There are several things creating and distributing a 'zine has taught me:

+ Never guess with shipping charges. You will ALWAYS be wrong and not in the "I charged too much," kind of way.

+ Don't scan images if you're going to manipulate the size. I did this for my personal 'zine, and maaaan are they pixelated. Photographing them at hi-rez allows more leeway with size and scale.

+ Everything will happen at the last minute.

+ You will find an error while packaging the last copy. Since you stayed up late the night before, you will no longer care.

+ There is no such thing as too many copies. Nor is there such thing as extra.

+ There is something to be said about each copy going to an individual; they can't get together and notice the mistakes.

+ Two x-acto knives is NOT better than one if the second is held by someone inexperienced.

+ Labels are overrated.

+ It can be the most frustrating, agonizing, pull-your-hair out wonderful awesome experience in your life. It's like tattoos; you can't get just one.

Last night, Page by Page came in as unbound 12"x17" sheets. I spent the evening, and into the wee hours, folding, stapling, and cutting -- yes CUTTING -- the 'zine until all 40 pre-orders were DONE. This, of course, was after a morning of spray painting the envelopes and writing the addresses by hand with markers. And this morning, I ran to the post office for stamps....and proceeded to stamp 'em all.

I am SO EXCITED to throw 'em into the mailbox and send them off to all of you! This 'zine has eaten my brain and creative time for the last month, what with revisions, printing delays, and my injury. But they are finished, sent, ready for all of you.

Now, time to get started on the next issue.

First, I am spending the weekend creating lesson plans for the journaling class/workshop I'm hoping *crosses fingers* to teach this fall in Crystal Lake. It's one of those things; I have to think of all the techniques I use to journal, but as I sit with my notebook open, I can't think of ONE. *sigh* Cori on my mailing list has given me a great resource, and I'm using a teacher's lesson plan as a framework. I'm psyched and scared at the same time -- excited to be teaching, but scared I'll get rejected. Then again, I can always go on my own!

Today's a rainy day. It means I can sit and create and not feel guilty for staying inside with my art supplies. Anyone else feel like that on those warm, perfect summer days? That you should be outside? *laughs*