Jeeujh for this weekend

I woke up yesterday morning. Jeeujh for that. And then I checked my FB timeline and was surprised to see my set of illustrated recipe cards on there. EtsyNL had shared my product as a nice way to be eating healthy at the start of the new year. Jeeujh for that too!

That made my stats of the Stoffer + Blik shop go through the roof. Last time that happened Dutch creative handmade paper things magazine Flow mentioned my webshop in their Saturday Market section on the website. That was also a giant jeeeujh!

I'm having a great weekend, I hope you are too!

Customized Weekplanners

A while ago I sold the last chalkboard weekplanner in the shop and I promised to make a bunch of new ones. And take some photos of the process.

I started with sandpapering the wood and drawing the shapes on the board. Mask the shapes with tape and paint. It takes a couple of days, because the paint needs to dry in between stages. The first stage of the chalkboards you can see here:

Next day I added a little color, my favorite: Celadon. And again I wait...

 

When the board is all dry I add the lines and the letters of the week. The last thing is to glue the painted clothes pegs to the bottom.

Usually I would add a text at the top, like 'to-do-list' or 'important stuff'. But this time I decided to make them customized. So I will add the name (or other text) that you request when ordering. That means you can have your (kids) name on it and make it a cool personal gift! You see examples below in chalk, but when you order one I will paint the name in the same white paint as the lines.

I have only three of them. Get yours here!

Painting on the wall

There's a new coffee and lunch spot very near to where I live. And it had a big white wall. Well, not anymore...

Before this place, Koozie, opened I contacted the owner to see if we could work together, as in selling my Stoffer + Blik postcards. The cards is something we're still working on, but there was something else I could do. This wall. I made a design and presented the idea. They liked it and so I could start researching for my biggest illustration yet.

It took some preparation, figuring out how I was going to get this sketch I made on the wall, with everything in place. And what materials should I use? I ended up buying a projector and a bunch of paint markers in two colors. Yesterday I set up everything at Koozie and drew the design on the wall. In pencil first, before tracing it with the paint markers. 

Two days later it's all finished and I'm pretty happy with it. Here are a couple of images of the process and of course the end result. Now everybody head over to Koozie for a cup of coffee and take a look at the real thing! 

Koozie is located in the Van der Takstraat, Noordereiland, Rotterdam. 

Recipes with a story

The last two months of the year always seem a little crazy workwise. On one hand there's the holidays and the gifts, so custom recipes get more popular. And on the other hand I think that things just pile up towards the end of the year. Those two combined is a recipe (ha!) for late nights working. Luckily I love my job, so it could be a lot worse. But I am preparing myself for a sore neck, stiff fingers and sleepy eyes in weeks to come.

My 'resolution' to take things a bit more slowly after coming back from the 100 days of summer trip did work out actually, even though it doesn't always feel that way. Things just don't spread out evenly across the year. Obviously. The minute I start thinking something like 'it's been quiet for a bit, I hope I have enough work this month' or 'I haven't heard from them in a while, hope they still want me to work for them', that's when the requests start to come in. And all at the same time. You would think I would be used to it after 6 years of being Girl Boss. Yeah, me too.

Another thing I've been wanting to write about (will have a new blogpost on this soon) is the workshop modern calligraphy I did two weeks ago. I loved it and have been practicing a lot. I already see the improvement: big motivation to keep it up! As you can see below, I can apply my new knowledge in my work right away.

Anyway, I came here to show you what I've been working on! This recipe has just left the building, all the way to the USA for someone's mum who is about to be a grandmother. This is the recipe of his mother's mother who passed away. A special occasion... I love how these requests come with a story.

PS. The last photo is another recipe, also for a US customer and also from a grandmother who passed away. This one's extra special because she wanted to have a little portrait of her grandmother in there as well. Excited to show you when it's all done!

PS 2. I love that color blue! (it's gouache mixed with water to get an ink you can actually write with)

An ode to my island

'Your island? I thought you lived in Rotterdam.'

Yes, I do. And we have a few little islands in the Maas. The one I live at is the Noordereiland [Northern Island]. And I love it. I also love maps, so it is sort of miraculous that this never happened before... but I made an illustrated map of the Noordereiland. I gave myself 'a day off' and what did I do? Work! (But I love it, so then it's okay. Right?)

I know what triggered it. There might be a nice collaboration in the near future with a recently opened coffee place just a few streets away. That made me think of postcards that are more specific for that place. I started with tea, coffee and pie. I tried different things and made two cards that definitely have potential to show up in the shop (and who knows... at the coffee place!).

While working on that I moved from coffee and pie to something that's more specific for this island. We have a bunch of landmarks around, especially bridges (duh...). I thought of drawing these specific landmarks, and I might. But I started with the island itself and it's location in the middle of the Maas.

See for yourself. I think it's a little too specific to put in the shop. But you can always request a printed poster if you're interested (click on the image at my website to send me an email)

PS. The coordinates are exactly where this illustration was made ;)

One clipboard out the door, another in the shop!

This week I sold two of my 'bigger' items in the shop. I love to make nice packages and walking to the post office dropping them off. Especially when the confused girl behind the counter asks me if United Kingdom is the same as United States. Poor thing. Everything has always arrived where it should, so hopefully she is just the only one who did not pay attention in English class and/or Topography.

To prevent the shop from getting empty, I have just added a brand new clipboard. The Celadon one went to Norway yesterday. The white one is now up for sale here. 

I have also added the Christmas card collection. I don't want summer to end, but the rain is telling me I have to deal with it. And autumn means that the holiday season isn't that far away. 

This little bird has left the nest

A while ago I made two new week planners. I meant to write a blog about how they came to be, with photos of the process and all. Yeah, that never happened. Sorry 'bout that. But there may be another chance, because one of the week planners has just been sold. It's spreading its wings and flying all across the North Sea to London.

But there is one more, if you're interested. It says 'Don't forget' instead of 'Important Stuff'. You can also put me to work and let me know what text you want on there (and then buy it of course ;)) Here it is. Next time I make a couple of new planners I'll do a little making of. Promise.