This Past Week

This past week has been jam packed! I feel like I need 10 more hours in each day in order to do everything I need to do!

As I've gotten my foot into the digital design and publishing world making coloring books, journals, planners, etc. I have constantly had new things I have to learn and teach myself in order to improve and grow. I have had a lot of fun learning about the different design software and testing out what works best for print vs. digital, and I have no shortage of ideas when it comes to what kind of journals and coloring books. But when it comes to publishing and selling things online, SOOOOOOO much of the work it takes to become successful has more to do with SEO, google analytics, online marketing, etc, so a lot of my time right now goes into researching those things and trying to wrap my mind around all the different parts that go in to creating a successful business. When I first started toying around with the idea of designing and publishing journals to sell on amazon, that was the only real goal I had, I didn't intend to venture into selling on Etsy as well. All of my research has told me that its important to pick one specific niche (I have come to really really hate that word) instead of a wide variety of things. But I'm also not someone that likes to do the same exact thing all the time. I love hands on projects as well, so I've been trying to find ways to combine different passions of mine that can all come together into one cohesive focus. So even though my main business focus is publishing journals and coloring books on amazon, I also feel its important for me to have part of my business include some of the hands on art work I create have a passion for as well, and that is where these fun resin notebooks and bookmarks have come in to play!

I have had to do a lot of experimenting and learning how to use resin, do some trial and error to figure out what works and doesn't work, and basically just practice practice practice to get to a point where I feel like I'm finally making quality products. This past week I have made some serious progress and break throughs with resin! Some of the first few notebooks I made had too many bubbles, weren't clear at all, and didn't always keep their shape. So I did some research on different epoxy resins and hardeners out there and decided to try out different ones, and I'm SO GLAD I did! I found a brand that I'm able to get pretty clear, which means I can add other things into the resin such as dried flowers, and have a crystal clear finish with no bubbles....

One of the first things I made was a matching notebook and bookmark that had clear parts with dried flowers and I absolutely love it!

The quality of this resin is 1,000 times better! And incredibly sturdy once it cures all the way, so if its in a backpack or a car on a warm day, it won't warp into a different shape (which is obviously super important if it's something I intend to sell). It does take a lot longer to fully cure though. With previous resins they would be hardened after 24 hours, but with this resin it takes AT LEAST 48 hours to harden up. I just wish I wasn't so impatient!

Along with the notebook with dried flowers, I also did a smaller butterfly notebook with a matching bookmark, and it looks SOOOOO COOOL!!

I had a lot of fun after that making a wide variety of bookmarks, and after a few days I had a good amount of products to start adding to my Etsy shop.... the real hard part? Finding ways to get quality photos of them! I am not talented at taking pictures. Except pictures of my dog, I take great pictures of my dog! So that was another thing I added to my research list and needed to start practicing. Not just for Etsy, but with amazon too, being able to show quality photos can make or break a sale. I mean, most people are much more likely to buy something that has pictures and videos of people using them, so I know this is something I really need to work on and start incorporating in to my business. A couple days ago I attempted my first little photo shoot of the resin notebooks I've made!

I made little props and backdrops and then tested out different lighting and angles. Its definitely not something I'm talented at, but I'm learning! If anyone has any tips or tricks, send them my way!!!!

Also, these dragon eye notebooks are my favorite things I've ever made! I will be writing a whole post just for them, because they come with some fun stories as well. The process I go through to make these is also so much more in depth and detail oriented than any other resin stuff I've made, so I want to make some videos of the process!

As I've looked back on all the resin progress throughout this week, it seems like A LOT, but believe it or not I only did resin and photo stuff when I was taking breaks from different journals and coloring books I have been working on putting together and submitting to amazon. One thing I am REALLY excited about that I have been working on for a while and am finally almost done with is a guided coloring journal for kids/preteens! I love making coloring books, I love making journals, and I love and miss being a teacher and helping kids.... So I tried making something that allowed me to do all three! I have been taking my time making sure each page is something kids would like and enjoy, use, and could benefit them. Making the coloring pages, coming up with journal prompts that are fun and engaging, ways of helping them recognize their emotions and feelings, etc. So I've spent a lot of time perfecting all the little details for that. I'm excited to share more about that soon! I also have another kind of guided journal I was able to get submitted this week, as well as a couple notebooks for kids/teens with really cool covers I'm proud of, so hopefully those will be published soon too! Its safe to say I have barely had any breathers this week, but at the same time I feel like I haven't done as much as I wanted. I'm just gonna keep giving everything 100% and keep working towards my goals!