New notebooks

Some time ago i have found a nice tutorial through Pinterest on how to make notebooks. I was so happy to have found it, i've never realized it could be that easy. The way i did my notebooks before was easy as well, but this is quite a different technique and the notebooks that come out are a different kind.

So the first thing i did after finding this tutorial, was trying it out on old receipts. So i made a nice shopping list notebook to hang on my fridge.

Then i tried making another notebook with some used printer paper. I used a ladybug stamp with ink of "lavender" color on every page to make the notebook prettier. I've started using the notebook already, it's so nice and small.

I really enjoyed making those. It is a very good and easy technique for the kind of notebooks where you write on the first page and rip it off afterwards to write on the next one.

But today Mitya asked me for a notebook that is small as well, but he wouldn't need to rip the pages off so they need to be holding well. So i decided to use my hole puncher and a ribbon. I've made two notebooks, the greyish one is Mitya's now. I used an image from a used magazine for the cover. For the other one i decided to add the ladybug stamp on every page as well.

When i was putting an extra notebook to the box where i keep my crafty stuff that is not used and not yet given to anyone, i've noticed a couple of notebooks i've made long time ago but haven't shared in my blog for some reason. Here they are. Made of old receipts. The covers are scans of my watercolor madness.

Olli Aarni / summerTales split

For this release i've decided to make fabric envelopes similar to the ones i did for our 4-way split. Actually i used exactly the same dimensions, the only difference was that these bags do not close. The fabric i chose was not as slippery as the one i used for the 4-ways split, so i saved some time by not attaching press studs to them. And this pretty fabric used to be old soviet curtains that were hanging in Mitya's kitchen in Petrozavodsk when he was a little kid.

For the insert i've scanned the fabric and printed the pattern adding all the info on the other side.

Since both splits came out at the same time, we kept the design matching by having white cassettes for both releases as well as making same kind of labels on the cassettes, just changing the text color.

Check the description and sounds on Jozik records.

Varropas / Rainbow Valley split

This release was all about knitting. I got an idea for this kind of packaging when knitting one of my soft cases. I picked up two nice colors of the same yarn that is thick enough for the knitting not to take too much time and started making these tape envelopes. I have made a bit more than half of them by now, they are taking really long time. But i enjoy knitting and i can do it while watching a movie or when i'm in a train or a bus. I does not require much concentration.

White cassettes have been our favorite recently. For the cassette labels i wanted to be minimalist this time, so i've printed the artist names on the left-overs from CD-label paper and cut them out.

For the insert i used color print paper. I've made the inserts looking a bit like a booklet with two pages. So there's a cover page, artist information inside and label information on the back cover. The "booklets" came out so tiny, they look very cute. There are two colors for the inserts as well, purple for blue envelopes and blue for purple ones.

Check the description and sounds on Jozik records.

Kheta Hotem "Meri vaahtolaine"

I've learnt to crochet while designing an artwork for this release. I've always been a knitting person and never knew how to crochet. Last Christmas my sister gave me a basics of knitting and crocheting book and she also showed me the basic crochet stitches (she is a crochet person in our family). So i've decided to try and cochet something for this packaging. And i came up with this basic round shape to cover the CD-R.

We received a nice photograph from one of Kheta Hotem's members and we decided to use it because it goes well together with all other round shapes used in the design.

For the CD-R print we bought white CD-R's. I've made a carton stensil and painted over it with different markers.

Check the description and sounds on Jozik records.

Long time no blogging

I'm sorry for being away from my blog for so long. There were so many things to do during the second half of May and some of them still continue. First of all, i had exams and lots of assignments to complete for my school. After the exams were over, we still had a one-week intensive course to complete before holiday would start. And it was a really nice photography course, but it was full of home works and assignments. After the course i still had to do a photo-series final assignment, and i decided that it would be about biking, because it is finally warm in Helsinki and i got a new bicycle, so i spend lots of time biking.

On top of all those school things, we have put out three new releases on Jozik records. And all the packaging was supposed to be knitted, crocheted and sewn, so they took all my free time. We've put up the releases on the website when only part of the packaging/recording was complete and orders started coming, so i had to pack a lot of parcels while still finishing some knitting, sewing and cutting out. Then my summer work started and first days there were busy too.

Now it's getting better and i'm back to my blog! The record covers are coming very soon!