Saturday, May 2, 2009

Notes and Labels

I mentioned that I won a giveaway from Pepperberry & Co. I picked it up today at the Made 'n Thornbury market. It's a beautiful fabric-covered notebook.
The wee girl was a bit obsessed with it - wanting me to open it. She then said that she wanted to write notes in it. I opened it and left her to it for a few minutes.
When I turned around again I saw that she'd used about a third of the book writing "notes".... of the musical kind. Three year old style... one or two on each page.

The cover is removable (and the books replaceable) so together the wee girl and I can continue to fill many more notebooks. I intend to sketch ideas instead of trying to carry them around in my head...

Sandra's very swish iron-on label reminded me that I've been meaning to do a post about labels for a really long time.

People often ask me where I get mine made. My sew-in labels are printed at a small firm in Carnegie (Direct Label Supply) - they don't have a website, so apologies to international readers. (Mind you - I rang Morrie from Ireland once and he sent labels to me!).
Direct Label Supply have been making my labels for 20 years and have kept the printing plates on file for me all these years. After the initial set-up of getting the printing plate made, it's really cheap to get a thousand or two labels printed. Last time I had a thousand done (about 6 years ago!) it cost about $85AUD (and gets cheaper per-unit as you increase the quantity of your order).
...
If it's small quantities you need, the wonderful Maya has these tips and tutorials on making your own, and I know there are other companies specialising in short runs... I just have no experience of using them. Do you?

I thought I'd open up the comments here for you to share any information you might have about where you get your labels made, or links to tutorials on making your own. Anything that might help people seeking information on the subject.... I'm sure it'll be greatly appreciated!

20 comments:

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Your fabric covered notebook looks very stylish! Love Sandra's labels.

I got a small quantity of fairly basic woven labels made up last year from Cash's. They were fairly inexpensive.

Donna said...

Check out ETSY for getting small quantities of personal labels. There are tons of folks that will do what you want or design one for you :)

Purple Paisley Patch said...

Thanks for this post Nikki, I've been wondering about labels as I've seen a few folk with them and thought they'd be a good investment. I'll be reading all the comments here with interest. :-)

ALfa studio said...

I love your blog & I have a surprise for you on my blog :-)
please check

http://alfastudiolove.blogspot.com/

bec said...

I love your labels, Nikki, and don't Pepperberry's look so professional and neat! I just got my first labels made up by Cashs, really cheap, i'll do a post about them later and post a link. They are too cute to use!!

CurlyPops said...

Mine are the cheap and cheerful Cash's labels
www.cashs.com.au
They deliver really quickly too.
Love your journal - I was eyeing those off yesterday too!

Vegan said...

I'm in the US, and I've bought labels from Able Labels several times:
http://www.ablelabels.com/product_p/prod002.htm

They are a embroidered, which I prefer over printing, and I've been very happy with them. The one disadvantage is not being able to see a proof or sample in advance. I ordered one batch of labels with purple lettering on a black background, and there was not enough contrast between the two colors and the labels are very hard to read.

Carolina said...

Always so much info on your posts even if it's just a by the by topic... Thanks!

Fer said...

The journal is lovely - nice win!

I've made labels using t-shirt transfer paper ironed onto calico. It works well but is very smelly when you're ironing which makes me wonder what's in those fumes!

Sandra @ Pepperberry & Co. said...

Hi Nikki! I'm so glad the journal's already been put to good use by your gorgeous girl :-)

I'll be doing a tutorial on how to make labels like mine later in the week, for anyone who's interested! They're cheap, easy and fun.

nice to see you again yesterday!!

xx Sandra

Cathy {tinniegirl} said...

She's so cute, your wee one.

I was eying off that very journal.

Nikki said...

I love that you let your girl draw in your new book. What an easy way to show her know that what she has to say, or in this case write, is important.

Jenny said...

Love your little one's exuberance! Thanks for the label info

Margaret said...

I foolishly embroider my own on my Janome. But I think one of these days I should get a bundle done, it would make it easier. I got my first lot done through Cash's, but I couldn't get the look I wanted. So I started to experiment ...

Great to see you at the market, I need to get some more supplies from you!

okie2thfairy said...

Thanks for the tutorial and info regarding labels. I'm going to try the inkjet labels first. Great idea for a small-time person like me!

Cathie said...

Hi Nikki,
great chatting to you & your cutie the other day.
Great market day in Thornbury!

Gay McDonell said...

What a great day out - Sandra's work is really lovely and her labels are very cool. Wee One is certainly productive in her note writing - she has alot to say! Young Leah recommended Akie Labels to me - they did my woven labels and I'm very happy with them - they are in Thornbury! Sounds like a hip and happenin kinda place!! Talk to Andrea (03) 9495 1333.

Anonymous said...

I got my labels online from R Draper & Co, http://www.apparellabels.com.au/ - reasonably priced for woven name labels. I don't think that they were very quick to arrive though.
Lovely journal, and what a little author!

Leonie said...

I had my labels made up by Akie Labels in Thornbury (they don't have a web presence, you can find them in the whitepages). See my labels at http://drbonesknits.blogspot.com/2008/09/pleased.html
Cashs couldn't do the colours at a reasonable price.

Jodie said...

Thanks for the great 'label' advice Nikki...

Cheers - Jodie :)