Hello!!! :)

You are a very patient individual, and I thank you for it! I've had a few bumps and rocky patches to finally get to today, but we've made it! Thanks so much for sticking with me through eye strain, crazy house repairs (cutting through chimney brick is LOUD 0.0), packing orders, and making new paint... not to mention all the new stuff. Oh my. The new stuff. 

But before we get into that: thank you. I couldn't do this without you.

I know you're probably wondering about the next paint release. I don't have a specific date for you yet, but I can tell you I'm doing my very best to be ready for a January shop update. Chimneys and all notwithstanding. 

I have 3 new colours (that I love!) coming out in January, as well as several of my previous colours. The new colours will be:

• Cavendish - a peach sands colour that is named for the beautiful beach on Prince Edward Island here in the Maritimes. PEI was a large part of our family vacations for many years and I just love those red sands.

• Amethyst Cove - this gorgeous colour is also named for a local beach, but this one is right here in Nova Scotia. It's a rockhound's dream, and yes, you really can find amethyst right there on the beach at times! :)

• Damson Plum - this plum is plummy indeed. Deep and luscious, and with a fascinating colour change during the mulling process! Yumm

More information on those coming soon, and the other (previously released) colours that will be available.

The New Bits

First new bit: Etsy fees were doing me in, and so I decided it was time to make my own website. That's right, I made a website!! 

Have fun having a look around, I really put my heart and soul into it! And I'm here to say, it. was. HARRRRD. I still have lots to fine tune, but if I wait until it's perfect I'll be 80 ... lol  So woo! Have fun checking it out! Here it issssss!

Second new bit (and this one's a doozy!):

You know how much I love my bullet journal. I have been known to say that it's my brain... I've been bullet journaling consistently for almost five great years now and I love it. I've made it work for my needs and I don't know where I would be without it. 

We all have different ways we process information. I am a very visual person, so pictures, diagrams, sketches and yes, colours ;)  are incredibly important in helping me retain and process information. I also need lots of room to record anything I may need, whether it's a diagram of the fuse box, a grocery item we are low on, or a thumbnail of a watercolour sketch, it all seems to find a place in there. 

I have been trying to find a way to bring a little of my journaling style into my work, and hit 2 major roadblocks. One is that in order for me to have the quality I want, the cost of printing with good paper makes a journal somewhere around $50 CAD!! Add another $15-20 for shipping on top of that and you've got a mighty expensive journal. The second was the problem of printing across a gutter (where the pages join in a book). Many of my spreads don't work well with this issue at all. So, what to do?

I decided the best way to deliver something both cost effective and helpful to you was to start designing digital journals and planners. So that is what I did. 

It took three different courses (I said two on Instagram, but I'd actually forgotten one! LOL) plus learning how to use several types of software (an uphill battle, at times!) and lots and lots of error error error messages, but I did it!! And guess what? I love the end result. I even designed a dozen or so coordinating digital sticker sets. And oh my. I'm having so much fun with them. I love how easy they are to use. And I love not having to create certain spreads over and over again. 

The journal or planner I made is not just for this year or the next. I made it an undated planner, and because it's digital, you can either make a copy for next year or just keep duplicating pages. It comes with tabs all along the side that flip to a different section. You can tap on a tab and woosh! you're in that section! :) You never have to worry about your favourite journal maker changing the paper yet again or being out of stock when you run out of pages. And speaking of pages...

As most of us here are very interested in watercolour art, how could I possibly not have some in my journal? I would be honoured to say this art was all my own, but with all the behind-the-scenes work here, I truly had no time to create (and scan, and edit!) all of the art that is involved in this beauty. So, I reached out to another artist (whose work I love!) and I purchased the right to use her work in my planner and for some stickers. Wait until you see it. Ooh my!! *Heart eyes*

The journal is a digital item- so it's ready whenever you download it. And wherever you live. Because we use different calendars in different places, I've included TWO actual planners in the purchase of one. One has all the calendars/ weeks starting on a Monday, and the other starts on Sunday. The Sunday start planner actually includes a bit of a bonus, because it has a few extra Monday start templates as well. Why? Because I am super weird :) My monthly calendar starts on a Sunday, but my weekly calendar- it starts on a Monday...lol 

I have packed in a ton of layouts and charts that help me organize life. You can add, delete, duplicate and rearrange pages to make it work for you (just don't delete the dividers or your tabs won't work!). The stickers I made are all designed as a collection surrounding this series, so everything works well together, and you can choose how to customize it your way. 

I have plenty more to share with you, including a free downloadable PDF guide for using a digital planner and digital stickers that will be available on the website. It's clear and easy to follow, even when you're new to digital planning. 

Available on all my apple devices

One of my favourite features of digital planning is how well the Goodnotes app syncs across all my devices! I can have my plans with me no matter where I go. Forgot that size of frame I needed? I'll check my planner. Where's that grocery list when I need it? I'll check my planner. The Goodnotes app is available on everything from MacBooks to iPads to iPhones. Yessssss (The journal works great on android devices too! For those, I'd suggest trying the Noteshelf app, but I don't know as much about that so I won't be as helpful there.)

Would you like to see a bit of what's inside? :) You can check the website for more pictures (and stickers!!) and a detailed list of included pages. But for now, here are a few snippets:

Thanks for all of your kind support. I'd just like to share one more thing. You may be thinking- 'Girl- I just want you to make more watercolours! Why did you spend all this time making these things instead?'

Well, I love watercolours. I love making them. I love seeing all that colour on my slab and knowing it's going to go into your capable hands to be made into something fun and lovely and inspiring and fantastic. 

But, making watercolours is a labour of love. And in order to keep making them, I have to have other things working for me too. I truly want to make lots and lots of watercolours- I have so many more pigments and ideas just waiting to be made, my head is bursting! (Well, not literally, thankfully!) 

But the truth is, for this to work for me, a change needs to be made. I can now work on both of the parts of my art life in one crazy combined way. I have two more sticker packs coming out soon, and lots more watercolour ideas. Thanks for being so cool. You're awesome!!

By the way, just before I go: 

The Watercolour Seas Digital Planner will be on sale for ONE WEEK ONLY as a part of its new release! So get one quick!

And, did you know that I have Gift Cards available on the website? Check it out! :)

Big hugs,

Rebecca