My site and all it sees
On a sunny day like today my mind it set on the idea of Summer. It’s still over two months away for us down here but I am planning summer activities, summer shoes and summer reading. This morning I found a really cheap box of wooden christmas tree ornaments and I suddenly got inspired to make Amelia an advent calendar (perhaps out of felt? Maybe?) which she can hang on her wall in December with tiny pockets for each day – inside which she will find a little sweet or ornament or whatever. Project 254. Sigh. I bought the ornaments anyway as they are really very cute.
And so, with the new season will come, as usual, a new design for this website. This summer – to celebrate 5 YEARS on the web I am going to plan a MAJOR REDESIGN. This old site has been clunking along and I keep ignoring the stuff that doesn’t work and the bits that could be better. So, like Heather, I have been brainstorming. I am going to start a gallery page which will have all the finished (ha!) projects I have done. I think I might try putting more time and effort into my craft updates so that there is a better record of what I have done and “how to” pages, or more appropriately some “oops – how to avoid” sections. Hmmm… Now my mind is ticking. I am going to go away and write this down on a piece of paper… but in the mean time, leave me some ideas in the comments (or send me an email if you prefer) for features/pages/sections/updates that you may like to see (or ones you don’t but please be kind – remember I get to approve or not all comments! 😉 ). Thanks! I hugely appreciate the feedback.
Hi Claire,I’m a long time lurker around here and was going to make a similar suggestion to the one above – when you were at school did your classroom ever have one of those ‘evolution of man’ posters? Perhaps you could do an ‘evolution of loobylu’ type thing? I remember a little while ago you posted a link to the first ever loobylu… My, she has come a long way…
In the meantime I am most inspired by your ‘more crafting, less Idol’ attitude of late – so much so that I am going to give it a go myself!
I love it that you change your design every season. I am far too lazy to do anything that hard. And I DO enjoy listening to you talk about how summer is going to start just as I am viciously ripping everything out of my garden in preparation for winter.
I would love to buy a (cafepress?) loobylu illustrated baby onesie/t-shirt and a loobylu totebag…
I agree. It’s a gorgeous Melbourne day and I’m wishing it was summer already as well!
A couple of tentative suggestions for bits I’d like to see:
– Archive of all your old layouts or perhaps just the Loobylu seasonal headers? They’ve all been beautiful and it might be nice to look back on them.
– Separate galleries for craft projects (like Humphrey Beggs) and your illustrations. I know that your illustrations are perhaps nicest when viewed in context of your writing but it would also be nice to view them on their own.
I really enjoy your blog, and it is lovely to be asked to give ideas for the redesign. Kind of like making a wishlist. When I first discovered your blog I read a lot of the archives, and now there are things I’d like to see again, but don’t know where to start looking for. Is it possible to have a search function? If not, perhaps a category of recommendations. Just in case you remember, who was the illustrator you mentioned that outlined in red? I fully support the idea of more about your crafts.
P.S. In response to your comments about the gardening book you are reading…have you seen this: http://www.rain.org/~philfear/sunflowerhouse.html
?
I also would love to be able to see all the old headers, as your illustrations are just beautiful. I love the evolution of Loobylu idea too!
O, another enthusiastic call for the Evolution of Loobylu! Also, I really love your ‘this month I’m into” section and would hate to see that disappear! Ooo…this is so exciting! can’t wait to see what you come up with. I know I’ll be absolutely smitten as usual!
I, too, am a long-time lurker – this is my first comment! 🙂
I really like the idea of seeing a history of the various incarnations of Loobylu, and of other things like your fantastic Christmas cards.. but until then you can also see a history of your site at archive.org (http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.loobylu.com)
Its really interesting to watch the site evolve!
o! And please post those lovely illustrations you did of “now we are six!” somewhere! They still rank among my very favourites… the tone was just so absolutely perfect!
It would be nice to be able to sort projects (finished and unfinished and even never-to-be-finished) by type. Then I could see, say, all the Gocco info on one page, or refer my friend to a page all about knitting.
Maybe also you could group tips/resources for those interested in pursuing similar projects? Where I live now I don’t have access to many books or supplies, but when I get back to the US I hope to be a little more crafty, and I know I’ll look to your site for links, book suggestions, etc.
This is all craft-related, but please, don’t stop the journal-style entries about family and home life, house-buying, etc.! The variety is what makes your site so wonderful.
I agree with Carrie above, and further, something I’ve always looked around on your site for is LINKS! You always seem to find the greatest stuff, whether it’s illustrations, craft projects, blogs, baby/kid stuff etc – I wonder if you might collect them all on a page?
I am partial to your illustrations, and would love to see a section that puts them all together. As a newbie to your site I am itching to see more of your illustrative creations! ~ Jenny in Dallas
As a new-comer to this site I would love to see your past illustrations for christmas etc.And the cute things you have made for Amelia.I have just had a daughter 4 months ago and after having a boy first, I am re-discovering my girly side.I love your rag doll…its now on my list to do..eventually!!!!
I feel for ya…My little guy (6mos)woke up at 1:00, 3:30, 5:30am, then I dreamt that I dropped him, but when I looked down to see if he was ok, his diaper had broken his fall and he had this smilley face on….life of a mommy…