

Ooooooooo.... the temptations!  Well, I am somewhat glad to say that, since I can't find my sketchbook anyway, this decision can happily sit on hold.  It's going to be on the back burner for at least a couple years.  I"m sure my book will turn up and I'll wonder why I ever put it wherever it is hiding!


  1. hate when that happens, maybe you'll come across it when your not trying to find it, or when your looking for something else,lol!

  2. I hate when I can't find something, it drives me crazy!! And I think it would be so neat to be able to turn your sketches into die-cuts :)

  3. I really hope you find your sketch book soon, lots of talent in that book.
    This sounds like me, I am always misplacing things, funny thing is when I find it, it was right in front of me, lol.

  4. Oh dear, I hope you find that book! Awesome dragon drawing.

  5. I sure hope that you have found your book by now....and that new machine sounds so interesting! Maybe you will be able to do lots of custom work for others once you splurge on it? Hoping so....because I might be a customer! :)

  6. I hear ya, when you cannot find things, something needs to change. I'm having the same trouble in my studio right now.

    If it is any consolation, your new sketch is gorgeous...that has to be a lot more fun then cleaning the studio.



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