First off: Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day to those in the USA who are celebrating.
Random Fact: I started PTP in 2008 and I was 23. So, 14 years (nearly 15) later, I think it might be time for some changes.
The internet doesn’t look like it looked back in 2008 nor does my life.
So, as an experiment, I am going to move my focus to my newsletter this year (or until I decide I’ve made a terrible mistake, whichever happens first).
Sign up here or at the end of this post, if you’re not already a subscriber.
But what does that mean, you may reasonably be wondering. Well, keep reading.
Here’s the plan:
There will be on January newsletter next Friday, just to make sure everyone is on the same page and aware of all these changes. I may have newsletter folks who aren’t blog readers. No idea. Just trying to spread the word far and wide.
Anyway, the plan…
- The Newsletter will come out on Wednesday’s starting in February and will be weekly.
- Each issue will contain a paper doll, an outfit for that paper doll, and anything else I feel like tossing in.
- On the last Friday of the month, you can download the months worth of paper doll content formates for easy printing from the blog.
- In the first newsletter of the month, there will be a paper doll coloring page using the Newsletter doll I started last year, because I really do like drawing for that paper doll.
- Patrons will continue to get a Vivian paper doll each month, posted to the blog & some other fun stuff- more info to come for them.
You might be wondering: Which paper dolls will be featured in the newsletter?
Right now, I have been on obsessed with drawing for the 365 Day Paper Dolls as series I did way back in 2020 for Patreon and which has never graced the blog (though you can grab that whole project from Etsy here in black and white or in color or if you’re a Patron, grab them here).
So, February will be that series. It’s very cute. I can’t wait to share it. There’s a sneak peek above.
After that… I honestly have no idea. I have a Jewels and Gemstones Fairy set I sort of like that I’ve been dabbling in and I also have some Regency stuff and maybe… The point is I don’t know yet. That scares me a little (I tend to over plan), but I am trying to also let go and embrace a little more of the “not knowing” part of the process. I think my art has started to feel stagnant to me and that’s not a fun feeling. It’s time to stretch a little.
The last time I started a project like this with this little planning it was… well, I think it was this blog actually. And that worked out okay, so in the end- it’s ephemeral paper toys for children. The stakes are low, as Julie Matthews reminded me recently when I was panicked about something.
I’ve embedding a newsletter sign up form here for you, in case you aren’t already signed up!
I will never, of course, sell or share your email. And you can unsubscribe anytime!
Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Let me know!
Oh and before I forget- my patrons will get the first Vivian dress of 2023 (it’s super cute) this week! I promise I haven’t forgotten y’all and next week there will be the big 2022 Jewels and Gemstones round up, because I did reach my 100 Jewels and Gemstones sets goal and I want to show off.
Change isn’t a bad thing – think of it as an evolution!! I remember reading your blog in 2008. You (and Liana) were my inspiration! I follow your paper doll journey in any iteration 🙂
You’re so kind Julie! We’ll see how things go in 2023!
I love Vivian, and I love the newsletter, so it sounds pretty good to me. I don’t know if you’re aware that bloglovin’ has been having major problems for quite a while now, so I come to your blog directly instead of through their site. Not sure if that makes a difference to you or not. Anyway, welcome back! 🙂
Yeah, blogs have changed a LOT. The whole internet has changed- a lot. It’s fascinating to watch, but, in some ways, makes me a little sad.
This year are you going to try some decades you haven’t explored much, like the 1910s?
To be honest, I hadn’t really given themes much thought… I’ve done a poll for my Patrons and I’ll be soliciting them for suggestions soon, but the 1910s did tie with Italian Renaissance on last years historical periods poll, so I have been doing a little research in that era.