Deep Freeze Fest, and New Year's

Hey everyone, hope you had a lovely Christmas! If you're not partied out yet, make sure to check out Deep Freeze on Alberta Avenue, and Sugar Swing's sweet New Year's bash.

Deep Freeze

This festival, happening Jan 8-9 2011, ushers in the new year with olde school style. With a nod at old winter festival traditions, Deep Freeze presents fun stuff like street hockey, ice sculpture, and tobogganing. To heat up the evenings there are live performances of folk music from all over the world, exotic treats like iced maple syrup on a stick, and steaming Bailey's served at the ice bar -- in mugs made of ice!

And of course, Deep Freeze has an art market. Please stop by and see what I've been working on! More info about the festival here.

And Also -- New Year's Funk Party

Sugar Swing Dance Club (which is run by hubby) is having a Swing and Soul Party on New Year's Eve! So runaround Sue, hit the road Jack, and bring that soul down to the Crestwood Community Hall for some good vibrations. All folks - young, old, teens, tweens are welcome to attend. Don't worry about not being able to dance: this is a lighthearted, groovy night.

The evening will feature a delicious soul food dinner, bar, lesson, prizes, and dancing to some sweet and soulful tunes of the 1960's. Make sure to come decked out in your best 60's threads. More details here.

As Sushi Papercraft is all about making fun books for your thoughts, it's fitting to mention the The Book Lovers Christmas Sale happening this Saturday, December 4. It will be at the Stanley A. Milner Library (Centennial Room – the big room just across the hall from the theatre), from 12 noon to 5 pm.

This event will bring a bunch of Alberta authors together and give you a chance to meet them, buy some books, and get 'em signed. There will also be some locally-crafted goodies there, like stationary, bookmarks and notebooks (including Sushi ones). When you buy any of these particular items, proceeds go to the Writers Guild of Alberta.

Go to the Facebook page for details on the event!

Stuff on Sale, Awesome Shows!

This November there are two shows that will make your Christmas shopping a snap!

Winter Wonderland -- It's the Handmade Mafia's first Christmas affair. I'll be having a sale at this particular show, where all my large size journals (6 x 8) will be $5 off! Check them out, along with at least 30 local crafters, November 20-21 at the Strathcona Community Center.

Make It -- The craft show with a party atmosphere, Make It will have artists from all over Canada, not to mention fun DJs and lots of goodies. The party rages on for four days, Nov 25 to 28, at the Alberta Aviation Museum.

As a seasoned show-goer, I can guarantee you'll find something for everyone you know between these two shows -- even stuff for the guys in your life. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting some fun books I plan to bring to these shows. Can't wait to see you there!

Agendas

Sushi Papercraft has a new product on the line -- agendas!

These agendas are undated, so you fill in the dates yourself. While this format is a little unconventional in the agenda world, it's way more flexible than your typical January-to-December version. You can start wherever you want in the year, and if you forget to write in it for a week, you can pick up right where you left off instead of having empty pages. I discovered the undated agenda format early this year, and love it to bits -- you get more use out of it, and it cuts down on waste!

Head on over my Etsy shop for more details and pictures.

Another day with the Family

Just a quick reminder, this Saturday October 16 is Handmade Mafia at Orange Hall. Stop by and check out the inspired designs of Edmonton crafters!

Etsy Alberta Team Fall Sale!

My Etsy team is having a sale to kick off October. Starting Friday, all sorts of Alberta crafters will feature various sales in their Etsy shops -- so take advantage! I'll be including three complimentary notepads with every purchase. For a really fun and handy way to "window shop" and see a ton of the Alberta Team's products at once, come on over here. So many good things come out of the prairies!

Last Day at the Market, and the Market's Second Last Day

This Saturday is Sushi Papercraft's last day at the downtown farmer's market! And there's only one more city market after this. The weather's rumoured to be lovely, so it'll be a great day for wandering 104th street! While you're there, check out some some of my favourite vendors and their goods -- glorious almond-stuffed Fiesta Olives, delicious Greens Eggs & Ham, and wicked knitted roadster hats from Fibres of Life.

Delights of Handmade Mafia

This Saturday 11 is another Handmade Mafia! I'll be there, and so will the talented frogprincessdesigns. Thanks to this lady I get to be at the Make It show, and have someone look after our booth when I take off for pizza and shopping! Stop by Orange Hall and check out her elegant jewellery, crafted with sterling silver, copper, glass, and semi-precious stones.

That Red Fish

My good buddy and illustrator friend Candice creates the most endearing characters! My faves, Koi Fish and Happy Bacon, adorn a couple of my journals. She recently opened up a Zazzle store, and I think you should meet more of her creations. Hop on over to check her out, or start with this fun t-shirt.

Freshened Up Flickr

Today I added a bunch of photos to my Flickr page, which I use to show off books now and then. My Etsy shop isn't always as full as I'd like; Flicker lets me show you more stuff. If you'd like to see more than the 18 items listed on Etsy, click here for slew of book photos!

Artists' Garage Sale/Pancake BreakfastBBQ/Block Party

Probably the most eclectic garage sale you'll check out this summer -- because who would have cooler stuff to sell than a bunch of artists? This Saturday August 21 visit the ARTery and surrounding block - 9535 Jasper Ave - for a garage sale and block party. Along with my books I'll be selling some of the supplies I don't use anymore, including fancy paper and hemp cord. Here's a link to the website for more info.

Also, I'm looking for a craftsperson to share a booth with at the Christmas Make It show. Please email jenna @ sushipapercraft.com or convo me on Etsy if you're interested!

Packaging Idea

For all you business-y crafters out there, Print100 is a great way to print slick business cards -- and other marketing materials -- on the cheap. They'll even holepunch for free! Designing product tags and ordering them as business cards is a great way to take advantage of Print100's low prices and spice up an item's presentation. I finally got some product tags professionally printed, and I think they look a lot better than my old ones.

Back to Work

Back from vacation! This Saturday I'm at Axis Cafe's market stall downtown, so please stop by and check out all the new stuff. I've been working very hard to ensure you have some pretty things to look at.

In other news, I recently shifted to part-time hours at my day job so I can spend more time on this bookmaking racket! A scary but exciting move. I'm hoping to bring you more and cooler stuff, and have an all-around cool experience.

Sushi's Summer Vacation

I'm off to glorious Kelowna for the next ten days, so my Etsy shop is closed and it will likely be quiet around here. But I'll be back on July 13, prepping like mad for Farmer's Market on the 31st!

Handmade in Canada Event, and Broken Books

I have two things to announce today. First, the TransCanada Etsy Team and the Alberta Team are having a "Handmade in Canada" promotion! Members of these teams will be having sales and promotions in their Etsy shops. I'll be giving a free set notepads with every book purchase. The event runs from Thursday June 24 to Thursday July 1.

Second thing: this year I upgraded my sewing thread to a much stronger, more durable variety. The previous thread I was using isn't as tough, and if you used your book extensively, it may have worn out and broke. If your journal was well used (though not abused) and the threads broke on you, contact me by emailing jenna @ sushipapercraft.com (don't include the spaces). I'll resew your book with much better thread.

Saturday Block Party!

As if the downtown farmers market wasn't awesome enough, this Saturday it'll share 104th street with a block party! More info:

"2nd annual Al Fresco 104 St. Block Party, Saturday June 12, 2010
Festivities start at 8:30 am with a pancake breakfast presented by Downtown Edmonton Community League and Sobeys. The rest of the day features wine tasting from Devine Wines, extended patios, Portugese BBQ, yoga and street art demos, DJs, a fashion show, and closes with a special outdoor screening of Chocolat at 10:00 pm (bring a chair)."

Stop by and say hi at the Axis Cafe tent, where I'll be helping serve amazing coffee. Do you know Axis Cafe? It's this place.

Now Cleaner and Brighter

This weekend I took the advice offered by many Etsy sellers and made myself a lightbox. For those who are unfamiliar with this device (like I was until recently), a lightbox helps you take better pictures of small objects. The box is covered with white paper to create the illusion of an infinite white background, as well as filter light so it's more uniform -- perfect for shooting stuff like jewelry, trinkets, and now books. I'm still learning how to use this thing to best effect, but hoping to show you better photos all around. What do you think of the new bright white look -- better, worse?

New Thing: Tiny Sushi Notepads

Fun and easily stashable, these notepads are the glue-bound, tearaway style. They measure about 2" x 3.5", a little bigger than a matchbook. A cardstock cover protects a pad of high quality, 32lb paper inside. I'll have these for sale at the Make It show.

Make It, May 29-30

Next Saturday and Sunday is the Make It show! Come out to the Aviation Museum for some of the best local shopping in Edmonton. More info on the Make It website. Stop by my table and say hi!

Etsy Shop Sale!

The Alberta Street Team is having a team-wide sale! As part of the team, Sushi Papercraft is in on the sale -- everything in my Etsy store will be 15% off.

For the team in general, the sale runs May 1-7. Unfortunately, Sushi will be late to the party and joins the sale on May 3. So take some time to check out fantastic Alberta artists -- and save a few bucks to buy yourself a new journal. For a complete list of sellers visit the Alberta Team blog at etsyalberta.blogspot.com

Royal Bison just one week away!

Edmonton's most delightfully-named art fair happens next Saturday and Sunday! Don't miss the best conglomeration of clothing, posters, stationary, jewelry, zines etc. etc. Only $2 to get in at 8426 Gateway Blvd. and little kids get in free. More info on their website.

Sushi in Carbon Boutique

Sushi books are now available in Carbon Environmental Boutique! Carbon is located in one of my favourite Edmonton places, downtown's funky and historic 104th street (also home of the City Market). This gorgeous shop promotes environmental manufacture and non-toxic living through its super-green products. All products in the store go through a screening process where the owners discover how the item is made and its impact on the environment.

It turns out that Sushi's recycled map books were a great fit for Carbon. Go check them out, along with some other eco-friendly procducts at 10184-104 street!

Sushi at Handmade Mafia

This Saturday is the Handmade Mafia at Orange Hall. Don't let the impending snow keep you from fabulous wares!

Book of the Moment

This book is dedicated to bacon, the food that makes everything better. The cheerful bacon slice was illustrated by Candice Tate, who dubs it Happy Bacon (and has a nemesis known as Sinister Bacon, not joking). It's meant as a cookbook, which means the vinyl cover printed by Regent Signs will resist practically any foodstuff you throw at it!

March Handmade Mafia

This Saturday, March 20, is the Handmade Mafia show at Orange Hall! As things have been pretty quiet for shows up until now, I'm sure Edmonton's crafters and designers will have lots of new stuff to show off. And when you're done shopping, come back to the same venue in the evening for some sweet, sweet swing dancing.

Sushi in Saffron Studios

Sushi Papercraft books can now be picked up in Saffron Studios, a gallery boutique located in Cochrane, Alberta. This gallery specializes in showcasing Canadian works -- more than 80 different artists and designers support Saffron! This includes some very cool Edmonton art and their artisans, such as illustrated calendars by valérydesignwrks, textile bags from Lines Designs and Lemonade, and jewellery from Handmade on Venus. Go Alberta!

Sushi and Frogs

Sushi Papercraft currently has some books for sale at Edmonton's Frog Kisser's Den! I'm excited to be a part of the collection -- Frog Kisser's Den is one of the neatest places in town to support handmade. It's like walking into a Gypsy caravan; lots of colour and curiosities to look at. They're located on 124th Street, which is already a fun area to explore. You can also check out their Facebook page, but definitely stop by for a visit!

Haven't featured a map book for a while, so here's a journal made from a New York map. The front shows Harlem and Central Park, and on the back you can see Midtown and more Central Park. More shots here.

Sushi in San Francisco

Sushi Papercraft's books are soon to appear in Cherish, a stationary store located in San Francisco!

I'm excited to send books off to such a unique shop; Cherish not only promotes handmade goods, but they also support Etsy artists of all kinds. This place looks like a paperphile's heaven -- just look at their creative classes. If I lived in San Fran, this place would be like my Cheers.

Now I have an excellent excuse to visit this town. If you're already from there, check it out!

Go Team Alberta!

Sushi Papercraft just joined the Etsy's Alberta Street Team. This team promotes crafters from (or otherwise tied to) Alberta, Canada. This is a vibrant group of skilled crafters, and I'm excited to be a part of the team! This is a great showcase of Alberta talent -- you can do some window shopping here (what a super handy page!) or find them on Etsy here.

Illustrator of the Moment

Sushi's next guest illustrator is Lindsay Holden. I told her I wanted a cartoon/steampunk sort of contraption to go on the cover of a project journal. So she drew this delightful, retro raygun! This inside of the book has graph paper, which follows the blueprint theme. Lindsay is a full-time designer and dedicated cat owner.

Illustrator of the Moment

Sushi's first guest illustrator is Candice Tate, who made this fantastic koi fish drawing! Candice has been illustrating for many years, and her Deviant Art portfolio can be viewed here. I just love her character drawings, and fell in love with these koi fish when she made a set of coasters for me as a wedding gift. Check out more pics in the Etsy shop.

According to Candice, these fishies were a serendipitous accident that occurred when she was trying to create a different concept. When she isn't gracing Sushi books with her work, Candice is doing graphic design by day and mastering martial arts by night.

More Geek Chic

I'm rolling out some new vinyl book designs this year, starting with this geek-friendly journal for creative-type people. It's got blank paper of course, so you are free to roam all over the page. Check out the Etsy shop for more pics.

Like I said, this is the first of a few, and the next books will be illustrated by some very talented people! Can't wait to show off their work. In the meantime, I finally stocked up my Etsy shop to some degree.

Book of the Moment

Sushi's back after laying low for a while. And I'm going to start off 2010 with a tribute to the 60's. This fabulously retro book would make an ideal companion to a dry martini and Lucky Strike cigarette.

In other news, except some great new vinyl books this year! Sushi will feature some guest illustrators who'll add their own delicious style to these books. More on that later!