In which Yr Hmbl Narrator goes to the craft store

[rolanni]

I’m putting together an author press kit for the Carousel Tides book launch — have I mentioned that here?

Anyhow, yesterday I went to Staples in pursuit of Pretty Ivory Paper and presentation folders.  The PIP was easy to find; the presentation folders remarkably difficult, mostly because the whole store was full of “school supplies” including report covers, which are almost, but not quite, what I wanted.

The thing with a presentation folder is that you want it to be Dignified but Personable, a little quirky, maybe.  It should, above all, not be boring.

For one halcyon moment, I thought I’d found the perfect cover — white coated stock with a single black tree along the right edge.  (It’s OK; trees figure fairly prominently in Carousel Tides, along with, oh, carousels, selkies, Abenaki legend, Subarus. . .it’s a strange book; you’re gonna love it.)

Except — when I yanked this wonderful folder out from its place among its fellows, it was found to also have all kinds of words on it — Think Green!  Go Eco!

Bah.

I finally brought home a pack of Actual business presentation covers, in plain dark blue, but I did not Love them.

Last night, I put together my first kit, which was mailed this morning and will (that is an order) arrive in Saco in time for a Tuesday evening meeting.  It went in the plain blue folder and it was Dignified, I guess, but it was also boring.

Today, I motored out early to post said package, pick up the new eyeglasses and stop at Joanne’s Fabric to get a fabric pen.

I don’t get out much.  I mean, really, I don’t get out much.  I spent more than an hour in Joanne’s, and in the end, I scored a little over two yards of gorgeous sheer swirly green fabric with glitter bits woven through so that the whole thing looks like stars reflected in dark moving water.  A table cover for the launch.  I also got two spools of ribbon, one dark green and one black, for another, related, project, not one but two, fabric pens, and — my piece de resistence — a silver glitter stamp pad and a flourished fall tree stamp.

Came home and stamped me some blue folders.  *happy sigh*  Now, that’s not only Dignified and Personable; it’s Classy.

And now?  To work.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[magentametrix.livejournal.com]

WIN on the folder covers! Just the reflected satisfaction of creating those gave me a glow. It's so much better to have made them than to have found them sitting on a shelf, 'gratz!

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

If its the fabric I think it is, I have some in dark turquoise (not quite teal), saffron yellow, and royal purple. My costume seamstress said it broke her needles, trying to sew the sparkly bits, so I took the fabrics (for dance veils and headwraps) to my usual seamstress (who really doesn't do costume work, esp. where it requires snugness/tightness--she thinks it's too binding, and it may very well be, for her. However, she has more professional weight equipment, and she broke no needles hemming all of that.

I like the design of your presentation binders.

What a cool idea!

[(Anonymous)]

Love the customised folders!
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS Hope your heat wave broke

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I can almost see the eBay ads -- One (1) Carousel Tides press kit cover, hand-stamped by Sharon Lee. Note: individual variations are expected for hand-production.

Maybe you should get a silver pen and sign the covers?

Dragon Con

[claire774.livejournal.com]

From Previous Subject...Dragon Con from before posting. CNN broadcast a piece on it today since it's in Atlanta where their HQ is. CNN reports that it's enormously popular with attendence up about 15% from last year. So estimating from 35,000 to 50,000 attending. That should be good for signed copies of books!

Spelling

[claire774.livejournal.com]

Gus tells me that's "attendance". I need a spell check at all times.