August 2025 blog | markets and shop update!
- Emily Randall
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Drawing everyday(ish)
I was still on a bit of a high from filling out so many sketchbook spreads last month, so tried to keep it up this month. I tried my very best to practice every day for a few days, whatever it was I ended up drawing. I really like some of these spreads, especially the sunflower one!
Draw Outside sticker sheet
My ‘Draw Outside’ zine/sketchbook got an upgrade - or just a feature it was supposed to have at the beginning, but didn’t get because I left things too late. A sticker sheet! It was fun designing this. I wanted those using the sketchbook to always have some way of sticking things in, wherever they were or whatever they had to hand, so made sure to add lots of tape designs and circles. I also made designs that could be used to decorate the cover, put in between sketches, or place somewhere else completely! Thank you to Rosemary a.k.a. illuroses for printing and cutting the sheets for me!
Some more stickers I designed based on my ‘Lil Guys’ sticker sheet. These are bigger stickers, about 5 x 5 cm.
Have a look at them here.
Chepstow Castle zine
I finally added a new zine to my Places to Visit mini zine series. This one was for Chepstow Castle. I recently visited and made some plein-air paintings, so decided to add them to the zine along with the other sketches I made in my sketchbook. You can now get it along with my other zines here.
I made it just in time for an art market I was selling at in Chepstow - Alright? Illustration Fair.
Alright? Illustration Fair
This was such a great market! It was in a fantastic venue (St Mary’s Church) and was full of amazing artists. Some of us also did a stamp rally, which went really well! Every participating artist made a sticker to go in the prize pack based on the area/welsh folklore, so I used my Chepstow Castle painting. All the stickers are so fun and it was lovely working with everyone.
New sketchbooks!
I made a new sketchbook! This time, with a colourful cover instead of a black design on kraft paper. I've had a very kind response to it. They are now available on my Etsy shop. I also made some bookmarks to match the sketchbook, which I include in any orders of said sketchbook!
In addition to that, I was able to invest in a guillotine that allows me to trim all the edges of sketchbooks/notebooks in just a few seconds! It is a total game changer. Now that I don’t have to suffer through hand-trimming every book, I will be making a lot more in the future!
I also made some more sketchbooks from old books! At a second-hand shop I found a goldmine of unloved books just waiting to be re-purposed into sketchbooks. Most were Ladybird books, meaning they were on the thin side, so I decided to do what I did with my current travel sketchbook which is to separate the covers to use a coptic stich when binding, meaning the spines are exposed (in a pretty way).
I had the pleasure of doing a pet portrait commission of these two beautiful dogs for someone!
Visited Longtown Castle again and painted the main keep under an umbrella as the rain decided to start at the same moment!
FOLD artisan market
Another lovely market! It was so nice meeting and having long chats with the other makers. This was the first FOLD market, so I look forward to seeing what they do in the future!
Shop Update!
As well as all the market prep, I worked on a shop update for my Etsy store. I added the:
-'Colourful Quilt' sketchbook
-'Draw Outside' sketchbook/zine
-'Chepstow Castle' mini zine
- 3 Lil Guys stickers
-'Chepstow Castle' print
-Lucky Dip Bags
To go along with all my usual zines, sketchbooks, stickers, prints and downloadables. You can check it all out here!
Upcoming markets
Magic in the Market
21st September 2025
Newport Market, Newport
25th October 2025
The Fold, Bransford, Worcester
If you’ve read this all the way through, consider supporting me and my work by going over to my Etsy shop and having a browse if you like zines, stickers and prints mostly based around nature and travelling. You will also find my pet portrait commissions there! letsgetartyshop.etsy.com <3
Comments